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.
Before every observation session, the observing teacher meet in order to set objectives for the session. These objectives will normally focus on those aspects of teaching for which the teacher under observation is very well regarded. For example, a teacher may be well known for the effective way in which he uses multimedia in his class and the objectives of the session will then focus on this aspect.
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 the observation session the observing teachers meet yet again. The purpose of the meeting is to compare notes and to share the lessons that each member has learned. They also generate ideas on how to use those lessons to improve their own teaching techniques. During this meeting nobody is allowed to voice any criticism and the discussions are deemed to be confidential. No report is submitted.
This simple system has become extremely popular in education circles. Schools now visit each other and even institutes of higher education have started to introduce observation sessions. The vast majority of participants say that they benefit greatly from these sessions and that their own teaching techniques have improved. Of course, if the teachers benefit, then the students and the entire educational system also benefits. The teacher being observed also benefits because he is recognized as an accomplished professional.
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.
Observation sessions are supported by numerous teachers. They say that they benefit and if the teachers benefit, those benefits are passed on to their students. The fact that participation is entirely voluntary means that only those that are enthusiastic about personal development participate.
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.
Before every observation session, the observing teacher meet in order to set objectives for the session. These objectives will normally focus on those aspects of teaching for which the teacher under observation is very well regarded. For example, a teacher may be well known for the effective way in which he uses multimedia in his class and the objectives of the session will then focus on this aspect.
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 the observation session the observing teachers meet yet again. The purpose of the meeting is to compare notes and to share the lessons that each member has learned. They also generate ideas on how to use those lessons to improve their own teaching techniques. During this meeting nobody is allowed to voice any criticism and the discussions are deemed to be confidential. No report is submitted.
This simple system has become extremely popular in education circles. Schools now visit each other and even institutes of higher education have started to introduce observation sessions. The vast majority of participants say that they benefit greatly from these sessions and that their own teaching techniques have improved. Of course, if the teachers benefit, then the students and the entire educational system also benefits. The teacher being observed also benefits because he is recognized as an accomplished professional.
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.
Observation sessions are supported by numerous teachers. They say that they benefit and if the teachers benefit, those benefits are passed on to their students. The fact that participation is entirely voluntary means that only those that are enthusiastic about personal development participate.
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