Mr Barton Maths Podcast
#163 How to observe a lesson with Adam Boxer
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Active participation in observations enhances the understanding of classroom dynamics and student interactions.
- Targeted feedback strategies aim to improve teaching effectiveness and student engagement through data-driven observations.
- Encouraging students' active engagement with strategies like cold calling and clear instructions can enhance lesson effectiveness.
- Supporting teachers in revising materials for clarity and simplicity can improve student comprehension.
- Establishing feedback accountability and follow-up timelines ensures effective implementation of coaching strategies.
- Departmental-level observation and follow-up strategies promote continuous improvement and accountability in teaching practices.
Deep dives
Building a Relationship Before the Lesson
Before observing a teacher, Adam sets the groundwork by closely engaging in the teaching process, understanding the broader concepts of teaching. When observing within his school, he takes a 'MOT Model' approach, akin to a car mechanic checking everything, without specifically targeting any particular issue, to provide a holistic assessment.
Focused Observation: Setting Clear Teaching Goals
When working with a teacher over a longer period, Adam adopts a 'GP Model' by focusing on specific teaching goals identified by the teachers themselves. He values the importance of addressing individual teaching challenges. For subsequent observations, adjustments can be made based on initial findings to tailor the observation focus.
Active Engagement During Observation
During the observation process, Adam emphasizes active participation by directly engaging with the classroom environment. He avoids passive note-taking from a distance and prefers interactive involvement. By actively probing student responses and classroom dynamics, he uncovers subtle issues that might be overlooked.
Exploring Student Participation and Response
Adam delves into student interactions to uncover deeper teaching dynamics. By questioning students about their engagement and responses to the teacher's prompts, he brings attention to overlooked aspects such as student involvement and attentiveness. This approach reveals insights into student understanding and classroom effectiveness.
Utilizing Insights for Constructive Feedback
Through interactive observations, Adam collects data on student involvement and teacher-student interactions. By leveraging this data, he crafts constructive feedback that addresses both teacher practices and student engagement. This approach aims to enhance teaching effectiveness and student participation through targeted feedback strategies.
Implementing Strategies for Classroom Interaction
Encouraging active engagement in lessons by implementing strategies such as cold calling and clear instructions. Providing a direct script example for using the 'no opt out' strategy to ensure student accountability during questioning.
Enhancing Clarity in Instructional Materials
Supporting teachers in revising instructional materials for clarity and ease of understanding. Collaborating with teachers to simplify complex worksheets and presentation styles to enhance student comprehension.
Feedback Accountability and Follow-up Actions
Emphasizing the importance of feedback accountability and ensuring follow-up on action steps set during coaching sessions. Establishing clear timelines for implementing changes, holding teachers accountable for incorporating feedback into their lessons.
Tailoring Coaching Approach based on Future Engagement
Adapting coaching strategies based on the frequency of future engagements with teachers. Offering varying levels of support and guidance depending on whether future interactions are ongoing within the same school or sporadic across different institutions.
Observation and Follow-Up Strategies
Implementing observation and follow-up strategies at a departmental level is crucial for ensuring continuous improvement in teaching practices. By delegating responsibilities to department heads and providing specific action steps for improvement, such as pairing teachers for observation, conducting feedback sessions, and setting goals for skill enhancement, the process becomes more effective and actionable. This approach fosters a culture of accountability and growth within the department.
Feedback and Coaching Process
Creating a positive feedback experience and aligning feedback with the teacher's efforts are essential aspects of effective coaching. Emphasizing the recognition of teachers' strengths before focusing on areas of improvement helps in ensuring a constructive coaching process. By utilizing concrete examples and critical evidence during feedback sessions, teachers gain clarity on areas needing development and are more likely to actively engage in the coaching process, leading to meaningful growth and professional development.
Science teacher and author, Adam Boxer, joins me to discuss his process for observing colleagues teach and then giving them feedback. Adam's approach - which he calls the Hypoesis model - has been hugely influential on my own observation and coaching process, and it was great to discuss it in depth. Adam is a smart guy! For links, resources and videos, please visit the show-notes page here: https://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/how-to-observe-a-lesson/
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