Classroom Observation Report
Professor Jane Smith
ENGL 3101 Teaching English as a Second Language
February 17, 2012
1:10-2:25
Meade Hall 207
Respectfully Submitted by Shelley A. Chapman, PhD
Purpose
The purpose of this observation was to provide a mini ethnographic study of a classroom experience for a
veteran professor in the interest of support and continuous quality improvement. Having a visitor sit in
our classes provides a snapshot in time of a complex and dynamic social activity, but it is a picture that
helps us to see our practice from different eyes. Observations and peer visitations can provide helpful
feedback for us as we work at being critically reflective of the art and craft of our teaching.
General Impressions
1. Dr. Smith has very good relationships with all the students in this class. Before the class began I
met her in her office where she was working with two students who are in this class. We entered
the room about 10 minutes early and students were already beginning to gather. Dr. Smith talked
to each of them personally. It was obvious that the students were comfortable in the class. It is
clear that Professor Smith cares about them as students and future educators.
2. Dr. Smith started class promptly on time with all students present except one who was absent.
3. Dr. Smith read a brief and pertinent devotional and then asked students for prayer requests. She
led them in prayer.
4. The class began with a mini orientation as to where they were in the course and what would
happen this week. This was a helpful way to frame the activities of this particular class. At one
point, she succinctly told students the purpose of the day’s session—“My purpose today is to
illustrate what you can do. What can you use do in class?”
5. Dr. Smith made excellent use of the rearrangement of classroom furniture to ensure effective class
discussion. The room was arranged for the class when everyone arrived. Students helped to move
the tables and chairs after class.
6. Dr. Smith did a modeled the types of teaching/learning strategies for these students that they will
need to be able to do for their students some day. She started the class by using a brainstorming
technique, asking them to talk about various strategies they could use for their students. From
there, she asked them to work in pairs to write one sentence for each term to be defined. Then the
students shared the results. The terms were all pertinent to the class discussion. The next activity
was collaborative learning for which she gave each pair a different game. They were instructed to
work together to play the game and then to think of how they might use it for English Language
Learning. This appeared to be very effective. Students were engaged, and they gave interesting
ideas of how they would use the game for children to learn English.
7. It is evident that Dr. Smith understands the theoretical implications of constructivism because the
entire class session was conducted in such a way that she facilitated student learning as they
worked together and engaged with the subject matter, with each other, and with the instructor to
construct long lasting understandings about how to teach English language learners. In other
words, while students were learning techniques and skills and how to apply them, they were also
discovering important theoretical principles that will serve them well in the classroom for years to
come, long after they have used the particular techniques discussed in this specific class session.
8. All students were engaged throughout the entire class (see communication flow chart). A couple
students were quiet, but Dr. Smith encouraged them to participate by calling them by name, giving
them time to think, and coming back to them. For instance, once she said, “Why don’t you think
about that Rachel, and we’ll come back to you.” This was an effective strategy to pull Rachel into
the discussion without too much stress for the student because it gave her time to gather her
thoughts.
9. Dr. Smith used an effective classroom assessment technique to sum up the activities of the class.
She gave each student an index card and asked them to write in one sentence the answer to this
question—“What was the most important thing you learned today?” Students read their responses
to the class just before they left for the day.
10. There are seven students in the class; six were present. All the students who were there are white
with two males and four females. No gender differentials emerged during the class session.
11. The course syllabus is well organized, and the schedule is very detailed.
General Concerns—There are no concerns about this particular class.
Recommendations
1. Dr. Smith has a habit of responding to students by saying “Good!” This is appropriate to give
praise. Grant Wiggins (1998, p. 46) suggests that while it is often appropriate to say “good” or
“good job,” that sometimes teachers get into the habit of giving praise, and it does not necessarily
explain to a student why it is good. Therefore, I suggest that Dr. Smith think about perhaps saying
something different once in a while rather than “good.” The type of feedback Wiggins refers to is
more formative and instructive, informing students why it is a good comment or contribution. For
instance, “I see you understand the principle very well,” or “You framed that response in a way
that we can see this idea from a new perspective,” etc. I think Dr. Smith did this a few times, and
obviously, it takes time to notice and to think of a different type of response. She says “good” far
more often, though, and I suggest that Dr. Smith simply reflect upon this as she is teaching in the
future.
2. The textbook had very good questions at the end of each chapter. I know Dr. Smith uses some of
them because a student was working on them in her office. I suggest that it may be useful to put
some of the questions right in the syllabus for each week and ask them to turn in responses to them
as they enter the room. (This may be done already.)
3. Dr. Smith may want to start some class sessions with an essential question—those questions for
which there are no easy or simple responses and which cause students to say, “hmmmmm.” For
this class, an essential question might have been “How do the cultural backgrounds of EL learners
influence how they may respond to the strategies you studied in your text this week?” Then at the
end of the class, the question can be revisited. She may want to skim chapter 5 on “Essential
Questions: Doorways to Understanding” of Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design.
The book should be in the University Library; it is also available through CTL.
References
Wiggins, G. (1998). Educative assessment: Designing assessments to inform and improve student
performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Expanded 2nd. Ed. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.