TEACHER RESOURCE
Planning Tips for Successful Classroom
Observation Experiences
ü Discuss with your students what it means to be an observer. Stress to them that they
are not there to rate the teacher. They are there to observe the setting.
ü Your first job as a ProTeam teacher is one of public relations. You must make sure
that your colleagues understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Encourage them to buy into your efforts. A presentation about ProTeam at a faculty
meeting, including the need for cooperating teachers to host ProTeamers in their
classrooms, should be conducted.
ü Well in advance of the actual event, the cooperating teachers must know when the
students are coming, why they are coming, and what they are there to do. (If they are
to observe, then they should only observe.) A letter or email from you to prospective
host teachers should outline the purpose of the observation and include a copy of the
“Classroom Observation Data Form.”
ü Encourage the cooperating teachers to be positive about the job (even though they
may actually be at their wits’ end). These young students must buy into teaching as a
viable career possibility for them in the future.
ü Your excellence and professionalism will go a long way toward convincing others of
the validity of the ProTeam Program and ensuring that your students are exposed to
excitement and enthusiasm for teaching.
ü Ask the cooperating teacher for feedback about the student observer and the
experience.
ü Encourage (or require) ProTeam students to thank the cooperating teachers for the
opportunity. A special positive note always brightens one's day and goes a long way
in establishing good working relationships.
ü If several observations are possible, alternate student-teacher matches so that one
"negative" experience won't spoil the entire effort.
ü Students need a clear understanding of your expectations of them, including the
purpose, performance, and behavior standards for being in the classrooms.
ü Prior to the observations, talk to students about appropriate attire to be worn on these
visits.
ü Remind students not to chew gum or take in food/drinks during the observations.
PROTEAM DREAMQUEST CURRICULUM
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