Class Observation

CLASS OBSERVATION ESSAY

COLEGIO: INGENIERO ALEJANDRO QUESADA

NATALIE M RANKIN MONTOYA

   The last week, I did a class observation. This observation was pretty close to my home, in the high school Ing Alejandro Quesada. This experience teaches me a lot about what is going on in the high school system, and also with the students. At the beginning, I felt a little concerned, for the new experience in this big high school. The principal assigned a teacher named Ana Isabel. When I come to the class the teacher and students were on their way to take the annual photo. Then, unexpectedly I had to go for another class with another teacher.

  The next teacher was surprised. The teacher Mayela Vega did not expect me at that moment or any moment. This group is a seventh grade. The first thing that I noticed was that the students come late to the class, more that 5 minutes. The students take their time to get in the class. This group has 26 students. The class was a mess from the beginning. The teacher never had the control of the group. The first instruction was to open the book, but nobody listen to her. Fifteen minutes had elapsed and still no one does anything that were supposed to be doing. The first problem that I noticed immediately was the lack of discipline in class.

   When finally the students opened the book to review the homework, in class had already gone 20 minutes. One by one student wrote the right answers on the board. The objectives for the class never was given verbally or written. The teacher does not give help with text preselected. Furthermore something that really surprised me was that the teacher does not know the students names. 30 minutes had elapsed of the class, and just two questions had been discussed from the book; “What are your name? And “Spell your name”. That is very sad for our educational system. Finally the class of 45 minutes was over. The students, and also the teacher never shows interest or enthusiastic. Moreover the atmosphere of the class was not participative. That was a poor class with poor learning.

  Two days after, I came back again for my interview with an English professor. This time was a different teacher that the occasion before. This time I spoke with the Lic Ana Isabel. She told me about the biggest problems in the public system. She said that probably the most important problem is the overgrowing in high schools. When there are many students in one class, the quality of teaching is poor. Unfortunately, this is a common problem in many schools and high schools. The teacher also mentioned that nowadays teachers are “handcuffed” in many occasions.

  The professor Ana Isabel also mentioned some possible solutions in her opinion. For example, schools need a better infrastructure in their facilities. This will improve the distribution of the students in the classrooms. Also with the small groups is easier the discipline’s control. The public education system is completely saturated. Furthermore the methodology is always the same (communicative approach). There is not any innovation. Most of the teachers feel comfortable with this methodology. That is ok, but not all the time.

 With this project of observing an English class, I learned a lot about all that implied this profession. I believe that I saw the worst of the Costa Rican educational system. But probably I will find something good ahead. It’s important to create an educational climate for learning. Furthermore, we as professors must involve our students in deciding what issues they want to discuss. A teacher is a guide, help, and support of students. It’s a life commitment. It’s a big responsibility not just of the system also of the teachers.

   As a conclusion, we are a new generation of teachers, and may we can’t change all the bad things, but we will try it. This class observation allows me to understand much more about public education, methodology, students and teachers behavior. I know that public system and private system are very different. Sadly the public system is not what we expect or what we want, but it is what it is. This was a great educational experience.

  

 QUESTIONS OF THE INTERVIEW

1-Tell me about the methodology that you used in your class?

2-What kind of rules do you have for your classroom?

3-Which are the problems in our educative system?

4-What can be the solution of those problems?

5-Why did you choose to become a teacher?