LEARNING TO LEARN
Observation best practice :
• Low stakes drop-ins have more powerful outcomes than high stakes observations
• Have an agreed focus
• Be enthusiastic and positive
• Agree when feedback will take place .
• Are students learning , engaged , and making progress ?
• Are there good student-teacher relationships ?
• Talk to students , get involved in the lesson , don ’ t just sit at the back not engaging , making notes , or doing your own marking !
• Always remember that the class teacher knows the class , context , and material , better than you – do not be biased , go into it with an open mind and trust their judgement , but discuss the ‘ why ’ of their decision making .
• Notes are not necessarily required ; it is the conversations had after the observation and new goals set that are most powerful .
Feedback and action steps should be specific , actionable , and useful . The examples below are from Tavassoly- Marsh ( 2022 ).
Unhelpful action steps / goal setting :
• Improve your questioning .
• Improve your questioning focussing on no hands up . Helpful action steps / goal setting :
• Use wait time after you ask a question , ensuring you count to five to allow thinking time .
• Use the cold call questioning strategy , asking the question first , followed by the student ’ s name afterwards .
• When asking for student ’ s attention , ensure your request has 100 % observable actions . For example , clear hands , eyes this way , and sitting up straight .
PREPARING FOR THE COACHING SESSION
Work with the teacher to define a problem of learning they want to tackle . ( Kennedy , Knight )
Use a lesson visit to establish the current reality in their classroom . ( Knight )
Identify the target performance : a teaching approach that might bridge the gap between their current reality and their overall goal . ( Ericsson )
Model and discuss the suggested strategy . ( Grossman et al .)
Get the teacher to practise the strategy and offer feedback . ( Cohen et al .)
Use questioning to develop insight about where the strategy is appropriate . ( Kennedy , Knight )
Agree a time when the teacher will attempt the new strategy .
DURING THE COACHING SESSION
An idealised coaching session model ( Farndon , 2019 ).
17