Lesson Observations and Feedback

Overview

How often are there visits to classrooms to observe the teaching and learning occurring at your school? Does everyone feel comfortable with classroom visits? Are these visits and observations linked to targeted Professional Development?

Lesson Observations are a powerful way to improve teaching and learning through gathering objective classroom data with effective feedback. It involves visiting classrooms for 40 – 60 minutes and observing students, their learning and their work. It should be a non-threatening and non-evaluative process, aimed at improving the teaching and learning in your school.

The purpose of Lesson Observations is to give quantitative feedback on a pre-agreed lesson data observation sheet with the aim of improving pedagogy.

To be successful, the process requires trust, humility and a carefully agreed structure where everyone feels comfortable with the process. 

There are four stages to the process:

  1. Lesson Observation – protocols, what do I observe?
  2. Collection of Data – which data observation sheet?
  3. Feedback – giving and receiving, assertive conversations
  4. Goal Setting – improving one’s teaching

Workshop length: 3-5 hours duration

A. Lesson Observations

•    GROWTH protocols – why lesson observations should not be linked to teacher evaluation/appraisal 

•    The protocols – what to avoid

•    What do I observe? Collecting data from lesson data observation sheets using the Quality Teaching Model (QTM), Explicit Instruction and AITSL frameworks

•    Simulated Lesson Observations using classroom video footage

 

B. Feedback

•    Feedback using the assertive conservation model

•    Introducing the Russian brothers and cousins – a process for reflection and improvement

•    Role-playing the feedback process, including saving Mr Weather

 

Supporting research

Visible Learning (Hattie, 2011)

  • Microteaching – analysis, reflective teaching, videotaped role play with debriefing  - effect size: 0.88

Note: An effect size of 1.0 would improve the rate of learning by 50% and would mean that, on average, students receiving that treatment would exceed 84% of students not receiving that treatment.