No society or country can prosper without a high quality educational system. Teachers have a very difficult job. They often have to work under difficult circumstances and without all the resources that they need. Discipline is often a problem and many teachers have to battle on in isolation, without frequent interaction with other educators. At least instructional rounds have proven to be of great benefit to all concerned.
Such a system is very easy to implement. A small group of teachers visit a colleague in his class and observe him. The visiting teachers are led by a teacher that is well respected and that is regarded as a professional. The teacher being observed either volunteered or even asked for the event. No teacher is forced or pressurised to participate in this type of exercise.
The observing teachers normally meet prior to the observation session. They decide upon specific objectives in order to ensure that the session has some sort of focus. In many instances the objectives will coincide with known strong points of the teacher being observed. For example, if the teacher has a reputation for maintaining good discipline in the classroom the observing teacher may resolve to focus on the ways in which he manages to maintain discipline.
The aim of teachers observing another teacher in action is not to perform an evaluation, but rather to learn from that teacher. In fact, it is common practice to ask the most experienced and successful teachers to agree to an observation session. The students are also informed about the aim of the observation session. No feedback is given to the teacher that was observed, unless he specifically request feedback.
After each session the observers meet again to share with each other the lessons they have learnt and the ideas that they have hatched whilst watching the teacher under observation in action. They also discuss ways in which these lessons and new ideas could be implemented in their own classrooms. Observers do not submit a report and their discussions are deemed to be confidential.
Organizing regular teacher observation opportunities hold many benefits. The teacher being observed is motivated because his expertise and experience are acknowledged. The observer teacher benefit because they learn new techniques from experienced colleagues. Naturally, the students also benefit because they will be exposed to new methods and a more innovative approach to teaching. Everybody benefits and the quality of education is raised at the same time.
Such systems have critics too. They are of the opinion that observation sessions offer little or no value to the observers. They argue that teachers being observed prepare specially for these sessions and that they defeat the object of the exercise in this manner. Many teachers and educational authorities disagree. They are satisfied that teacher observation sessions are beneficial to all concerned.
Any society that wants to advance simply must understand that one of the cornerstones of a strong society is education of a high standard. Teachers face many difficult challenges and anything that can help them to inspire their learners is worth trying. Teachers learning from other teachers is a good idea.
Such a system is very easy to implement. A small group of teachers visit a colleague in his class and observe him. The visiting teachers are led by a teacher that is well respected and that is regarded as a professional. The teacher being observed either volunteered or even asked for the event. No teacher is forced or pressurised to participate in this type of exercise.
The observing teachers normally meet prior to the observation session. They decide upon specific objectives in order to ensure that the session has some sort of focus. In many instances the objectives will coincide with known strong points of the teacher being observed. For example, if the teacher has a reputation for maintaining good discipline in the classroom the observing teacher may resolve to focus on the ways in which he manages to maintain discipline.
The aim of teachers observing another teacher in action is not to perform an evaluation, but rather to learn from that teacher. In fact, it is common practice to ask the most experienced and successful teachers to agree to an observation session. The students are also informed about the aim of the observation session. No feedback is given to the teacher that was observed, unless he specifically request feedback.
After each session the observers meet again to share with each other the lessons they have learnt and the ideas that they have hatched whilst watching the teacher under observation in action. They also discuss ways in which these lessons and new ideas could be implemented in their own classrooms. Observers do not submit a report and their discussions are deemed to be confidential.
Organizing regular teacher observation opportunities hold many benefits. The teacher being observed is motivated because his expertise and experience are acknowledged. The observer teacher benefit because they learn new techniques from experienced colleagues. Naturally, the students also benefit because they will be exposed to new methods and a more innovative approach to teaching. Everybody benefits and the quality of education is raised at the same time.
Such systems have critics too. They are of the opinion that observation sessions offer little or no value to the observers. They argue that teachers being observed prepare specially for these sessions and that they defeat the object of the exercise in this manner. Many teachers and educational authorities disagree. They are satisfied that teacher observation sessions are beneficial to all concerned.
Any society that wants to advance simply must understand that one of the cornerstones of a strong society is education of a high standard. Teachers face many difficult challenges and anything that can help them to inspire their learners is worth trying. Teachers learning from other teachers is a good idea.
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