How To Observe Classrooms: Top Tips For Reporters

EWA asked participants to contribute blog posts from some of the sessions at our 65th National Seminar, held May 17-19 at the University of Pennsylvania. This entry is from Dave Murray, statewide education and politics reporter for the MLive Media group, covering Michigan and national issues in K-12 and higher education.

Session: Learning from experts on how to observe classrooms

Participants:

Lisa Guernsey, director of the Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation

Bridget Hamre, associate director of University of Virginia’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning.

Teachers need to know that the move toward increased observation and evaluation is intended to help, not be used as a ‘gotcha,’ a panel of two experts said.

Lisa Guernsey, director of the Early Education Initiative of the New America Foundation, said educators are now grappling with student test scores to tell what they can reveal about teachers’ abilities.

But she said until recently, observations “weren’t even part of the conversation.” Teachers, usually the newest ones, would typically get a brief visit from an administrator.

But the trend is to have trained observers sitting in a classroom for long periods, from 40 minutes to 90 minutes – or even an entire day. They are looking for specific, easy-to-measure things.

Also, teachers are more frequently being filmed as they work, so they can watch what transpired and so educators can learn from the best colleagues.

Guernsey said teachers in the early grades have been the pioneers, picked because there are few standardized exams that can be used to measure performance among the youngest students. Also, one-day snapshots are less reliable for that age group.

Plus, it’s tough to measure developmental skills for younger students, such as the ability to listen and pay attention.

Bridget Hamre, associate director of University of Virginia’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, said a quality observation will include multiple visits for a variety of lessons.

Harme said a big fear is what could happen if the observations are used incorrectly, or even the perception of that happening. She said districts are bracing for lawsuits from teachers fired for being deemed ineffective after the observations and evaluations.

She said teachers are worried that the observations will not be used as tools for improvement, but as ways to catch teachers doing something wrong so they can be fired.

Teachers also have concerns about the observers, whether they have any idea what educators are dealing with in the classroom.

Harme said reporters should ask how the evaluation tools are being used, and how people doing the work are trained.

Also, reporters should asked whether the highest-scoring teachers actually having a positive impact on students.

Guernsey said observers should look for some things that can’t be measured, such as whether teachers are enjoying what they are doing and whether students look like they enjoy being in the class.

Reporters should match principals’ answers to what experts for that grade consider to be to be the scores and qualities of a good teacher.