Teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of the country by taking responsibility of educating young people to become responsible adults. Yet teachers are under tremendous pressure. They have to deal with a shortage of resources, big classes and many demands upon their time. In addition, teachers have to be involved with numerous non teaching activities and they simply have no time for personal development. With instructional rounds consultation teachers are least given the chance to learn from their colleagues.
The idea is basic and extremely easy to implement anywhere. A small number of teachers visit a colleague to watch him at his job. They do this in order to learn from that colleague and that is why teachers being observed are normally professionals that are known for their excellent results. During these observation sessions the visiting teachers do not interact with the observed teachers or the students. They simply observe and learn.
The visiting teachers meet prior to an observation session in order to formulate goals for the exercise. The teacher under observation may be acknowledged for the way in which he applies humour in his class, for example, and the visitors will then concentrate on this strong point. Because observation sessions are short, only a few very specific objectives are formulated for each session.
It is vital to understand that these observation sessions are not meant to have any element of evaluation. The observers are not there to appraise the observed teacher, but to learn from him. This fact is explained even to the students. Observers never provide feedback in any form, unless the teacher under observation wants it. The only motivation behind these session is for the observers to learn.
After each observation session the visiting teachers meet again. This time the purpose is to share the lessons that each of them has learned and to discuss ways in which those lessons can be implemented in their own class rooms. No criticism is allowed and these discussions are treated as confidential. Visitors also never submit any official report on the results of the observation session.
Observation sessions have become very popular. More and more schools are implementing such systems and many schools even visit each other. Universities and colleges have also started to take note of the benefits that can be enjoyed. Most teachers that participate in observation sessions say that they learn a lot and that their own teaching has improved. Teachers being observed know that they are regarded as excellent in their job.
Critics dismiss this system as useless because the observation sessions are too short and they are, according to them, far too informal. They feel that the system should make provision for feedback. Critics also say that teachers under observation are prone to grand standing in order to impress their colleagues and in this way they do not portray the way in which they normally teach.
The importance of a quality educational system simply cannot be overemphasized. The reality is that the system is struggling to cope and that teachers are under tremendous pressure. If observation sessions helps to improve the overall system, then it should be supported and encouraged everywhere.
The idea is basic and extremely easy to implement anywhere. A small number of teachers visit a colleague to watch him at his job. They do this in order to learn from that colleague and that is why teachers being observed are normally professionals that are known for their excellent results. During these observation sessions the visiting teachers do not interact with the observed teachers or the students. They simply observe and learn.
The visiting teachers meet prior to an observation session in order to formulate goals for the exercise. The teacher under observation may be acknowledged for the way in which he applies humour in his class, for example, and the visitors will then concentrate on this strong point. Because observation sessions are short, only a few very specific objectives are formulated for each session.
It is vital to understand that these observation sessions are not meant to have any element of evaluation. The observers are not there to appraise the observed teacher, but to learn from him. This fact is explained even to the students. Observers never provide feedback in any form, unless the teacher under observation wants it. The only motivation behind these session is for the observers to learn.
After each observation session the visiting teachers meet again. This time the purpose is to share the lessons that each of them has learned and to discuss ways in which those lessons can be implemented in their own class rooms. No criticism is allowed and these discussions are treated as confidential. Visitors also never submit any official report on the results of the observation session.
Observation sessions have become very popular. More and more schools are implementing such systems and many schools even visit each other. Universities and colleges have also started to take note of the benefits that can be enjoyed. Most teachers that participate in observation sessions say that they learn a lot and that their own teaching has improved. Teachers being observed know that they are regarded as excellent in their job.
Critics dismiss this system as useless because the observation sessions are too short and they are, according to them, far too informal. They feel that the system should make provision for feedback. Critics also say that teachers under observation are prone to grand standing in order to impress their colleagues and in this way they do not portray the way in which they normally teach.
The importance of a quality educational system simply cannot be overemphasized. The reality is that the system is struggling to cope and that teachers are under tremendous pressure. If observation sessions helps to improve the overall system, then it should be supported and encouraged everywhere.
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