Module 3

3.1 Preparing a lesson observation

Lesson observations should be carefully prepared and thought through if they are to provide added value to you and your mentee.

Activity


How do you prepare for a lesson observation? What type of preparation have you experienced when being observed? - PADLETMy post:

• When I was in the university, I had to observe teachers while they were teaching. It's a kind of a different situation, but there are many common points. First, I had a check list to fill in, a pr-forma. But I needed to take my own notes, because the elements of interest weren't always what was on the list.
• When I was observed like a student-teacher, I was well prepared by studying the curriculum, writing down all possible scenarios of my teaching and, in general, I tried to be well prepared, something I don't always do when I am not observed. 
• When I prepare a lesson observation as a mentor, I have some checklist, which focus on the main points I want to observe, but I also take notes of other things, like body language, faces of the children, non oral communication of the mentee etc. What is usually very helpful is a camera, if we have agreed on that before.

3.2 Involving students in lesson observations

It is quite useful to involve students in the observation process. Let's take a look at Rachel’s ideas on this and how to practically implement this.

Activity in Tricider

My posts:

"I believe in involving students in a lesson observation. However, one must be really careful with the results. It might lead us in different roads and create more problems than the ones that suppose to solve.

by V. Psaridou"

Yes. It is true that we have to carefully design a lesson observation, because we may have problems with the results. If the students don't have criteria for observing a lesson, neither the students nor the teacher can be helped from the procedure.

by Stavroula Lada

And

"I have tried many times to involve my students in my observations. They were very happy to help. I told them I need them to be sincere and open minded in order to improve our lessons together. They were impressed about the fact that their opinion matters. I think involving students in observations could work well if we do small steps, at the beginning, if we are perseverant in this action and if this becomes a habit for us and for our students. I think that we need to be creative and think different ways of involving our students in observations. ... by Cristina Anton"

I agree that the students feel good when they see that their opinion matters. In addition, they develop meta-cognition skills.

by Stavroula Lada