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[HLJHLJ]

Every UK University that I or my husband have worked or studied at had teaching observations. In more recent years the ones we worked at insisted on lecturers getting a teaching qualification as well. At the moment the specifics of qualifications and observations are still optional, in that it's up to each institution to determine its own requirements. However, the government has been talking about making them mandatory, and that will probably be pushed through eventually if Universities aren't seen to be doing it voluntarily.

Observations are also standard in UK state schools. As with anything connected to the UK state school system, there is a whole raft of rules and regulations as to the who/why/when/how of them.

Since moving abroad and changing to EFL I've only been observed at University level once, even though observations were standard there for most disciplines. At least in part, I feel that's due to EFL often not being seen as a 'proper' subject. There is so little interest in what goes on in my University classroom that I would be astonished if anyone took the time to observe me now.

[Perilla]

[HLJHLJ]

There were routine observations in my school pre-1980. The head or deputy head would sit in with us. I don't how useful it would have been, all the kids would be on best behaviour because we were terrified of the head.

I suspect that if you surveyed every teacher in the UK about current problems in the UK education system, internal observations wouldn't get a single mention. External OFTSED inspections on the other hand...

But anyway, the question was

[Perilla]

[artemisia]

My own experiences and attitudes? For the most part, mostly positive. I feel fortunate to have worked in one particular place that was very open in terms of PD. Teachers were encouraged and given time for lesson planning together, some team teaching / peer observations. Along with workshops, there were observations along formal lines. It all pushed me along in various ways and I�m grateful for that.

A few times I�ve worked in places in the midst of discussions concerning short group observations on a temporary basis: a few people going around regularly and doing very short informal observations (more or less a walk through and stopping for a short time). The idea was doing this fairly regularly, for a period of time, just to get a feel for how things were working in various classrooms and to pick up on the general atmosphere and involvement of students. Part of the idea was rotating as many people as possible so you�d be observed and also an observer. I don�t know how it worked out in practice. It might sound like a particularly hideous notion (and the reality possibly was), but I liked the idea of it because it was inclusive.