One would think that teaching is a very social job but it is not the case. Most teachers are isolated and rarely get the chance to interact with their colleagues on a professional level. They have to do the best that they can with limited resources and their work load is such that they do not often have the chance to attend courses in order to improve themselves professionally. Many teachers agree, however, that instructional rounds help them to learn from other teaching professionals.
Implementing this system is very simple. A smaller group of teachers, led by senior colleague, attends the class of an experienced teacher. The purpose of this is for the observer teachers to learn from their more experienced colleague. They do not participate in any classroom activities. The system is voluntary. No teacher is ever pressurized to be an observer or to agree to be the teacher that is observed by others.
Before attending an observation session, observers meet in order to set some objectives for the session. In most cases, these objectives will focus on the known strong points of the teacher under observation. A teacher me be known, for example, for using humour as a teaching aid. Observers will then focus on the ways in which the observed teacher use humour in the classroom.
Observation sessions do no have an element of evaluation and the purpose is certainly not to judge the abilities of the teacher being observed. That is one reason why only experienced teachers are observed. The sole purpose is to learn from the teacher under observation. Observers do not even provide feedback unless the observed teacher asks for it. The purpose of the sessions is also explained to learners ahead of time.
Even though no feedback is given, observers still meet after each session. They discuss the lessons that they have learned, the ways in which they can implement those lessons in their own classrooms and any other positive observations that they have made. No criticism of the teacher that was observed is allowed. These feedback meetings are confidential and no report is ever drawn up.
Observation sessions offer many benefits. Participants agree that they learn valuable lessons from their experienced colleagues and that they are often inspired by them. This, in turn, lead to better teaching methods and more innovation in the classroom and the learners reap the benefits of these improvements. Teachers being observed are also often motivated by the recognition they are given by their fellow teachers.
Critics say that these sessions are nothing but a waste of time. They are of the opinion that the sessions are to short to result in meaningful learning. There are even those that say that teachers being observed often act out of character during such sessions because they simply want to impress their colleagues. Most teachers disagree. They say that they find the sessions worthwhile and instructive.
Nobody will deny the fact that one of the most important components of a healthy society is a quality educational system. Anything that helps to improve the quality of education should be applauded. Teachers need every opportunity that they can get to grow both personally and professionally. In the end, society as a whole benefits.
Implementing this system is very simple. A smaller group of teachers, led by senior colleague, attends the class of an experienced teacher. The purpose of this is for the observer teachers to learn from their more experienced colleague. They do not participate in any classroom activities. The system is voluntary. No teacher is ever pressurized to be an observer or to agree to be the teacher that is observed by others.
Before attending an observation session, observers meet in order to set some objectives for the session. In most cases, these objectives will focus on the known strong points of the teacher under observation. A teacher me be known, for example, for using humour as a teaching aid. Observers will then focus on the ways in which the observed teacher use humour in the classroom.
Observation sessions do no have an element of evaluation and the purpose is certainly not to judge the abilities of the teacher being observed. That is one reason why only experienced teachers are observed. The sole purpose is to learn from the teacher under observation. Observers do not even provide feedback unless the observed teacher asks for it. The purpose of the sessions is also explained to learners ahead of time.
Even though no feedback is given, observers still meet after each session. They discuss the lessons that they have learned, the ways in which they can implement those lessons in their own classrooms and any other positive observations that they have made. No criticism of the teacher that was observed is allowed. These feedback meetings are confidential and no report is ever drawn up.
Observation sessions offer many benefits. Participants agree that they learn valuable lessons from their experienced colleagues and that they are often inspired by them. This, in turn, lead to better teaching methods and more innovation in the classroom and the learners reap the benefits of these improvements. Teachers being observed are also often motivated by the recognition they are given by their fellow teachers.
Critics say that these sessions are nothing but a waste of time. They are of the opinion that the sessions are to short to result in meaningful learning. There are even those that say that teachers being observed often act out of character during such sessions because they simply want to impress their colleagues. Most teachers disagree. They say that they find the sessions worthwhile and instructive.
Nobody will deny the fact that one of the most important components of a healthy society is a quality educational system. Anything that helps to improve the quality of education should be applauded. Teachers need every opportunity that they can get to grow both personally and professionally. In the end, society as a whole benefits.
About the Author:
If you are searching for the facts about instructional rounds, pay a visit to the web pages online here today. More details are available at http://www.instructionalrounds.com now.
No comments:
Post a Comment