Teachers have to face a wide variety of challenges on a daily basis. They have to teach, prepare their lessons, be active in extra curricular activities, mark homework and motivate their learners. They have to make do with constant shortages and they have to deal with large classes. Many teachers simply do not have the time or opportunity to grow professionally. However, instructional school rounds can play a vital role in exposing teachers to new ideas.
The system has been designed to afford teachers the opportunity to learn from colleagues that are more experienced and who have proven themselves. It is a simple system that can be implemented at any school. A few teachers gather and then attend a class presented by a well respected colleague. The purpose of the exercise is to learn from that teacher under observation. At present participation is voluntary.
Observers always meet before any observation session. The goal is to decide upon the focus of the session. On most cases the teacher under observation has achieved excellent results and may be know for successfully employing certain teaching methods or techniques. This will become the focus of the observers. They see how a colleague use those techniques and they devise ways to incorporate new methods in their own classes.
There is never any element of evaluation during these sessions. It is made clear to the students as well. The observers do not give feedback but may do so if the teacher under observation ask for it. The only purpose of observation sessions is to learn and to garner new ideas with the aim of improving on a personal and professional level.
Another meeting is held directly after an observation session. Observers then share the lessons that they have learned and the ideas that they have developed for improving their own teaching methods. They also discuss the practicality of introducing new ideas in their classrooms. No observer is permitted to criticise the teacher that was under observation. This meeting is strictly confidential and the observers never compile a report.
Learning from well respected teachers have become a widespread practice and teachers even observe colleagues from other schools. Feedback from those that have been observed and those that acted as observers have been very positive. Those being observed are motivated by the fact that they have received acknowledgement and observers are able to improve their own teaching techniques. In this way the entire educational system benefits.
There are critics of the system, of course. They reckon that the observation sessions are too short to be of real value to the observers. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach as they normally do but rather make a special effort to impress their colleagues. Supporters of the system remain positive, however, that they learn a lot and that the system is worth supporting and even made mandatory.
Nobody will deny the fact that the entire education system is facing many unique challenges. Efforts to improve the quality of teaching should therefore be lauded. Observation sessions have been proven to help and should therefore be supported. It does not require much funding and if it improves the quality of education, then it should be promoted on a wide front.
The system has been designed to afford teachers the opportunity to learn from colleagues that are more experienced and who have proven themselves. It is a simple system that can be implemented at any school. A few teachers gather and then attend a class presented by a well respected colleague. The purpose of the exercise is to learn from that teacher under observation. At present participation is voluntary.
Observers always meet before any observation session. The goal is to decide upon the focus of the session. On most cases the teacher under observation has achieved excellent results and may be know for successfully employing certain teaching methods or techniques. This will become the focus of the observers. They see how a colleague use those techniques and they devise ways to incorporate new methods in their own classes.
There is never any element of evaluation during these sessions. It is made clear to the students as well. The observers do not give feedback but may do so if the teacher under observation ask for it. The only purpose of observation sessions is to learn and to garner new ideas with the aim of improving on a personal and professional level.
Another meeting is held directly after an observation session. Observers then share the lessons that they have learned and the ideas that they have developed for improving their own teaching methods. They also discuss the practicality of introducing new ideas in their classrooms. No observer is permitted to criticise the teacher that was under observation. This meeting is strictly confidential and the observers never compile a report.
Learning from well respected teachers have become a widespread practice and teachers even observe colleagues from other schools. Feedback from those that have been observed and those that acted as observers have been very positive. Those being observed are motivated by the fact that they have received acknowledgement and observers are able to improve their own teaching techniques. In this way the entire educational system benefits.
There are critics of the system, of course. They reckon that the observation sessions are too short to be of real value to the observers. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach as they normally do but rather make a special effort to impress their colleagues. Supporters of the system remain positive, however, that they learn a lot and that the system is worth supporting and even made mandatory.
Nobody will deny the fact that the entire education system is facing many unique challenges. Efforts to improve the quality of teaching should therefore be lauded. Observation sessions have been proven to help and should therefore be supported. It does not require much funding and if it improves the quality of education, then it should be promoted on a wide front.
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