Classroom Observations

Posted by Dorit Sasson Apr 20, 2008

There no secret recipe for getting through classroom observations. Seasoned teachers are used to this 'shadow' but first year teachers are just getting settled. I remember the first classroom observation visit. I had prepared a doable lesson plan on phonic and whole language. It was an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) lesson for fourth graders. It was at a point where I was experimenting with various teaching techniques of whole language and phonics, which were typical of the reading wars of the 1990's.

Thinking I had perhaps taught too phonically, the English inspector categorized the lesson into three main ideas:

• student participation
• teacher preparation (lesson plan)
• classroom management
• organization of the English classroom

She didn't just hand her report and leave. She explained how certain elements could have been improved but praised positive elements as well.

From her I learned an important thing: always accentuate the positive; it's the only way you'll really grow as a teacher.