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Remember , the classroom is the most important place in the school and your interactions with students matter more than anything else . You are the one in control . |
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Be yourself . Be confident in your professionalism . Remind yourself that you do the best for your students every day . No need to change . |
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Show your visitor just how well your students are learning and progressing , how well they understand their own learning and use learning skills , and how well disposed they are to learning . |
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Stick to your normal routines . Your students know these and are more likely to show their best when things run normally . |
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Do you remember how you felt the last time an inspector visited your classroom ? Many of us will remember the things we didn ’ t do and we ’ ll forget the things that went well . Do you remember the last time you went on a learning visit to a colleague ’ s classroom ? You probably felt privileged seeing first hand that most special of human interactions between teacher and student . You probably thought first about what the teacher was doing and how he / she did things differently to you ? Maybe you got some great teaching ideas from the visit ? Did you look at the students ’ learning and progress ? When we see colleagues in action , we often compare their teaching to our own . Inspectors , though , see learning as key and look for the causes of its success .
Having experienced both roles , I know the excitement of visiting the classroom never wanes . Inspectors have the privilege of seeing first-hand the thrill when a student finally gets it ,
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the unscripted relationships in group work , the moment a child ’ s natural curiosity leads to a new discovery , the noise and bustle - all founded on the complex dynamics of unpredictable human emotions . Real , live learning as it happens , with a teacher responsible for it all and it truly is a privilege !
Why then , as teachers , might we feel different when an inspector arrives in class ? Do we begin to doubt our own professional judgment in the way we have shaped learning experiences for our students , or worry about our students ’ reaction to the visitor ? Maybe we think the inspector has a different agenda to our own or intends only to find fault ? As an inspector , I think anxiety might stem from the teacher wanting to do her / his best for students , colleagues and the school . That ’ s a symptom of admirable professionalism !
As an inspector , I would love to share the following top tips that teachers should keep in mind the next time they are up for inspection .
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‘ Open up ’ the multi-dimensional complexities and dynamics of your classroom by explaining what is going on . Like you , the inspector wants to be confident that student outcomes are improving .
Be well organised . Have students ’ coursework readily available with examples on display , and do not forget the homework .
Make sure your plans and assessment records are up to date . The inspector may well need to see these to learn how your students are progressing .
Be proactive to ensure that the inspector understands the full range of attainment and support needs in your class and learns just how well they are addressed .
Make the inspector feel welcome and , when feasible , encourage interactions with your students . Don ’ t allow the inspector to feel isolated in the corner of the room just watching . Remember that your students are confident in explaining their learning .
Ask the inspector how it went and offer to provide any additional information later .
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