Teachers have to do their jobs in very difficult circumstances. They have to teach large classes, deal with disciplinary issues and be part of numerous extra curricular activities. They are surrounded by learners all day but they seldom get the chance to interact with their peers. The opportunities for personal and professional growth are limited. With instructional rounds, however, they get the chance to learn from experienced colleagues and to share lessons that they themselves have learned.
The entire concept is uncomplicated. It simply means that a small group of teachers arrange to observe another teacher, normally a senior teacher with a very good reputation and lots of experience, in action in the classroom. The observers are led by an experienced senior teacher. The observers do not take part in the teaching process and they do not interfere with the lesson. Their role is to simply observe and to make notes.
Observation sessions are informal but there are clear goals. Prior to the session, the observers meet and decide upon those goals. In most cases, the teacher being observed has a reputation for excellence in one or more fields and the goal normally centres on those strengths. For example, the goal may be to learn just how the observed teacher manages to maintain discipline in the classroom.
These observation sessions have nothing to do with evaluation. The teacher being observed is not is not in the firing line. The whole idea is to learn from the teacher in action. In fact, observers normally choose very experienced and successful teachers to observe. After the observation session no feedback is give to the teacher concerned but it may be given if it is requested specifically.
Directly after each session, the observers meet in private. The purpose of this meeting is not to comment on the teaching methods of the teacher concerned. Instead, the focus is upon the lessons learned from that teacher. The observers compare notes and they discuss ways in which they can use those lessons to improve their own teaching efforts. No report is submitted and the meetings are deemed to be confidential.
Everyone benefits from these observation sessions. They give teachers the opportunity to get to know each other and to learn from each other. Students benefit because their teachers learn new techniques to improve the quality of teaching. The educational system benefit because everyone involved improves and higher morale and motivation is often a side benefit of such sessions. Even the teachers being observed benefits because they know that they are seen as experts in their field.
The system has critics, of course. They say that teachers being observed pay special attention to those classes and therefore present a false impression regarding their day to day classroom behaviour. They also say that the sessions are far too short and that the informal arrangement holds no benefits for the system as a whole and that they simply waste the time of everybody involved.
There can be no doubt that all professionals, regardless of the field within which they work, learn from each other. Efforts to create opportunity for such learning experiences should be applauded. In addition, any initiative to increase the quality of education should enjoy the support of learners, teachers, school governing bodies and the public at large.
The entire concept is uncomplicated. It simply means that a small group of teachers arrange to observe another teacher, normally a senior teacher with a very good reputation and lots of experience, in action in the classroom. The observers are led by an experienced senior teacher. The observers do not take part in the teaching process and they do not interfere with the lesson. Their role is to simply observe and to make notes.
Observation sessions are informal but there are clear goals. Prior to the session, the observers meet and decide upon those goals. In most cases, the teacher being observed has a reputation for excellence in one or more fields and the goal normally centres on those strengths. For example, the goal may be to learn just how the observed teacher manages to maintain discipline in the classroom.
These observation sessions have nothing to do with evaluation. The teacher being observed is not is not in the firing line. The whole idea is to learn from the teacher in action. In fact, observers normally choose very experienced and successful teachers to observe. After the observation session no feedback is give to the teacher concerned but it may be given if it is requested specifically.
Directly after each session, the observers meet in private. The purpose of this meeting is not to comment on the teaching methods of the teacher concerned. Instead, the focus is upon the lessons learned from that teacher. The observers compare notes and they discuss ways in which they can use those lessons to improve their own teaching efforts. No report is submitted and the meetings are deemed to be confidential.
Everyone benefits from these observation sessions. They give teachers the opportunity to get to know each other and to learn from each other. Students benefit because their teachers learn new techniques to improve the quality of teaching. The educational system benefit because everyone involved improves and higher morale and motivation is often a side benefit of such sessions. Even the teachers being observed benefits because they know that they are seen as experts in their field.
The system has critics, of course. They say that teachers being observed pay special attention to those classes and therefore present a false impression regarding their day to day classroom behaviour. They also say that the sessions are far too short and that the informal arrangement holds no benefits for the system as a whole and that they simply waste the time of everybody involved.
There can be no doubt that all professionals, regardless of the field within which they work, learn from each other. Efforts to create opportunity for such learning experiences should be applauded. In addition, any initiative to increase the quality of education should enjoy the support of learners, teachers, school governing bodies and the public at large.
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