Getting to Business

Observations make be nervous and a little bit OCD, but as my supervisor came for my first informal visit, I had no choice but to go with the flow and be confident in what I was doing.


It went exceptionally well and it was all thanks to my collaborating teacher's ability to communicate with me and use my presence in the classroom prior to my observartion. We developed a natural flow of teaching with our students. We were basically co-teaching during my informal observation. It gave my surpervisor a clear idea of my role in Ms. Chilson's ESL class. I was more confident and comfortable as an authority figure in the classroom. Ms. Chilson was able to give me great cues and suggestions as I interacted with the students during the Big Book Reading time. There was a natural flow that occurred in the class and I was no longer thinking about how I was doing, but about how I am getting my message across to the students.

I strongly believe that once a teacher begins to focus less on his or herself in the classroom, he or she is able to give their best to their students.

My biggest fears coming into this were that students would not respect me as their teacher and I would lose control of my students. Thus far, I have comfortably adjusted into my role as a teacher in this ESL classroom. I am still learning a lot from my collaborating teacher and the students that I engage with. What was successful about my informal observation was the student's attentiveness towards me. They followed my directions without Ms. Chilson having to redirect them and they were engaged to what I had to say. That really reassured me of what I was doing and affirmed my desire to become a successful ESL teacher.

From my recent experiences, I have never felt more assured about teaching ESL.