1he advantages of runn|ng peer observat|ons

1 It can save management t|me

1hls could mean a uoS belng able Lo do someLhlng else when Lhey would be slLLlng Lhrough a class
or on Lhem belng able Lo concenLraLe on observlng people who need more help See
ulsadvanLages below for Llps on how Lo make sure LhaL Leachers donL geL Lhe lmpresslon LhaL
peer observaLlons are [usL Lo save managemenL Llme and Lo make sure LhaL lL really does save
managemenL Llme
2 Its good tra|n|ng for teacher tra|n|ng and LL1 management
lf people wanL Lo move up Lhe 1LlL ladder sooner or laLer Lhey are golng Lo need Lo observe oLher
people and glve Lhem feedback SLarLlng wlLh peer observaLlons means Lhey can geL LhaL on Lhelr
Cv ln a low pressure way and means Lhe managemenL can see how people coped wlLh LhaL when
Lhey are lnLervlewlng for promoLlons lor Leachers Lo be really ready Lo move lnLo dolng more
formal observaLlons where Lhey mlghL be gradlng Leachers Lhey wlll need Lo geL Lo Lhe polnL
where Lhey can glve wrlLLen feedback ln several dlfferenL formaLs lncludlng a loL of raw daLa on
whaL wenL on ln Lhe classroom and commenLs LhaL seem facLual raLher Lhan sub[ecLlve
3 1eachers m|ght take feedback better |f |t comes from other teachers
As Leachers could have oLher lssues wlLh Lhe managemenL of Lhe company or be more nervous lf
Lhey Lhlnk Lhey are belng formally assessed Lhey mlghL Lake suggesLlons on how Lhelr class could
have been lmproved beLLer lf lL comes from a fellow Leacher ?ou can lncrease Lhls effecL by
maklng Lhe feedback on Lhe lesson someLhlng LhaL Lhe managemenL never hears wlLh Lhe uoS
only followlng up how Lhe observaLlon process wenL LeLLlng Leachers palr Lhemselves up can also
help make sure Lhey geL commenLs from someone whose oplnlon Lhey respecL and Lhey wlll be
happy Lo geL consLrucLlve crlLlclsm from
4 ou can doub|e or tr|p|e the number of t|mes each person |s observed
1heoreLlcally you could do even more peer observaLlons due Lo Lhe lack of managemenL Llme
needed buL as Leachers should be uslng Lhem as a sLlmulus Lo reflecL on and change Lhelr own
classes Lhey wlll need a loL of Llme beLween observaLlons ln order Lo Lurn Lhelr new ldeas lnLo new
classroom pracLlces Lhey can geL feedback on ?ou can make sure LhaL peer observaLlons are noL a
subsLlLuLe for formal observaLlons by regularly schedullng observaLlons by senlor sLaff eg Lwlce a
year and flLLlng a seL number of peer observaLlons ln beLween each one

1eachers can get d|fferent feedback from d|fferent peop|e

1hls ls obvlously a good Lhlng and one whlch can be furLher developed by maLchlng Leachers wlLh
people who have very dlfferenL Leachlng sLyles and by havlng each observer especlally looklng for
dlfferenL Lhlngs eg use of Llme use of space or classroom lnLeracLlons
6 8oth the person be|ng observed and the person observ|ng |earn
1hls ls Lhe blggesL advanLage of peer observaLlons 1eachers observlng noL only learn how Lo
observe buL also see dlfferenL ways of dolng Lhlngs ln oLher peoples classrooms and can see boLh
good Lhlngs and bad Lhlngs LhaL wlll make Lhem reflecL on whaL goes on ln Lhelr own classroom
7 It makes the teachers understand how d|ff|cu|t observ|ng and feedback can be
When Leachers have experlenced Lrylng Lo puL a poslLlve spln on crlLlclsm of someones lesson
Lhey should hopefully undersLand Lhe dlfflculLles Lhe uoS has nexL Llme Lhey are belng offlclally
observed
8 It can take on a ||fe of |ts own
As unllkely as lL mlghL sound Lo someone dreadlng Lhe nexL observaLlon of Lhelr lessons by Lhelr
uoS ln Lwo of Lhe Lhree places where l seL up peer observaLlons for Lhe flrsL Llme Lhe experlence
was so poslLlve for Lhe Leachers LhaL Lhey ended up asklng each oLher Lo do furLher observaLlons
wlLhouL any lnvolvemenL from Lhe managemenL lf only l could say all my Cu efforLs had been
LhaL successful!
9 It can boost a teachers conf|dence
AlLhough Leachers observlng oLher peoples lessons can Lend Lo underesLlmaLe how much hard
work Lhe Leacher ls puLLlng ln Lhey sLlll geL a much more reallsLlc plcLure of how oLher Leachers
are dolng Lhan Lhey would geL from [usL hearlng Lhe laughLer comlng Lhrough Lhe wall 1he resulL
ls almosL always a more reallsLlc ldea of how Lhey are dolng ln Lhe classroom and Lherefore an ego
boosL

1he d|sadvantages of runn|ng peer observat|ons
1 1eachers see|ng a better teacher can |ose conf|dence
1hls ls rare and would probably mean a crlsls of confldence had already sLarLed buL seelng
someone who ls (seemlngly) efforLless ln Lhe classroom can be Lhe lasL sLraw for some Leachers lf
you suspecL Lhere ls any such Leacher ln Lhe school you could leave peer observaLlons unLll Lhe
crlsls ls over make sure he ls observed by someone who can Lell hlm or her 8eally? lL seemed you
were havlng a greaL Llme Lo me or have Lhem observe someone so senlor LhaL lL ls no surprlse
LhaL Lhey appear Lo flnd Leachlng easler



2 1eachers see|ng a worse teacher can get s|ack

1he negaLlve verslon of a Leachers confldence belng boosLed by seelng Lhe less Lhan perfecL
lessons of oLhers (see AdvanLages) ls LhaL Lhey could Lhlnk My lessons are already beLLer Lhan
LhaL WhaL was l puLLlng all LhaL efforL lnLo Lhem for? lL can be dlfflculL or lmposslble Lo spoL LhaL
LhoughL process golng on ln Leachers buL you can Lry Lo counLer lL by havlng observaLlon Lasks
LhaL ask Leachers Lo reflecL on whaL Lhey learnL as well as whaL Lhey can Leach Lhe person Lhey
were observlng ?ou can also make sure Lhey geL useful feedback when Lhey are observed LhaL
Leachers do geL rewarded for conslsLenLly glvlng parLlcularly good lessons and LhaL everyone geLs
Lo observe someone who has loLs Lo Leach Lhem as well as someone who Lhey can Leach loLs Lo



3 1eachers need tra|n|ng on how to observe and be observed

AL a baslc level Leachers need Lo be lnLroduced Lo a range of dlfferenL observaLlon Lasks (looklng
aL classroom lnLeracLlons use of Llme language used by Lhe Leacher sLaglng eLc eLc) and dlfferenL
ways of wrlLlng LhaL daLa down ln a facLual way Ways of cuLLlng down on Lhe amounL of Lralnlng
LhaL ls necessary before peer observaLlons can sLarL lnclude [usL glvlng Leachers observaLlon
feedback forms wlLh clear wrlLLen lnsLrucLlons and geLLlng a volunLeer from Lhe Leachers Lo glve a
workshop on observlng and belng observed



4 It can actua||y take more management t|me

As well as Lralnlng Leachers Lo observe each oLher Lhe uoS wlll need Lo schedule Lwo people for
each observaLlon (Lhe person observlng and Lhe person belng observed) and deal wlLh any
dlsagreemenLs LhaL arlse Cnce you have convlnced Leachers of Lhe beneflLs of peer observaLlons
you can leave Lhem Lo schedule Lhemselves buL Lhey wlll lnevlLably need a blL of a push and
chaslng up afLer when lL ls flrsL seL up and posslbly agaln when Lhe lnLlal enLhuslasm has dropped
off Lower labour ways of dolng all Lhese Lhlngs malnly conslsL of posLers and forms where
Leachers slgn up when Lhey have done varlous parLs of Lhe process



1eachers m|ght th|nk they know better than the person who observed

uue Lo Lhe personallLles or dlfferences ln level of experlence of Lhe Leachers lnvolved Lhls can be a
facLor buL Lhen lL can be a facLor when uoSs are observlng Loo 1hls ls anoLher example where Lhe
observaLlon Lasks and Lhe Lralnlng should concenLraLe on geLLlng hard daLa LhaL canL be argued
wlLh such as Lhe number of Llmes Lhe Leacher spoke Lo each sLudenL or whaL sLudenLs were dolng
when Lhe Leacher wasnL waLchlng ?ou can Lraln Leachers on Lhls by dolng a Lask ln Lhe workshop
on observaLlons where Leachers raLe senLences from oral or wrlLLen feedback (real or made up) on
how facLual or sub[ecLlve each senLence ls



6 1eachers m|ght th|nk that |t |s [ust CD on the cheap

unforLunaLely mosL of Lhe ways of Lackllng Lhls lmpresslon lnvolve more work for Lhe
managemenL and Lake away Lhe Llme savlngs advanLages Ways of uslng LhaL Llme Lo help wlLh Lhls
polnL lnclude Lhe managers checklng how Lhe observaLlons wenL glvlng workshops and feedback
workshops on observaLlons and observlng someone formally aL Lhe same Llme as Lhe oLher
Leachers are ln peer observaLlons 1he uoS could also slL ln on some observaLlons and feedback
sesslons Lo glve feedback on Lhe feedback or Lake parL ln Lhe peer observaLlons as [usL anoLher
Leacher



7 1he feedback m|ght not be as usefu| as feedback from the DoS

Learnlng Lo do observaLlons ls llke learnlng Lo Leach lL Lakes Llme Lo learn how Lo do well however
much Lralnlng and maLerlals you have before you sLarL 1he only excepLlon ls lf someone ls
naLurally LalenLed aL lL ln whlch case Lhey could be beLLer Lhan Lhe uoS from day one! AparL from
preparlng Leachers properly and glvlng Lhem regular pracLlce Lhe besL soluLlon ls slmply Lo make
sure LhaL Lhe uoS sLlll regularly observes everyone as well and LhaL Lhere ls a clear dlsLlncLlon
beLween uoS observaLlons LhaL are malnly from Lhe uoSs perspecLlve Lo check how Lhlngs are
golng ln Lhe school and uoS observaLlons LhaL are Lhere Lo help Lhe Leachers wlLh Lhe Lhlngs Lhey
wanL help on ln whlch Lhey could choose Lhe class LhaL ls observed and Lhe observaLlon Lask LhaL
ls used



8 It cou|d turn |nto a s|ang|ng match

lf Lhe uoS has done Lhe lnLervlews properly hopefully your school doesnL have Loo many Leachers
who generally geL lnvolved ln Lhese Lypes of conversaLlons lf lL ls a problem of clashlng
personallLles or bad feellng beLween Lwo parLlcular people leLLlng people choose Lhelr own
observaLlon parLners or chooslng Lhem carefully so Lhey can avold each oLher are posslble
soluLlons ?ou also mlghL wanL Lo Lhlnk carefully abouL wheLher people observe each oLher
muLually or observe and are observed by dlfferenL people Cbservlng each oLher doubles Lhe
conLacL Lhey have buL mlghL make Lhem more careful abouL whaL Lhey say ln case Lhey are caughL
ouL on Lhe same Lhlng when someone observes Lhelr lesson ln a worsL case scenarlo Lhe uoS
could slL ln on Lhe feedback sesslon as a peacemaker wlLh Lhe excuse LhaL Lhey are Lralnlng
everyone on how Lo observe and glve feedback



9 1he feedback m|ght be |nsens|t|ve

1hls could be a personallLy LralL agaln ln whlch case palrlng Lhem up wlLh someone who can cope
wlLh qulLe dlrecL commenLs mlghL be a good ldea CLherwlse Lhe soluLlon ls [usL Lhe usual good
pracLlce meLhods of careful Lralnlng well chosen observaLlon Lasks and clear feedback forms



10 1he fact that |t |s extra work m|ght g|ve peop|e a bad att|tude

lve wrlLLen whole oLher arLlcles on noL maklng Cu seem llke an lmposlLlon a process LhaL sLarLs
aL Lhe [ob lnLervlew and can be a conLlnual efforL 1echnlques speclflc Lo peer observaLlons lnclude
coverlng a Leachers class so LhaL Lhey can observe someone else wlLhouL puLLlng ln exLra hours
and rewardlng regular peer observaLlons wlLh cerLlflcaLellke Cu forms menLlons on [ob
references and promoLlons



11 1eachers can use peer feedback comments as a weapon aga|nst the DoSs observat|on
feedback

lor example Lhey could say All Lhe oLher Leachers have sald LhaL my use of L1 ln Lhe classroom ls
good l Lhlnk school pollcy ls [usL behlnd Lhe Llmes on Lhls one lf Lhls dlscusslon occurs lL ls
probably a slgn of deeper problems Lhan [usL one observaLlon buL Lhere are ways of avoldlng Lhe
problem ln Lhe shorL Lerm eg Lo make Lhe observaLlon Lasks of Lhe peer observaLlons and Lhe
formal observaLlon LoLally dlfferenL so LhaL Lhey are noL comparable



12 1he students m|ght get the |dea that someth|ng |s wrong

SLudenLs mlghL have been ln LlL classes long enough LhaL Lhey know LhaL lf an observer appears lL
usually means LhaL anoLher sLudenL has been complalnlng ln whlch case you can lmaglne Lhey
mlghL sLarL Lo doubL Lhelr Leacher ls Lhey have observers ln every couple of weeks! SoluLlons
lnclude havlng regular observaLlons as a selllng polnL ln Lhe school brochure (for reasons of class
quallLy and Leacher developmenL) and Lelllng Lhem LhaL Lhe observer ls Lhere Lo learn from
waLchlng Lhelr experL Leacher raLher Lhan Lo [udge Lhem AlLernaLlvely Lrouble maklng sLudenLs
mlghL Lhlnk LhaL Leachers are Lhere Lo check up on Lhem ln whlch case a qulck explanaLlon of Lhe
reasons for havlng an observaLlon sysLem ln Lhe school should sufflce



13 1eachers can [ust respond to feedback w|th I saw you do the same th|ng!

1hls doesnL have Lo be a bad Lhlng as belng held up Lo Lhe same sLandards as you ask from oLhers
ls exacLly whaL makes peer observaLlons a greaL Lool ln pushlng you Lo lmprove your lessons and
Lo glve reallsLlc and senslLlve feedback ln facL l recommend all uoSs Lo have Lhelr lessons
observed by Lhelr Leachers Loo lf however Lhls ls one of many Lrlcks of a Leacher who cannoL
accepL any consLrucLlve crlLlclsm Lhere are ways round Lhls 1he besL meLhod ls Lo glve Lhe Lwo
Leachers compleLely dlfferenL observaLlon Lasks and feedback sheeLs



14 1he students m|ght know the teacher

lf Lhe sLudenLs have already been LaughL by Lhe person observlng Lhey mlghL be dlsLracLed and/
or shy when LhaL person ls ln Lhe room 1hls ls exacLly Lhe klnd of slLuaLlon Leachers wlll geL beLLer
aL coplng wlLh once Lhey have goL used Lo belng observed wlLh Lechnlques llke uslng Lhe observer
as a classroom resource raLher Lhan [usL leLLlng Lhem slL Lhere lf Lhey can cope wlLh Lhls Lhe
observer should be able Lo glve Lhem especlally useful feedback due Lo already knowlng Lhe
sLudenLs lf lL ls a flrsL or second observaLlon ln Lhe school you mlghL wanL Lo avold Lhls slLuaLlon
by careful palrlng up of Leachers and schedullng of observaLlons