Classroom observation (I)

Classroom observation is an interesting practice from both sides of the matter. In my short experience as a teacher, or before, as a teacher learner, I have done little observation, and I have only once been observed. It was during a very unreal lesson and there was not time really for a popper feedback.

Today I was there again: being watched. At the beginning I was somehow scared, but definitely it has been a great experience. When I face the classroom, mainly the very young kids, I always feel that I should be doing it much better, I guess that it is a normal feeling, but some pieces of advices and indications are always very well come.

Some of them may seem common sense but the true is that when you are there in front of the children you just try to do your best to involve them and sometimes it is difficult to manage every single aspect and factor. I have read so much theory that when I think on implementing it into the classroom I don't really find the ways sometimes!

Being observed on the battle-ground has provided me with quite a lot of good ideas and reminded me some important points. There we go with some tips!

• Try to use every opportunity to introduce new vocabulary, as for children are always introducing little objects and matters of their own interest during the lesson, don't panic and get any advance of their spontaneity!
• Use English as much as possible and if you have to use Spanish, or their mother tongue use it after addressing to them first in English so that the communicative effort takes place. If you speak to tem first in their mother tongue, there will be no reason to keep on listening to you if they already understood the message.
• Demonstrate rather than explain, it will save loads of time! Explore intensively the TPR approach overall at early ages. Start with very simple examples of actions and exaggeratedly play mimics and gestures for your students to get miming through action.
• At this young age, receptive skills should be paid much more attention, so that you should not make them speak too much or long sentences neither read aloud. For this emphasis on the reception of language, visual aids as realia or flash cards are very useful, but the main tool we are provided with is the blackboard. It focuses students attention and even calls the to actively take part in the development of the activities in a very productive way. They normally want to write on it!
• Expose the children to as much as possible English and real language! Instead of set them to read or speak, speak to them yourself, don't expect long responses from them and use listening activities as an important tool as it exposes them to a wide variety of voices and tones.
• Be very strict with the use of classroom language in English instead that in their mother tongue.

As for my professional development I was also advised to tape or record my lessons so that I can watch me myself and look for my own ways to improve!