Observation Report by Tula Ram Paudel
Describe the academic setting that you observed. Include the
professional's role in this setting. What were the goals for this class or
laboratory? Were the goals accomplished?
The general setting of the class room was nice. It was sufficiently lighted,
spacious and well furnished. There is one big blackbord with the five
partitions. The room was equipped with latest audio video technology. It had
good movie projector too with the laser pointing facility. Computer with the
internet connection was another feature of the room. Instructor can use them for
effective teaching.
There were around 40 students in the class room. Some of them were staying
near to blackboard, While the other were somewhere near the end of the hall.
They were well dispersed. That could have good if they were working
independently but I doubt whether they could listen lecture well, staying at
that distance. And also blackboard is also so far from them. I am not sure they
copy the blackboard properly or not.
Describe the instructional strategies that enhanced the class or
laboratory that you observed. Consider the degree of involvement and interaction
that the students had with each other and the professional.
The specific class I observed was reviewing the course that had been covered
in the first half of the semester for the midterm exam. Instructor enlists the
topics covered so far and briefly explained the key ideas of the chapters. He
took the question form the student in the specific chapter while he was
explaining that chapter. That was the good idea and I liked it. That allow
student understand the key idea of the chapter and better prepare them for
answer of their query. Sometime they had the specific question because they are
not clear with the key idea and they also lack the knowledge of previous
chapter. While revising the chapter form the beginning gives them chance to
understand the previous chapter and key idea of the chapter they had question.
Once they understand the background the answer becomes trivial. And they seem
confident dealing with the similar problems instructor posed immediately after
he answered the student question.
The lecture was real interactive and well organized. Instructor seems to have
good commanding of the subject matter and confident to deliver to student what
he had understood. Confidence is one of the most important parts of the teaching
since one is dealing with mass number of student with different idea and
different perspective about the subject matter. They could have different idea
of looking with same problem. But that idea may be wrong. Student always
searches for the quick and easy idea. But sometime it is better to have
elaborative techniques are effective then short and quick ideas. And to convince
your elaborative and lengthy idea in the place of their short and quick idea you
need to have command over and the subject matter and well confidence. And
instructor I had observed was well posed with both qualities.
Discuss what you have learned from this observation that you would like
to include in your own repertoire of instructional strategies.
I had wonderful opportunity to observe such good class. Thanks TA training.
Otherwise I would never go to such class. I learn number of teaching techniques
form that class. Interaction with the student is really good. He respected their
every ideas of student even if they sound stupid. And encourage student to ask
question and express their ideas. He was real nice to evoke situation in which
student can ask question. He proved to me, even if class size is large,
interactive teaching is best of all. He carefully restates the question of the
student, so that all students know the matter of the discussion. He was cautious
enough to determine weather majority of student are familiar with the type of
question the fellow student was asking. In case of unfamiliarity he gave brief
background of the question. And I observed that was quite effective.
After observing that class, I increase the label of my confidence to deal
with the mass number of student. I learned how to evoke the situation in which
student come up the question themselves. They will learn only they were involved
in learning process. And the instructor has to design a roll in which student
can take part. And that can be done only by interaction.
Open-ended response - please use this question to add information not
covered in the other three questions.
Use of supplementary teaching method would have enhanced the label of
understanding in the class. For example the instructor could have shown the list
of equations that he told were posted in course homepage. The room had facility
of the audio video and internet. If he shown the student instantly student would
be more confident. Next he could tell the student staying far at the corner of
the room to come closer, so that they could better take part in the discussion.
And instructor could have made his writing in board a bit larger so that student
at the far distance could read well.
Overall despite there were some room for improvement of the in the lecture,
the lecture were successful in obtaining its goal. And it was quite useful for
me to see how the interaction in the class makes student feel comfortable with
the subject matter. Also it enhanced my confidence of dealing with large number
of student in a big hall. It showed how different question of different label
can be adjusted at the same time. Finally the lecture was over with the goal
achieved and showing me the long way to achieve such perfection.