scripts/observation_form.py reads this table: pick areas by name (or a word in the name). Keep the columns.
Look-fors are observable behaviours; write evidence against them, not impressions.
| Area | Criterion | Look-fors |
|---|---|---|
| Planning and aims | Aims are clear and achieved | Learners can do what the aim states by the end; the aim is shared with learners in their language |
| Planning and aims | Lesson is staged logically | Each stage builds on the previous one; transitions are clear; timing allows the main stage |
| Planning and aims | Content matches level and needs | Texts and tasks at the right level; topic relevant to the learners |
| Classroom management | Instructions are clear | Short, graded language; demonstration; ICQs; materials given after instructions |
| Classroom management | Grouping and interaction vary | Pairs, groups and individual work used purposefully; seating supports the task |
| Classroom management | Time is used well | Pace suits the learners; no long waits; stages end with a purpose |
| Language clarification | Meaning is clarified | Context, CCQs, timelines or visuals; learners show understanding |
| Language clarification | Form is clarified | Clear board work; positive, negative, question forms; learners record it |
| Language clarification | Pronunciation is addressed | Stress, weak forms, sounds modelled and drilled where needed |
| Skills development | Receptive tasks are staged | Lead-in, task before text, gist before detail, pair checks |
| Skills development | Productive tasks are supported | Model, planning time, useful language, clear outcome |
| Learner engagement | Learners talk more than the teacher | Learner talking time high in practice stages; teacher elicits rather than tells |
| Learner engagement | All learners participate | Teacher nominates; quieter learners included; no one dominates |
| Learner engagement | Tasks have a communicative purpose | Information or opinion gap; an outcome learners care about |
| Error correction | Correction suits the stage | Immediate in accuracy work; delayed after fluency work |
| Error correction | Learners self-correct where possible | Prompts, gestures, wait time; learners repeat the corrected form |
| Assessment for learning | Teacher checks learning during the lesson | Monitoring, CCQs, mini whiteboards, exit tasks; adjusts when learners struggle |
| Assessment for learning | Feedback is specific | Praise and correction refer to language and content, not "good" alone |
| Inclusion and differentiation | Different needs are met | Support and extension tasks; varied grouping; accessible materials |
| Inclusion and differentiation | Learning environment is safe and respectful | Learners take risks; mistakes treated as normal; respectful language |
| Materials and technology | Materials are effective | Clear, accurate, well laid out; adapted to the class |
| Materials and technology | Technology supports learning | Used for a purpose (audio, visuals, interaction), works smoothly, does not dominate |
| Rapport | Positive relationships | Teacher knows and uses names; responds to learners' contributions; warmth and humour |
Rating scale (evaluative observations)
| Rating | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 4 | Consistently strong; could model this for colleagues |
| 3 | Effective; minor refinements possible |
| 2 | Partly effective; a clear development point |
| 1 | Not yet effective; needs support |
| n/o | Not observed in this lesson (not a low score) |
Developmental vs evaluative observation
| Type | Purpose | Form features |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental (peer, coaching) | Teacher's growth; teacher chooses the focus | No ratings; 1-3 focus areas; evidence and questions; teacher reflects first |
| Evaluative (appraisal, accreditation) | Judging standards | Ratings against agreed criteria; all core areas; written report |
| Training (CELTA, Delta) | Assessed against course criteria | Course-specific criteria; feedback in a set format |
Good practice
- Pre-observation meeting: the teacher's aims, class, and what feedback they want.
- During: note timed evidence (what the teacher and learners said and did), not judgements.
- Post-observation: teacher reflects first; observer asks questions; agree 1-2 action points.
- Follow up: revisit action points in the next observation; track over time (
observation_trends.py). - Keep evaluative and developmental observations separate where possible.
academic-english-eap-course-planner
Plan English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses: pre-sessional, in-sessional, foundation, IELTS preparation and discipline-specific EAP, with syllabus strands (academic reading, lecture listening and note-taking, essay and report writing, paraphrase, summary and synthesis, referencing and plagiarism, seminars and presentations, academic vocabulary, critical thinking), a 10-week pre-sessional outline, exit assessment, IELTS-CEFR alignment and academic style (formality, hedging, cohesion, reporting verbs). Estimates study hours and weeks to close an IELTS gap from overall or per-skill scores (IELTS rounding, minimum per skill, priority skills, feasibility before a deadline), and checks learner texts for contractions, informal words with academic alternatives, unhedged claims, 'you', And/But/So starts, rhetorical questions and missing citations.
actfl-proficiency-curriculum-mapper
Map world language curricula to the ACTFL framework: proficiency levels (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished with sublevels), functions, contexts, text types and accuracy, proficiency vs performance, the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, presentational), the 5 Cs World-Readiness Standards, backward-designed thematic units with Integrated Performance Assessments, typical programme targets and FSI time estimates. Looks up approximate ACTFL-CEFR-ILR equivalences with what each level can do, and checks a unit map for missing modes, rehearsed skits mislabelled as interpersonal, translation or word lists as interpretive tasks, and units without an integrated performance assessment.
adult-literacy-esl-lesson-builder
Build lessons for adult ESL learners who are developing literacy (LESLLA learners: pre-literate, non-literate, semi-literate, literate in a non-Roman script): learner profiles and sensitive initial assessment, principles (oral language first, known to new, systematic phonics with adult-relevant text, repetition, classroom skills, respect for experience), a lesson routine (oral warm-up, review, new grapheme, blending, segmenting, decodable text, writing, functional literacy, Language Experience Approach), a phonics sequence for adults, sight words, functional literacy targets (forms, signs, medicine labels) and portfolio assessment. Checks whether a reading text is decodable with the letter-sound patterns and sight words taught so far, catching untaught digraphs, listing non-decodable words with the untaught part, and suggesting the most useful next patterns.
authentic-material-lesson-adapter
Turn authentic material (news articles, podcasts, videos, songs, menus, timetables, adverts, social media posts, forms, infographics) into language lessons by grading the task rather than the text. Selects texts for interest, relevance, exploitability, coverage, cultural load and rights; finds the 4-6 words to pre-teach, words to gloss on the page and words learners can ignore, plus names and cultural references to explain, with reading time by level; and builds a lesson shape (lead-in, pre-teach, gist or scanning, graded detail task, language focus on chunks and register, response) with task ideas per material type and level from A1 to C1. Covers copyright, fair dealing and fair use, Creative Commons and attribution.
can-do-statement-writer
Write and review can-do statements for language courses, units, lessons and learner self-assessment, CEFR or NCSSFL-ACTFL style: action (observable verb) + text or situation + level-specific conditions, learner ('I can') and descriptor ('Can') versions, progressions of one activity from A1 to C1, and coverage of reception, production, interaction and mediation. Includes a verb bank by mode and level and condition and text-type banks. Lints statements for teacher-centred phrasing, knowledge instead of use (learn, know, understand the passive), missing context, two skills in one statement, vague quality words, grammar items as outcomes, overlong statements and missing modes in a set.
cefr-aligned-syllabus-builder
Build language course syllabuses aligned to the CEFR (A1-C2, plus levels, Companion Volume 2020): entry and exit levels, guided learning hours and course length (with an L1-distance adjustment), syllabus type (topic, functional-notional, task-based, skills-based, multi-strand), unit-by-unit can-do outcomes, grammar from a core inventory by level, vocabulary, functions, pronunciation, balance of reception, production, interaction and mediation, recycling and assessment points. Checks a syllabus for units without can-do statements, core grammar for the level not covered, items above the course level, skills missing from most units and units with no vocabulary or functions.