In this section you will find the OTA forms filled out by my PD tutor, my internship mentor and me, which can be downloaded through the links.

And finally my reflection on this visit following the STARR model.

Reflection After Lesson Observation 04/06/2024

STARR MODEL

Situation: As part of the PD4B subject, a lesson visit was required from my PD tutor, Jacob. We had agreed on a specific day when he would come to my internship school to observe one of my classes and give me feedback. The idea was that my internship mentor, Jaime, would also be there, so that the three of us could talk and discuss the class and receive my last assessment of the year.

Task: To do this, I needed to complete some organizational tasks and ensure that everything was set for Jacob's visit. This included coordinating with some departments in the school, like IVS, the schedule department, and the group's mentor, and finally ensuring that all pertinent lesson materials were ready in advance.

Action: I had to schedule a time to meet with my PD tutor so that we could arrange a time that worked for both of us. I also had to get in touch with the rooster maker to arrange the date and class, which required planning ahead by a month. Finally, I had to inform my mentor of the information and create the lesson plan and instructional materials I would be using.

Result: Finally, the long awaited day arrived. It is always difficult to keep everything under control and have everything go as planned, especially on a day as important as this one.

When I arrived at the school, I saw the rooster maker, who told me that my schedule was changed and my class (for the lesson observation) had been moved, which clearly annoyed me, and I had to send an email asking to return the class to its original schedule since it was too late to tell my PD tutor.

The schedule changes that day that involved not only me but also other teachers were quite inconvenient for both teachers and students. And this caused that only seven students could be present during the observation. And my internship mentor could not be present during the visit, as he was also scheduled to teach at that time.

But despite these technical difficulties, which were beyond my control, and despite having a small group, we managed to work well. The lesson went as planned, and I was able to manage my time effectively, which is often challenging because MBO class hours are normally quite short, only 45 minutes, and you frequently have to rush to cover all the material. Overall, things went well. I was able to teach all the topics I needed, the students had a great and engaging class, and I believe they are better prepared for the final test. Furthermore, the outcome and the feedback from the observation were quite favorable.

Reflection: These kinds of situations are always incredibly stressful for me, especially now that I am in the last phases of my studies and want to graduate this summer. But moments like this teach me to remain calm, to navigate the situation with serenity, and to make small, correct decisions that, in the end, make a big difference, which I consider to be an essential part of our role as teachers, because teaching is not static and when working with people, we encounter new situations that require us to respond quickly on a daily basis.

In terms of the lesson, I was very satisfied with the outcome since I was able to teach all the topics I had prepared, the interaction and class management went very well, and I was happy that this was seen and noted by my tutor. During the observation, I also received insightful and useful feedback to keep in mind in the future, such as the fact that if exercises are worked on in class, it is preferable to finish them there and then rather than leaving them as homework, because homework should serve as an extra opportunity for students to practice, and if uncompleted exercises are left to be finished at home, there is a risk that students will not finish them and thus not practice. It is also a good idea to discuss the solutions to the assignments during class.

Also, adding parallel translations in Dutch makes it too simple, and students will just read the text in Dutch; therefore, it is preferable to use exclusively in Spanish so that they make an effort to read the TL and then verify for understanding. These are all remarks that I will consider in future lessons and that have helped me see things from a new perspective.

In summary, I am very pleased with the outcome of this class and observation. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to show my PD tutor what I had learned and having him see me in my area, in the classroom with my students.