In the private business world, to organize groups of people who can work together and determine the most effective and efficient way to carry on a task or reach an objective is very common, and has had excellent results.
Given the nature of collective and cooperative learning in the education environment, it also makes a lot of sense for teachers to work together to improve their results, skills and practices. It is also very difficult, at least here in Costa Rica.
The word may be “observation”, but the feeling most often is that of being judged, and all kinds of alarms start to go off when that happens. That’s why I think that to create the right environment is crucial, as well as to have a set of criteria, developed also as a team.
When I do an observation in a class, it usually is in response to a request from one of the teachers, who would like some feedback on a particular student, situation, or to have another set of eyes which can assess the impact of a new methodology.
We usually talk about it before, and organize what we are interested in observing. After the session, we exchange our observations about what we experienced, and discuss the different points of view. It is a joint learning process, much more than an evaluation.
Unfortunately, it is not a well established practice yet, and there are teachers who react very defensively, as well as the students who also have to be brought into the dynamic in a positive way.
I believe that the more we teachers change the way we perceive the role of assessment, and the way we do it with students, the more open to these types of peer observations we will become, and their benefits will grow.
Cristina,
ReplyDeletePeer coaching, walkthroughs and peer observations are taken from business models which promote team work. In most professional you have to work with a team of people but in teaching, teachers work in isolation and especially in high school. Working in isolating has been a topic of discussion over the years but change is still too far away do to fear and lack of professional growth.
Costa Ricans are not comfortable with observations because they are afraid of losing their jobs and exposing themselves to others. There is a need to change the school culture but it takes time and money to bring experts to give these teachers training, starting with the administrators which use the observation only as a tool to fire someone.
Peer observations or any other new implementation needs to be done appropriately with all members of the school system on the same page, and gave it time to be implemented, practiced and grow as part of the school culture. It happens very often that administrators change and procedures are also change with them
It is nice to hear that you have such a good experience when comes to observations. Observations should be a way to grow and share your expertise in your area.
You are right. One of the hardest things for me is to give feedback to my colleagues, I work very hard at trying to use the right words to convey the correct feeling, and elecit their most cooperative response. Even when I have to tell them to do something different than what they are doing, or question them for not doing something that we agreed we were going to do. I know that I am at a dissadvantage because in my culture we are a lot more direct that they are in costa Rica. But you are very right, it is a learning process for everyone and as such, we have to be persistent and learn with each step how to take the next one better.
ReplyDeletewe aren't perfect and we should receive feedback from our colleagues the problem is when teachers don't feel comfortable when someone else is telling them what they have to improve, and peer coaching turns into a difficult task in schools.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree all the positive aspects from observation that you have mentioned in your post.
ReplyDeleteThe situation in Costa Rica with this kind of activity is that we are not used to it. And I think that since from the beginning, if we are told when we are hired that we will be observed, there won`t be any worries or misunderstanding. For that the person needs to be explained the procedures and the benefits he or she will get from it.
As Neli said "There is a need to change the school culture"
Now that we are discussing this in a course, it is a good opportunity for us to reflect and try to implement this in a place where we work, especially if we are able to have a school in charge.
As teacher and from my personal experience, I never feel that when another teacher gives me feedback, he or she is judging or criticizing me. And I also thing that if start accepting and realizing that part of the coin, our colleagues will as well.