“The teacher as self-observer:Self-monitoring in teacher development”

Jack C. Richards (1990), “The Language Matrix”, Chapter 7

Photo: “The importance of real-time feedback in self observation” (2011), Unknown author, Signs of the Times, www.sott.net

What is self-monitoring?•

It refers to a systematic approach to the observation, evaluation and management of one's own behavior.

In language teaching

It refers to the teacher making a record of a lesson.

Written Audio Video recording

A source of feedback

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− Segundo nivel del esquema

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− Cuarto nivel del esquema

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Octavo nivel del esquema

• Noveno nivel del esquemaHaga clic para modificar el estilo de texto del patrón

– Segundo nivel

• Tercer nivel

– Cuarto nivel

» Quinto nivel

What can be learned from self-monitoring?Joseph Luft (1969) categorizes

4 types of information about teachers behavior:

•

The open self: information about teacher's behavior that is known to the teacher and to others.

• The secret self: information known to the teacher but not to others.

• The blind self: information known to others but not to the teacher.

• The hidden self: information about the teacher's behavior that is unknown to both the teacher an to others within the school environment.

How is self-monitoringcarried out?

I. Personal reflection

II. Self-reporting

III. Recordings of a lesson

Photo: “Teacher at Chalkboard” (2011), by cybrarian77, Flickr

a)“I liked the pacing today,

but I found that I did not give students enough time

to practice on one task before going on to another.”

Personal reflection; samples:

b) “I made more grammatical

mistakes than I should have.”

c) “My directions were not clear and some of the students did not understand the excersice.”d) “I tended to explain too much, tended to make the class teacher-centered. Next time I teach, I will pay attention to this. I must try to remember that these students come to class to practice English, not to listen to me.”

Benefits of Personal reflection

Explore thoughts that otherwise are inaccesible

Analyze them later

Understand the meaning of teaching experiences

Clarify thoughts or feelings Help to improve teaching

philosophy Suggestions?

II. Self-reporting• It involves completing an inventory

or checklist in which the teacher indicates:

• 1) which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified time period

• 2) how often they were employed.

• The inventory may be completed individually or in group sessions.

• The reliability of teacher self-reports might be presumed to be low, but it can be increased by using self-report inventories that focus on specific instructional practices.

It allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the classroom.

* The kind of teaching activities been used.

* Whether all of the program's goals are being addressed.

* The degree to which personal goals are being met.

* The kind of activities that seem to work well or not.

Self-reporting

Place the tape recorder

strategically

Suggestions for recording lessons

Microphone placed in the

teacher's table

1/2 week period

30 minutes enough

Capture as much interaction as

possible

Check the record objectively and sistematically

What to look for in lessons?• Many aspects of classroom life can be examined when

reviewing diary entries, self-reports, or recordings of lessons.

Classroom management|> Rules|> The problems students have to deal with|> Instructions and attention

Teacher-student interaction|>Communication and interaction|>Students' attention and interest

Grouping |>Clear relationships|>Grouping effectiveness

What to look for in lessons?

Structuring|> How clear the goals are|> Relationship between activities

|> Opening and closing

Tasks|>Kind of tasks|>Appropiate pacing |>Interest and challenging tasks|>Feedback to students

What to look for in lessons?Teaching resources

|> Teaching aids|> How effective they are

They will vary according to whether the teacher is teaching listening, speaking, reading, or writing, and what aspects of each skill are being taught and at what level.

Example: speakingClassroom interactionsOpportunities of speakingQuality of inputCommunicativeness

Guidelines for self-monitoring• In order to apply self-monitoring techniques effectively, the following

guidelines are suggested for teachers.

Decide what aspect you are interested to learn more or

you wish to improve

Reflect on the problem you may have

Review supervisors' comments and student

evaluations

Invite a colleague to view your teaching

You may discover weak and strong

points

Narrow your choices to the

most important

Focus on one area at a time

Guidelines for self-monitoring

Develop a plan

Teaching behaviors

Time

Students interaction

Guidelines for self-monitoring

Draw up a time frame to carry out your

goals

Try out new approaches

Decide on the self-monitoring

proceduce

Check your self-reports or recordings

Guidelines for self-monitoring

Video system used for recording lessons.

“Self Evaluation Training of Teachers Improving the Quality of Teaching in Schools Colleges”

“Interviews with schools about the benefits of classwatch and how they use the systems in their schools for teachers to self evaluate, improve

teaching and the quality of the children's learning.”

Classwatch (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCZai6fSeRE

Conclusions

Self-monitoring has too many useful applications in language teaching.

It is vital for the teacher to examine himself in order to improve his practices as much as possible, and do his best at the class.

“”””

“Education, fundamentally,is the increase of the

percentage of the conscious in relation to the unconscious...”

—Sylvia Ashton-Warner, Teacher (1965)

Excerpt taken from: http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/Teacher.pdf

Bibliography

Primary source:

− Jack C. Richards (1990), “The Language Matrix”. Secondary sources:

− Chan C.(2010) Assessment: Evaluating your own Teaching, Assessment Resources@HKU, University of Hong Kong [http://ar.cetl.hku.hk/pdf/EvaluatingTeaching.pdf]: Available: October 20th, 2013

− “The Learning & Language Office”, Michelle Schwartzhttp://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/SelfEvaluation.pdf

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