Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Teacher Observation But Were Afraid to Ask
Why do school administrators observe teachers?
Informal observations can be used as a way for team teachers and colleagues to brainstorm new approaches to familiar material, or fresh ways of interacting with difficult students. It can also help to have a mirror held up to your practice and really think in detail about the things that are working and areas you may wish to improve on.
Professional development is an ongoing process of education, mentoring and evaluation, and continues throughout a teacher’s career. Having your lesson observed can be a nerve wracking experience, but the benefits of peer to peer mentoring are numerous and the person observing the class can learn as much and if not more than the person being observed.
That said, it can still be stressful to have someone monitoring your lesson.
Formal observations can be used to measure whether an educator is settling into a new position or school or achieving milestones and goals for professional development.
Any experienced teacher will tell you that some school years are tougher than others, some class cohorts are more challenging, and some topics are harder to access, so as every class is different, it can be extremely useful to really assess your own expertise and areas you need to review in order to make sure your students are accessing the best possible education.
Follow these steps to ensure your professional observation is an educational experience for all involved:
Plan A Great Lesson
- Make sure your lesson is not on a new unfamiliar topic but also not a repetition—you want to be able to hold the students interests.
- Offer support to a variety of learners with different teaching techniques
- Include opportunities for assessment, throughout the lesson
Don't Worry About Normal Classroom Hiccups
- Behaviour issues will still exist whether or not you are being observed
- Students can be unpredictable and the person observing you knows this all too well
- You may need to think on your feet and be flexible- as always!
Just Relax
- The students, resources, plans and learning objectives are being observed just as much as you are.
- Try not to think of it as a performance but instead an opportunity to collaborate with another educator
- Don't try to pretend that the observer isn’t in the room, this can seem very peculiar to students and will make it more of an issue than if you simply say “Mrs X is going to sit in on our class today”
Insist on Feedback
- Some supervisors can become distracted by other school duties and forget to give you quality feedback on your observation but this is an essential step in the process.
- Observations should never be completed just so that an assessment can be checked off on an evaluation form, ensure you get a thorough breakdown of the areas of your lesson plan that worked and places you need to refocus for next time.
Sometimes it can be difficult to really listen to constructive criticism, it can hurt our ego’s and if you haven't been a student yourself in a while it can be difficult to be critiqued, but try to remember that feedback from someone who has been a fly on the wall in your classroom is absolutely invaluable, after all you are in the business of education, and there’s always more to learn.
Fiona Tapp, is a Freelance Writer, Educator and Mom. An Expert in the field of Pedagogy, a teacher of 13 years and Master’s Degree holder in Education. Take a look at her website or blog to connect.