People from all levels of society have complained that the quality of education is deteriorating. Many people forget, however, that teachers are under great pressure. They do not have enough resources, they are poorly paid, they have to cope with large classes and they are expected to teach and manage extra curricular activities. They certainly do not have time to attend courses. However, with instructional school rounds teachers do get the opportunity to develop professionally.
These rounds simply consist of a system whereby small groups of teachers attend the class of a respected and experienced colleague. The observer teachers do not participate in the class, do not ask questions and do not offer any opinions. They simply observe in silence and try to learn from the colleague giving the lesson. Nobody is ever forced to participate in this system, neither as observer or as the teacher under observation
Observers always meet before any observation session. The goal is to decide upon the focus of the session. On most cases the teacher under observation has achieved excellent results and may be know for successfully employing certain teaching methods or techniques. This will become the focus of the observers. They see how a colleague use those techniques and they devise ways to incorporate new methods in their own classes.
There is never any element of evaluation during these sessions. It is made clear to the students as well. The observers do not give feedback but may do so if the teacher under observation ask for it. The only purpose of observation sessions is to learn and to garner new ideas with the aim of improving on a personal and professional level.
The observer teachers have a second meeting after the session. This time they discuss the lessons that they have learnt. They also discuss ideas on how to implement those new ideas in their own classrooms. During this meeting no observer is allowed to utter any form of criticism. They do not submit a report and the entire proceedings is deemed to be confidential.
Observation systems are widespread and are now even in use at some universities and colleges. Teachers and other educators maintain that they learn a lot from these sessions. Even the individuals under observation benefit because they are publicly acknowledged as accomplished professionals. Of course, students also benefit from renewal in the classroom and in this way the entire system of education is improved.
There will, f course, always be critics and sceptics. In this case they say that these sessions are much too short to be of any value. They also think that the very fact that no feedback or official reports are submitted negates any positive outcome a session may have had. They say that the system can only work if it is formalized and compulsory. Supporters obviously strongly disagree with these views.
The fact remains that the educational system is under tremendous pressure. Teachers, parents and civil leaders complain that standards are dropping. If observations sessions can help improve the system, then it should be supported at all levels. It is very easy to manage and it does not involve the commitment of major funding.
These rounds simply consist of a system whereby small groups of teachers attend the class of a respected and experienced colleague. The observer teachers do not participate in the class, do not ask questions and do not offer any opinions. They simply observe in silence and try to learn from the colleague giving the lesson. Nobody is ever forced to participate in this system, neither as observer or as the teacher under observation
Observers always meet before any observation session. The goal is to decide upon the focus of the session. On most cases the teacher under observation has achieved excellent results and may be know for successfully employing certain teaching methods or techniques. This will become the focus of the observers. They see how a colleague use those techniques and they devise ways to incorporate new methods in their own classes.
There is never any element of evaluation during these sessions. It is made clear to the students as well. The observers do not give feedback but may do so if the teacher under observation ask for it. The only purpose of observation sessions is to learn and to garner new ideas with the aim of improving on a personal and professional level.
The observer teachers have a second meeting after the session. This time they discuss the lessons that they have learnt. They also discuss ideas on how to implement those new ideas in their own classrooms. During this meeting no observer is allowed to utter any form of criticism. They do not submit a report and the entire proceedings is deemed to be confidential.
Observation systems are widespread and are now even in use at some universities and colleges. Teachers and other educators maintain that they learn a lot from these sessions. Even the individuals under observation benefit because they are publicly acknowledged as accomplished professionals. Of course, students also benefit from renewal in the classroom and in this way the entire system of education is improved.
There will, f course, always be critics and sceptics. In this case they say that these sessions are much too short to be of any value. They also think that the very fact that no feedback or official reports are submitted negates any positive outcome a session may have had. They say that the system can only work if it is formalized and compulsory. Supporters obviously strongly disagree with these views.
The fact remains that the educational system is under tremendous pressure. Teachers, parents and civil leaders complain that standards are dropping. If observations sessions can help improve the system, then it should be supported at all levels. It is very easy to manage and it does not involve the commitment of major funding.
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