Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Just Watching

Part of my day was spent observing lessons by two colleagues. (Yes, I know it's nominally a vacation week, but there you are. My evening's been spent writing the feedback.)

It's useful on these occasions to remember a simple rule: when you're observing a lesson it's a test of your ability as an observer, not a test of whoever's under observation. Which leads to another simple idea: if you can't say anything genuinely useful afterwards you've failed as an observer.

The problem is though that here the basic culture of schools dictates that the one observed will tell you what you've said is useful even if it isn't (because it's supposed to be and it's in everyone's interest to maintain the illusion.) So I honestly don't know if anything I've ever said has been worthwhile.

Watching in the dark, as it were.

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