GENERAL CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
FOCUS ON ELL STUDENTS
This template should be used to gather formative data about teacher practice in a building or grade level and could be used to assess the implementation
of instructional strategies that are the focus of school-wide or grade level professional development. It should be clear to teachers that the tool is not
meant to be evaluative. In addition, it’s important to coordinate this work with leadership teams and professional learning communities within the school
to gather input as to what should be included in the tool and give the opportunity for buy in. The more that the language of the “look fors” reflects the
language of the evaluation rubric, the Common Core (when applicable), and the professional development that teachers have been a part of, the more
relevant and connected this work will be within the context of current initiatives.
Date:______ Observer:______ School_________ Start Time:______ End Time:______ Subject/Content:______ Grade:______
Teacher:_______________ Other/Staff Roles:_________________ # of Students:_______
The purpose of this classroom observation is to document the teacher’s use of research based instructional strategies
with ELL students in the classroom and to document evidence of student learning and engagement.
Instructional strategy
Observed?
0= Not observed
1= Observed
some
2=Significantly
observed
Enhanced Learning?
0=Not enhanced
1= Somewhat
enhanced
2=Significantly
enhanced
Comments/Evidence
(effective examples, missed opportunities, ineffective
strategies)
1. Explicitly links new concepts to student’s background
experiences and prior learning (build background/activate
prior knowledge)
2. Uses supplementary materials to promote
comprehension (i.e. charts; graphs; pictures; illustrations;
realia; manipulatives; multimedia; technology; teacher and/or
peer demonstrations; native language materials such as
bilingual glossaries; and/or models of process, task or
assignment)
4. Uses explicitly vocabulary strategies (i.e. pre-teaching
new key vocabulary in context prior to reading text
selections, emphasizing key vocabulary, frequently
reviewing contextualized vocabulary, and/or limiting the
number of vocabulary items)
5. Clearly communicates both content and language
standards/objectives to students
6. Decreases teacher talk time by giving
opportunities for student discussion using
academic English
Evidence of ELL Learning and Engagement:
ELLs are reading academic content appropriate to their language proficiency level
ELL students are writing using academic English appropriate to their language proficiency level
ELL students are speaking using academic English appropriate to their language proficiency level
ELL students discuss class content using academic English
ELL students are actively listening to the use of academic English and responding appropriate to the context and their language proficiency level
ELL students demonstrate comprehension of academic English and content by appropriately responding to directions and tasks
ELL students demonstrate understanding/mastery of academic content through verbal response, demonstration, accurate completion of task
Environmental Scan of Classroom
Describe instructional and learning activities
1