The majority of teachers work very hard and they take their jobs very seriously. Unfortunately, most teachers work in isolation. They seldom have the chance to interact with their peers and they are not often able to attend training sessions that will help them keep up to date on the latest techniques and teaching aids. This is where instructional rounds can be valuable. It allows teachers to learn from each other.
Observation exercises have nothing to do with teacher evaluation. In fact, the teacher being observed is not even given any feedback unless he asks for it. The observers are there purely to learn from their colleague. They may want to see how another teacher maintains discipline in the classroom, elicit participation from the student or make use graphic aids to render complex concepts easily understandable.
It is very simply to set up a schedule allowing teachers to observe each other. In most instances small groups of observers are led by an experienced teacher. The students are told that the purpose of the exercise is to learn from their own teacher. Observers do not participate in any classroom activities. No teacher is ever forced to allow observers in their classes.
Experts advise that it is best for observers to focus on one or two very specific aspects. These aspects should be discussed prior to the observation session and in most cases the teacher concerned does not know what exactly the aim of the observers is. In this manner all the observers will make notes on similar issues. This will allow them to have meaningful discussions afterwards. Observation sessions should not last longer than fifteen minutes.
After each observation session the observers meet to share their experiences with each other. They identify those ideas that they can implement in their own classrooms and they discuss the ways in which they can improve their own teaching techniques. These discussions are confidential and no report is ever submitted. If the teacher that was observed wishes to attend the debriefing session he can, but he is not allowed to participate.
There are many benefits to these observation exercises. Students most certainly benefit because their teachers will be using new techniques in the classroom. The teachers grow professionally and they often get better results. The observed teacher is benefits because he has been recognized as someone that is likely to help other teachers develop themselves. The system works well because there are no threats to anyone that is involved.
While it is easy to implement an observation roster care should be taken to manage the system. The teacher being observed should never be criticized and observers should never discuss their experiences with anybody that was not part of the observer group. This can result in conflict and resentment. It is also important to use only volunteers for observation purposes.
Anything that helps to improve the standard of education should be welcomed and encouraged. Allowing teachers to observe each other in action and to learn from it is a simple way in which to improve teaching techniques. It is also an excellent way in which to acknowledge those teachers that are willing to share their experiences.
Observation exercises have nothing to do with teacher evaluation. In fact, the teacher being observed is not even given any feedback unless he asks for it. The observers are there purely to learn from their colleague. They may want to see how another teacher maintains discipline in the classroom, elicit participation from the student or make use graphic aids to render complex concepts easily understandable.
It is very simply to set up a schedule allowing teachers to observe each other. In most instances small groups of observers are led by an experienced teacher. The students are told that the purpose of the exercise is to learn from their own teacher. Observers do not participate in any classroom activities. No teacher is ever forced to allow observers in their classes.
Experts advise that it is best for observers to focus on one or two very specific aspects. These aspects should be discussed prior to the observation session and in most cases the teacher concerned does not know what exactly the aim of the observers is. In this manner all the observers will make notes on similar issues. This will allow them to have meaningful discussions afterwards. Observation sessions should not last longer than fifteen minutes.
After each observation session the observers meet to share their experiences with each other. They identify those ideas that they can implement in their own classrooms and they discuss the ways in which they can improve their own teaching techniques. These discussions are confidential and no report is ever submitted. If the teacher that was observed wishes to attend the debriefing session he can, but he is not allowed to participate.
There are many benefits to these observation exercises. Students most certainly benefit because their teachers will be using new techniques in the classroom. The teachers grow professionally and they often get better results. The observed teacher is benefits because he has been recognized as someone that is likely to help other teachers develop themselves. The system works well because there are no threats to anyone that is involved.
While it is easy to implement an observation roster care should be taken to manage the system. The teacher being observed should never be criticized and observers should never discuss their experiences with anybody that was not part of the observer group. This can result in conflict and resentment. It is also important to use only volunteers for observation purposes.
Anything that helps to improve the standard of education should be welcomed and encouraged. Allowing teachers to observe each other in action and to learn from it is a simple way in which to improve teaching techniques. It is also an excellent way in which to acknowledge those teachers that are willing to share their experiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment