Natalia I.

Morales Santaliz
Prof. Carroll
INGL 6996
28 February 2014
Peer Observation #1 (Lorimar Ortega)
For my last and final peer observation, I decided to visit Lorimar Ortegas class. The
course she is currently teaching is INGL 3104 (Intermediate English 2), one section, at 11:30 to
12:20, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at CH 224. She has a total of 29 students, and almost
every one of them were present; 27 to be exact. Lorimar was punctual, and got to the class 10
minutes ahead of time to set up her prezi presentation on symbolism. As it was time for class to
begin, Lorimar greeted students and went about her daily classroom procedures. She collected
students first essays, made some announcements, and began discussing symbolism.
As she made connections to previous classes, she handed out some pieces of paper which
had a number in them, from 1 to 6. She later gathered students into groups according to the
number they got. She handed out a short story and asked one member of each group to read a
few lines. She called by name, from one group to another, until they finished the text. After this,
she proceeded to hand out six different graphic organizers which focused on different aspects of
the reading. Some of those aspects were related to plot, imagery, symbolism, interpretation and
hidden themes. After the groups gathered up their answers, they took 1 to 2 minutes per group
explaining their answers, supported by the text they had in hand.
Domain A: Planning and Preparation
Teaching is not as easy as people may think, and in order to do it well, one has to prepare
the teaching material and teaching plan. As I first started observing Lorimars class, I saw how
she as a teacher complied with domain A1, where she understands English teaching pedagogy
and instructional strategies, using a wide range of techniques used in an ESL class, like
translanguaging. If students seemed confused with a specific term, or meaning, she would switch
to Spanish, just a little bit, either to translate a word, or clarify meaning. She only did this twice
in her class, and helped students understand the term symbolism more in depth. She also used
technology in class, as she projected a prezi presentation on the board. Lorimar also complies
with domain A2, where she chose suitable instructional goals that were appropriate for the INGL
3104 course. The reading she chose for the activity, The Hand by Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
had appropriate language, and had the elements she discussed about symbolism. Lorimar also
complied with domain A3, where she created a nurturing learning environment where students
could freely express their ideas and claims on the topics under discussion.
Domain B: The Act of Teaching
As I have said many times before on my previous peer observations, the act of teaching is
the most important aspect in which one bases these observation narratives. Even though this is
Lorimars first time teaching as a T.A. (she taught before in elementary and high school) she
proved she complied with domain B1, where she demonstrated competency in engaging all the
students in English, either through communication, or cultural understanding. Through the entire
class, she addressed the students in English, but also code-switched twice to help students
understand some aspects of symbolism. As said before, Lorimar also used multi-media
technologies during that class period when she projected a prezi presentation.
Lorimar also complied with domain B2, where she managed typical classroom
procedures. She took attendance by collecting students responses using the graphic organizers.
She expressed the objectives of the class session, and also reviewed what they had been working
on during the previous week. Lorimar also complied with domain B3, where she communicated
effectively using verbal and nonverbal techniques. During the class, she wrote on the board,
writing students thoughts on the story while connecting their individual thoughts together with
the text.
Domain C: Reflection on and Assessment of Teaching
Lorimar assesses students learning by reviewing what the class has been working on.
This way, she sees how many students remember past classes and sees what areas still need to be
reviewed again. She collects weekly writing assignments which help her assess students learning
and use that gathered information from them to develop better teaching strategies, so she can
keep contributing to the development of all students. Sharing an office with Lorimar has made
me see how she analyzes her own effectiveness as a T.A., looking at how she could apply certain
strategies, and how to modify them and try them in other ways. We have also shared materials
such as graphic organizers, and additional strategies on how to apply them.
Domain D: Fulfillment of Professional Responsibilities
Lorimar does comply with domain D because she is aware of her professional
responsibilities, and applies them well. She demonstrated evidence of professionalism because
throughout this teaching experience, she has been able to develop an understanding of
collegiality, sharing responsibilities with faculty members to develop English competent students
and responsible human beings of our community, preparing them to be lifelong learners. She also
fulfills her office hours because we share the same office, CH 408. She also makes sure her
students have the materials necessary to learn from her course by providing all materials for
them. She also promotes discipline and respect in her class by projecting strong composure and
respect towards students, maintaining a professional relationship with them inside the classroom.
Self- Reflection:
This last experience of observing peer has helped me continue to see teaching in a
different way. Observing Lorimars class gave me insight on how to continue promoting class
participation in a way that the students do not feel pressured to answer correctly. This philosophy
is what I am still applying in my class, and it continues to be working. While I observed Lorimar,
I saw myself in my first semester teaching INGL 3202. She is still getting comfortable with her
students, which will make them feel even more comfortable to express their thoughts.
I did see students had this sense of confianza (trust), which is common in freshmen
classes. Some students got a little more excited that others when they were discussing symbolism
and expressed their ideas a lot. Lorimar let others participate by calling their names to see if they
had other thoughts about The Hand, which is something I need to improve. I dont like to put
students on the spot, but it has to be done; they need to be on task at all times.