Exploring Teaching through Observation: A Means
to teacher Development
Caroline Bentley
Don Hancock
This paper describes an ongoing teacher development project which is based on the belief that teachers van learn a lot from having their own teaching observed and from observing other teachers teach. Regularly scheduled peer and supervisor observations are being conducted. Teachers formulate their own agenda for observation points in order that the observations address their specific professional developmental needs. To remore the fear of being observed, the observer is a ‘critical friend’, adopting a non-evaluative and non-threatening role. The observer acts as an extra pair of eyes for the teacher, as someone to share the teaching experience with, allowing the teacher to “re-visit” the lesson as a means to exploring teaching, solving problems in their classes and improving their classroom effectiveness. As a follow-up to the observations, the project provides further support through team teaching, post lesson feedback, collaborative reflection, mini-workshops and guided readings. It is expected that the findings will support the view that the benefits derived from such an ongoing support system will have a positive impact not only on the teachers who participate in this programme, but also on their learners and the school in which they work. The paper concludes with a discussion of the value of exploring teaching through observation and conducting ‘learning conversations’ for professional development.
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Bentley,
C., & Hancock, D. (2006, April). Exploring teaching
through observation: A means to teacher development. Paper presented at the
41st RELC International Seminar,