Teachers have a very tough job. Their prime concern is to teach their students, but much of their time is taken up by administrative duties, extra curricular activities and meetings. They have to deal with students from dysfunctional homes, with poor discipline and with the absolute minimum in resources. Most teachers do not have time to attend self development courses and they work in isolation. With instructional rounds consultation they can get the chance to develop and to interact regularly with other teachers.
The idea is basic and extremely easy to implement anywhere. A small number of teachers visit a colleague to watch him at his job. They do this in order to learn from that colleague and that is why teachers being observed are normally professionals that are known for their excellent results. During these observation sessions the visiting teachers do not interact with the observed teachers or the students. They simply observe and learn.
The visiting teachers meet prior to an observation session in order to formulate goals for the exercise. The teacher under observation may be acknowledged for the way in which he applies humour in his class, for example, and the visitors will then concentrate on this strong point. Because observation sessions are short, only a few very specific objectives are formulated for each session.
It is vital to understand that these observation sessions are not meant to have any element of evaluation. The observers are not there to appraise the observed teacher, but to learn from him. This fact is explained even to the students. Observers never provide feedback in any form, unless the teacher under observation wants it. The only motivation behind these session is for the observers to learn.
After the observation session the observing teachers meet yet again. The purpose of the meeting is to compare notes and to share the lessons that each member has learned. They also generate ideas on how to use those lessons to improve their own teaching techniques. During this meeting nobody is allowed to voice any criticism and the discussions are deemed to be confidential. No report is submitted.
This simple system has become extremely popular in education circles. Schools now visit each other and even institutes of higher education have started to introduce observation sessions. The vast majority of participants say that they benefit greatly from these sessions and that their own teaching techniques have improved. Of course, if the teachers benefit, then the students and the entire educational system also benefits. The teacher being observed also benefits because he is recognized as an accomplished professional.
Critics say that the system is far too informal. The do not like the idea that no feedback is given and that no reports are submitted. They also think that the observation sessions are too short to be of real value. They furthermore think that teachers being observed take special trouble with their lessons because they want to impress their colleagues. This, they say, creates a false impression of how that teacher normally acts in class.
Observation sessions are supported by numerous teachers. They say that they benefit and if the teachers benefit, those benefits are passed on to their students. The fact that participation is entirely voluntary means that only those that are enthusiastic about personal development participate.
The idea is basic and extremely easy to implement anywhere. A small number of teachers visit a colleague to watch him at his job. They do this in order to learn from that colleague and that is why teachers being observed are normally professionals that are known for their excellent results. During these observation sessions the visiting teachers do not interact with the observed teachers or the students. They simply observe and learn.
The visiting teachers meet prior to an observation session in order to formulate goals for the exercise. The teacher under observation may be acknowledged for the way in which he applies humour in his class, for example, and the visitors will then concentrate on this strong point. Because observation sessions are short, only a few very specific objectives are formulated for each session.
It is vital to understand that these observation sessions are not meant to have any element of evaluation. The observers are not there to appraise the observed teacher, but to learn from him. This fact is explained even to the students. Observers never provide feedback in any form, unless the teacher under observation wants it. The only motivation behind these session is for the observers to learn.
After the observation session the observing teachers meet yet again. The purpose of the meeting is to compare notes and to share the lessons that each member has learned. They also generate ideas on how to use those lessons to improve their own teaching techniques. During this meeting nobody is allowed to voice any criticism and the discussions are deemed to be confidential. No report is submitted.
This simple system has become extremely popular in education circles. Schools now visit each other and even institutes of higher education have started to introduce observation sessions. The vast majority of participants say that they benefit greatly from these sessions and that their own teaching techniques have improved. Of course, if the teachers benefit, then the students and the entire educational system also benefits. The teacher being observed also benefits because he is recognized as an accomplished professional.
Critics say that the system is far too informal. The do not like the idea that no feedback is given and that no reports are submitted. They also think that the observation sessions are too short to be of real value. They furthermore think that teachers being observed take special trouble with their lessons because they want to impress their colleagues. This, they say, creates a false impression of how that teacher normally acts in class.
Observation sessions are supported by numerous teachers. They say that they benefit and if the teachers benefit, those benefits are passed on to their students. The fact that participation is entirely voluntary means that only those that are enthusiastic about personal development participate.
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