{"id":4298,"date":"2009-08-26T12:26:57","date_gmt":"2009-08-26T19:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/?page_id=4298"},"modified":"2009-08-26T12:26:57","modified_gmt":"2009-08-26T19:26:57","slug":"ej11f1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/issues\/volume3\/ej11\/ej11f1\/","title":{"rendered":"Forum: Teacher Observations"},"content":{"rendered":"

September 1998 — Volume 3, Number 3<\/h3>\n

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* * * TESL-EJ Forum * * * <\/H2><\/p>\n

Teacher Observations<\/h2>\n

The following discussion regarding the practice of observing teachers began on the TESL-L discussion list in late July 1998. It poses some serious questions and considerations about the uses and abuses of this practice. All messages are printed with the permission of their authors.(In one case, we could not include the message of a participant as we were unable to get her permission. Two subsequent messages refer to her message. In those cases, we have removed her name. The comprehensibility of the messages has not been sacrificed.) We thank all the participants for their cooperation and help in this Forum column.<\/p>\n

\r\n================================================================\r\n\r\nDate:         Thu, 30 Jul 1998 11:44:50 EDT\r\nFrom:         \"Turner, Debbie\" \r\nSubject:      Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nRelated to the subject of teacher development, I have a question\r\nabout classroom observations.  I observe and evaluate new teachers\r\nin our program and would like these sessions to be as positive (even\r\nhelpful) as possible.  Can any of you recall any evaluations of your\r\nclassroom performance that really helped your development as a\r\nteacher?  I try to describe what I see in the classroom objectively,\r\nbreaking it up into blocks of time, then note specific things I\r\nthink worked well and make specific suggestions of things that might\r\nwork better, when appropriate. The write-up is followed by a short\r\nmeeting with more explanation if necessary, answering questions,\r\netc.  It seems to work OK but I'm tired of this format - any\r\nsuggestions of things that work for you - either and an observer or\r\none being observed?\r\n\r\nThanks!\r\n\r\nDebbie Turner\r\nSeattle Central Community College\r\nSeattle, WA USA\r\ndturne@sccd.ctc.edu\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 30 Jul 1998 21:31:11 EDT\r\nFrom:         Miri Yochanna \r\nSubject:      teacher observation\r\n\r\nIn regard to teacher observation, I agree with Debbie Turner in that\r\nit gets tiring to do the same thing all the time. [-1-]\r\n\r\nI try to focus on specifics each time. For example, one lesson I\r\nwill focus on and note timing and transitions from one activity to\r\nanother and all the other things will be border lined. The next\r\nlesson I might focus on and note how the teacher dealt with\r\ndiscipline and feedback. The next lesson I will focus on and note\r\nhow the teacher organized the lesson and how the activities were\r\ndone and the students' reactions to them. Obviously, with each\r\nlesson, a little of everything is being taken in but with a specific\r\nfocus, it is easier to help the teacher specify where there might be\r\na problem.\r\n\r\nAnother good idea is to video tape the lesson and then discuss the\r\nlesson after watching it with the teacher. Things are seen\r\ndifferently and the discussion is different. It makes for a very\r\ninteresting learning experience on the part of both the teacher and\r\nthe teacher trainer.\r\n\r\nI hope this helps.\r\n\r\nMiri\r\n                                 Miri Yochanna\r\n                      yochanna@internet-zahav.net\r\n                      Levinsky College of Education\r\n                                Tel-Aviv, Israel\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 30 Jul 1998 21:34:47 EDT\r\nFrom:         Rex Alexander \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nAt 11:44 AM 7\/30\/98 -0400, Turner, Debbie asks \"Can any of you\r\nrecall any evaluations of your classroom performance that really\r\nhelped your development as a teacher?\"\r\n\r\nHi Debbie, all,\r\n\r\nSorry to side step your question but, no, I have never had any\r\nevaluations of my classroom performance that were helpful.  I don't\r\nsee how they could be helpful when decisions about continued\r\nemployment, salary, advancement and letters of reference are\r\ndirectly or indirectly based upon such observations and evaluations.\r\nI understand and sympathize with an employer's right to \"know what\r\nis going on\" in my classroom, and to effect some quality control\r\nover the process.  However, for me personally, observations are an\r\nanxiety-producing waste of time.  I regard them as \"dog and pony\r\nshows\" where I give the observer what s\/he wants so that s\/he will\r\ngo away as soon as possible and let  me do my job.  As two different\r\nobservers may come up with two entirely different evaluations of my\r\nteaching, I have no interest in the feedback resulting from such\r\nevaluations. [-2-]\r\n\r\nI am sure that I don't sound like much of a \"team player\" (I'm\r\nnot!), and some would question my professionalism for making such\r\nstatements. However, I have always regarded this list as an\r\nopportunity question \"conventional wisdom\", and to be candid about\r\nfeelings that would be taboo to express on the job.\r\n\r\nCheers,\r\n\r\nRex\r\n\r\nRex Alexander\r\nPattaya, Thailand\r\n\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Fri, 31 Jul 1998 04:07:24 EDT\r\nFrom:         Cynthia Sinsap \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher Observation\r\n\r\n\r\nWhen I was in a position requiring me to observe new teachers and\r\nteacher applicants, I would also make a written observation similar\r\nto what you described, but I usually had a brief interview with the\r\nteacher before anyone saw the written version.  I would ask the\r\nteacher what they though were the most positive aspects of the\r\nlesson they had taught and what they would change or do differently\r\nif they could re-teach that lesson.  I would then add their comments\r\nto my written report and go over any additional comments I had to\r\nmake with them.  I think that giving the teachers a chance to\r\nreflect and comment on their own performance first makes it a more\r\npositive learning experience.\r\n\r\nCynthia Sinsap         sinsap@samart.co.th\r\nDidyasarin International School\r\nThailand\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Fri, 31 Jul 1998 17:43:22 EDT\r\nFrom:         Anthea Tillyer \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nOn Thu, 30 Jul 1998 21:34:47 EDT Rex Alexander said:\r\n\r\n>some quality control over the process.  However, for me personally,\r\n>observations are an anxiety producing waste of time... As two\r\n>different observers may come up with two entirely different\r\n>evaluations of my teaching, \r\n\r\nI absolutely agree with Rex! But before explaining the basis for my\r\nagreement, I would like to answer the question that started this\r\nthread on observations...NO, I absolutely have never been helped [-3-]\r\nby any observation of my teaching. As Rex pointed out, almost no\r\nteacher would do anything but the tried, true, and reliable in a\r\nclass upon which employment decisions could be made.\r\n\r\nI agree with Rex that observations are anxiety-producing and a waste\r\nof time for all concerned. I do not believe that the observer can\r\nget a true picture of a teacher's skill and effectiveness from one\r\nvisit and I do not believe that observations make anyone a better\r\nteacher. Furthermore, as Rex pointed out, the whole process is\r\nusually a game in which the teacher needs to find out what that\r\nparticular observer wants or expects and then delivers it. As\r\nexample of the absurdity of some of this is several years ago when I\r\nwas teaching on two different campuses of the university, in two\r\ndifferent ESL programs. I was teaching the same level students, same\r\nskills, but on different campuses. The observers in the morning\r\nprogram were all of the belief that group work undermined the\r\nauthority and value of the teacher, and that explicit grammar\r\ninstruction was the best way to help students, no matter what skill\r\nyou were actually teaching. However, the afternoon program would not\r\nreappoint any teacher who did NOT use group work (for teaching the\r\nsame skills, same levels, as the morning program)! And - you guessed\r\nit - explicit grammar instruction was a sign that the teacher had\r\nserious retrograde attitudes that needed to be weeded out.\r\nNaturally, all the teachers taught the way they generally felt\r\ncomfortable with, but when an observer came - or when there was\r\nchance of word \"getting out\" of the classroom, everyone followed the\r\nparty line. It was such an incredibly stressful waste of time! The\r\nonly good thing about it was that it cast all the teacher into a\r\nsort of \"conspiratorial\"  mode which allowed us to be good and\r\nsupportive colleagues to each other and to share stories and much\r\nmerriment about these ridiculous teaching circumstances.\r\n\r\nSo, YES, I agree with Rex Alexander; and NO, I have never been\r\nhelped in my teaching by anything related to observations.\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer  City University of New York (USA)\r\nABTHC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Fri, 31 Jul 1998 19:07:51 EDT\r\nFrom:         Cynthia Sinsap \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nWhen I was in a position requiring me to observe new teachers and\r\nteacher applicants, I would also make a written observation similar\r\nto what you described, but I usually had a brief interview with the\r\nteacher before anyone saw the written version.  I would ask the\r\nteacher what they though were the most positive aspects of the\r\nlesson they had taught and what they would change or do differently\r\nif they could re-teach that lesson.  I would then add their comments\r\nto my written report and go over any additional comments I had [-4-]\r\nto make with them.  I think that giving the teachers a chance to\r\nreflect and comment on their own performance first makes it a more\r\npositive learning experience.\r\n\r\nCynthia Sinsap\r\nDidyasarin International School\r\nThailand\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Fri, 31 Jul 1998 19:17:43 EDT\r\nFrom:         Roy Kesey \r\nSubject:      teacher evaluations\r\n\r\nDear Colleagues,\r\n\r\nRex Alexander's response to teacher evaluations echoes precisely my\r\nown feelings as of two or three years ago.  I, too, felt them to be,\r\n\"'dog and pony shows' where I give the observer what s\/he wants so\r\nthat s\/he will go away as soon as possible and let me do my job.\"\r\nHowever, two things have since combined to change my opinion. The\r\nfirst and most radical was that I suddenly found myself on the other\r\nside of the classroom, suffering through evaluations as an evaluator\r\nrather than as a teacher.  Second and only slightly later, I took a\r\nCELTA course at English International in San Francisco. My\r\nexperience there speaks directly to Mr. Alexander's main point:  \"I\r\ndon't see how (teacher evaluations) could be helpful when decisions\r\nabout continued employment, salary, (etc.) are directly or\r\nindirectly based upon (them).\"  In the CELTA sessions, the only\r\npossible point of the evaluations was to help me improve as a\r\nteacher.  Once I understood that, the evaluations ceased to be, as\r\nMr. Alexander notes, \"an anxiety-producing waste of time.\"\r\n\r\nThe teacher evaluations I do now are as close in spirit and form as\r\nI can make them to the ones I experienced on the TEFL course. I made\r\nit blatantly clear to my teachers, (in staff meetings before the\r\nfirst round of evaluations, and in the post-evaluation feedback\r\nsessions,) that the only point to the evaluations was to help them\r\ndevelop as teachers.  This, I would hope, displaced some of the\r\npressure from the teachers' shoulders to my own, and put out the\r\nmessage that the only way an evaluation could reflect negatively on\r\nthe teacher was if s\/he showed no interest whatsoever in getting\r\nbetter.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, this type of evaluation consumes a lot quite of time--\r\nabout four hours per session per teacher for me, perhaps three hours\r\nper session from the teacher's perspective.  Each teacher gives me,\r\nin advance, a detailed lesson plan, (which includes a section in\r\nwhich they focus on what they hope to accomplish with each of the\r\nactivities they've chosen) as well as a lesson analysis, in which\r\nthey outline the lesson's central objectives, anticipate potential\r\nproblems, (language- based or otherwise), and provide solutions [-5-]\r\nto these problems.  After the evaluation, they fill out a self-\r\nevaluation, wherein they detail to what extent they feel they've\r\nachieved their lesson objectives, the central strengths and\r\nweaknesses of that day's lesson, and the means by which to improve\r\non the weaknesses they've mentioned.  We go through all of this, as\r\nwell as the observation sheet I've filled out, in the feedback\r\nsession the following day. A tremendous amount of work, this--but\r\ngiven the positive results I've seen over a very short period of\r\ntime, it's well worth it.  Most of my teachers now look forward to\r\ntheir observations... or so they tell me.\r\n\r\nBest regards,\r\nRoy Kesey - Universidad de Piura - Piura, Peru\r\nrkesey@UPIURA.UDEP.EDU.PE\r\n\r\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\r\n\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 02:09:08 EDT\r\nFrom:         Julie Hutchin \r\nSubject:      teacher observations\r\n\r\nThe most useful observations for me were the ones where I was doing\r\nthe observing.  I have found that peer observations can be quite\r\nuseful for getting ideas and seeing how other teachers teach.  When\r\nwe do them in my program, we make appointments to observe each\r\nother, and so far, no one has minded being observed by a peer.  As\r\nan administrator, I participate in these peer observations and no\r\none seems to feel nervous or pressured when I visit their classes.\r\nAnyone is welcome to observe my classes as well.  I always learn\r\nsomething, or am reminded of something I should be doing that I'm\r\nnot (or see something that I want to make sure I never do!).\r\n\r\nA question for those of you who feel very negative about being\r\nobserved\r\n--\r\nI also question the validity of the kind of observations you\r\ndescribe. But think of the situation from an administrator's point\r\nof view - the administrator is ultimately responsible for the\r\nquality of the program and unfortunately, not all teachers are good.\r\nWhat do you suggest that administrators do to check on the quality\r\nof instruction in their programs?\r\n\r\n\r\nJulie Hutchin      hutchton@HOTMAIL.COM\r\nPacific International Academy\r\nMarylhurst College\r\nMarylhurst OR USA\r\n\r\n================================================================ \r\n[-6-]\r\n\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 02:13:48 EDT\r\nFrom:         Tommy Mcdonell \r\n\r\nIn a message dated 7\/31\/98 8:04:28 PM, rkesey@UPIURA.UDEP.EDU.PE\r\nwrites:\r\n\r\n>The teacher evaluations I do now are as close in spirit and form\r\n>as I can make them to the ones I experienced on the TEFL course.\r\n>I made it blatantly clear to my teachers, (in staff meetings before\r\n>the first round of evaluations, and in the post-evaluation feedback\r\n>sessions,) that the only point to the evaluations was to help them\r\n>develop as teachers.\r\n\r\nThis is, exactly, what I feel is important. It helps to make both\r\nthe evaluator and the teacher a team to the benefit of the program\r\nand, ultimately, the students. If someone is a bad teacher, they\r\nwon't be bad on observation days, but it will come up in student\r\nevaluations. But to be a better teacher, the evaluator and the\r\nteacher can focus on different parts of the lesson or some part that\r\npeople want feedback on.\r\n\r\nTommy McDonell, Learning English Adult Program, Inc. NYC (USA)\r\nwomenintec@aol.com\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\n\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 02:16:58 EDT\r\nFrom:         Paul S & Joy E \r\nSubject:      Teacher Observation\/Evaluation\r\n\r\nRoy Kesey (31 July) wrote: \" I made it blatantly clear to my\r\nteachers, (in staff meetings before the first round of evaluations,\r\nand in the post evaluation feedback sessions) that the only point to\r\nthe evaluations was to help them develop as teachers.\"\r\n\r\nI believe the evaluation and feedback process outlined by Kesey can\r\nbe helpful and will probably alleviate many of the concerns raised\r\nby Rex Alexander (30 July) on the use of teacher evaluations in\r\ndecisions related to continued employment and salary.  However, once\r\nthe evaluation has been completed is it really possible to erect a\r\n'Chinese wall' around it and prevent this information from being\r\nused for other purposes?\r\n\r\nI ask this question not of Kesey's own situation but of the World in\r\ngeneral. If the evaluation is conducted by a teacher's supervisor or\r\nsomeone who reports to the supervisor then how can that evaluation\r\nbe forgotten if, say, it came to a contraction in staff numbers?\r\nDoes the supervisor toss a coin to see who is going to get the push\r\nrather than use his or her knowledge about the different qualities\r\nof teaching? Perhaps tossing a coin is the fairest way given the\r\nconflicting ideas about what forms quality teaching [see Anthea [-7-]\r\nTillyer's account (31 July) of her experiences]; but would most of\r\nus be happy at having our fate decided by chance in this way?\r\n\r\nMy own opinion is that teacher evaluations should be conducted  by\r\nan external consultant who has a contract with the teacher - not the\r\nemploying institution.  I doubt if this is really a practical\r\nproposition!\r\n\r\nPaul Stables\r\nHong Kong Shue Yan College\r\npsandje@netvigator.com\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 17:20:58 EDT\r\nFrom:         Sab Will \r\nSubject:      Re: teacher evaluations\r\n\r\nDear All,\r\n\r\nI agree to a great extent with what Anthea Tillyer said about many\r\nobservations being a complete joke just like in an interview where\r\nyou try to tell the interviewer what they want to hear.\r\n\r\nBut like Roy Kesey and Julie Hutchin, I feel that the phenomenal\r\nbenefits that can be gained from being observed in a sympathetic\r\nway, and indeed from observing others, are being overlooked.\r\n\r\nI have followed a certificate and a diploma course where observation\r\nwas one of the mainstays of the programme. We observed our tutors,\r\nother course members and even ourselves! We were observed by our\r\ntutors, other course members and of course finally by the assessors.\r\n\r\nOn a TEFL training course the emphasis is on improvement and mutual\r\nhelp and encouragement - the ideal situation. This is a world away\r\nfrom the stressful experience of being observed by an employer where\r\nyou have to teach on their terms whilst often knowing that you are\r\nfar more qualified to say what is a good lesson than they are!\r\n\r\nBut yes, employers need to make sure that standards are being\r\nmaintained or even improved. And teachers should observe and be\r\nobserved just for their own personal development and sharing of\r\nknowledge. The key is, as on a training course, that all the\r\nfeedback should be given in a positive way.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the best observers are other teachers, but in any case,\r\nemployers should invest the time to develop their staff, stressing\r\nthat an observation can only benefit everyone - the employer,\r\nbecause they will keep teachers motivated and increase trust and\r\nconfidence in the pedagogical back-up; teachers, who will benefit\r\nfrom positive feedback and be made aware of problem areas they [-8-]\r\nwere  ignorant of; and the students, who will receive a better level\r\nof instruction from motivated teachers.\r\n\r\nSab Will sab@teflfarm.com\r\nEnglish teacher, Paris, France\r\nWebmaster, The TEFL Farm\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 17:22:24 EDT\r\nFrom:         Rex Alexander \r\nSubject:      Re: teacher observations\r\n\r\nAt 02:09 AM 8\/1\/98 -0400, Julie Hutchin wrote: \"A question for those\r\nof you who feel very negative about being observed...the\r\nadministrator is ultimately responsible for the quality of the\r\nprogram and unfortunately, not all teachers are good.  What do you\r\nsuggest that administrators do to check on the quality of\r\ninstruction in their programs?\"\r\n\r\nHi Julie, all,\r\n\r\nTo clarify my earlier statements that I have never been helped by\r\nbeing observed.  I think that \"some\" brief and infrequent\r\nobservations *may* be justifiable in order for an administrator to\r\ninsure quality control in the program, and to keep somewhat abreast\r\nof what is happening in the classrooms.  However, I think it is\r\ncrazy-making to take the next step and claim that such observations\r\nare \"helpful\" to teachers.\r\n\r\nWhen I have observed teachers, I have kept the process as casual as\r\npossible, advising that during a certain week I might be dropping\r\ninto classes for awhile.  I only stay for 15-20 minutes. I don't\r\ntake copious notes.  I meet later with the teacher for only a few\r\nminutes remark on a few things I liked about what I saw.  All I am\r\nreally looking for in these observations are flagrant problems that\r\nmust be attended to.  As to all the little concerns, points of\r\ncorrection, comments on activities, methods, etc. that I have\r\ncollected during the observations, I save them for staff meetings\r\nand workshops.\r\n\r\nCheers,\r\n\r\nRex\r\n\r\nRex Alexander\r\nPattaya, Thailand\r\n\r\n\r\n================================================================ \r\n[-9-]\r\n\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 17:24:38 EDT\r\nFrom:         Marilyn Cahill \r\nSubject:      Teacher evaluations\r\n\r\nRe:  Question on Teacher Evaluations\r\n\r\nAll the viewpoints posted on the above got me thinking back.  I have\r\nto admit that whenever I knew I'd be evaluated, I tailor-made\r\nlessons for whatever expert was going to be observing me.  So I\r\nguess the evaluators never really got a true picture of what my\r\nday-to-day teaching was like.\r\n\r\nIn one of my first evaluations, the \"master teacher\" found only one\r\nthing to critique, and that was that I got two of the prescribed\r\ncomponents of the lesson out of order.  (In that training program\r\nthey required a series of  drills - discrimination, repetition,\r\nsubstitution, transformation, etc. - and I think I switched\r\nsubstitution and transformation.)  This was hardly helpful.\r\n\r\nI found, though, that helpful hints from successful, experienced\r\nteachers on things like classroom management, went a long way.\r\n\r\nI agree with Julie Hutchin that when *I'm* doing the observing, it's\r\nanother story.  So many new ideas piggyback off techniques I see\r\nothers using.  I find that occasional reciprocal peer observation is\r\nvery healthy, and very collaborative.  Everyone participating grows\r\nas a result.\r\n\r\nMarilyn Gorgas-Cahill\r\nmarilyncahill@juno.com\r\nLynguista Lang. Svc., Wharton, NJ\/USA\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 18:42:53 EDT\r\nFrom:         Bassam Khoury \r\n\r\nIn my experience, teacher observations have always been positive\r\nexperiences - but from reading other experiences related on the\r\nlist, I am sure this is only because of the observers and my\r\nparticular teaching situation.  I have always viewed observations as\r\nof great developmental value.  In fact, for new teachers straight\r\noff a certificate course such as the CTEFLA (now CELTA), they are,\r\nin my opinion, of paramount importance and in many institutions\r\nteachers don't get enough observation and support from management.\r\n\r\nAs I see it, the advantages of observations are (or can\/could be):\r\n- the opportunity for an outside view; I only ever see the class\r\n from my own viewpoint (and that is always biased!).\r\n- the sharing of ideas\r\n- the highlighting of potential weaknesses together with suggestions\r\n for possible ways to address them [-10-]\r\n- the opportunity to stop and take stock of what I am doing in my\r\n teaching, of what skill(s) am I currently developing, or could I\r\n be developing.\r\n- the opportunity to share concerns with a senior member of staff.\r\n- the opportunity to take advantage of someone else's experience.\r\n\r\nI believe that the primary reason for teacher observations should be\r\ndevelopmental.  I understand that management needs to monitor\r\nclassroom performance, but if sensitively and professionally\r\nundertaken, both measuring and developing could surely come out of\r\nany observation programme.\r\n\r\nMy institution is in the process of bringing in performance\r\nmanagement measures.  Teachers were consulted on which measures we\r\nwould agree to be assessed on, and out of five suggested measures,\r\nwe unanimously requested that we be judged primarily on observations\r\nas we felt, with some reservations, this to be the fairest measure\r\nof our performance as teachers.  However, we requested that\r\n\r\na) in light of the fact that all teachers occasionally give poorer\r\n  lessons for one reason or another, we be observed at least four\r\n  times during the year;\r\nb) since from our point of view the main reason for \"undergoing\"\r\n  observations was developmental, we should be observed by the same\r\n  person on all four occasions;\r\nc) if for any reason we felt uncomfortable being observed by one\r\n  particular member of the management team, we could request\r\n  another observer.\r\n\r\nBest wishes,\r\nSian Baldwin\r\nBeirut, Lebanon\r\nkhoury@null.net\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 18:29:21 EDT\r\nFrom:         Anthea Tillyer \r\nSubject:      What do observations do?\r\n\r\nLike Rex Alexander, I find it hard to accept the claim that\r\nobservations \"help\" the observed teacher! Frankly, I think that that\r\nis a rationalization of the wish of administrators to believe that\r\nobserving classes helps them to know whether their teachers are\r\ndoing the right thing and to justify union or other contractual\r\nrequirements.\r\n\r\nMy own position is that an evaluator\/observer can tell very little\r\nfrom an observation. One would have to have a special measuring\r\ndevice to see if what the teacher was teaching was actually causing\r\nlearning in the students. And, let's face it...the important thing\r\nis not exactly what the teacher does or says (groups or no [-11-]\r\ngroups, for example), but whether or not students are on the road to\r\nlearning as a result of being in that class.\r\n\r\nI honestly cannot see the point of observing TEACHING because it is\r\nLEARNING that is our goal. Teaching and learning do not necessarily\r\ngo hand in hand. Moreover, what a teacher is teaching - no matter\r\nhow well it is presented - may not actually be \"learned\" or\r\n\"acquired\" by the learners for quite a while after the class. So it\r\nis impossible to know exactly how much learning is going on as a\r\nresult of which kind of input and from which teacher.\r\n\r\nI believe that administrators can drop in to judge the atmosphere in\r\nthe class, whether the students are involved, and whether the\r\nteacher is at least decently deploying him or herself. Beyond that,\r\nasking teachers about what they are doing, asking students what and\r\nhow they are doing, and assuming that all is well will assure a\r\nprogram culture that encourages students to learn and teachers to\r\nteach and try new things.\r\n\r\nI think that administrators can learn more about whether the\r\nprogram's goals are being met by observing STUDENTS than by\r\nobserving teachers. And I do mean OBSERVING students, not\r\nnecessarily asking them directly.\r\n\r\nIn the end, successful teaching cannot take place without students\r\nwho want to learn. The methods and attitudes of the students are\r\njust as important as the methods and attitudes of their teachers.\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer  City University of New York (USA)\r\nABTHC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 18:56:57 EDT\r\nFrom:         Bassam Khoury \r\nSubject:      Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nOn the subject of teacher observations, Debbie Turner writes:\r\n>any suggestions of things that work for you - either\r\n>and an observer or one being observed?\r\n\r\nWhile observing teachers as part of a Teacher Development programme\r\nin an adult language school, I followed pretty much the same format\r\nthat Debbie outlined in her posting.  One thing we did bring in,\r\nthough, which I feel is worth trying, is an \"informal\" observation\r\nwhich precedes the \"formal\" observation.  The observer meets with\r\nthe teacher beforehand for a brief discussion on the class, any\r\nproblems (with teaching in general or with this class), and what the\r\nlesson should achieve.  The observer then sits in for a short time\r\n(perhaps half an hour) just to get a general feel of the class and\r\nthe teacher's teaching style.  This also gives the students the\r\nchance to get used to the observer.  A second meeting with the [-12-]\r\nteacher follows; this could be more lengthy.  Possible areas to\r\nfocus on may be suggested by the teacher or observer, and agreed on\r\nby both, and a lesson plan should be submitted.  Then the same class\r\nis observed, but this time for a slightly longer period of time, and\r\nthis class is written up and followed by oral and written feedback.\r\n\r\nAs a teacher being observed, I've also tried (as another list member\r\nsuggested) videoing myself, then going through the video first on my\r\nown, then with an observer.  This has the added advantage of\r\nallowing me to see myself from a different vantage point - good for\r\nworking on aspects of classroom management.\r\n\r\nI also feel that it is helpful to encourage the teacher to think\r\nabout their own performance before the observer comments on it, and\r\nthat they be allowed to give their feelings before observer feedback\r\nis given.  They could perhaps be given a form to complete before the\r\npost-observation meeting takes place.  This is useful from a\r\ndevelopmental point of view, and could also be useful for the\r\nobserver in their role as assessor to see how a teacher reacts to a\r\nlesson - whether they are able to identify strengths and weaknesses\r\nand suggest ways to work on weaknesses which may have showed up in\r\nthe lesson.  It also ensures the teacher has the opportunity to put\r\nforward their side.\r\n\r\nBest wishes,\r\nSian Baldwin\r\nBeirut, Lebanon\r\nkhoury@null.net\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sat, 1 Aug 1998 22:41:18 EDT\r\nFrom:         Melinda Gleeson \r\nSubject:      teacher evaluations\r\n\r\nRoy Kesey is in favour of evaluations when the purpose is clearly to\r\nhelp the teachers develop their skills.\r\n\r\n I made it blatantly clear to my teachers, (in staff meetings\r\nbefore the first round of evaluations, and in the post-evaluation\r\nfeedback sessions,) that the only point to the evaluations was to\r\nhelp them develop as teachers. \r\n\r\nFor me this brings with it the problem of 'who are you to be judging\r\nothers?' What equips the observer with the skills, knowledge or\r\nwhatever to be in the evaluator's position? Sure when someone is a\r\nbeginning teacher they can learn from this situation. But later when\r\none has been teaching for a number of years, a lot may boil down to\r\ndifferences of opinion.\r\n\r\nIf I were to be observed by another, even if their clearly stated\r\nintention was 'to help me improve as a teacher', I wouldn't see [-13-]\r\nany value in it unless I already had a particular respect for the\r\nevaluator's skills and saw the evaluator as being clearly in a\r\nposition to contribute.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand I would be quite happy to be observed in a\r\nsituation where teachers were involved in observing each other and\r\ndiscussing methodology and 'magic' or 'missed' moments in the\r\nclassroom. This would be a two way exchange with both the observer\r\nand the observed in a position to learn.\r\n\r\nIf the observation is in the spirit of 'we're all here to learn\r\ntogether', it could well be useful. But if the spirit is, 'I'm the\r\nexpert willing to impart my wisdom to you' - then the utility as a\r\ntool to aid a teacher's development is limited.\r\n\r\nMelinda Gleeson\r\nozesl@powerup.com.au\r\nBrisbane Australia\r\nhttp:\/\/www.powerup.com.au\/~ozesl\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:11:13 EDT\r\nFrom:         \"Cipaku, Bandung\" \r\nSubject:      Re: What do observations do?\r\n\r\ndear teslers,\r\n\r\nI've been following the discussion on this subject with much\r\ninterest, although I've never been observed  'purposely and\r\nofficially' as a teacher (once again I should stress that I am not\r\nan English teacher; I'm your student in this list).\r\n\r\n      From all that have been stated by various teslers, what\r\nAnthea wrote (01\/08), IMHO and in my point of view as a student, is\r\nthe 'most' important:\r\n\r\n>I honestly cannot see the point of observing TEACHING because it is\r\n>LEARNING that is our goal.  administrators can learn more\r\n>about whether the program's goals are being met by observing\r\n>STUDENTS than by observing teachers. \r\n>In the end, successful teaching cannot take place without students\r\n>who want to learn. The methods and attitudes of the students are\r\n>just as important as the methods and attitudes of their teachers.\r\n\r\nI've often been asked to train young editors or authors (mostly high\r\nschool teachers who write books). I teach them how to present their\r\nideas in written form, especially from editor's point of view. At\r\nthe end of each class, I asked the trainees to fill in a short\r\nquestionnaire form. I've provided several questions regarding the\r\nmaterials, the way I behave in class (was I too serious), the way I\r\nteach (did I speak too slow or too fast), which part of the lessons\r\n[-14-] is considered not clear, which part they like the most, etc. I\r\nalso asked them to give me some criticism or suggestions as how I could\r\nimprove my teaching for the next training.\r\n\r\nSo, as Anthea said, it's what the students' opinion of the teacher\r\nthat is most important; their input should be considered seriously\r\nand serves as the best feedback to improve the way they teach. Sure,\r\nthe administrators or observers can judge the teachers and tell them\r\nhow or which part of the lesson should be changed or perfected, but\r\nin the end it's still the students' appreciation that really counts.\r\n\r\nmy two cents of opinion,\r\n\r\n\r\nsofia mansoor-niksolihin (ms)\r\nchief editor, itb press, bandung, indonesia\r\nsofia@melsa.net.id\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:12:21 EDT\r\nFrom:         Sab Will \r\nSubject:      Teacher evaluation sheets\r\n\r\nDear All\r\nOne way of making observations more useful - and this is principally\r\nfor teachers who want to mutually benefit from observing each other\r\n- is to concentrate on _one_ aspect only.\r\n\r\nYou could decide, for example, that for one hour you were going to\r\nconcentrate on interaction patterns (how much teacher-talking time,\r\nstudent talking time, pair work, group work, etc). Or perhaps the\r\nteacher's effectiveness when presenting a new language item to a low\r\nlevel class.\r\n\r\nOther areas which could be concentrated on: Correction; student\r\npractice; using the board; use of audio\/visual aids; organisation of\r\ngroup work; teacher language; overall lesson structure; practising\r\nnew language; variety; language content;\r\n\r\n*Example Observation Sheet* (reduced coz too long): Practising new\r\nlanguage;\r\n1. Note down the times for the different practice activities used:\r\n  mechanical drills; meaningful drills; information\/opinion gap;\r\n  role play; humanistic activity; game; written exercise; other\r\n  (please specify).\r\n2. Was there a progression from more mechanical to freer practice\r\n  activities? If so, how was this achieved?\r\n3. (How) did the teacher know that it was time to change activities?\r\n4. Did all students participate?\r\n5. Was there enough practice? Why do you think so?\r\n6. How were errors  dealt with? Was this appropriate? [-15-]\r\n\r\n*Follow-up*:\r\n1. How could this part of the lesson have been improved?\r\n2. What have you learnt about your own teaching? (the observer's!)\r\n3. How can you improve it as a result?\r\n4. Set 2 or 3 short-term goals to achieve these improvements.\r\n\r\nThere has to be a lot of trust between the observer and the observed\r\nand the understanding that _everyone_ learns from the exercise. The\r\nideal situation is where the exercise is reciprocated and the two\r\nteachers are at an equal level in the organisation and have a\r\nsimilar relationship with their superiors so there is less\r\ncompetition and no worries about being _judged_ in some negative\r\nway.\r\n\r\nI have detailed observation sheets for all of the above points if\r\ninterested. Please contact me off-list.\r\n\r\nSab Will sab@teflfarm.com\r\nEnglish teacher, Paris, France\r\nWebmaster, The TEFL Farm\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:15:39 EDT\r\nFrom:         Tony Duffy \r\nSubject:      Re. teacher observation\r\n\r\nDear All but especially Rex and Anthea,\r\n\r\nI know one person's experience doesn't prove very much either way\r\nbut I felt I had to offer a more positive comment on the role of\r\nteacher observation than has been the case so far (with the\r\nexception of Roy's letter today). I have been observed both as a\r\ntrainee teacher in the state educational system and as a teacher\r\nwhilst working for an international ELT organisation. In both cases,\r\nand this is the essential issue I think, the observation was carried\r\nout by someone who was also a practising teacher, but with\r\nconsiderably more experience than I had at that time. The whole\r\npoint of the exercise was to help *me* to improve on my own\r\nclassroom skills. The feedback I was given focused on the positive\r\naspects of what I was doing as well as providing the basis for\r\nconstructive discussion of any 'problem' areas. What is more, the\r\nobservers changed various initial assumptions they had made after\r\nhearing from me about certain aspects of the dynamics\/personal\r\ncircumstances of the specific teaching situation they had not been\r\nable to pick up on through observation alone.\r\n\r\nSo, I would say that Rex and Anthea had the misfortune to be\r\n'observed' by people who seem to have been neither competent nor\r\nconstructive in their roles. Sympathetic observation, whether by\r\npeers, 'superiors' or outside 'experts' can be of enormous value in\r\nhelping individual teachers gain a much fuller understanding of\r\ntheir own potential as effective classroom practitioners. And of\r\n[-16-] course, bad observation just shouldn't exist, but it's a\r\ntough old world!\r\n\r\nRegards,\r\n\r\nTony Duffy    University of Deusto, San Sebastian,  The Basque\r\nCountry\r\ne-mail        kduffk@nexo.es\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sun, 2 Aug 1998 14:33:40 EDT\r\nFrom:         \"Judith M. Anderson\" \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher Observation\r\n\r\nI'm not a great fan of being observed, so this may affect my opinion\r\nof the whole process.  However, once when I was in an administrative\r\nposition and was required to observe teachers, I had the experience\r\nof observing one individual who was dynamite--she put a lot of\r\nenergy into the process, engaged the students, etc.-- when she was\r\nbeing watched. But as soon as she wasn't, she reverted to a pattern\r\nof \"presenting the lesson\" during the first 10-15 minutes of the\r\nclass (too bad for anyone who was late) and then sitting and reading\r\na novel while the students worked on an assignment.  She didn't even\r\ncirculate to help them with their work or find out where they were\r\nhaving problems.  It was impossible to observe her doing this,\r\nbecause the minute anybody showed up in class, for whatever reason\r\n(I don't believe in surprise observations, but from time to time I\r\nhad to interrupt the class for an announcement or some other reason,\r\nso I figured out what was going on) she would pop up and start her\r\n\"observation routine.\"  Unfortunately, student evaluations weren't\r\nvery useful in this regard--they would complain about other aspects\r\nof her class, but not this.\r\n\r\nThis teacher used to brag about how quickly she could do her class\r\nprep, in comparison to the other teachers in the program.  No\r\nwonder!  I guess my point is that observations often aren't accurate\r\nreflections of what's really going on in the classroom.\r\n\r\nJudy Anderson\r\nUniv. of Maryland College Park, MD, USA\r\nsonderjan@juno.com\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\n\r\nDate:         Mon, 3 Aug 1998 17:36:27 EDT\r\nFrom:         Jim Scofield \r\nOrganization: ELS Language Centers\r\n\r\nFortunately, I *have* received valuable feedback from observations.\r\nI think the main factors for success are who is observing (and have\r\nthey been trained) and what the goal of observing is. There are two\r\nmajor goals. These are teacher development and teacher evaluation. I \r\n[-17-] believe these goals are in conflict and that is one of the main\r\nreasons observations often don't work. In most cases, the person\r\nthat is responsible for teacher development and evaluation is the\r\nsame person. This creates the conflict. For evaluation you want to\r\nshow your best stuff. For development you want to try out new\r\nthings, ask questions, and generally show some weaknesses that you\r\nwant to improve.\r\n\r\nObserving is a difficult process that requires training (and tact!).\r\nMost of us have learned how to do it through trial and error. If\r\nyou've never been taught how to observe, why would you expect it to\r\ngo well?\r\n\r\nJim Scofield\r\njscofield@els.com\r\nSan Diego, CA USA\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Mon, 3 Aug 1998 17:44:17 EDT\r\nFrom:         Molly Farquharson \r\nSubject:      Observations\r\n\r\nOne of the underlying threads to the discussion about observations\r\nseems to be that they are also evaluations.  Of course the observer\r\nis making judgements, but I think there needs to be a separation of\r\nthe two processes. I feel I am fortunate to be in a position of\r\nbeing able to observe teachers, and I encourage the teachers in our\r\nschool to observe each other if they have time.\r\n\r\nWhen I observe teachers, I write down things like the seating\r\npattern, the gender make-up of the class, maybe how the teacher is\r\ndressed, and then write what the teacher does with the students\r\n(lesson presentation, p. X, Ex. a, such and such activity) and the\r\nlength of time it takes.  I make a critique in my notes as I go\r\n(what I think is good, what I think could be improved and how).  I\r\nwrite it all up as a narrative and discuss it later with the\r\nteacher.\r\n\r\nTeachers are always nervous about being observed.  Having another\r\nperson in the class, no matter who it is, changes the dynamics of\r\nthe class.  In addition, many teachers feel that the classroom is\r\ntheir territory, and it is kind of private.  The students observe\r\nthe teacher every day, but their critique is different from a\r\ncolleague's.  I agree with the various posters who acknowledge the\r\ninput from the students.  Bottom line is (I think, anyway) we are\r\nwatching the teacher teach, and if we are really lucky we will see\r\nthat little light that comes on to show that a student has learned\r\nsomething.  Having a respected and respectful colleague observe a\r\nclass and give feedback is a kind of professional development that\r\nis very helpful and necessary for the growth of teachers.  We may\r\nfear it, but if we take the suggestions into serious consideration \r\n[-18-] we only become better teachers. Certainly as an observer I \r\nlearn from the teachers, so I too develop professionally.\r\n\r\nYours, ever learning!\r\nmolly farquharson \r\nEnglish Time, Istanbul, Turkey\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Tue, 4 Aug 1998 15:55:30 EDT\r\nFrom:         \"Susan L. Schwartz\" \r\nSubject:      Teacher observations\r\n\r\nTwo resources which deal with teacher observations are:\r\n1)  _Classroom Observation Tasks_, by Ruth Wajnryb.  The book\r\ncontains a multitude of activities for people to do when observing\r\nother teachers; many of the tasks focus on one aspect of teaching at\r\na time rather than looking at the overall lesson.\r\n2)  In _New Ways in Teacher Education_, edited by Donald Freeman and\r\nSteve Cornwell, there is an article by Alvino Fantini about teacher\r\nassessment in which he describes the \"YOGA Form\" (Your Objectives,\r\nGuidelines, and Assessment).  This was used by my supervisor when I\r\ndid my student teaching and later I used it when I was observing\r\nteachers in China.  There are sections dealing with: interpersonal\r\nrelations, cultural\/intercultural knowledge, language\/linguistic\r\nknowledge, language acquisition and learning, language teaching\r\n(several categories included), professionalism, and synthesis and\r\nrecommendations.\r\n\r\nWhen I observed a teacher, in China and in the US, I afterwards\r\nspent between 60-90 minutes discussing what had happened in the\r\nclassroom. First I wanted to hear how the teacher evaluated the\r\nclass that I had observed.  I asked how s\/he felt about the lesson,\r\nwhat went well and what went not so well; finally I asked what s\/he\r\nwould change if doing that same lesson again.  Then I offered my\r\ncomments, based on the copious notes I had taken while I was in the\r\nclassroom.  I tried to get the teacher to look at what s\/he had done\r\nand, if something hadn't worked well (sometimes they already knew\r\nand sometimes it was my opinion that something hadn't) see if there\r\nwere other ways of achieving a better result.  I always asked the\r\nteacher to think of at least one alternative to what had actually\r\nbeen done, and often I'd hear something I hadn't thought of myself.\r\nThat's why I never offered my ideas before hearing what the teacher\r\nhad to say.  I also looked for things to praise; I wanted teachers\r\nto feel that, even if they thought their teaching hadn't gone well,\r\nstill there were things that were good about the lesson and they\r\nneeded to be acknowledged as well.  Although it was very time-\r\nconsuming and most teachers were stunned when I told them how long\r\nthe feedback session would take, almost all of them appreciated it\r\nafter we had finished. [-19-]\r\n\r\nI think it's vital that an observer observe a teacher more than\r\nonce, and preferably more than two times before making any kind of\r\nevaluation of that person's teaching skills.  Nervousness will still\r\nplay a part but the more often the observer is in the classroom the\r\nmore comfortable the teacher and the students will feel.\r\n\r\nAlso, I think that anyone who observes teachers for the purpose of\r\nevaluation for continued employment or promotion or whatever, must\r\nbe a teacher, too, who has a thorough understanding of the subject\r\nmatter being taught.  And any administrator who observes teachers\r\nshould also teach periodically and be observed by the teachers s\/he\r\nsupervises.\r\n\r\nI am enjoying this discussion about teacher observations very much!\r\n\r\nSusan L. Schwartz\r\nNewton, MA, USA\r\nslschwartz@earthlink.net\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Tue, 4 Aug 1998 17:22:11 EDT\r\nFrom:         Rex Alexander \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher observations\r\n\r\nSusan L. Schwartz wrote regarding teacher observations: \"...Although\r\nit was very time-consuming and most teachers were stunned when I\r\ntold them how long the feedback session would take, almost all of\r\nthem appreciated it after we had finished.\"\r\n\r\nHi Susan, all,\r\n\r\nI wonder on what basis Ms. Schwartz, and others who have made\r\nsimilar statements, arrive at the conclusion that teachers\r\nappreciate being observed?  I wouldn't know, of course, but it is\r\nquite possible that teachers in such a situation are merely going\r\nalong with a process that they feel trapped in, \"playing the game\",\r\nand then offering socially acceptable feedback at the conclusion.\r\n\r\nAn anonymous, blind survey exploring teacher attitudes toward\r\nobservation might potentially reveal some interesting and\r\nunsuspected information.\r\n\r\nCheers,\r\n\r\nRex\r\n\r\nRex Alexander\r\nPattaya, Thailand\r\n\r\n\r\n================================================================ \r\n[-20-]\r\n\r\nDate:         Tue, 4 Aug 1998 18:33:47 EDT\r\nFrom:         Anthea Tillyer \r\nSubject:      Re: Teacher observations\r\n\r\nOn Tue, 4 Aug 1998 17:22:11 EDT Rex Alexander said:\r\n\r\n>I wouldn't know, of course, but it is quite possible that teachers\r\n>o (being bserved) in such a situation are merely going along with a\r\n>process that they feel trapped in, \"playing the game\", and then\r\n>offering socially acceptable feedback at the conclusion.\r\n\r\nOnce again I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with Rex Alexander!\r\nApart from really new teachers in situations that in NO WAY involve\r\ndecisions related to hiring and rehiring, I honestly believe that no\r\nteacher really appreciates the process. Several netters have claimed\r\nthat their observations and feedback have been appreciated by the\r\nteachers concerned, but I find that hard to believe.\r\n\r\nI too think that many teachers feel trapped in a situation that they\r\ncan't change or prevent and must go along with. And all the more so\r\nwhen a teacher has years of experience and good results in the\r\nclassroom. There is very little to persuade such a teacher that the\r\nobservation is all for the teacher's good!\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer  City University of New York (USA)\r\nABTHC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Wed, 5 Aug 1998 07:03:23 EDT\r\nFrom:         CHIA KENG BOON \r\nSubject:      Teacher Observations\r\n\r\nGreetings.\r\n\r\nI was observed only once during my 15 years of teaching and the\r\nexperience was a pleasant one.  Several factors could account for\r\nit.  I was a \"fresh teacher\" and the observer was a senior member of\r\nthe Federal Inspectorate.  I had no choice about the matter.\r\nSecondly, it was perhaps the way he did it.  During the first\r\nlesson, he observed me and gave me feedback after that.  He proposed\r\nanother way of teaching the same items.  Then he suggested that he\r\ntaught the next class those items and that I observed him.  The\r\ndiscussion after that was really useful.  He accepted my comments\r\nabout his lesson.  I realised then that there were always other ways\r\nof approaching a topic and there is a need to build up a repertoire\r\nand then choose the most appropriate for the moment.\r\n\r\nObserving teachers is part of my job now and I approach it with\r\ngreat reluctance and caution.  The nervousness and apprehension\r\nteachers have before the lesson make it a generally stressful [-21-]\r\nexperience.  I believe that a series of discussions and informal\r\nchats will be more developmental.\r\n\r\nChia Keng Boon, Ph.D.,\r\nNegeri Sembilan State Education Department,\r\nMalaysia.\r\ne-mail: chia@ns.edu.gov.my\r\nckboon@pc.jaring.my\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Wed, 5 Aug 1998 11:45:35 EDT\r\nFrom:         Jim Scofield \r\nSubject:      Teacher Observations\r\n\r\nLearning about one's teaching is the most laudatory goal of\r\nobservations. I have heard, and I believe my teachers are being\r\ntruthful, that some observations have been very helpful. It doesn't\r\nmean they always like it, and some observations are not helpful, I\r\nam sure. However, I don't believe it is accurate to condemn all\r\nobservations based on one's personal experiences.\r\n\r\nIn playing a sport, such as tennis or golf, observation and guidance\r\nby a coach is essential not only in learning the game, but in\r\nmaintaining one's level of play. In principle, I believe,\r\nobservations have the potential to be extremely useful. Peer\r\nobservations (a la Joyce & Showers) have the observer learning from\r\nthe teacher being observed. This type of observation removes the\r\nevaluation aspect from the process, and is probably more effective.\r\nHowever, a good coach can teach you a lot, even if you are already a\r\nprofessional. All too often, unfortunately, coaches yell a lot and\r\nnobody profits.\r\n\r\nJim Scofield\r\nSan Diego, CA USA\r\njscofield@els.com\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Wed, 5 Aug 1998 19:07:37 EDT\r\nFrom:         Kara Rosenberg \r\nSubject:      Observation\r\n\r\nI am surprised by the cynicism with which teachers view observation.\r\nI believe that a dose of observation as Susan Schwartz described it\r\ncould not help but be beneficial to any teacher. Susan described a\r\nprocess wherein she spent 60-90 minutes discussing an observation\r\nwith a teacher, eliciting the teacher's opinions about how the\r\nlesson went and ways it could be improved. I think this helps the\r\nteacher develop the ability to be analytical about teaching and to\r\nconstantly improve. I go through a similar process known as\r\ncognitive coaching with my staff. (E-mail me for references if you\r\n[-22-] are interested.) Saying that teachers do not need to be\r\nobserved is akin to saying that learning doesn't need to be \r\nevaluated.\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer says:\r\n>Several netters have claimed that their\r\n>observations and feedback have been appreciated by the teachers\r\n>concerned, but I find that hard to believe.\r\n\r\nAs evidence of the appreciation with which teachers might greet\r\nSusan's process, I offer a recent experience wherein a summer school\r\nteacher I observed left the feedback session quite happy and\r\nreturned an hour later with a bouquet and the comment that the high\r\nschool where she had worked all year hadn't spent nearly as much\r\ntime with her as had I.\r\n\r\nI have also had the opposite reaction from an experienced teacher\r\nwho was clearly offended by my asking her, a mere substitute to\r\nanalyze her lesson. She told me that she was a wonderful teacher and\r\ndidn't need to offer any evidence that her students had learned what\r\nshe taught.\r\n\r\nKara Rosenberg \r\nPalo Alto Adult School\r\nPalo Alto, CA, USA\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 6 Aug 1998 07:27:07 EDT\r\nFrom:         Ken Ikeda \r\nSubject:      Observation\r\n\r\nRex Alexander wrote:\r\n\r\n>I wouldn't know, of course, but it is quite possible that\r\n>teachers in such a situation are merely going along with a process\r\n>that they feel trapped in, \"playing the game\", and then offering\r\n>socially acceptable feedback at the conclusion.\r\n\r\nI still hold to the notion \"observation is beneficial\", but it does\r\nseem that post-observation discussions do trap the supervisor and\r\nthe observed teacher into a certain conversational style. One\r\nconsistent feature in this style is a conversational pull to\r\nidentification of problems linked with the performance of the\r\nteacher, no matter how the supervisor initially comments on the\r\nlesson.\r\n\r\nPeer teacher observation appears to be more \"equal\", but I think\r\nthese conversations would also follow the same pattern, because\r\nregardless whether the conversation is supervisory or peered,\r\nteachers try to justify to themselves and to others in the\r\nprofession that they all belong to the same community, and the way\r\nwe do that is by trouble-shooting. But what gets lost in these [-23-]\r\nconversations, which ostensibly aim to improve teaching, is the\r\nsearch for multiple perspectives and causes for each and any\r\noccurrence in lessons.\r\n\r\nKen Ikeda \r\nNagano, Japan\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 6 Aug 1998 07:30:32 EDT\r\nFrom:         \"Susan L. Schwartz\" \r\nSubject:      Re teacher observations\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer wrote, \"Apart from really new teachers in situations\r\nthat in NO WAY involve decisions related to hiring and rehiring, I\r\nhonestly believe that no teacher really appreciates the process.\"\r\n\r\nAs one who wrote that I believed that the teachers I observed\r\nappreciated my feedback, I would like to expand on my comments in my\r\nprevious post.\r\n\r\nThe teachers I observed in China were participating in a 9-month\r\nin-service program emphasizing communicative and student-centered\r\napproaches, which was all very new to them.  Part of the program was\r\nfor each teacher to do a teaching practicum.  Each teacher was\r\nobserved by me or one of my colleagues two times.  These\r\nobservations had absolutely no bearing on hiring or rehiring\r\ndecisions.  The purpose of the practicum was to give the trainees\r\nthe chance to try out new techniques learned in classes to see how\r\nthey worked in practice.\r\n\r\nI know that most of the teachers appreciated the observations\r\nbecause:\r\n\r\n1)  They said so.  In the course of the feedback sessions, there was\r\nample opportunity for dialoguing and I could tell when one of my\r\ncomments hit home or when a teacher had an insight into her\/his\r\nteaching.  I do not think they said something  just to please me--\r\nthere were plenty of times when people disagreed with me about\r\nteaching or other matters.\r\n\r\n2)  Comments on anonymously-written evaluations of the practicum\r\nwere unanimously positive.  Of one group of 26 trainees, all 22 who\r\nreturned the questionnaire said the feedback sessions--which were a\r\nresult of the observations--were beneficial.  Of the other group of\r\n26 trainees, all 25 who returned the form wrote that the feedback\r\nsessions were very useful or useful.  (I don't remember why the\r\nothers didn't return their forms, but I doubt that it was because\r\nthey had something negative to say.)\r\n\r\nWhen I observed teachers in the US, we all knew that hiring\/rehiring\r\ndecisions would take into account my observations.  However, I [-24-]\r\nsaid that the first time I observed someone, the purpose was for the\r\nteacher to get used to me in the classroom and to become familiar\r\nwith the process.  I tried to make it clear that my feedback based\r\non my observations was meant to be supportive and helpful for\r\nfurther developing their teaching skills.  (Most of the teachers had\r\nvery little, if any, formal training in TESL; most had less than\r\nthree years teaching experience; and none had taught at that school\r\nfor more than 8 months.)  Consequently, when they said they found\r\nthe feedback helpful, I believed them.  That's not to say they\r\nagreed with everything, but that the process was useful. I left that\r\nposition before doing the other observations, though; maybe the\r\nreaction would have been different then, but I still maintain that\r\nmost teachers at that school found my observations helpful.\r\n\r\nSusan L. Schwartz\r\nNewton, MA, USA\r\nslschwartz@earthlink.net\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 6 Aug 1998 14:55:45 EDT\r\nFrom:         Anthea Tillyer \r\nSubject:      Different observation standards?\r\n\r\nSomething that has not been noted in this discussion of teacher\r\nobservations is the issue of full-time teachers and part-time\r\nteachers. The issue of F\/T-P\/T permeates almost any discussion of\r\nour field, and it is a pivotal point in evaluating teachers.\r\n\r\nI do not believe that part-time teachers, who suffer from job\r\ninsecurity, poor pay, and no benefits, should be subjected to the\r\nrigorous observation schedule and standards that full-time teachers\r\nare. After all, if an institution does not value its teachers enough\r\nto treat them properly, what right does the institution have to\r\nfurther subject them to stresses like observations? Observations are\r\nmore stressful for part-timers than for full-timers simply BECAUSE\r\ntheir situations are so tenuous and insecure. Claims that teachers\r\n\"appreciate\" the feedback on their teaching might possibly be true\r\nfor full-time teachers, but I very much doubt that any part-time\r\nteacher appreciates anything that adds even a slight sense of\r\nadditional insecurity to their lives as teachers and as human\r\nbeings.\r\n\r\nEvery part-time teacher I know is dedicated and wants to do the best\r\npossible job, and many of them are more successful in the classroom\r\nthan some of their full-time colleagues are. But, if the institution\r\nthat they work for does not think enough of them to give them \"real\"\r\njobs with \"real\" benefits, why should anyone expect the part-timers\r\nto perform to the same standards as full-timers? That part-time\r\nteachers almost always try to reach the highest standards possible\r\nis no reason for supporting holding them to those standards without\r\nsuitable compensation. [-25-]\r\n\r\nIn a recent official report about the use and abuse of part-time\r\nfaculty in the USA, it was noted that many part time teachers are\r\nabsolutely EXCELLENT teachers and most really love teaching....they\r\nhave to love it because there are no other advantages to their\r\nsituation. The report noted that it cannot always be assumed that\r\nfull-time faculty love teaching...for some, a few, it is a cushy\r\njob.\r\n\r\nBy the way, this report (a statement that came out of a September\r\n1997 conference on the Growing Use of Part-Time and Adjunct Faculty\r\nin U.S. colleges and universities) is available from the TESL-L\r\narchives. To get it, send email to LISTSERV@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU\r\n\r\nAs the text of the message, type\r\n  GET PARTTIME FACULTY TESL-L\r\n\r\nWhile ordering that file, you might be interested in adding a line\r\nto the message, like this:  GET PEER OBSERV TESL-L\r\nThis command will get you another file....about peer observations.\r\n\r\nAnthea Tillyer  City University of New York (USA)\r\nABTHC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Thu, 6 Aug 1998 17:20:04 EDT\r\nFrom:         Bruce Rindler \r\nSubject:      Re: teacher observations\r\n\r\nIn response to the comments made recently by Rex Alexander who\r\nwrote:\r\n>An anonymous, blind survey exploring teacher attitudes toward\r\n>observation might potentially reveal some interesting and\r\n>unsuspected information.\r\n\r\nAnd to Anthea who wrote:\r\n>...I honestly believe that no teacher really appreciates the\r\n>process. Several netters have claimed that their observations and\r\n>feedback have been appreciated  by the teachers concerned, but I\r\n>find that hard to believe.\r\n\r\nI was skeptical myself until I did some research.  I would like to\r\nshare a snapshot of a study I completed a few years ago on teachers'\r\nperceptions of the value of teacher evaluation on their development\r\nas teachers.  The research was conducted by sending questionnaires\r\nto 435 full-time faculty members at intensive English programs\r\naround the country.  The teachers were asked to rate the different\r\nattributes of their evaluation experiences for the impact on their\r\ndevelopment as teachers.  The attributes included the techniques\r\nused, the person conducting the evaluation, the environment, the\r\nfeedback provided and attributes of the teacher being evaluated. \r\n[-26-]\r\n\r\nTeachers also were asked to comment on their experiences in open-\r\nended questions.\r\n\r\nThe results of this research indicated that the technique used in\r\nteacher evaluation, whether it be student evaluations, peer\r\nevaluations, portfolio assessment, self-evaluations meetings with\r\nsupervisors or classroom observations, was not the determining\r\nfactor in the teachers' satisfaction with the process.  In fact,\r\nteachers reported a range of experiences with each of those\r\ntechniques.\r\n\r\nIn the case of classroom observations, what determined the value for\r\nteachers centered mainly on 2 items: Feedback and the Evaluator.  In\r\nsituations where the feedback the teacher received was characterized\r\nby the depth of the information, the quality of the ideas, the\r\namount of the feedback and the specificity of the information, the\r\nteachers reported that they valued the process and that evaluation\r\nhad a positive impact on their growth as teachers.  The second\r\nfactor was who evaluated.  Evaluators who provided positive\r\nclassroom observation experiences for teachers were characterised\r\nas: credible, trusted, knowledgeable, persuasive, having useful\r\nsuggestions and having the capacity to model.\r\n\r\nI very much appreciated the comments of Susan Schwartz and other\r\nadministrators who I feel correctly perceived that at least SOME\r\nteachers found value in classroom observations.  I undertook this\r\nresearch because I too had doubts about the efficacy of different\r\nevaluation techniques.  The questionnaire results along with the\r\ndata I gathered from interviewing teachers and collecting many\r\nwritten anecdotes convinced me that it was how, when, why, and by\r\nwhom observations were done that made the difference.\r\n\r\nRegards,\r\nBruce Rindler\r\n*            *           *          *            *            *\r\n     *\r\nBruce Rindler, Associate Director, CELOP, Boston University\r\nE-Mail: brindler@bu.edu     Voice: 617-353-4870  web:\r\nhttp:\/\/web.bu.edu\/CELOP\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\n\r\nDate:         Fri, 7 Aug 1998 14:50:57 EDT\r\nFrom:         Kara Rosenberg \r\nSubject:      Observation\r\n\r\nKen Ikeda points out an observation problem, the\r\n> pull to identification of problems linked with the performance\r\n>of the teacher, no matter how the supervisor initially\r\n>comments on the lesson. [-27-]\r\n\r\nI appreciate this problem. It is a hard role to step out of. One of\r\nthe things I like about cognitive coaching is the time spent before\r\nthe observation, coach and teacher discussing together the proposed\r\nlesson. Issues of curriculum, classroom management, instructional\r\nstrategies can be discussed together, as <...name deleted>\r\nmentioned. The post-observation focuses not only on what happened,\r\nbut what will happen next. A good coach doesn't actually have to say\r\nmuch. It's okay to let problems go undiscussed because the process\r\nis designed to bring the teacher to a higher level of reflective\r\nthought.\r\n\r\n's point that observations are often used to \"catch\"\r\nproblem teachers is a good one. This does engender distrust in the\r\nfaculty. Any suggestions? The substantive discussion about education\r\nthat she mentions should be the heart of the observation.\r\n\r\nLastly, I must second Anthea's observations about part-timers.\r\nInstitutions expect part-timers to behave like professionals, but\r\ndon't treat them like professionals. It's an appalling situation.\r\nSome people do teach part-time by choice. Part-time teaching has\r\nallowed me to do something I love and focus on my family. I don't\r\nmind the stress of observation. If no one ever observed me I would\r\nassume that they didn't really care. A good half of my part-time\r\nstaff feels the same way. They would put up with a lot more,\r\nhowever, in exchange for benefits!\r\n\r\nKara Rosenberg  \r\nPalo Alto Adult School\r\nPalo Alto, CA USA\r\n\r\n================================================================\r\nDate:         Sun, 9 Aug 1998 08:30:34 EDT\r\nFrom:         David Adams \r\nSubject:      Teacher observation\r\n\r\nFollowing this thread - a few days late, sorry - two things have\r\nsurprised me: the number of references to hiring and firing in\r\nconnection with observation, and the faith some administrators seem\r\nto place in their ability to judge on the basis of their\r\nobservation.\r\n\r\nWhen I've been the top-down observer, I've rarely - if ever - seen\r\n'normal' teaching in progress. If I've accepted the appointment of a\r\nteacher to my staff, I consider it's my job to make sure the\r\nteaching is of the standard I'm trying to maintain. What I look for\r\nis teachers in need of help. Yes, of course I've had the distasteful\r\njob of recommending firing a teacher, but never on the basis of an\r\nobservation or even a series of observations; on the basis of\r\nrepeated failed attempts to generate improvement, maybe, but that's\r\na different story. [-28-]\r\n\r\nAnyway, I dislike classroom observation - I now prefer to observe\r\nfrom outside the classroom. Students' faces and body language before\r\nand after lessons, conversations in the teachers' room, students'\r\nand their parents' comments, attendance and punctuality, and finally\r\nresults, these are my standard indicators. These show me when\r\nthere's a need to work more closely with a teacher.\r\n\r\nAnd when I do need to observe formally, I prefer what I call the\r\n'talkback' method. After a lesson, which I haven't observed, I ask a\r\nteacher to 'talk me through' the lesson, chronologically or however\r\nthey like to recall it. I question anything I don't understand or\r\nwant to know more about. I may ask about the teacher's aims, or the\r\nstudents' reactions or achievements, and so on, but I avoid pointed\r\nor accusing questions. My feedback is often also in the form of\r\nquestions, and sometimes I also suggest a teacher to talk to or\r\narrange peer observation with, a book or article to look at, and so\r\non.\r\n\r\nIf you haven't tried it, give it a go: it's relatively stress-free\r\nfor both observed and observer, it's less time-consuming than most\r\nother forms, and it doesn't interrupt the teaching.\r\n\r\nAnd if you're a course director, before you consider firing a\r\nteacher, ask yourself if you've done your part in trying to make the\r\nteaching successful...\r\n--\r\nDavid Adams\r\nIBI, Brasilia, Brazil\r\ndadams@rudah.com.br\r\n\r\n<\/pre>\n
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September 1998 — Volume 3, Number 3 * * * TESL-EJ Forum * * * Teacher Observations The following discussion regarding the practice of observing teachers began on the TESL-L discussion list in late July 1998. It poses some serious questions and considerations about the uses and abuses of this practice. All messages are printed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":159,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4298","page","type-page","status-publish","entry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4299,"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4298\/revisions\/4299"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tesl-ej.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}