First Week: Classroom Observation

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my SEA-Teacher story. As I explained in the previous post, I did Orientation before starting to see real class teaching and here is the starting activity. The first activity that I had to do before Teaching Practice was Classroom Observation. Classroom Observation is an observation of teaching while it is taking place in a classroom or other learning environment. Observation is an important part of learning how to teach. Classroom observation describes the practice of sitting in on another teacher’s class to observe, learn and reflect. While doing Classroom Observation, I sat in the back of the class and examined various aspect in class, such as routines, use of time, schedule, participation, teaching strategies, management strategies and also students’ interest.

 (Teacher Steve taught English in Primary 6/1)

In this activity, I conducted the classroom observation in the level of Primary 5 and 6 with Teacher Ali and Teacher Steve and also Lower Secondary 1 and 2 with Teacher Beth and Teacher Shawn. The totals Classroom observation that I did were 18 times observations in the different classes. All of the English teachers in Satit Bangna School are foreigner and some of them are native English speakers. Teacher Ali comes from Iraq, Teacher Steve and Teacher Shawn comes from England and Teacher Beth comes from Philipines.

(Teacher Ali taught English in Primary 6/2)

For Primary 5 and 6, there are 2 teachers that will be teaching in the class. One teacher will be the main Teacher and the other teacher will be Co Teacher. The teachers will change the position as Main teacher and Co Teacher regularly. Whil e in Lower Secondary class, English Teachers are divided into different skills. Teacher Beth teaches English Grammar Skill and Teacher Shawn teaches Applied English. 

(Teacher Shawn taught Aplplied English in M1/1)

From this Classroom Observation that I conducted, I could conclude that the teaching method that was commonly used in Satit Bangna School, both in Primary class and in Lower Secondary class as well is Teacher Centered Method. The use of this method was suitable for the students because the English teachers are mostly native English. This method benefits the students in order to develop their English skill.

(Teacher Beth taught English Grammar in Lower Secondary 3 or M3/1)

There was a different in the use of technology in teaching between Primary and Lower Secondary class. In Primary class, the teachers mostly used technology such as TV, Power Point and Video to deliver the lesson and also media such as flash card. It was because Primary students as young learners, need the help from the use various media and technology that could help them keep their interest and concentration on. While in Lower Secondary class, the teacher seemed prefer to use whiteboard to deliver the materials and sometimes traditional media. Teacher Beth as explained that to be a teacher means we have to be able to deliver the knowledge to our students whenever and wherever it will be. We have to be ready for any worst situation in teaching activity. For example: we have to teach in the place where technology is very minimal. It doesn’t mean that we can’t deliver our lesson to the students. A teacher also has to make sure that the lesson she/he will deliver, will be exciting and make the students happy with or without technology.