How can you build a positive culture around observations?
Jun 14, 2024
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The conversation dives into creating a positive culture around peer observations in schools. Adam shares how his institution fosters openness, focusing on professional growth over judgment. They discuss intriguing data from TeacherTapp about detention practices in schools, emphasizing individualized approaches to promote student accountability. Laughter ensues as the hosts share quirky TV anecdotes and competitive mileage stories. They also highlight the importance of clear communication and restorative conversations to enhance student behavior and support educators.
Peer observations foster a culture of openness and constructive feedback, leading to successful teaching practices without the fear of judgment.
Establishing trust and shared ownership in feedback processes empowers educators at all levels to contribute, enhancing collaboration and engagement.
Using observations to inform school-wide priorities helps identify and address common student struggles, aligning improvements with real classroom experiences.
Deep dives
Importance of Retrieval Practice in Education
Retrieving knowledge effectively is highlighted as crucial for enhancing educational outcomes. A year-long CPD course called 'Retrieving Better' has been launched for middle and senior leaders, focusing on implementing retrieval practices and fostering buy-in for educational changes. The course aims not only to improve individual teaching skills but also to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement within schools. Such initiatives are positioned as essential for the ongoing development of successful teaching methodologies.
The Significance of Peer Observations
The conversation emphasizes the positive impact of peer observations on teaching practices, promoting a culture of openness and constructive feedback. A notable example shared involves a school that successfully maintains a spreadsheet to track feedback from over 600 observations in one academic year. This data-driven approach helps instill a supportive atmosphere where teachers learn from one another without the fear of judgment. The effectiveness of such a culture is contingent upon dissociating observations from performance evaluations, ensuring that feedback is viewed as a professional development opportunity.
Creating a Trusting School Culture
Establishing trust within the school environment is deemed essential for effective peer observations and feedback processes. The dialogue indicates that school leaders must lead by example, demonstrating their willingness to receive feedback from all staff members, regardless of rank. By fostering an environment where even newcomers are expected to contribute feedback, leaders show that all voices are valued, thus promoting an engaged and collaborative culture. This emphasis on shared ownership helps mitigate resistance and fosters a positive perception of feedback among educators.
Shared Language and Consistency in Teaching
A strong shared vocabulary regarding teaching strategies is presented as fundamental in ensuring constructive feedback during observations. The discussion mentions the establishment of clear definitions for teaching techniques, such as 'cold calling,' which helps maintain consistency and sets clear expectations among faculty members. When observations are anchored around shared definitions, the feedback becomes more relevant and actionable, enabling teachers to hold one another accountable to collective standards. This approach elevates the conversation from personal critiques to professional dialogue centered on growth and improvement.
Integrating Observations into School-Wide Initiatives
Using observations as a mechanism for informing school-wide priorities is portrayed as a vital strategy for fostering overall improvement. By analyzing feedback patterns from observations, educators can identify common areas where students struggle and implement initiatives to address these issues collectively. This data-informed decision-making process ensures that improvements are grounded in real classroom experiences rather than external trends or theories. Ultimately, aligning feedback with school development goals generates buy-in among staff, as they can see the direct relevance of their contributions to overall school performance.
In this episode, Adam and Amy are once again joined by the fabulous Grainne from the TeacherTapp team. In the episode, they start by discussing observations, and how Adam's school has gone about creating a positive culture around peer-to-peer observations. They also discuss some exclusive data from TeacherTapp about detentions, and what students do - and should be doing - when they are in detention.
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