With the somewhat recent trend toward evaluating classroom effectiveness through various data, the emphasis on observing teachers in action looms menacingly for many teachers. Much of the apprehension concerning teacher observations lies in the somewhat ambiguous expectations of a "formal" observation: How do educators prove that they're teaching effectively within a 50-60 minute period? After all, the concept of "teaching" at best is abstract and one that relies on a multitude of factors at play outside of the physical sphere. And it is these critical factors, like establishing a safe space for young people to take intellectual and social risks, building appropriate classroom relationships, and creating a culture of self-reflection, that remain hidden to the untrained observer.
I believe that teacher observations constitute one of the healthiest practices at any school. Administrators, fellow teachers, and other staff should know what takes place in all classrooms at their institution. Beyond creating an atmosphere of intimacy and inclusion that serves to break down the walls between classrooms and departments, observing teachers emphatically reminds us that the mission of our education system depends upon a culture of learning...
not teaching.
A personal history of observations
When I began teaching in 2012 at a Philadelphia high school I was assigned a district coach, who was responsible for my development as a first-year teacher. I also had a coach from The Philadelphia Teaching Fellows, my alternative certification program, as well as one from my college for my Masters in Education (an obligation of my teaching certification). Additionally, my school had been involved in observational rounds with Tufts University, so those professors would show up at random times. And this did not include my school's administration - including the principal, vice principal, and head of the English department - who observed and evaluated me throughout the year. I averaged about 3-4 observations a week in my first 4 months of teaching.
I remember one day during one of my U.S. History classes, three adults, each from a different organization, spent 50 minutes in this one class period. Each left me with opposing feedback concerning the lesson: "Great classroom management at the beginning of class," from one; "Students look too scared to talk during the [beginning of class]," said another. One observer told me to answer more student questions, while one said that I should NOT try to answer all student questions, instead making their peers answer them. The third suggested I put a "Question Bank" on the board, reflecting on them as a class at the end of the unit.
The mission of our education system depends upon a culture of learning... not teaching.
I received this feedback not by email or on a feedback form, but during meetings with each of the observers. These meetings took place either during my 55-minute prep period or 30-minute lunch. On multiple occasions my district coach showed up during my prep and stayed through lunch trying to engage me in continuous conversation. While he listed off a dozen improvements I needed to make, he mentioned that I should be using my preps to prepare next weeks lessons. "But my preps are constantly taken up by meetings with coaches," I blurted out flatly. "Not now, but in the future," he counseled. I stared at him blankly while he continued with his list.
I eventually asserted myself with an email to all observers during the winter holiday break. My message established that, first of all, they all exist as "my coaching team," and should make their feedback public for all to see. I asked that they keep meetings below 20 minutes, because I benefit immeasurably from socializing with other staff members, going for a walk outside, or merely using the bathroom. I also emphasized that they keep their feedback from 1-2 factors I need to improve and include something I did well, because constructive criticism does not only focus on the negative. After the email the observation process markedly improved for me, even if my district coach got offended... at least he stopped occupying my space for amorphous blobs of time.
My biggest takeaway after surviving this hodgepodge of observer feedback: Teacher observations need to be focused on school wide goals and a single-school culture. Without a clearly defined objective, observers will constantly seek things to "fix," instead of establishing effective two-way communication, with which they truly get to support a teacher's development of an aspect of their craft.
The (administration) fix
As I previously mention, teacher observations represent an essential component of any healthy institution of education (That's right colleges and universities, you need to do it, too!). Yet, focusing solely on teaching is a mistake. What and how we teach depends upon the mission of the school in which we teach and the effectiveness of the administration to clarify the expectations of its mission. In this way, we can view teaching as the final product of the entire school, not merely the disparate actions of single individuals within a school community. After all, if we buy a defective IPhone, we don't care if the error originated from the engineer's design, the assemblers, the shipping department, or the specific store we bought it from; we expect Apple, the company, to take responsibility and appropriately compensate us.
Like any strong company, a school needs to first establish a clear identity with something akin to a mission statement. Some argue that the best companies define their "why" for their clients (Simon Sinek video), and schools must do this for the sake of their teachers and students. My suggestion for every school: focus on learning. I suggested for my own school that statement that "We are an organization of learning, but we are also a learning organization."* Sure, more specific (read: SMART) goals still need to be defined, but at least establish learning as the focus at your school.
In emphasizing learning over teaching, schools clear a pathway for employees and clients alike. I've already voiced my disagreement with the terms "teacher" and "teaching" in another of my posts (Teaching: A Useful Definition), because the terms themselves imply viewable actions on the part of the teacher. But the best teachers do little whole-class lecture, instead opting to give students more space to engage in discussion with their peers, complete independent practice, and to meet one-on-one with the teacher to gauge learning and create individual learning goals. Therefore, to the untrained observer, true learning seems like lazy teaching, because the teacher becomes a facilitator, as opposed to a performer in the spotlight. Any teacher observer steeped in a learning organization's mission will more successfully engage a teacher in a conversation about teaching practices, instead of the model of onslaught that apprentice-type reality television shows promote.
The edge
Schools stand to gain a lot from the observation process, provided that administrators nurture learning in their staff. When we admit that we still have much to learn, we model the most vital aspect of education. And students need to witness adults learning if they're to make key connections with their own learning.
Therefore, I recommend that all schools highlight two key elements in their mission statements:
Adults must celebrate the fact that they are also learners. I believe that our most essential responsibility as educators comes in modeling learning, not in asserting our mastery of content by talking more. Adults need to share with young people their excitement about developing a new unit, transforming an assignment, learning something new from a student, or by taking on a new hobby. If we don't learn the message remains clear: "I'm an adult. I'm done learning. Do what I tell you, so one day you can be done learning, too." Gross.
Observational rounds need to highlight the reflection process. Both the observer and the observed have opportunities to reflect on student learning, teacher development, as well as their own practices. I imagine a principal discussing mistakes and failures about presenting information at Professional Developments, then asking for feedback from the teacher. Opening a professional conversation between all adults within a school should remain the fundamental goal of any type of observation protocol. Typically, a good educational conversation stems from a simple and earnest question, one which the person asking wants to hear the answer, instead of using rhetoric to camouflage the opening to a lecture.
Let's open up classroom doors to build a like-minded community that values learning above all else. Our young people will not be the only beneficiaries.
*I stole this excellent phrase from former colleague and close friend, Andrew Biros, of New Tech Network. @andrewbiros, for fellow Tweeters...