Teachers work under tremendous pressure. They not only have to prepare lessons and teach, but they also have many administrative responsibilities. They are expected to be involved in all extra curricular activities and they have to do their work with a woeful shortage of resources. On top of this they have to deal with large classes and disciplinary problems. There is certainly no time for personal and professional development, but it seems as if school based instructional rounds are making a difference.
Starting such a system is truly not difficult and it is extremely cheap. It simply means that a smaller group of teachers attend the class of a colleague, normally a well respected and experienced one, to see how he does his job. The whole idea is to learn from one another. There is never pressure placed upon anyone to participate as either observer or the teacher being observed.
Before such an observation session, the observers have a meeting. They set some goals for the session, normally focusing on the strong points of the teachers that will be under observation. Many teachers are known for being very efficient in certain areas and this is the areas where the observers will focus and strive to learn. For example, a teacher may be known for for his ability to maintain discipline in the class and the observers will try to find out how he does it.
Observation sessions should never be confused with evaluation exercises. Observers do not evaluate the teacher that they observe. The sole purpose of the session is to learn. Everyone involved, including the students, are informed of this fact. The observers may take notes but they do not participate in the class activities at all, regardless. They do not provide any feedback either.
The observers meet for a second time after the observation session. This time the goal is to share the lessons that they have learnt with each other and to debate ideas on how to improve their own teaching methods by implementing those lessons. No observer is allowed to voice criticism in any form and no report, formal or informal is made to anyone. In addition, the meeting is viewed as strictly confidential.
The vast majority of teachers participating in observation sessions report that they definitely benefit. The sessions not only expose them to the teaching methods of respected colleagues, but also allow them to get to know their own colleagues a little better. These sessions are extremely popular and have even been implemented in many institutions of higher learning. The general agreement is that they help to improve educational standards.
There are critics, however. They say that observation sessions are far too short and far between to make any noticeable difference. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach the way they normally do. Instead, they go to some lengths to impress their colleagues, thus negating the entire purpose of the exercise. Critics think that formal development sessions and workshops would be a far better option.
The fact remains that observation sessions are virtually free, simple to implement and very popular. Experts agree that they do make a difference. Anything that strive towards bettering the educational system and its standards should be supported and underwritten.
Starting such a system is truly not difficult and it is extremely cheap. It simply means that a smaller group of teachers attend the class of a colleague, normally a well respected and experienced one, to see how he does his job. The whole idea is to learn from one another. There is never pressure placed upon anyone to participate as either observer or the teacher being observed.
Before such an observation session, the observers have a meeting. They set some goals for the session, normally focusing on the strong points of the teachers that will be under observation. Many teachers are known for being very efficient in certain areas and this is the areas where the observers will focus and strive to learn. For example, a teacher may be known for for his ability to maintain discipline in the class and the observers will try to find out how he does it.
Observation sessions should never be confused with evaluation exercises. Observers do not evaluate the teacher that they observe. The sole purpose of the session is to learn. Everyone involved, including the students, are informed of this fact. The observers may take notes but they do not participate in the class activities at all, regardless. They do not provide any feedback either.
The observers meet for a second time after the observation session. This time the goal is to share the lessons that they have learnt with each other and to debate ideas on how to improve their own teaching methods by implementing those lessons. No observer is allowed to voice criticism in any form and no report, formal or informal is made to anyone. In addition, the meeting is viewed as strictly confidential.
The vast majority of teachers participating in observation sessions report that they definitely benefit. The sessions not only expose them to the teaching methods of respected colleagues, but also allow them to get to know their own colleagues a little better. These sessions are extremely popular and have even been implemented in many institutions of higher learning. The general agreement is that they help to improve educational standards.
There are critics, however. They say that observation sessions are far too short and far between to make any noticeable difference. They also say that teachers under observation do not teach the way they normally do. Instead, they go to some lengths to impress their colleagues, thus negating the entire purpose of the exercise. Critics think that formal development sessions and workshops would be a far better option.
The fact remains that observation sessions are virtually free, simple to implement and very popular. Experts agree that they do make a difference. Anything that strive towards bettering the educational system and its standards should be supported and underwritten.
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