Developing Your Career

Classroom Observations 101: 3 Essential Tips For Better Outcomes

25 May 2017 by Cory Diaz

Classroom observations are designed to help teachers identify opportunities for improvement. However, these observations be a little intimidating. After all, being watched can put teachers and students on edge. Luckily, you can reduce the amount of tension in the room.

By using these three tips, you can ensure that your classroom observation time will have a good outcome:

1. Be Upfront About Intentions

When it comes to observing classrooms, it is best to be upfront about your intentions. There are many reasons to observe a classroom and this can be confusing to teachers. Luckily, this is easily resolved with communication. Simply let the teacher know why you are observing their classroom. Whether you are looking for student engagement or outdated teaching methods, let the teacher know. This will help the teacher feel a little more relaxed, which means you'll get better results.

2. Keep Observations Short

Another helpful tip is to keep your observations short. While you might think you need an entire class period to evaluate the teacher, it's best to keep visits short. After all, these visits can be disruptive. These visits can also distract students, which is not good.

If you need more time to evaluate a classroom, consider visiting more than once. Multiple short visits can give you all the information you need, while limiting disruptions. Additionally, multiple visits will give you more insight to the teacher. Through several visits, you'll learn more about their teaching methods, problem students, and engagement level.

3. Act Quickly

Finally, don't leave the teacher hanging after you've observed their classroom. Instead of waiting weeks (or longer), make sure you debrief the teacher soon. By addressing concerns quickly, you'll allow the teacher to reflect on their teaching. After all, it's much easier to remember things soon after they happened. So if you really want to see results, always consult the teachers as soon as possible. This will allow them to reflect on what happened and why.

Addressing issues quickly will also give the teacher the time they need to correct any issues. It will also give them more time to implement new techniques. So always address the teacher as soon as possible.

There are many benefits to classroom observations. Teachers can learn all sorts of information, from new teaching methods to increasing student engagement, all from classroom observations. However, classroom observations can be intimidating, confusing, and disruptive. If you want to improve the outcome of your classroom observations, consider using these tips on your next round.

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