Video Transcript: Module 13, Peer
Observation in Teaching Practices
Classroom observation can take different forms. The two most common are:
1. Summative observation, in which another teacher or an administrator observes the
class. The purpose for this is evaluative and may result a rating of some kind.
2. And, formative observation, in which two teachers, or “peers,” do a “friendly”
observation of each other’s classes. The purpose is to improve teaching practices
and to engage in a systematic form of professional development.
The focus in this module is on formative or peer observation. Formative observation can
benefit both the observed teacher and the teacher doing the observation. In order to do so,
it must be carefully organized. We will follow a teachers through the three phases of a
successful observation:
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First, preparing for the observation.
Then, observing in the classroom.
And, finally, the post-observation debriefing.
Module Focus: Introduction
For peer observation to work well, teachers must be trained in the observation procedure
and in how to give productive, useful feedback to each other. In order to be successful,
peer observation also requires that administrators…
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See the need for peer observation.
Support training for the process.
And, create a system that allows teachers time for observing each other.
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In addition, administrators should guarantee that information will remain
confidential and will not be used for summative purposes.
Given these conditions, peer observation can…
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Allow teachers to see other’s teaching styles and reflect on their own practices.
Bring about positive changes in classroom learning for students.
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When done with care and professionalism, it can strengthen relationships among
teachers in schools.
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#1 Viewing Points: Preparing for the Observation
Video segment #1. Use the “Pre-observation” guide in the manual as you watch
teachers getting ready for a class observation. Look for answers to the
questions…
o
o
o
What information do they exchange during this initial talk?
What information do they plan to collect during the observation?
How do the teachers interact with each other?
Transcript
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SO, WHICH OF YOUR CLASSES AM I OBSERVING?
OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE 110, YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST OF
THE THREE WRITING CLASSES.
SO THIS CLASS, THEY'RE BASICALLY JUST STARTING OUT, GETTING
ALL THE BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT WRITING ESSAYS IN ENGLISH.
OKAY.
AND CAN YOU TELL A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR LEVEL? I
HAVEN'T TAUGHT THAT CLASS BEFORE.
USUALLY IT'S A MIXED SITUATION.
OKAY.
WE OFTEN HAVE STUDENTS IN THE CLASS WHO HAVE VERY GOOD
SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS WHILE THEIR WRITING SKILLS
ARE REALLY LOW.
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AND SOMETIMES, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO'VE NEVER BEEN IN A
WRITING CLASS.
THEY'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SPEAKING CLASS. THEY'VE DONE ALL
THEIR STUDYING FROM GRAMMAR BOOKS.
SO, THEY'LL HAVE -- ALL THEIR SKILLS WILL BE LOW.
SO, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE VERY MIXED ABILITIES.
THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME.
SOUNDS PRETTY CHALLENGING.
OKAY, HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT IS THE
TEACHING POINT OF THE LESSON THAT I'M GOING TO SEE?
THE DAY THAT YOU COME IN, THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO JUST
BE STARTING TO LOOK AT ESSAY ORGANIZATION.
ALL OF THESE STUDENTS HAVE HAD A LOT OF WRITING
EXPERIENCE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.
THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH SPECIFIC STYLES OF WRITING.
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SO, THAT'S WHAT WE TELL THEM IN THE 110. "YOU KNOW HOW TO
WRITE. WE'RE JUST TEACHING YOU TO WRITE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
YOU'RE LEARNING A NEW STYLE."
SO, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT DAY IS WE'RE GOING
TO LOOK AT INTRODUCTIONS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW TO
GIVE GENERAL INFORMATION, HOW TO WRITE A CLEAR MAIN IDEA
RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING PARAGRAPH.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BODY OF THE ESSAY,
DEVELOPING YOUR IDEAS, ROLLING OUT IDEAS, TRYING TO THINK
OF WHAT TYPE OF DETAILS WOULD SUPPORT YOUR IDEA.
NOW, OF COURSE, THIS GROUP ISN'T DOING SOMETHING LIKE
RESEARCH ESSAY. THEY'RE WRITING ABOUT THEIR OWN
EXPERIENCE.
SO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING STATISTICS OR
QUOTING OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE REALLY JUST LEARNING HOW TO DEVELOP WHAT -INFORMATION THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW.
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AND, MAYBE WE'LL GET TO A CONCLUSION.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE'LL DO CONCLUSIONS THAT DAY, BUT THAT'S
THE HARDEST PART OF A LOT OF WRITING FOR ANYBODY, JUST
GETTING EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY SAID BEFORE YOU GET
TO THE CONCLUSION AND THEN NOT KNOWING HOW TO FINISH UP.
SO, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONCLUSIONS, MAYBE, THAT
DAY. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT.
IT SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING. I'VE GOT ONE MORE QUESTION I
HAVE FOR YOU, AND THAT IS: IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR
THAT YOU WANT ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHILE I'M OBSERVING
YOU?
YEAH, WELL, SINCE THEY'RE SUCH A LOW-LEVEL CLASS, AND AS I
MENTIONED, THEY HAVE VERY DIFFERENT LISTENING ABILITIES
AND SPEAKING ABILITIES, I'D LIKE YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE
LANGUAGE I'M USING.
IS THE LANGUAGE I'M USING -- DOES IT SEEM TO YOU THAT IT IS
APPROPRIATE FOR A LOWER-LEVEL CLASS IN WHICH SOME
STUDENTS MAY STILL HAVE A VERY LIMITED VOCABULARY?
YEAH, I'M WORRIED THAT I MAY BE TALKING -- ADDRESSING MOST
OF MY LANGUAGE TO THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE MORE LISTENING
SKILLS.
SO, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THE SEQUENCING AND RHYTHM OF THE
WHOLE LESSON.
DOES IT FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TOO FAST FOR THEM OR TOO SLOW?
DOES IT SEEM LIKE IT'S A VERY NATURAL PROCESS FOR THEM TO
GO FROM ONE ACTIVITY TO THE OTHER?
SOMETIMES, I'M AFRAID THAT I MIGHT BE RUSHING THROUGH
SOMETHING.
OKAY, YEAH.
SURE, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
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OKAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
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Summary
In this preparation phase, we saw that teachers spoke in a friendly and respectful
way to each other. The teacher learned something about the kind of classes that
she would observe. And, the teacher chose the observation focus points for her
own class.
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#2 Viewing Points: Observing in the Classroom
Video segment #2. In this phase, you will see the teacher as she carries out an
observation. See the manual for examples of observation tools or guides. As you
watch the video, look for answers to the questions…
o
o
o
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Where does the observer sit?
What teacher behaviors do you notice?
What about observer behaviors?
Transcript
SO WHAT'S THE FIRST ONE?
NUMBER TWO: PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT CULTURES ALL OVER THE
WORLD HAVE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS FOR FAMILY LIFE.
YES.
NEXT?
OKAY, IN MOST CULTURES, PEOPLE LIVE IN EXTENDED FAMILIES IN
WHICH SEVERAL GENERATIONS SHARE THE SAME HOUSE.
OKAY.
BEFORE WE GO ON, LET ME MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT THE
THESIS.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE START TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE,
WE LIKE TO TELL YOU THE THESIS GOES LAST IN THE
INTRODUCTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE EASIEST THING TO DO.
BUT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THERE.
BUT, IT'S THE EASIEST PLACE TO PUT IT, OKAY?
ALL RIGHT, NOW LET'S LOOK AT THAT PARAGRAPH NUMBER THREE.
EARTHQUAKES.
NUMBER TWO.
SO WE'RE STARTING OUT WITH NUMBER TWO.
EARTHQUAKES ARE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE NATURAL DISASTERS
KNOWN TO HUMANS IN TERMS OF THE MILLIONS OF DEATHS AND
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PROPERTY LOSS THAT THEY CAUSE.
[indistinct conversation]
ALMOST!
SO CLOSE!
THAT'S THE TRICKY PART!
HOW WE DOING?
WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE TOPICS?
WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE TOPIC OF THE FIRST ONE?
[speaks indistinctly]
IT'S GOING TO BE A TOPIC, AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST TOPIC
IN...
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Summary
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#3 Viewing Points: Post-observation Debriefing
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Transcript
In this phase, the teacher who was being observed simply taught class as usual.
The teacher who was doing the observation, sat quietly at the back of the class
and took notes. At no time did the observer interrupt or interfere with the teaching
of the class.
Video segment #3. Look for answers to the questions…
o What information do the teachers exchange in the debriefing?
o What does the observer like about each the class?
o What suggestions for improvements does she make?
o How does the debriefing session end?
BELINDA, THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT CLASS.
DID YOU LIKE BEING BACK IN A 110 CLASS AGAIN?
I'D NEVER BEEN IN A 110 CLASS.
IT WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED. MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, I'LL TRY TO TEACH
ONE OF THEM.
YEAH, IT WAS -- I JUST REALLY LIKE YOUR APPROACH,
AND -- AND, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY CREATIVE,
AND, I THOUGHT THE STUDENTS WERE VERY INVOLVED, AND IT
WAS WONDERFUL.
I LIKE THAT CLASS.
THEY'RE REALLY SWEET AND THEY TRY HARD.
YEAH, OH, YEAH.
DEFINITELY, I CAN TELL.
I HAVE -- I TOOK SOME NOTES, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU
SOME FEEDBACK ON SOME THINGS I THOUGHT YOU WERE DOING
BEAUTIFULLY.
THANK YOU.
THE FIRST PART WAS YOUR GIVING INSTRUCTIONS.
AND, THIS IS A LOWER-LEVEL GROUP THAN MINE, AND SO IT WAS
QUITE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT GOES ON IN MY CLASS, BUT I WAS
VERY IMPRESSED AT HOW CLEAR YOU WERE WITH YOUR
INSTRUCTIONS.
AND -- AND, YOU WERE -- I NOTICED THAT YOU WERE NOT
PARAPHRASING. YOU WERE ACTUALLY REPEATING INSTRUCTIONS.
YEAH, I TRY TO AVOID PARAPHRASING WITH VERY LOW GROUPS,
BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH A VERY LOW GROUP -- IF SOMEONE
HAS VERY LOW LISTENING SKILLS AND I'M PARAPHRASING, THEY
DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT I'M SAYING THE SAME THING
AGAIN IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO, THEY THEN THINK THEY'VE MISSED THE FIRST THING, AND NOW
THEY'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE SECOND THING.
SO, I'M ACTUALLY MAKING IT HARDER FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU KNOW, VERY INTERESTING.
THANK YOU.
I'M LEARNING. I'M LEARNING FROM YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT WAS GREAT.
I HAVE ONE SMALL PIECE OF FEEDBACK. DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH
IT, BUT I FELT AT TIMES YOU WERE SPEAKING A LITTLE QUICKLY.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SOMETIMES WERE SPEAKING FASTER WITH
YOUR 110 CLASS THAN I WOULD WITH MY 112.
NOW, I DIDN'T NOTICE THE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, REACTING
NEGATIVELY, BUT IT WAS JUST A PERSONAL REACTION.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW I DO.
AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL MY CLASSES, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT
LEVEL THEY ARE, I TELL THEM I HAVE A TENDENCY TO SPEAK TOO
FAST AND IT'S NOT RUDE -- YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HANDAND
TELL ME, "PLEASE SLOW DOWN."
AND DO THEY EVER DO THAT?
SOMETIMES, YES, PEOPLE DO. THEY SAY, "BELINDA, YOU ARE
SPEAKING FAST," AND I SLOW DOWN.
AND, THAT'S NOT A BAD PLACE FOR THEM TO PRACTICE THAT.
SO, IN SOME WAYS, I HOPETHAT THIS THING THAT I DO THAT'S A
PROBLEM FOR THEM ALSO HELPS THEM HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE
IN TALKING TO THE TEACHER.
BUT, OBVIOUSLY, BEING A LOW LEVEL, I DON'T WANT THEM TO
FEEL LIKE THEY NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OR THEY'RE
EMBARRASSED TO ASK ME TO SLOW DOWN TOO OFTEN.
SO, I HAVE TO MONITOR MYSELF.
WELL, AS I MENTIONED: VERY SMALL THING.
ANYWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM WATCHING YOUR CLASS.
IT WAS GREAT.
GREAT.
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Summary
In this final phase, the teacher consulted the notes that she took during the
observation. She complimented her colleague on strengths in her teaching. She
asked questions about points that she didn't understand. And, she made positivelyworded suggestions for improvements. Things ended just as they started, on a
friendly and respectful note.
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Module Focus: Summary
The focus in Module 13 has been on teachers and peer observations. We followed
some teachers through the three phases of the observation process in which
they…
o Prepared for the observation.
o Observed each other in the classroom.
o And, participated in a post-observation debriefing.
In what ways do you think formative observation could be of benefit to you and
other teachers in your educational setting? If you are already conducting
formative observations, are there ways in which they could be improved or better
supported? As you “peer into the future” and seek opportunities for your own
professional development, keep peer observation in mind as a close-to-home
option that could work very well for you.