Using Lesson Observation to Improve Learning: Practical Strategies for FE and Post-16 Tutors (Further Education) - Softcover

Sharrock, Terry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1912096390 ISBN 13: 9781912096398

Publisher: Routledge, 2019

Synopsis

This book focuses on the most common areas for improvement in teaching, learning and assessment that are regularly identified in lesson observations, including beginning and ending lessons, differentiation, assessment for learning, giving feedback and effective questioning. Many of the observations about these key topics are not fully understood by teachers, who remain unclear about what can they can do to improve.

Specifically written for use within vocational contexts, Sharrock helps you to fully understand these common areas for improvement, unpicks what good and poor practice might look like, and provides practical activities and strategies for you to use and adapt in your teaching. It therefore addresses the strong government drive to improve standards and the need to help FE colleges and other post-16 providers achieve this aim.

About this title

About the Author

A qualified teacher and Ofsted inspector, Terry Sharrock has worked in education for 30 years, both in this country and the USA. Terry was a coach and cohort leader on the National Teaching and Learning Change programme, designed to improve teaching, learning and assessment in a number of contexts. He runs his own successful educational consultancy and regularly carries out observations of teaching and learning for a range of providers, as well as staff training on related topics.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Using Lesson Observation to Improve Learning

Practical Strategies for FE and Post-16 Tutors

By Terry Sharrock

Critical Publishing Ltd

Copyright © 2019 Terry Sharrock
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-912096-39-8

Contents

Meet the author, vi, 
Introduction, 1, 
Chapter 1 Lesson observations, 6, 
Chapter 2 Beginning and ending lessons, 13, 
Chapter 3 Differentiation, 26, 
Chapter 4 Assessment for learning, 40, 
Chapter 5 Giving feedback, 52, 
Chapter 6 Effective questioning, 63, 
Chapter 7 Embedding English and maths, 75, 
Chapter 8 Promoting equality and diversity, 87, 
Chapter 9 Promoting British values, 101, 
Appendix 1: Teacher reflective journal, 115, 
Appendix 2: Find the words starter activity, 116, 
Appendix 3: Commentary on case study 1, Chapter 3, 120, 
Index, 123, 

CHAPTER 1

Lesson observations

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1989), Stephen Covey gave the above advice about communication. I would argue it applies equally when observing teachers. First, question teachers to understand why they do what they do, before seeking to help them understand the judgements you make about their teaching.

Chapters 2 to 9 look in detail at different aspects of teaching and learning, including differentiation and the use of questioning, but this chapter looks at lesson observation and considers key factors around teaching and learning observations. It considers:

* what makes a good observation of the teaching and learning process;

* the purpose of observation;

* the advantages and disadvantages of graded and ungraded lessons;

* writing reports;

* post-observation discussion;

* how to prepare for observation.

What makes a good observation of the teaching and learning process?

If you could re-design your observation of the process, there are a number of factors that you would want to include. Ensure that you do the following.

* Involve staff in the design or planning of the system and ask them what they would like to achieve from lesson observations.

* Avoid long checklists of things that must be observed. Be aware that it is unlikely that one lesson will contain all elements of observation, such as embedding of English and maths, equality and diversity and promotion of British values. If there are no naturally occurring opportunities, find out how these are promoted throughout the course of study.

* Be flexible and judge each learning session on its own merit. Avoid strict rules on what is required for each grade. For example, an outstanding session might have no maths or British values embedded in the lesson.

* Talk to learners and ask them questions about what they are learning. Make your judgements based on how each learner is involved and enthused by the experience. Don't assume that if a learner doesn't speak that they are not learning.

* Avoid phrases like 'Personally I wouldn't have done it that way', 'What you should have done was ...' and 'In my class I always ...' It is not your job as an observer to say how you would have done it. Your job is to judge the amount of learning that has taken place. How do you know that your approach would work with these learners in this situation?

Think about how you can improve the experience for every individual and ensure that each student makes the most of their learning potential. Can you get to a position where staff are involved in designing the process and feel comfortable about having anyone come into lessons in an atmosphere of open exchange of ideas and experimentation?

The purpose of lesson observations

When I am called in to providers to carry out observations, one of the first questions I ask is: 'Why are you carrying out observations?' It's an apparently simple question but one that you need to know the answer to if you wish to achieve the purpose of the observation process. The reasons for carrying out lesson observation are:

* to monitor the quality of teaching and learning;

* to improve the quality of teaching and learning;

* to help with the development of staff.

Let's look at each of these in turn.

To monitor the quality of teaching and learning

This is useful for ensuring that all learners are receiving at least a reasonable experience of learning. It can also identify groups who are experiencing difficulties, perhaps caused by small numbers of learners disrupting the learning or where teachers are struggling to maintain a good learning atmosphere. This is about checking and maintaining a good standard of quality. Lesson observations, which might only be once a year, should not be the only way of monitoring this quality. Regular learning walks and open communication between staff should also be a key feature of the process.

To improve the quality of teaching and learning

This moves on from monitoring quality, to identifying areas where learning can improve. Lesson observations on their own will not be enough to ensure improvement but they can be an important part of the process. Used well, lesson observations can be opportunities for staff to try out new ideas and learn from each other. Unfortunately, current practice makes this very difficult when staff are afraid of judgements (whether they are graded or not), and too often see observation as a hoop to jump through, rather than an opportunity to discuss practice.

To help with the development of staff

If lesson observation is restricted to observing once a year, then a real opportunity to develop staff and improve teaching and learning has been missed. Increasingly, providers are finding ways for teachers to work together with frequent 'learning walks' or opportunities to sit in on each other's sessions and learn from each other. In this way, teachers can be more involved in the process and manage their own development.

Graded or ungraded observations?

It is very difficult to assess how much learning has taken place in any lesson, but that is what observers are asked to do. It seems unfair and arbitrary to make a decision on the amount of progress made by learners by sitting in the lesson and watching. Everybody involved from quality managers, senior managers, to observers and the observed have to recognise the flaws in the system and work together to decide how best the observation process can be used to fulfil its primary aim – to improve the learning experience for every individual.

Observation systems need to recognise the stress and pressurised nature of the observation process. Too often the observer is keen to tell the teacher the areas for improvement in the lesson. This promotes a 'parent–child' interaction where the observer is the expert telling the teacher how they could improve. This is reinforced by the need to assign a grade to reflect the quality of the learning experience. Given the uncertain nature of judging learning, this seems a process fraught with danger.

In 2015 Ofsted moved away from grading individual lessons. Inspectors will observe as many lessons as possible and award an overall grade for the quality of teaching and learning for the provider. In 2013, the University and College Union (UCU) commissioned a survey of 4,000 teachers and found that:

* 75 per cent of teachers surveyed disagreed that graded observations helped them to improve as classroom practitioners;

* 85 per cent felt that graded observations were not an effective way to assess staff competence and performance;

* 77 per cent felt that ungraded observations were more effective in assessing staff performance and competence.

(O'Leary, 2013)

This survey showed a clear preference for ungraded observations and this is what Ofsted have moved to. However, many providers still apply grading to lessons in order to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, and at least partly to present evidence to Ofsted. This presents a dilemma, with many teachers unhappy about the grade they receive. Feedback requires careful handling and an approach which values the contribution of the teacher and looks at grading as a starting point for improvement. Asking teachers to decide on the focus of the observation would be a good starting point. Observees could be given a choice of what aspect of the lesson they would like feedback on. For example, they could ask for feedback on their use of questions, or explanation and management of group activities. In this way teachers can have a sense of ownership and feel that lesson observation is something that is done with them rather than to them. Through a clearly understood set of criteria, teachers can see where learning could be improved and be involved in action planning methods of improvement.

Writing observation reports

When observers provide written feedback to staff, they are tasked with making judgements, sometimes hastily and based on limited evidence. In most cases it would be more useful, before making a judgement, to record what you see and note your view, before discussing it with the teacher after the lesson. For example, you might note:

"In the opening activity one group was not engaged for 10 of the 15 minutes. Three members of the group were discussing something that happened last night."

This is a record of what you saw and can be followed up by noting questions for discussion afterwards such as, 'Why do you think Amir was not engaged in his group's discussion?' or 'I noticed that five of the fourteen students kept their coats on during the lesson. What is the college policy on this?' In this way, teachers have a chance to discuss the findings before any judgement is made. Reports should reflect the amount of and quality of learning that has taken place. They should clearly indicate what learners know by the end of the lesson and accurately record how each individual was involved, stretched and challenged during the learning experience.

Post-observation discussions

Post-observation discussion is one of the most important features of lesson observations but one that is often not given enough attention. Sometimes it is squeezed into the 15-minute break when the teacher should be having a well-earned rest. Sometimes there is not even that much time and discussion becomes the observer telling the teacher the strengths and areas for improvement, without much time for discussion.

Feedback, particularly where the observer has to award a grade, can be a difficult process. The effect of awarding a grade can be pivotal in deciding whether post-observation discussions are useful or confrontational. On a number of occasions, I have carried out post-observation discussions where the observee has engaged fully in the debate and we have talked enthusiastically about the learning. However, as soon as a grade is mentioned, if it is not the one that the observee was expecting, the conversation shuts down and the observee adopts a defensive stance and feels the need to justify their decisions in the lesson. The discussion becomes less productive and deteriorates into comment and counter-comment, which doesn't benefit anyone. The observation process should be a two-way activity and should always be productive in improving teaching and learning. In starting your verbal feedback, I recommend avoiding the standard 'How do you think it went?' question. In my opinion you only ask this question when you already know the answer. It also gives the teacher the opportunity to say 'I think it went really well', when the observer's viewpoint is very different! Focus the discussion on learners and learning within the session. A good opening question might be, 'Tell me about your learners?' This will start the conversation with a focus on the learners and shows the teacher that you are interested in the learning process and how well learners are developing skills. Make the focus of the questions less about the teacher's actions and more about the learners' reaction. This will keep the focus on the learning and off the teacher performance.

How to prepare for lesson observations

Ideally, teachers should be happy for observers to come into any lesson. If what you are doing every lesson is addressing individual needs and ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to learn, then this is what observers should see. However, this is rarely the case. Teachers will usually get some form of notice that observations are taking place, perhaps in a window of a one-or two-week period. In an observation period, teachers are more conscious of preparing for lesson observations. When you know that you are being observed, use the following checklist.

* Ensure there is a clear lesson plan with learning outcomes that are explained and shared with learners.

* All learning materials and presentations should be free of spelling and grammar errors. If you spot one during the lesson, use it as a learning experience and ask learners if they can spot the error in the material.

* If you encounter disciplinary issues or learners make inappropriate comments, don't panic. Stay calm. Acknowledge that you have noted the comment or behaviour and make a judgement whether you want to deal with it straight away or note it and deal with it later.

* If there is a malfunction with your IT, don't panic. Remember it is not the malfunction that is the issue but how you react to it. Ensure that any IT that doesn't work doesn't interfere with learning time. Decide how much time you want to spend trying to get the IT to work. Make sure it is no more than a few minutes. If it doesn't work, change the plan and do something else.

Summary (What should I do next?)

* Think about the purpose of lesson observations and make sure that whatever system you use is effective in meeting that purpose.

* Decide on graded or ungraded lesson observations. Whatever you decide, make sure it is a positive system that encourages teachers.

* In writing reports, focus on learning and the impact on learning. Whether as an observer or a teacher, judge the effectiveness of what you do on how well it contributes to the learning experience of every learner.

* In post-observation feedback, view the discussion as between two equals, rather than a teller and a listener. As an observer, show that you are interested in learners and learning rather than what the teacher is doing.

* Prepare for lesson observations but remember the best preparation is to make the good habit of teaching and learning part of your everyday teaching.

CHAPTER 2

Beginning and ending lessons

Introduction

It should go without saying that beginnings and endings are crucial parts of any lesson. Setting out what is to come and summarising what has happened are the foundations of making learning memorable and effective. So why do so many lessons start with learners wandering in and chatting while the teacher takes the register or sorts out some last-minute resources? And why do so many lessons end with a hurried recap of what was done and the teacher giving instructions for the next lesson with learners putting their coats on or walking out of the door? Think about the beginnings and endings of your lessons and assess how effective you think they are.

In planning your lesson, how much do you think about how you are going to share the learning intentions (what you would like learners to learn in this lesson)? Ask yourself, am I simply reading these out or am I involving learners in understanding what it is we are going to explore together? If you read out the learning intentions, how are you ensuring that learners understand them and even have some opportunity to agree that that is what they want to learn today? Often learners are told the learning intentions. They are displayed, read out and followed up by asking, 'Any questions?' In many years of observing over hundreds of lessons I think I could count on the fingers of two hands how many times learners have actually asked any questions about the learning intentions of the lesson. See the activity below for ways to test understanding of the learning intentions.

There are, in my experience, few occasions where teachers check learners' understanding of learning intentions. It is as if simply telling learners what the objectives are is enough, and sometimes this seems to be done for the benefit of an observer rather than a genuine interest in invoking learning and getting learners involved in what will be explored in the session.

Before planning any lesson, ask yourself how you will test your learners' understanding of the learning intentions. For example, if you say that one of the learning intentions for a catering lesson is to 'describe the causes and effects of food contamination and food poisoning', how could you then test that learners understand what this is and what they should be able to do by the end of the session? How will you know if this intention has been achieved?

This chapter looks at why it is important to get any lesson off to a good start and to have a memorable and effective summary of learning. It explores a couple of examples that demonstrate effective and not so effective ways to start and end lessons, and finally looks at some practical ideas for you to try to vary the way you start and end lessons.

Starting your lesson

Consider the following four aspects of the start of a lesson.

1. Explaining the learning intentions

Vary the way in which you explain the learning intentions. You don't always have to do this at the start of the lesson. Experiment with how and when you explain the intentions. Try giving learners just the title of the session and asking them to create the learning intentions. Sometimes the explanation of the learning intentions seems to be done more for the benefit of an observer than the learners. Don't fall into this trap.

2. Keep it manageable

How many learning intentions might be expected in each session? Quite often we try to be too ambitious in the coverage of what we can achieve in one session. Think about whether it is better to master a few learning intentions, rather than list a number which might overwhelm or confuse learners.

3. Recap previous learning

Think of ways to recap the learning from previous sessions in order to show learners how what is to be learnt today is linked to past and future learning, and how it fits into the overall scheme of work.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Using Lesson Observation to Improve Learning by Terry Sharrock. Copyright © 2019 Terry Sharrock. Excerpted by permission of Critical Publishing Ltd.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1912096390
• ISBN 13: 9781912096398
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 132