Observation Tasks

Introduction
The following tasks are designed to give a teacher specific feedback that can be used to improve the quality
of teaching. Please feel free to use these on yourself when watching a video of your own class. But don't get
bogged down in too many details. Maybe just pick one or two things to analyze in a single sitting.

Part 1: Data Collection (T = teacher, Ss = students)

Calling on Students
1. List the names of the Ss the T called on by name during the class? How many total?
2. Draw a seating chart of the class. Put a tick mark on each S's position when the T called on him / her.
What patters emerge (if any) for which Ss the T calls on most.
Blackboard
3. How much did the T write on the blackboard? How much did the Ss write on the board?
4. How did the teacher arrange things on the board? Was a particular part of the board used for
particular purposes?
5. How many pictures did the T draw on the blackboard? How effective was the T's use the pictures?
6. How easy was it to read the T's handwriting?
7. How many different colors of chalk did the T use?
Comprehension
8. What steps did the T take to find out whether the Ss understood what the T said?
9. How did the T explain words that the Ss didn't know?
10. How did the T determine which Ss want to speak?
Timing (use a stopwatch)
11. How much time did the T speak? How much time did the Ss speak? (use a stopwatch)
12. How much time was the Ts back to the Ss?
13. How much time was spent using Chinese (Ts or Ss)?
14. How much time was spent explaining the instructions for an activity?
Other
15. How did the T take attendance? How did the students react to it?
16. How did the T use gestures and voice to teach intonation and stress?
17. How did the T tell whether pair / group work is suitable for one class?
Content
18. Who determined the goals for the lesson? Ts, Ss, or both together?
19. How much of the lesson was focused on skills? On knowledge?
20. How much of the lesson was focused on pronunciation? On grammar? On vocabulary? On
something else?
21. How much of the lesson was focused on presenting new stuff? Correcting wrong stuff? Activating
the Ss' passive knowledge?

Part 2: Evaluation
Regarding the data you just collected, are you happy with the results or would you like to see some
improvement? What specific ways would you like the teacher to improve? For example, if the teacher only
called on 2 students during a class (Task 1), what would be a better goal?

Part 3: Conclusion
What 1 or 2 things will you adjust about your teaching before your next class?

For even more observation tasks, see Ruth Wajnryb's Classroom Observation Tasks: A Resource Book for Language Teachers and
Trainers, Cambridge University Press (1993)

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