TESOL OBSERVATION
TESOL 609,610,611

About the Observation

Observation in TESOL is designed to give you experience in the ESL/EFL classroom by observing and assisting professional teachers in three distinct settings: public schools, community organizations, and higher education institutions.

The 3 units of TESOL Observation are required -- even for experienced teachers! In such cases, the point is to observe, reflect on, and discuss how ESL/EFL classes are conducted (and how teachers teach) in settings other than those you already know.

In addition to online Forums and response Journals, for each unit of TESOL Observation the student will spend a minimum of 40 hours in a classroom where students from non-English-speaking backgrounds are being taught English.

Each 40 hours of TESOL Observation -- TESOL 609, TESOL 610, and TESOL 611 -- should take place in a different ESL or EFL environment, involving different levels and types of students.

For the second and third TESOL Observations, the student is expected to base his evaluations on his cumulative knowledge of TESOL and experience in ESL/EFL classrooms -- meaning that each subsequent observation should reflect a greater depth of analysis and insight.

All work in the TESOL Observation will be supervised by experienced cooperating teachers and a university supervisor. Students normally enroll in 1 or 2 credits of TESOL Observation in a trimester.

Objectives

1. To give you first-hand experience in TESOL by observing various ESL/EFLclasses.
2. To allow you to benefit from the guidance and mentoring of the cooperating teacher and university supervisor.
3. To enable you to understand and evaluate TESOL theory in relation to practice.

Course Requirements

  Daily response Journal of the Observation experience, to be handed in at the completion of each 40 hours  (30%)
  Participation in weekly online discussion Forums  (30%)
 Completion of at least 40 hours (per credit) of Observation  (40%)

Overview
  During the time that they are actively engaged in TESOL Observation, students are expected to participate in the weekly online Forums (informal) for the following purposes:

1. Status reports on individual TESOL Observation assignments (required)
2. Discussion of progress and problems in particular TESOL Observation situations
3. Exchange of ideas and proposed hypothetical solutions

 In the Weekly Logs, students will record a daily breakdown of hours spent in TESOL Observation. This will be signed weekly by the cooperating teacher(s).