i was looking back to see if she was looking back to see if he was looking back at me
(Teacher Development Series Number One – Classroom Observation )
This is the first in a series, inspired by this originally off-the-cuff, just-for-fun poll, looking at teacher development techniques the old-fashioned way… teacher development unplugged, if you like 
As much as I love my on-line Personal Learning Network, it is only a part of how manage my development. In the early stages of my career, until fairly recently, it wasn’t a factor at all. So what, I asked, is the best way to learn how to teach ‘off-line’?
In the poll, I separated observation into two types – observation OF other teachers / trainers / supervisors, and observation BY the same. Unsurprisingly, to me, the former was amongst the most popular choices offered – running at 18% of the vote. Being observed is not considered so helpful, with just 7% picking it as their top choice.
Why do so many of us want to watch other teachers, yet shy away from being watched ourselves? As Nick Jaworski commented, when
“…there is a complaint …. management swoops in in a flurry of paper and ink. Why do so many teachers fear observations? Because at most schools, they are never done for positive reasons.”
I cringe when I think back to my early days in private language schools… this is exactly what happened. If you were doing a good job (if no one was complaining) you wouldn’t see a trainer. If you were having trouble, you’d be looking over your shoulder waiting for a trainer to show up and sit at the back of your classroom.
Fortunately for me, I was the one doing the watching. I must have seen literally thousands of classrooms hours, and then written every one up in a two page report. I like to think I was able to help some of those teachers improve. But if I am being honest, I think it was far more formative on my teaching career than it was on any of theirs. Good or bad, I took something from every lesson. A great activity. Something you should never say. A smart way of transitioning. An awkward silence… and in writing each one up, I had to reflect on what made a lesson fail or succeed and put it into to words, again and again.
I think that we have to recognise that observation is beneficial to one person, and one person only – the observer. Unfortunately, we are set up to expect feedback from peers who are unused to giving it, and reluctant to do so.
As part of the DELTA programme, I was involved in observation from every angle. I observed and was observed by my peers, and observed and observed by the trainers. Am I alone in this, or is it actually much easier when there is a clear power differential? However well you prepare, however much you negotiate in advance, however gently you tread, the peer observation is fraught with danger. As much as I love Ruth Wajnryb’s book Classroom Observation Tasks I wonder …. are peer feedback programmes doomed to uncomfortable failure?
Really interesting topic, Darren, which brings back a lot of memories…
As a school manager myself, I (reasonably) quickly discovered some essential rules for effective and non-stressful observation of lessons:
1. Teachers are not to be observed unless they instigate the process (as in, specifically say they would like to be observed, to help them improve) – OR, because of some success they are having in classes, are asked if others can observe them and pick up some positive tips
2. Teachers with “problems” tend to improve if they get to observe seniors (rather than having seniors observe them)
3. Observing or being observed tends to get a lot easier the more you do it
4. Silent “elephant with a clipboard in the corner” observers are potentially damaging, compared to participatory observers (who partake in the lesson as a “learner” or a co-teacher, which actually creates opportunities for observing as well as being observed!)
5. Learners almost ALWAYS behave very differently when they know they (or the teacher) are being observed, which creates a non-natural (or non-regular) classroom environment when observation takes place (which means almost everything that is observed has to be taken with at least a reasonably large grain of salt)
Based on that, I wouldn’t say I necessarily completely agree with your point about observation helping “one person only – the oberver.” It is true in most cases, but when a teacher who knows they are struggling – or just wants to know how they appear to be going – asks to be observed, it can definitely be beneficial to them.
Creating the environment where teachers actually want observation (of either type) is the key challenge, I guess. For me and the teachers I’ve worked with, participatory observation had by far the most positive impact (and least intrusive effect on a classroom environment).
I don’t agree with it myself, completely Jason…. just a bit of bloggers license. But I think you sum it up best in your penultimate sentence. How can we make it so teachers want to be observed? Having done so much univited observation, I am now happy to let anyone watch me for the sake of karmic balance. But when some colleagues of mine at local university, with the best of intentions, tried to instigate a peer observation programme not so long ago…. hell to pay. I suppose a lot of it boils down to job security – fewer university students, fewer classes, fewer jobs around…. what are the possible implications of having another teacher come into your classroom? As I said, I signed up and a couple of people came by and saw me, no sweat. But I do understand the reluctance.
Point by point…
1. Then there won’t be any observation
). I suppose what I’m saying is that the most important thing is the skill of the trainer / manager / supervisor, and the quality of the relationship outside the observation.
2. Yes, this I agree with
3. Absolutely – but very few get the chance to do it that often. I like the idea of an “Extensive Observation” programme, in which learners can choose their own observations, observe as much easy material as they can….
4. Yes, maybe. But my CELTA and DELTA observations were the only times I have been observed ‘usefully’, and they were very much silent clipboard. However, I did have a great deal of respect for my trainers and before and after the classes I was always encouraged and given excellent feedback. I could contrast that with the one external observation, in which the fella walked in ten minutes into the lesson and left fifteen minutes before the end without a word, and with no feedback, just a score at the end of the course (I passed
5. I’ll buy that. But don’t tell me, after you serve up a shoddy lesson, that it’s usually much better than this…
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