Observation and Response: Transferring Skills From Classroom to School

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Development for Urban Schools: From Preservice to Induction to Teacher Leadership

Abstract

Observing and responding to the actions of individuals constitute the core of teaching. Whether a teacher believes in the merit of “data driven instruction” or the superiority of “performance-based assessment,” data and rubrics provide information that allows teachers to push students to the next level of understanding and skill. Sometimes response to this information is mandated by a state test or internal evaluation, but often a teacher’s response is simply the minute-by-minute art of teaching. Instructors constantly refine their abilities to use the cycle of observation and response to improve students’ learning.

Learning how to apply their classroom skills to the larger school context is an important step in the development of empowered, effective teachers and teacher leaders. Although much has been written about teacher observation of and feedback to students, there is little guidance for teachers in how to carry out the process of teacher-to-teacher or teacher-to-administrator observation and response. This information can be especially useful for teachers interested in developing a leadership role in their schools. Teachers whose success is based on their ability to observe and respond in ways that move every student forward may struggle when this same cycle fails to work with their peers or administrators.

This paper draws on personal experience and interviews conducted with teachers participating in a Ford Foundation funded teacher leadership program to document and analyze the skills teachers need to use the observation/response cycle effectively. The author highlight three specific conditions that lead to productive observation/response cycles: 1) consistent meeting time with a supportive individual or group to problem solve communication challenges; 2) shared learning spaces, such as school-wide projects or hallways; and, 3) explicit training in how to give provide feedback to teachers. Learning how to use this observation and response cycle with their peers and administrators can lead to a smoother transition from classroom instructor to teacher leader. This can also lead to more effective communication between educators—and enhance student learning.

Author

• Caitlin Moore, Harvard Graduate School of Education