Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi again

Could anyone help me out on class observation techniques? Not only Director of Studies-teacher but also teacher-teacher. How can we benefit most from class observation? What kind of feedback should be given to the teacher observed? What evaluation criteria should be used?
I'd appreciate any comments on the subject.

Thanks
Noreen

The teacher observing (TO) should have an idea ahead of time of what will be taught to the class and what the class has already learnt. The former so they understand where the teacher is taking them and also to think up suggestions that the teaching teacher (TT) might miss. The latter just to have a bit of background about the class so to see if what's now being taught makes sense.

Some possible feedback points:

How was the topic introduced?
Did the class understand the TT's explanation? Were questions answered clearly?
What activites were used to practice the topic? Appropriate? Clearly explained? Enjoyed by the students? Any other ideas from the TO.
How well did TT monitor the class? Meaning, did s/he try and give feedback to a fair percentage of the class?
How were mistakes corrected?

These are just some ideas, obviously a lot will depend on the class being taught. I think peer evaluation is a good idea and that the teacher observing can learn just as much as the teacher who is being observed.