For my last peer observation, I was observed by Lucy, who is a CELTA qualified teacher in a language school in Brighton. The lesson was taken on the British council website At the chemist | LearnEnglish (britishcouncil.org), and the aim was to equip the learners with some listening strategies and introduce new lexis related to ‘At the chemist’
Before the observation, my observer Lucy received an email from me where I mentioned the aspects of my teaching, I would like her to focus on: Time and classroom management, Giving instructions clearly, and the accuracy of my language. Then she watched my recorded video and met with me for feedback.

Classroom management
The first aspect of my teaching she highlighted was the respect between my learners and I. They were all men of a certain age, and she was so surprised how I successfully involved them in the learning process. Some learners were lying down on their sofa, and others were facing connectivity issues; two of them were in and out, but I succeeded in creating the right environment where no one fell aside despite their personal problems. A possible explanation could be related to the fact that I spent one month teaching them, which allowed me to get to know them and have a clear-cut idea about how they want to be taught and the issues they face whenever we have class. I remember mentioning this aspect in my first reflective essay as an observer. The classroom accommodates students from different backgrounds and expectations, and I think it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure they feel a sense of belonging despite their different challenges. In his book How to teach English, Harmer (1998, p.37) encourages teachers to ’empathize with the people they are talking to by establishing a good rapport with them,’ and I work toward that. My rapport with the students has changed since I started taking this module. I am more tolerant than strict with them.

Use of online and technical aids
The second thing that impressed my observer Lucy was my ‘excellent use of tech and powerpoint’ to quote her words. I should admit that the previous post-observation conversation with Nancy pushed me to develop the technical skills needed for an effective online class. Back in my country, I used to teach face-to-face, but I had to readjust my teaching materials when I started this module. Several teachers find it difficult (Suherdi & al, 2021). It can be challenging and daunting at first, but you become more confident as you progress.

In delivering classes online, I realized that teaching online does not equate to opening your coursebook and following the sequence of activities. It requires adaptation of the content, anticipation regarding the issues they might face online, consideration of the layout, colors, the visual element of your PowerPoint, the recordings, and the classroom set up, which is most of the time new to the learners. The teacher should navigate between the screen and the learners and have to stick to the time allocated to the class at the same time. In short, I could say that about my three last assessed observations.

Time Management
However, everything was not perfect. The area the observer wants me to work on is time. I was supposed to teach for an hour, but I exceeded the time by 20 minutes. It would have been better for her to spend 8 minutes on the warm-up activity instead of 20 minutes. It took longer than usual, but I decided to spend time on this activity because it was my last class with them. It was a pleasant conversation where the learners were required to describe an image and guess the content of today’s class. I succeeded in engaging them in the negotiation of meaning, and some of their classmates even helped the weaker learners. I also provided immediate feedback regarding their mispronunciation (ache, lozenges, cough). It was worth doing. I did not feel the urge to rush them up, but Lucy made a point. I could have done better if I had chosen another image of a pharmacy, which reflects the type of pharmacy they are likely to find in their home country, for them to easily describe it and allow me to move to the next stage. This feedback regarding my time management was valuable, and I will carry it to my next class.

Power of images
Another suggestion was to use images whenever the learners seem not to understand a word. This reminds me of our class on vision and sounds, where Paul appealed our attention to how visual aids can facilitate the learning process. The visual material (images, illustrations, photographs) could make comprehension easier or more complex, and this idea reflects what happens in my class. I will consider it next time, even if I had to admit that I wanted to challenge my learners to an extent.

Instruction Checking Questions (ICQs)
Moreover, the observer recommended using the instruction checking questions (ICQs) whenever I give my learners a task. I could have used the following questions (are you going to work in pairs or individually? Are you going to read the transcript while listening or do it separately/) instead of popping in the breakout rooms and fixing their misunderstanding of the instructions? Nancy gave me the same idea, and I think I should work hard on it and implement it in my classes.

In hindsight, I can now say that teaching online is a process that requires the total commitment of the teacher and willingness to learn and use technical aids to facilitate the learning process. My three last observations helped me develop effective use of online materials (PowerPoint, jam board, an interactive whiteboard, and breakout rooms). I can admit that I feel comfortable with these tools. Having Lucy’s feedback regarding my class doubled my self-confidence, and I was thrilled when she commended me on the accuracy of my language, and how I praised my learners whenever they got something right. I was elated to have Lucy as an observer, and I thank her for her insightful and honest feedback. Below, you will find her voice recording

Listening 3 cough
worksheet 3

Reference list
Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Harlow, Essex: Pearson/Longman.Suherdi, D. (2021).
EFL Teachers’ Considerations in Developing Online Teaching Materials. Journal on English Language Teaching. [online] Available at: https://www.academia.edu/73976409/EFL_Teachers_Considerations [Accessed 5 Jun. 2022].

My first observation as an observee was done online with a class of three people from cote d’Ivoire. They subscribed for a six-month training, and their long-term goal is to become pre-intermediates. I taught them for three weeks, and we got along perfectly. Daniela was the observer. I was happy to have her watch my video because she has 12 years of experience in teaching people from different nationalities, and I thought that with someone of her calibre, I would be able to gain insight into improving my teaching practices. I wanted her to focus on student engagement and Class dynamics. Her personal aim was to see how I integrate technology into my lessons.

My feedback about how the lesson went
The class was made up of three female students from the Ivory Coast, and their motivation for learning was to get a job or pursue their studies abroad. The level in the group was beginner or A1, and the students all knew each other since they were formerly attending the face-to-face classes. Then the lockdown began, and they were compelled to take the classes online, and I set up a WhatsApp group where they received homework and follow ups daily.

At first, I thought the class went well. The lesson aims were to introduce and practice various modal verbs. By the end of the lesson, the students would have better understood which modals to use when expressing ability, permission, advice, obligation, and possibility. I used a table of modal verbs to clarify when to use them and a range of example sentences (can, could – Ability – David can speak three languages/ Should – Advice – You should visit your dentist at least twice a year). The content was displayed on the screen, and the learners could see the spelling and take notes. They were all eager to participate in the class despite the frequent connectivity issues we had to deal with. After the class, I was convinced that the aims and objectives were reached, overlooking some crucial aspects.
The post conversation discussion with Daniela highlighted my traditional way of teaching, which was teacher-led. It was surprising that I could not notice, but I was ready to challenge my own teaching beliefs and develop my professional knowledge (Manouchehri, 2002).

The first thing my observer Daniela asked me to work on was classroom management. She appealed my attention to the fact that there was no interaction between the learners. I was the one correcting their mistakes, and they were taking notes and answering my questions. Undoubtedly, she was right. I did not get them working in pairs because I found their level too low, and I was wondering what they could learn from each other since they are non-native English speakers. I was wrong. My own beliefs tricked me according to which my students could not learn from each other without the teacher’s help. Reflecting on what Daniela said, I decided to allow my students to speak to one another during the next class. This reminds me of My Duong (2014), noting that the teachers might be willing to help their learners take responsibility for their language learning process but stick to their traditional methodology because of their challenges in promoting learner autonomy.

The second area she thought I should improve is the teacher’s talking time. English is a vivid language, and having a classmate to practice with could be rewarding. She gave me this genuine idea of encouraging my learners to help each other instead of me helping them out whenever they get stuck. This would allow them to speak a lot, make mistakes and receive support from this community of practice that I would succeed in creating where classmates can help each other. As quoted by harmer (1998, p.38), the more a teacher speaks, the less there is for the students to practice their speaking. Therefore, I decided to reduce my talking time by getting the learners to interact, give explanations, ask questions, participate in pair work activities, and practice active listening.

She also mentioned that a couple of students seemed to come and go, and there was no explanation for why it was happening”. Regarding this issue, I would say that this is part of the strategies I use to complete my course within the timeframe. I do notice the in and out of some learners, but to be honest, it is always related to technical issues. Talking and complaining about it will not improve the situation. I repeat myself repeatedly for the person who is back on the platform to catch up on what he has missed. The others with a stable internet connection might feel bored, but repetition in a second language teaching classroom always impacts pronunciation, accuracy, and fluency. At the end of the class, I make sure they receive the recorded video from catching up on what they potentially have missed.

The use of the learner’s First language (L1) in the EFL classroom has led to many controversies, but I think it is one of the most valuable tools EFL teachers can use to help less proficient (A1) learners (Swain & Lapkin, 2000). Fortunately, not everything was negative. She liked that I was using French, the learner’s mother tongue, to clarify misunderstandings. It resonated with her since she finds herself doing the same thing with her Italian learners. For her, the students need a starting point that is familiar to them to get involved in the conversation gradually.

Moreover, she particularly liked the way I explained that English is about intonation and how I gestured with my hand in an up and down manner for the learners to understand (Could I open the window? Could I borrow your computer?). She also commended me on how I fairly corrected my learners mistakes, and none of them felt frustrated but were happy to learn.
When she corrected their pronunciation, she did it in a fair manner, and the students did not seem to mind. She also talked about how structured my lesson was. I prefer quoting her words: ”As I had expected, the teacher gave a well structured lesson, and I liked the online table she used with the various models and instructions about when to use them. Bintou told me afterward that she designs all her worksheets based on the Common European Framework of Languages. She also used the chat to interpret the original information and when she realized that a student needed more clarification. Overall, it was a delightful lesson, and I noticed a few things that I could use to improve my online lessons. It was impressive to watch how well another teacher had adjusted to the new online teaching environment.”

However, we did face some connectivity issues. We had to stop the class over and over and launch a new meeting for some of them to be able to hear us or see what I was writing in the chat box. I was obliged to use the direct repair feature (correct my learners mistakes quickly and directly on the spot). Instead of writing, I would rather spell for the learners to write the orthography in their copybook. This way, I treated them equally and allowed all of them to have an idea about the spelling of the new words.

She also mentioned that a couple of students seemed to come and go, and there was no explanation for why it was happening”. At this point, I will say that this is part of the strategies I use to complete my course within the timeframe (2 hours). I do notice the in and out of some learners, but to be honest, it is always related to technical issues. Talking and complaining about it will not improve the situation. I repeat myself repeatedly for the person who is back on the platform to catch up on what he has missed. The others with a stable internet connection might feel bored, but repetition in a second language teaching classroom always impacts pronunciation, accuracy, and fluency.

Overall, it was a great class, and I plan to integrate the advice of my peer observer regarding classroom management in the next lesson. I learned a lot from her, and I think my next class will be different.

Reference list Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Harlow, Essex: Pearson/Longman.Manouchehri, A. (2002).
Developing teaching knowledge through peer discourse. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(6), pp.715–737. doi:10.1016/s0742-051x(02)00030-6.
My Duong, T. (2014). EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Learner Autonomy and Their Classroom Practices: A Case Study. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 4(2), pp.9–17.
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2000). Task-based second language learning: The uses of the first language. Language
Teaching Research, 4, 251-274.

Lesson 6