Correct Response: B. According to the scenario, the purpose of classroom observation is to improve teaching and learning. It is the classroom teacher who knows most about his or her current needs in regard to instruction. Therefore, the classroom observation is likely to be most productive if the SEI teacher can provide information to the ESL teacher about particular aspects of the SEI teacher's instructional delivery that would benefit most from careful evaluation. Having a discussion with the ESL teacher prior to the classroom observation in order to note specific challenges that the SEI teacher has encountered in improving student learning would be an appropriate approach to focusing the ESL teacher's observation and feedback. A is unrealistic because having the SEI teacher ask the ESL teacher to provide research related to pedagogical principles that the SEI teacher is trying to use in specific lessons assumes that the SEI teacher is applying the principles well enough that they would be recognizable to the ESL teacher. Asking the ESL teacher to gently interrupt the SEI teacher and provide corrective suggestions or recommendations (C) is not best practice and would likely be distracting for students and disruptive to the classroom routine. Implementing a new technique or strategy for working with the English learners each time the ESL teacher observes the SEI teacher's classroom (D) is not in the best interests of the students. The goal of the observations is to improve teaching and thereby learning, not "to gather both positive and negative feedback."
