Class observation research

Description (class carried out by Francisca, Juan, etc)

Teacher gives instructions and explains the purpose of the activity (relating ideas)and makes sure that they know who to work with. Teacher shows pictures and asks the class for the odd image, the one that doesn’t belong. Teacher guides students and encourages the class to participate.Teacher also asks them to stay quiet through body movements. Teacher gives enough time for students to think and monitors the time. The teacher also asks individual students to respond to the questions and calls out students to pay attention. They give opportunity for volunteers and teacher asks for more than 1 possible answer and gives hints when students don’t come up with all the possible answer. Teacher sounds encouraging and enthusiastic, and the class seems excited and engaged to the lesson by being constantly laughing. Teachers also ask students to discuss with a partner their answers before sharing with the rest of the class.


Class carried out by Nicole

Teacher gives instructions imitating and asks for meaning. She shows a video of the seasons while teacher does the mime, and the teacher asks for the missing season and helps students to figure out how to say "primavera" in English by giving examples "we water flowers". Teacher asks for volunteers since nobody wants to, she encourages students to participate and they all accept. Teacher helps students by guiding them, the class clap and teacher congratulates students and instead of making them paricipate she says "can you help me?".

Analysis

In class number one we encounter teachers who are very encouraging. They do not make students feel like they are wrong, or if there was only one answer. Teachers make them believe everybody's answers are okay regardless of what it is really expected. Students seem really engaged and happy to participate due to the fact that teachers are constantly making it seem like a game rather than an activity where they have to learn something by heart. We can notice that students laugh and have fun, while teachers also enjoy the interaction while carrying out the activity.
On the other hand, in class number two the teacher is very active and expressive. She moves around showing the meaning of words/actions in English by acting/mime. She makes students relate what they see to what they hear, and at the same time teacher impersonates. This interaction really makes students feel engaged and willing to participate. The teacher creates interaction that goes beyond "being a teacher" but someone who is also learning with the students, thus asks students to help her so they can sll accomplish the task together.