Reconceptualizing language teaching: an in-service teacher education course in uzbekistan

• Set the scene: the school or program, name of teacher and class, 
class size, date, time, main theme or topic
• Describe the setting: make a sketch of the classroom and la-
bel key details, including the names and seating location of stu-
dents if possible
• Describe the events in the lesson and pay attention to the time 
when each distinct event begins
• Present your inferences about 1 to 3; be sure to support your 
inferences with details you observed
• Reflections and applications: what do you take from this as a 
language teacher?
Each observation report should be no more than approximately four 
double-spaced, typed pages in length (a classroom layout plan may be a 
fifth).
The Scene, Setting and Description of the Lesson section (about two 
pages) provides sufficient chronological detail about the lesson so that 
readers feel as if they had been present in the classroom. The Observer’s 
Inferences section (about one page in length) provides the observer’s sup-
ported inferences about the lesson observed. The Reflections and Appli-

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CHAPTER SIX: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION, FEEDBACK, AND LANGUAGE TEACHING
cations section (also no more than one page) crosses the bridge between 
the observed lesson and the observer’s (future) life as a language teacher.
Example of an Observation Report:
Classroom Observation
Location of Observation: Monterey Institute of International Studies 
Date of Observation: October 11
th
, XXX Teacher: Prof. X
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. End Time: 9:57 a.m.
Method of Data Collection: Video
Objective of Lesson: 
This one-hour lesson is designed to introduce six ESL students in the 
Intensive English Program (IEP) to Monterey’s history, from the Native Amer-
icans to the arrival of the Spanish through different listening, speaking, and 
drawing activities.