The majority of teachers are dedicated professionals that want to make a difference in the lives of their learners. Unfortunately, they are overwhelmed with numerous responsibilities. They teach, perform many admin duties, are involved with extra curricular activities and attend many time consuming meetings. There is little time to develop professionally and the budget rarely stretches as far as to fund formal further training. Thankfully, school based instructional rounds can help teachers to become better at their jobs and to grow as individuals.
It is very easy to implement such a system. Basically, a small group of teachers visit the class of another teacher in order to observe him in action. The teacher being observed is normally one with a reputation for getting good results and they normally have lots of experience. The observers do not become involved in the class. They simply watch and learn. The system is always voluntary.
Before the observation session, the observers have a meeting in order to formulate some specific objectives for the coming session. These objectives normally focus on the strong points of the teacher that will be observed. The observers will then focus on how the teacher uses his strengths, such as the ability to use humour, or to maintain discipline in the class, for example, to achieve his results.
Observation sessions should never be confused with formal evaluation sessions. The purpose of observation session is definitely not to conduct evaluation at all. The sole purpose is for the observers to watch and to learn. They do not interfere in the class and they do not participate in any way. This is explained to the learners too. After the session, the observers do not provide feedback.
After the session, the observers meet once again. This time the purpose is to share lessons learnt with each other. No observer is allowed to voice any criticism. The only thing being discussed is the lessons that were learnt and the insight that was gained. They also discuss way s in which they can integrate these lessons in their own classrooms. These meetings are confidential and no report is submitted.
Teachers participating in these observation sessions are very positive about it. They say that they not only learn a lot from their colleagues, but that they are also given the opportunity to interact with their colleagues. It is no wonder that observation sessions are now implemented almost everywhere, even at some universities. Everyone agrees that the system plays a role in helping to improve the general quality of education.
There are those that disagree. They say that observation sessions cannot make any difference because they are too short and much too informal. Some critics say that teachers under observation do not act as they normally do in class. They even go as far as to say that education authorities use these systems to save money of very necessary formal development programs for teachers.
There can be no doubt that the entire education system is under great pressure. Every effort that is made to improve the quality of education should be applauded and supported. Earning from one another is an economical and practical step forward.
It is very easy to implement such a system. Basically, a small group of teachers visit the class of another teacher in order to observe him in action. The teacher being observed is normally one with a reputation for getting good results and they normally have lots of experience. The observers do not become involved in the class. They simply watch and learn. The system is always voluntary.
Before the observation session, the observers have a meeting in order to formulate some specific objectives for the coming session. These objectives normally focus on the strong points of the teacher that will be observed. The observers will then focus on how the teacher uses his strengths, such as the ability to use humour, or to maintain discipline in the class, for example, to achieve his results.
Observation sessions should never be confused with formal evaluation sessions. The purpose of observation session is definitely not to conduct evaluation at all. The sole purpose is for the observers to watch and to learn. They do not interfere in the class and they do not participate in any way. This is explained to the learners too. After the session, the observers do not provide feedback.
After the session, the observers meet once again. This time the purpose is to share lessons learnt with each other. No observer is allowed to voice any criticism. The only thing being discussed is the lessons that were learnt and the insight that was gained. They also discuss way s in which they can integrate these lessons in their own classrooms. These meetings are confidential and no report is submitted.
Teachers participating in these observation sessions are very positive about it. They say that they not only learn a lot from their colleagues, but that they are also given the opportunity to interact with their colleagues. It is no wonder that observation sessions are now implemented almost everywhere, even at some universities. Everyone agrees that the system plays a role in helping to improve the general quality of education.
There are those that disagree. They say that observation sessions cannot make any difference because they are too short and much too informal. Some critics say that teachers under observation do not act as they normally do in class. They even go as far as to say that education authorities use these systems to save money of very necessary formal development programs for teachers.
There can be no doubt that the entire education system is under great pressure. Every effort that is made to improve the quality of education should be applauded and supported. Earning from one another is an economical and practical step forward.
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