Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

I got observed yesterday. I've been in my currnet job for 14 months and this was the first one. What are the point of observations. IMHO they are for 1) teacher development
2) Quality control.
However the two managers only stayed in the class for 6 minutes. so what was the purpose for this'observation' The only thing we can come up with is that the two managers are trying to justify their job to their managers. "oh yes, I've observed DMB"
I can't wait for feedback!

[been_there]

Observations can take many forms. There are peer-observations, self-observations, evaluations by management...

If you are working at a private language school, the observation was probably so that the managers could 1. justify their jobs (and if they did not give you feedback this is the likely answer) or 2. intimidate you ("Big Brother is Watching").

Observation should focus on a specific topic. Although you CAN have a "general" observation, they work much better if either the observer or observee chooses one specific element of the lesson to focus on. Back when I was the DOS of a private school, I would do a general observation, give feedback on things the teacher might want to look out for, then when I did observations later, I would ask the teacher to tell me what they wanted me to focus on.

And if they only stayed there 6 minutes, they were just jerking off.

[lajzar]

My least favourite observation was the one where my Korean boss, who spoke no English, would interupt my class any time I did anything other than listen and repeat from the text book. He stayed for the whoel hour long class too.

I left later that month.

[leeroy]

To be slightly more positive...

I am regularly observed by CELTA trainees (as my school has it's own Teacher Training Branch). Bizarre as it may sound, I actually quite like it. Knowing that someone will be "watching my every move" forces me to think about the content of the lesson - and it makes me feel knowledgable and clever to ocassionally explain to the trainee what I'm doing in the lesson and why I'm doing it. What a show-off...

And I know that whenever I write something in phonemic script or use meta-language that the 'celtoid' is thinking "ooooh!"

[johnslat]

I've always felt that Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle applies to this situation:
Whenever you observe something, you change it
I had to do some observations ( and have been observed ), and I strongly suspect that the presence of the observer in the classroom causes a significant change in both the behavior of the teacher being observed and of the students. So, I'm not all that sure how useful it really is - what you see may well not be what usually goes on in that classroom.
Regards,
John

[Wolf]

Every time I got observed at NOVA, it made all my students tense. I suspect that they thought I was in trouble.

I've never been observed by a boss in any other job. My university has a government inspection next week, and I might get "oberved" a bit by them...

[Dr.J]

I'm getting observed tomorrow. I work at a state school so it's basically a waste of time to give the incompetent government officials something to do in the afternoon and justify their existence. They come in for 5 mins and check to see if you're smiling and vaguely represent their faint, outdated idea of what education is supposed to be like. Then they give a speech where they regurgitate platitudes and trite, meaningless, self-important advice.

[denise]

I agree with Johnslat. (But then, who doesn't?!!!) Thankfully, the few times that I have been observed--I think two times total in four positions--my supervisors have realized that their presence might affect things. They were "aware" enough to discuss my lesson, goals, etc. with me, and to assume/trust that I knew what I was doing. Thus, I have had almost moderately pleasant experiences being observed... so far.

d

[Roger]

To be "observed" can be quite testing, to be sure, but this is a sign of your sense of insecurity.
Some of those observers really are totally incompetent - just watching without understanding what's going on.
The first time I got "observed" was in a normal school that was heavily regimented. The observation was done by one of the principals herself, and was done because my students were genuinely lazy, and I had decided to make them work harder.
Of course, the observer's comments put me off.
But I have been observed time and again over those years, and I am no longer afraid of them. THis is because if you have a structured teaching plan and a well-defined objective, then everybody can relax - you and your charges. One pre-condition for this to work out satisfactorily is, however, that your students agree with you over the objectives of your lessons. In China, students' opinions always prevail. I do not wish to do their bidding - I want them to cooperate. Once they ralise they have to change tack and follow me on a different route to the one they have been following for years, matters become easy enough. Last time I had an observer in my class, it was a young teacher-trainee with excellent English skills. She realised my students were nowhere up to par to communicate effectively in English, and she and my students agreed on how I was trying to help them.
I had two observers in two months, and was happy with their presence in my classroom every time!

[been_there]

I agree with Jonslat, the observation changes that which is observed, but this can be good or bad (or just plain different), depending on the PURPOSE of the observation. A teacher who is confident, who has a lesson plan, and is OPEN TO CHANGE should never fear an observer who has the best interests of the students at heart.

Of course, this is the ideal, which never seems to happen....

[dduck]

[guty]

dmb,
maybe they just got bored.