lesson 'observations'

Just spotted this on Twitter:



BeckyFisher73#blc09 What if students were the ones who did the formal observations in school? Would teachers get more useful feedback than they do now?



It got me thinking about how I regularly (ie almost every time) evaluate my own lessons. Students have red orange and green cards in their planners - they are used to indicate if they are struggling with a concept for example - they leave the card on the desk.


I also use them at various points during the lesson to 'rate' how things are going by asking them to just raise cards to see if things are looking like meeting the lesson objective.

Next term, I'm going to display the following characteristics of effective classrooms and ask the students to use the traffic light cards for these too. If it goes well, I'll ask other teachers to try it.

"Effective schools are full of effective classrooms"

But what makes an effective classroom? What does an outstanding lesson look like? It's not about what the teacher does - it is about what and how the students learn. This must be true at all ages although the list below is more geared to High School.

Here are some ideas:-

• probing questions - not just answering the question for them, really getting them to think (metacognition)
• students keeping learning jorurnals
• collaborative learning
• scaffolded learning
• good rapport
• not escalating too quickly up the sanctions scale
• evidence of Asessment for Learning
• lesson objectives phrased as questions
• differentiation - target students
• pace - don't take 15 minutes on starter
• make sure students know how to improve
• try to move away from stand and deliver (idea from Howard Rheingold on SF gate)
• try to avoid too much copying
• use display as teaching tool
• make good use of diagnostic marking
• use the traffic lights cards in the student planners to demonstrate understanding and evaluate lessons
• think of innovative ways to use the Interactive White Board
• consider using social media netowrks
• consider using neuroscience ideas in the class room