Roy Blatchford CBE, founder of Blinks Education working with schools, local authorities, academy trusts, colleges and universities in the UK and internationally was Founding Director of the National Education Trust and served as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools (HMI) in England, with national responsibilities for school improvement and for the inspection of outstanding schools.
He has extensive experience of writing inspection frameworks, nationally and internationally, and inspections of over 1,000 schools and colleges in Europe, USA, Middle East and India.
In 2015, Roy reflected on reflecting on lesson observations:
‘It struck me then – it was in my early days of being an HMI – that my observing a lesson was of little use to the teacher if all I did was to offer some comments once the pupils had left the classroom.
I would not have wanted the surgeon to let his junior go on cutting in the wrong direction, saving the feedback to later.’
Surgical intervention
The focus on an observation using a rubric is typically to make judgments – an outstanding lesson – an acceptable lesson – a weak lesson. A judgment.
How does that help the learner and the teacher?
You may, as an observer, visit a lesson were students are all engaged, perhaps you noticed that the student at the back was bored, and just not doing a lot.
Others were purely busy with a task – so looking at the activities and the rubric – you perhaps judge this as an acceptable lesson – maybe with some weak elements – the child at the back, you didn’t like one of the activities.
You feed this back to the teacher after the lesson – and tell them not to take if personally. Just like telling a doctor you watched the operation and commented on things, that you think, he did not do well.
Morale plunges, self belief takes a battering – you tell the teacher not to worry and say you will observe again. The teacher has sleep-ness nights and wonders whether this is the right profession for them. You may even consider to put the teacher on a support plan.
Do you recognise this?
A missed opportunity.
Leaders of learning – change the narrative.
As Roy says, would you allow the surgeon to continue cutting if there was danger?
Are you as an observer, happy with observing students who in your opinion, are left out, while you watch?
If the focus of an observation is to assist the teacher then this must be done in a supportive, with a nurturing environment – allowing them the freedom to take risks without the worry of grading and the threat of a formal support plan.
The benefit of leading learning is being able to actively steer lessons to assist in improving productive outcomes for all pupils and assist the teacher in becoming more effective in creating a high quality teaching and learning environment. The narrative needs to change.
Anxiety
As an observer, I am sure you will have also noted that many teachers start talking more when you walk in as an observer, become nervous.
They start making deeper incisive cuts that they would normally not do.
Leading learning is about allowing a teacher to experiment without fear of reprimand, or being judged , inspiring them to takerisks, be innovative, create an environment where critical thinking and learning inquiring together is the norm, prodding deeper…..without knowing the outcome ….
Creating an environment where even the students can help steer the lesson.
Two way process – all learning
I am proposing that in lesson observations you develop a two way process when you visit the teacher, reflecting, praising what went well and prodding in the right direction, guiding the surgeons knife – during the lesson. After all you are part of the team with the same aims – to improve learning! You are no longer the observer, you are the mentor, coach….
To coach the teacher on engaging all students in a task/collaborative session as an extra pair of eyes with a focus on what is happening with the learning of all students.
This is an excellent opportunity to help secure a pathway of high quality learning for all students.
The aim of lesson observations then becomes purely developmental, more-so, to improve learning.
Leadership of learning
Developing rapport with the teachers removes anxiety of fear with the teacher welcoming the observer coach and sees it as a benefit.
You could agree a process with the teacher – for example an occasional time-out, where the teacher can perhaps provide an opportunity for the students to discuss / review learning as talking partners allowing them also the opportunity to provide quick feedback on the activities?
This need only be for approximately 90 seconds to provide quick, meaningful reflection and input, allowing the learning to be steered in the right direction for all students.
You can also use other opportunities such as when pupils are on task, working in groups, you and the observer can see if any misconceptions are arising.
Like a surgeon, there may be a need to redefine the learning objective for certain individuals enabling more quality learning evidence that is personalised.
For example the challenge may need to be increased or decreased for groups, individuals. Change tasks or activities – ask deeper questions.
The lesson observation is then redefined to leading learning .
Discussion after the lesson can focus on the journey of learning for all students – together you can pinpoint the areas in which learning was less than desirable or slowed down and therefore needing intervention.
Leading learning takes away the negative impact on teacher morale.
A surgical approach to leading learning
The aim of leading learning and coaching focuses on raising standards AS lessons happen.
In other words if you notice students not being challenged or making progress, an intervention during the lesson can change the pathway of undesirable learning and, as a result, improve teaching when it happens, as it happens.
The working together of teacher and observer / mentor should be treated with the same importance as a junior and lead surgeon…
It is children’s lives that we have in our hands – it is their future, what can be more important than that?
