Teachers work under tremendous pressure. They not only have to prepare lessons and teach, but they also have many administrative responsibilities. They are expected to be involved in all extra curricular activities and they have to do their work with a woeful shortage of resources. On top of this they have to deal with large classes and disciplinary problems. There is certainly no time for personal and professional development, but it seems as if school based instructional rounds are making a difference.
Starting such a system is truly not difficult and it is extremely cheap. It simply means that a smaller group of teachers attend the class of a colleague, normally a well respected and experienced one, to see how he does his job. The whole idea is to learn from one another. There is never pressure placed upon anyone to participate as either observer or the teacher being observed.
Prior to every session, the observers meet in order to set a few objectives for the forthcoming session. These objectives normally focus on the known strong points of the teacher that will be observed. The teacher being observed may be known for his ability to get learners to participate in class activities, for example. The observers will then focus on the methods he uses to achieve this.
Observation sessions should never be confused with evaluation exercises. Observers do not evaluate the teacher that they observe. The sole purpose of the session is to learn. Everyone involved, including the students, are informed of this fact. The observers may take notes but they do not participate in the class activities at all, regardless. They do not provide any feedback either.
After each session, the observers meet once more. They now give each other feedback about exactly what they learned, how they think those lessons can improve their own teaching techniques and ideas on how to implement renewal in their own classrooms. No criticism is voiced or allowed. No report is drawn up either. The entire meeting is deemed to be confidential.
Most teachers that participate in these systems are extremely positive about it. They say that they really do learn from their colleagues and that they appreciate the opportunity to get to know their own colleagues a bit better. Teacher being observed also benefit because they enjoy the official recognition of their peers. The entire concept has grown in popularity and is now even used by some universities and colleges.
There are critics, however. They say that observation sessions are far too short and far between to make any noticeable difference. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach the way they normally do. Instead, they go to some lengths to impress their colleagues, thus negating the entire purpose of the exercise. Critics think that formal development sessions and workshops would be a far better option.
The fact remains that observation sessions are virtually free, simple to implement and very popular. Experts agree that they do make a difference. Anything that strive towards bettering the educational system and its standards should be supported and underwritten.
Starting such a system is truly not difficult and it is extremely cheap. It simply means that a smaller group of teachers attend the class of a colleague, normally a well respected and experienced one, to see how he does his job. The whole idea is to learn from one another. There is never pressure placed upon anyone to participate as either observer or the teacher being observed.
Prior to every session, the observers meet in order to set a few objectives for the forthcoming session. These objectives normally focus on the known strong points of the teacher that will be observed. The teacher being observed may be known for his ability to get learners to participate in class activities, for example. The observers will then focus on the methods he uses to achieve this.
Observation sessions should never be confused with evaluation exercises. Observers do not evaluate the teacher that they observe. The sole purpose of the session is to learn. Everyone involved, including the students, are informed of this fact. The observers may take notes but they do not participate in the class activities at all, regardless. They do not provide any feedback either.
After each session, the observers meet once more. They now give each other feedback about exactly what they learned, how they think those lessons can improve their own teaching techniques and ideas on how to implement renewal in their own classrooms. No criticism is voiced or allowed. No report is drawn up either. The entire meeting is deemed to be confidential.
Most teachers that participate in these systems are extremely positive about it. They say that they really do learn from their colleagues and that they appreciate the opportunity to get to know their own colleagues a bit better. Teacher being observed also benefit because they enjoy the official recognition of their peers. The entire concept has grown in popularity and is now even used by some universities and colleges.
There are critics, however. They say that observation sessions are far too short and far between to make any noticeable difference. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach the way they normally do. Instead, they go to some lengths to impress their colleagues, thus negating the entire purpose of the exercise. Critics think that formal development sessions and workshops would be a far better option.
The fact remains that observation sessions are virtually free, simple to implement and very popular. Experts agree that they do make a difference. Anything that strive towards bettering the educational system and its standards should be supported and underwritten.
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