On 24th April 2019 I was observed by Nancy Carter from 9.30 – 10.30 a.m.
Please find the lesson plan here.
Assessed Observation 4 lesson plan-23e92v8
My aims were :
- To provide stimulating photos to set the context and create a suitable scenario for the target language.
- To give clear instructions confidently
- To use regular concept checking questions to ensure that the students are clear about the activities and tasks.
After reflecting on the lesson, in class and post, these are the issues I wish to focus on:
1 Delivery of the target language
It became clear as the learners worked their way through the Making Requests supplementary sheet that I had made errors.
Firstly, though I had typed out the phrases and then supplied the grammatical patterns the phrases were not interchangeable. For example, “Is it O.K to take a photo of us?” appears to be fine and is a request whereas “Would it be O.K….” involves asking someone’s permission. This could lead to confusion and incorrect usage in the future.
I believe this oversight was as a result of focusing too heavily on the images which were used. This is an extremely important lesson for me – don’t lose sight of the ultimate aim for the learners – all materials are a vehicle for language acquisition whether it be through constructionism or constructivism. If I use this material again I will either include more extensive explanations or remove some of the request phrases.
Secondly, I presented the language as formal. I took the target language from the material due on the day yet nowhere is the distinction made that it is formal language. I believe I was influenced by the fact that the original material is used in conjunction with job interviews and so made an assumption without actually properly considering the language’s level of appropriacy.
On reflection, adaptation of the course book materials should only take place if it can be improved upon and although I believe I created a more stimulating and personalised context, the delivery was not fully thought-out or realised.
During today’s lesson (26th April) I took the time to revisit the target language with an activity from the course book. I explained that some of the phrases for making requests could be considered as slightly more formal but on the whole they compliment could and can for making requests.
2 Instructions
Two of my aims were centred around instructions. The first was to give clear instructions confidently, the second was to use CCQs regularly to ensure learners were on track with the activities.
I chose the first as it had recently been highlighted as an area for development both in an assessed observation and a peer observation. I undertook some research (Please see Peer Observation 3 : Signposting and Assessed Observation 3). Even though it was an issue recently brought to my attention and I had looked into the matter I don’t feel I have made a significant amount of progress in my development. As it is such an integral part of teaching and something which many teachers take for granted and do instinctively, it is perhaps worthy of more focus. In addition to the development needs highlighted in the two observations it came to my attention this week when analysing the text I created for a writing materials assignment. My shortcomings again involved instructions this time in written form.
I undertook my own research with regards to instructive language from BBC Learning English website and found certain elements of the following phrases useful:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit3presentations/expert.shtml
Starting a new section
Moving on now to …
Turning to…
Let’s turn now to …
The next issue/topic/area I’d like to focus on …
I’d like to expand/elaborate on …
Now we’ll move on to…
I’d like now to discuss…
Let’s look now at…
The students responded well to phrases containing ‘now’, ‘move ‘, ‘lets’ and ‘turn to’, perhaps as they were so familiar with these. However, I failed to significantly plan or use these. Having said these, it is hard to pinpoint exact failures without having the video available other than when I attempted to start an activity on drilling the target language. I jokingly exclaimed that the students efforts of a choral drill was ‘terrible’ yet I had failed to correctly signpost that this was my intention. It is not a simple task to ask a large group to attempt a relatively new phrase of 10/15 words and have them synchronise with each other! I feel that when I made the phrase into more manageable chunks it was more realistic for the learners.
I believe that after teaching for many years it is easy to assume that all learners understand and can predict classroom patterns of instruction. Nevertheless, every teacher has a different style using differing techniques so it takes time for the learners to become truly familiar with each teacher’s idiosyncracies. Of all the reflections I have made and been made aware of during the diploma this is proving to be the most challenging to change. It is such a fundamental element of teaching. I do grade my language when teaching different levels yet I will have to make renewed efforts to redevelop my understanding regarding the importance of instructions.
An idea would be to create a prompt sheet with specific instructions prior to each class which I can refer to and tick off when introducing , during and closing an activity/exercise/task. In time this should build consistency into my teaching practice. Having said that I need to further develop the research on instructive language I have done previously and consolidate this into my own instruction-giving. One possibility is a suggestion that Theresa Clementson had during a recent seminar in Teaching Materials; ‘look at the course books and copy what you find most appealing, we all need to be magpies’.
My second aim regarding instructions centred around CCQs. I included this as I had noticed that some students were having to ask their peers about the task-at-hand. I did not feel the need to use too many of these. Then I included one purely for the purposes of box-ticking as I was being observed. I felt the learners were on track as there was so much visual material on display which I believe was well-conceived.
3 Modalities
Over the course of these assessed observations and the diploma as a whole my eyes have been opened to the need for different modalities. A good teacher can bring the course book material to life yet when a teacher can supplement and adapt specifically to the learners’ needs then the classroom becomes a more exciting and relevant place for all concerned. I knew that I had plateaued as a teacher before embarking on the diploma though I also knew of some ingredients to make a ‘good lesson’. However, learning more and developing my ideas into using different modalities has shaped me as a teacher and ensured I have become more attuned to my learners and their needs.
As with all of my assessed observations I knew that I wanted to explore new techniques and create new materials. In Images by Jamie Keddie (2009) I found an interesting activity titled Advert Defacement Therapy and adapted it. The instructions are to ‘Look at adverts and write captions or paragraphs that describe what the creators are saying to the public’. I felt that this would be stimulating and humanistic; decoding, interpreting, discussing, writing, committing to the speech in the speech bubble, sticking it up, then reformulating it after exposure to new language. I believe that the activity fulfilled different needs within the students regarding their learning styles.
Physical movement is important to me during a lesson perhaps as I remember feeling so constrained at school. Having to sit at a desk hour after hour has shaped me as a teacher. Yet physical movement combined with new language usage can also create a valuable contextualisation for language. This belief led me to include a portion of the lesson for real-life practice for the learners. I purposefully omitted responses to the requests during the lesson as I wanted the learners’ formative experience regarding these to be with native speakers. The course book offers
“Of course”, “sure, no problem”, “I’m not sure about that” and “Yes, I will”, as responses to the requests.
For the learners to experience the responses first hand would make it more memorable, even if they had to consider numerous others factors i.e. the weather, accents, nerves, thinking of what to say next etc. What the learners actually did hear was
“Of course”, “No probs”, “Sure”, “Why not?”, “Can’t”, “Okey-dokey” and “mbusy” (later examined and shown to be a valuable feature of connected speech “I’m busy”.
As the material was designed with the learners’ needs in mind I believe that their current environment figures heavily in the justification for my original decision to omit the responses to the requests.
Additional reflections
1 I received a distinction for the second and third assessed observations. Having been elated at the time, when approaching this lesson I did not feel the same drive and determination. Receiving the distinctions surprisingly had a demotivating affect. I need to reflect on the reasons for this.
2 The lesson aims were driven by my personal development rather than learner needs.
3 Illness and increased family commitments affected the time I had to dedicate to the lesson overall.
4 We (this intermediate class and myself) had been together as a class for 4 weeks yet two of these were with different teachers due to the needs of the school and illness. These factors affected the rapport in the class, the level of familiarity and perhaps my confidence.
