Lesson stage:

Sub-skill Observation Comment

a) Moving into an i) Organising

activity groups, seating etc.

ii) Instructions

iii) Appointing,
briefing leaders

b) Monitoring i) Monitoring
pair/group work

ii) Verbal contact

iii) Teachers voice,

position, etc.

c) Moving out of an i) Winding down

activity

i) Signalling

iii) Re-orienting

iv) Reporting back

Notes

Background
Many classrooms these days involve a range of interactive patterns, using teacher-led
activities, pair work and group work to varying degrees, depending on learning needs,
purposes and contexts. Using a range of activities requires the teacher to move in and out of
different interactive patterns smoothly and efficiently. Pair and group work also requires
different teacher skills from those involved in teacher-led activities. Efficient transmissions
through the various lesson plans are integral to effective classroom management.

Task objective
This task will focus on the organisational skills involved in the transitions between activities,
the characteristics of teacher intervention during pair or group work, and the management of
information transfer, specifically in the report-back phase following pair or group work.

Monitor the teachers way of getting students in, through and out of activities. Try to record
details of:
a) a moving in phase
b) a monitoring phase
c) a moving out phase

a) Moving into an activity

Observe the teacher and comment on the following:
i. Organising groups and seating
ii. Giving instructions, including modelling and checking
iii. Appointing and briefing group leaders

b) Monitoring pair/group work

Observe the teacher and comment on the following:
i. How the teacher monitors
ii. In what circumstances she or he speaks to a group
iii. The teachers voice, position, proxemics (the distance between people who are
conversing)

c) Moving out of an activity

Observe the teacher and comment on the following:
i. Winding pairs/groups down
ii. Signalling for everyones attention
iii. Re-orienting group to new phase of lesson
iv. Organising and monitoring the report-back phase

After the lesson

1. Discuss your notes with the teacher. Together, compile a list, in roughly chronological
order of the various sub-skills involved in both moving into and out of an activity. Consider
the purposes of each.

2. Consider the skill of teacher intervention during group work. Do you consider the
following statements (based on Brown 1988, p. 9) to be totally true or false, or partially true
or false? Add any relevant comments or qualifications as necessary.
a) A teacher monitoring a group is there to listen, help and monitor, but not to teach.
 b) Any teacher comment must be preceded by the teacher listening closely to the group
to find out how they are getting on.
c) Any interaction must be initiated by the group or its members but not by the teacher.
d) The teacher must give equal time to the groups.
e) The teacher must give equal time to individuals within the groups.
f) The teacher must sit or crouch down so that he or she is at the same height as the
students.
g) Proxemics, eye contact and tone of voice in group work are necessarily different from
those in full class activities.

3. These are different ways of grouping students. Recall the one used in the class you
observed and consider it from the point of view of the group member. Consider the ease with
which members of the pair or group were able to:
Communicate
Relax, be comfortable
Concentrate on the activity
See the board
See/hear the teacher
Work silently
Be included as an equal member

4. One way of organising report back is to call on each of the group leaders to present their
reports. Are there other ways? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each of these? Is
there a correlation between task type and report back style?

(Cf. Wajnryb, R. 1992. Classroom Observation Tasks, pp. 109112)