Collaborative Observation

Collaborative networks or peer partnerships among teachers are the cornerstone of professionalism. Through these partnerships, teachers form a community of learners who openly provide each other constructive feedback about classroom instruction. Click here to learn more about our publication on Collaborative Observation.

When districts have undertaken curricular and instructional reform, it is important to have a system to support teachers as they develop and implement new instructional practices in each classroom. Collaborative networks or peer partnerships are the cornerstone of professionalism. Through these partnerships, teachers form a community of learners who openly and constructively provide each other feedback about classroom instruction. They share a common philosophy about the direct connection between teacher behaviors and student responses.

There is an atmosphere of encouragement and support for each other as new strategies are attempted to improve the quality of teaching. Talking about instruction from a nonevaluative perspective inspires teachers to honestly and openly think about what they do and how they might do it differently.

The Collaborative Observation process works as a tool to join the reforms of a district with a structure for mutual or shared support during implementation and ongoing revision of these systemic reforms. During the training, school teams experience hands-on activity, conducting conferences with each other and completing observations of actual classrooms. The four key elements of the Collaborative Observation process are:

The Pre-Observation Conference  builds trust through dialogue about instruction between two people. This conference allows the observer to become familiar with the lesson to be observed and to understand what the teacher intends to accomplish. Additionally, they discuss how the lesson to be observed fits into the context of the larger unit.

The In-Class Data Collection and Lesson Analyses are structured formats for collecting key details during the observation of a lesson using scripting of teacher behaviors and students responses. The observer offers an analysis as an objective connection between the teachers’ behaviors and their effects on students. Each analysis statement is structured with both elements -- teacher behavior and impact on students.

The Post-Observation Conference  is a conversation between the teacher and observer to debrief on the lesson. A specific form is completed by the observer as a planning tool, sketching out what the observer intends to discuss and reinforce in the conference. The observer outlines key details of strength observed in the lesson. In addition, the two conferees identify areas where student responses were not what the teacher had hoped for during the lesson. All comments are stated as a teacher behavior and impact on students.

The Growth Plan is the culmination of the Post-Observation Conference. It is collaboratively developed by the teacher and the observer and sets forth a target area or two for growth, specific strategies to accomplish that growth, and the accompanying criteria for success.

By asking structured questions, the observer prompts the teacher to reflect on his or her teaching behaviors and how students responded during the lesson. Teachers are thus able to identify when the outcomes of the lesson are attained and what practices enabled students to achieve success. Collaboratively, the observer and teacher serve as action researchers, working to determine the most effective way to deliver instruction to the particular group of students in that class.