While a practicum is usually regarded as a place to practice
teaching, or as a place to turn what one has learned in the
classroom into real practice, an observational practicum
can also substantially further one’s professional growth.
Indeed, an observational practicum can be an ideal site for
novice ESOL practitioners to develop the groundwork of
praxis, which requires reflection and action in teaching to
provide students with meaningful L2 learning. Drawing
from scholastic literature in TESOL and her own observational practicum experience, the author advocates conducting an observational practicum as a means to practice
seeing teaching before intensively doing teaching.