Teachers are facing more challenges than ever before. They have to deal with large classes where it is impossible to pay attention to the individual needs of every child. They have to prepare lessons, be involved in sport and on top of this all teachers are saddled with mountains of paper work. Add to this the fact that they never have all the resources they need. Teachers do not have time to improve their own skills. However, with instructional rounds, this situation can most certainly be improved.
This straight forward system aims to help teachers to improve their own teaching skills. This is done by having small groups of teachers attend the class of an experienced colleague with the aim of learning something from that teacher. Observers are just that. They do not take part in the lesson and they may not even ask questions. Participation, whether as observer or as the observed, is always voluntary.
Observers always meet just before an observation session. In this meeting they set some goals for the session. Teachers selected for observation are normally deemed to be professionals that achieve excellent results. The observers therefore strive to focus on the techniques and methods used by this colleague to achieve their results. The teacher under observation is not part of this meeting.
The most important characteristic of the observation sessions is that they do not involve any form of evaluation. Such an approach will defeat the entire purpose of the session. The teacher being observed is not judged. All participants, even the students, are clearly informed of this fact. The only purpose of the observation session is to help the observers to improve their own teaching techniques and methods. There are no secondary objectives.
Every observation sessions is followed by a second meeting. The observers share their experiences and they discuss the lessons that they have learned from their colleague. They also brainstorm some ideas about ways in which to implement these lessons in their own class rooms. These discussions are confidential. No criticism of the observed teacher is allowed and no report is submitted.
The observation of peers in the field of education has become extremely popular and many universities and colleges have also implemented such systems. The majority of educators that have experience of this system, whether as observers or as the educator under observation agrees that there are many benefits to be had. Ultimately, however, it is the quality of education that is improved.
Critics have shot down the system as utterly worthless. They argue that observation sessions are artificial because the teacher under observation inevitably try to impress his colleagues rather than teach as he would normally do. Critics also think that the sessions are too short and that the lack of formal feedback renders them useless. Many critics say that formal teacher development programs are the only way in which to improve the system.
The fact remains that the entire education system is under tremendous pressure. No one will deny the fact that major steps are necessary to improve the situation. Observation sessions are easy to implement and they do not require funding. If they help to improve the quality of education then they are certainly worth a try.
This straight forward system aims to help teachers to improve their own teaching skills. This is done by having small groups of teachers attend the class of an experienced colleague with the aim of learning something from that teacher. Observers are just that. They do not take part in the lesson and they may not even ask questions. Participation, whether as observer or as the observed, is always voluntary.
Observers always meet just before an observation session. In this meeting they set some goals for the session. Teachers selected for observation are normally deemed to be professionals that achieve excellent results. The observers therefore strive to focus on the techniques and methods used by this colleague to achieve their results. The teacher under observation is not part of this meeting.
The most important characteristic of the observation sessions is that they do not involve any form of evaluation. Such an approach will defeat the entire purpose of the session. The teacher being observed is not judged. All participants, even the students, are clearly informed of this fact. The only purpose of the observation session is to help the observers to improve their own teaching techniques and methods. There are no secondary objectives.
Every observation sessions is followed by a second meeting. The observers share their experiences and they discuss the lessons that they have learned from their colleague. They also brainstorm some ideas about ways in which to implement these lessons in their own class rooms. These discussions are confidential. No criticism of the observed teacher is allowed and no report is submitted.
The observation of peers in the field of education has become extremely popular and many universities and colleges have also implemented such systems. The majority of educators that have experience of this system, whether as observers or as the educator under observation agrees that there are many benefits to be had. Ultimately, however, it is the quality of education that is improved.
Critics have shot down the system as utterly worthless. They argue that observation sessions are artificial because the teacher under observation inevitably try to impress his colleagues rather than teach as he would normally do. Critics also think that the sessions are too short and that the lack of formal feedback renders them useless. Many critics say that formal teacher development programs are the only way in which to improve the system.
The fact remains that the entire education system is under tremendous pressure. No one will deny the fact that major steps are necessary to improve the situation. Observation sessions are easy to implement and they do not require funding. If they help to improve the quality of education then they are certainly worth a try.
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