When your administrator is coming in, everyone wonders what to teach for an observation! I hear this question at school and see it posted all over Facebook too. I hope that these ideas will help Spanish teachers plan a lesson that will wow their administrator during the observation!
What’s Important To Your Department Right Now?
Every district has goals and specific things that they’re working towards. What’s important in your district or for your department right now? That’s what you should consider when planning what to teach for an observation. We all know that it’s somewhat of a show… so give them what they want to see! Here are some trending topics in World Language classes currently:
-culture
-comprehensible input
-proficiency building
-real life applications
-integrated (skills, performance tasks, etc.)
-student centered
How To Plan Your Lesson
Once you’ve identified what your observer will be happy to see, now it’s time to plan exactly what to teach for an observation. Many lessons can combine several of the items on the list above, raising the level of impressiveness! It may be that planning this lesson takes you more time than you usually take, but you may also find it really rewarding! Be sure to include:
-lesson objectives
-student-centered work time
-some kind of way for you to check in (this can be very informal) and assess their understanding
Ideas For What To Teach For An Observation
A) create a lesson where students are practicing interpersonal communication. Use guided conversations and self-assessment rubrics! (Check my Free Resource Library for templates!)
B) Do a slideshow about a topic. (I’ll pick travel, because this is a lesson I do!) Create a slideshow with pictures and text in the verb tense students are practicing. Embed activities that check for comprehension.
C) Practice presentational writing with a group writing challenge! Everyone in the group must write, but they come up with their ideas together. Each group will get one score, and they can compete against each other for a specific reason. Ex: Most creative, most accurate, best teamwork, most new vocab, etc. The list is endless!)
All of these ideas combine several of the “popular” look-fors that many world language departments are aiming for right now. Your students will be actively engaged, and you will look like the star that you are!
One last hint: If possible, try a similar lesson out ahead of time. Things always run a bit smoother when students are familiar with the directions or tasks they will be asked to complete!
Resources
Vacaciones en España Culture Presentation with Linked Activities Past Tense
Spanish Writing Prompts for Spring For Novice and Intermediate
Spanish Seal of Biliteracy Integrated Listening and Speaking Activities
Spanish Partner Conversations about Travel and Vacation: Guided Conversations
