Buckland Weekly #2a: Observations Redux

Observations Redux

After some conversation in the comments when I linked the “Observations” article on Buckland’s Facebook page, it occurred to me that the comments I made about observations give the impression that I think they are a pointless waste of time and effort. Actually, I don’t. I think a properly conducted observation with appropriate feedback can be an excellent tool to help the teachers and the school. It's just that they so rarely happen.

In my classroom I have an open door policy. I am confident enough in my lesson planning that anyone is welcome to come and observe at any time and at zero notice. If people do, I have one rule and one request.

The rule is that observers observe. They don’t join in and they don’t try to take over. I used to teach a summer school in England and one year we were observed by the British Council, a process that has to take place to maintain accreditation. Two observers came in and initially sat at the back taking notes. Then they stood up and started looking at what they students were doing. That’s also OK if they are discrete about it. Then they started joining in, correcting students work, suggesting improvements. By then I was quite an experienced teacher so, at that point, I asked them if I could speak to them outside for a moment. I politely requested that the stop trying to do my job for me. They agreed and returned to just sitting down and taking notes.

Of course it takes a lot of self-belief and confidence to do that. You don’t need to do it but you should try to ensure that having observers doesn't disrupt your lesson.

That’s the rule. The request is simply that after the class the observers talk to me and tell me what they thought. OFSTED gave me a thick skin. There’s nothing they can say that’s going to hurt my feelings and sometimes they say things that make me think, “Hmmm, they have a good point there. Maybe I should do this instead.”

When I observe people, and I do it a lot, I try not to focus too much on the negatives and I always start feedback by asking how they think it went. Nine time out of ten they have picked up in their own lesson any points that I picked up and if I follow up with asking what they intend to do to fix any problems, nine times out of ten they can answer that too. I find that having to just discuss your lesson after a class focuses you on what was good and what wasn't so good and once you think about it you are half way to getting it right.

With all that said, it’s still unlikely that you will get feedback in China and even if you do it’s even more unlikely that you well get serious negative feedback. It just isn't the way things are done here. All my previous remarks still apply. Observations in the UK are usually counter-productive and destructive and observations here are often more of a political exercise than an educational one. That doesn't mean you can’t get good observations though. If you are serious about improving your work I suggest that you actively seek out the right kind of observation. If you have western colleagues in your school, arrange to observe each other’s lessons and then sit down over a pint and talk about them. If you don’t, then try to find a friendly English department Chinese teacher who will observe. Explain what you want them to do and afterwards grab a coffee in the staff room and chat about your lesson

If you can get good observations with sensible feedback, I guarantee it will help you in the long run.