Throughout my ten years as a teacher and during my teacher training experiences
I have been both observer and observed. Most recently, as a Chief Instructor
at Simul Academy, I have had to observe five to six teachers each term as
part of our in-house teacher development program. During this time, I have
become much more aware of how my own past observation experiences, postgraduate
studies, and gradually evolving beliefs about teaching have had a major
influence on my present non-judgmental approach to classroom observation.
Why take a non-judgmental approach to observation?
For many teachers "observation" is synonomous with "evaluation
and is regarded as being judgmental and threatening in nature (Wajnryb,
1992; Richards and Nunan, 1990; Cosh, 1999). This is probably because evaluative
observation was an integral part of their own training. While learning how
to teach, they were observed by trainers and judgments were made as to whether
they were competent to be certified as a professional teacher. For others,
evaluative observation has been part of their work experience, in which
judgments about their teaching by those in supervisory positions may have
been directly related to pay rates, financial bonuses, contract renewals
and promotions. At the same time, this limited view of the purpose of observation
is also common among supervisors. Their reasons for seeing observation as
an evaluative tool may be due to institutional pressures, their own previous
experience or because it provides them with an opportunity to justify their
own existence.
Observation then, tends to exist solely within a hierarchical supervisor-teacher
framework. It is the job of the supervisor to observe a lesson, make decisions
about what is good or bad and then proceed to teach the teacher about teaching,
so that she will do a better job in the future. The teacher's role is to
act on the recommendations, criticism and advice handed down and thus become
a "better" teacher. During the observation "feedback session"
the teacher's role is exssentialy passive (Cosh, 1999). She may disagree
or question what has been said, but rarely feels comfortable doing so and
is often given little real opportunity to do so. When the session is over
they may leave feeling resentful, frustrated, or with their confidence having
taken a severe bruising. These feelings are unlikely to encourage professional
growth. Even if the observation results in a positive evaluation, the teacher
often gets nothing more out of it than a pat on the back for having achieved
the desired state of "teacher-hood" required by the institution
or supervisor. There is no mutual exchange of ideas, no discussion of issues
and no generation of alternatives that could lead to professional development.
This is all well and good if one believes that there is some ultimate
state of "teacher-hood" that can be achieved: a state which then
qualifies one professional to tell another how to do a better job. As far
as I am concerned, however, no such state exists, and as in most professions,
there are a number of reasons why people reach supervisory positions: through
higher qualifications, length of service, political machinations, the simple
fact that no one else wanted the job, or a combination thereof. In drawing
attention to this, I mean no disrespect to others in similar positions.
All of these reasons reflect the realities of the world of work and I myself,
in my present position, am also a product of those realities. However, none
of these reasons qualify the observer, whether supervisor or peer, to be
judgmental about other teachers. We cannot say that we know better;
the most we can say is that we know differently.
I believe that the only reason for teachers to observe each other and
to talk about observations is to learn more about teaching and about ourselves
as teachers. The emphasis placed on observation as an evaluative tool within
a hierarchical supervisor-teacher framework seems to me the antithesis of
this goal. In my experience, when something is imposed on me by a person
or institution that is when I am most likely to reject it and to question
why I should respect them. I know that I am not alone in reacting in this
way: it is a very natural human reaction. Yet such implied imposition is
the basis of the more traditional forms of observation. The observer is
automatically placed in a position of authority and frequently falls into
the trap of telling the teacher observed what to do. Furthermore,
the hierarchical framework by its very nature also encourages an emphasis
on the negative rather than a mutual exchange of ideas.
A non-judgmental approach, on the other hand, makes the ultimate goal
of observation the creation of an environment where this traditional hierarchical
supervisor-teacher relationship is redefined. This is important for the
following reasons:
- There is no one single best teaching method.
- We all have ideas and opinions about teaching which are valuable.
- Teachers need to talk more about teaching to make our ideas more explicit
and to be sure that we are all talking about the same things. - In order to develop we need to see things from different perspectives
and consider various causes and consequences for our teaching actions (Fanselow,
1987, 1992; Ellis, 1994 ).
Since there is no one best way to teach, none of us can claim that we
know best. Since there is no ultimate state of "teacher-hood,"
then the potential for development is unlimited for both observer and observed.
What does it mean to take a non-judgmental approach to observation?
The definition of the word "judgmental" here is key. As human
beings we are automatically judgmental by nature, yet most of us are aware
that there are also times when it is necessary to suspend judgment. This
is what taking a non-judgmental approach to observation is all about. Any
time I observe, I am constantly making judgements, although often not on
a conscious level. These judgments influence what notes I take while observing,
both what I write down and why I write it down. I often catch myself scribbling
judgmental comments - and even if I am not writing them down, I am certainly
thinking them as I watch.
In order to be non-judgmental in the feedback discussion with the teacher
whose lesson I have observed, I first have to go through a process of editing.
This ensures that I suspend judgement and that feedback is carried out in
a non-judgmental way. My notes are divided into three sections: observations,
questions, and comments/suggestions, which are then typed up and given to
the teacher to look over and reflect on before we meet. During the editing
process I try to choose language which is as neutral and as non-confrontational
as possible. By rephrasing my own notes in such a way, I hope that the hierarchical
supervisor-teacher relationship can be redefined and that we will enter
into our discussion on a more equal footing. If I did not edit my notes,
I would be prone to making snap judgments about what I had seen and imposing
my values and beliefs about teaching and teachers, without due consideration
for my colleague.
Observing myself as a non-judgmental observer
As someone in a supervisory position, I have found my attempts at non-judgmental
observation to be very rewarding. The observations and consequent discussions
have helped me keep in touch with what is actually happening in the
classroom and ensure that my other administrative duties do not distance
me from teaching, which is a real danger for those of us in supervisory
positions. I have also learned to be more open-minded about different approaches
to teaching. Often during observations I have seen teachers try techniques
which I had previously read or heard about, but dismissed as not "my
kind of thing" or as having little value. Seeing them in practice has
given me a different perspective and led me to question previous biases
and prejudices. I have come to realize how important an individual teacher's
personality and relationship with a particular group of students is in influencing
what happens in a class. I have also been able to expand my own horizons
as a teacher and take techniques I have seen from classes I have observed
into my own classroom. My observations have also given me more ideas to
share with other teachers I observe.
In other words, I am learning how to talk about teaching in a productive
way, in a way that challenges my own beliefs and ideas as a teacher and
those of the people I observe without being negative, overly critical or
confrontational. Perhaps I could have learned some of these strategies through
a more traditional approach to observation. However, it is my belief that
what has made these lessons meaningful and lasting for me is that they arise
out of extended and enthusiastic discussion in a non-judgmental atmosphere.
It is the give and take of ideas, the consideration of alternatives and
the process of questioning that has truly made being a non-judgmental observer
a learning experience.
The impact of non-judgmental observation.
For many of the teachers I have observed, my approach has helped them
to reflect more deeply on teaching actions that are unconscious or have
simply become part of their repertoire. My observations, questions, comments
and suggestions have prompted them to consider alternative interpretations
of how they interact with students, which has encouraged them to think more
about their teaching and themselves as teachers from their students' point
of view as well as their own. As a result, they have questioned assumptions
about their students that for a long time have influenced what they do in
the classroom, and often have realized how these unfounded assumptions have
at times contributed to what they have thought of as failures or problems
in the classroom. In other situations, they have come to see how something
they thought went disastrously wrong actually had some positive outcomes,
even if these were not what was originally intended. Most importantly, a
non-judgmental approach has meant that teachers' confidence in their own
effectiveness has been increased and that an atmosphere of mutual respect
has been built up. This allows us to move on together as concerned professionals
who feel comfortable discussing teachers and teaching as equals and not
within the constraints of a hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship.
The benefits of a non-judgmental approach for teachers also means benefits
for the institution. The creation of an atmosphere conducive to ongoing
professional development is more likely to encourage higher levels of commitment
to the students and the program. As teachers develop, there are corresponding
opportunities for the program and its materials to develop based on real
teaching- and student- related criteria rather than simply on the intuitions
of supervisors or administrators.
Some problems with taking a non-judgmental approach.
Taking a non-judgmental approach to observation has not been without
its problems. I have conducted observation feedback sessions with teachers
who clearly expected me to pass judgment on their teaching and to tell
them what to do to become better teachers. My coping mechanism so far has
been to compromise and give explicit advice, while also talking about my
own related teaching experiences. I question myself and my teaching
as we discuss, hoping that I can act as a role model for the person I have
observed. I have also been in situations where the teacher I observed obviously
felt that she had reached the mythical ultimate state of "teacher-hood"
or for some other reason could not see any point in taking part in the kind
of discussion I was proposing. With these people, too, I have tried to present
myself as a role model, constantly drawing from my own experiences as observer
and observed in a non-judgmental context to illustrate the benefits to my
own teaching. Restating the goals for non-judgmental observation is another
strategy I have called on. I have also had to deal with people who have
taken a defensive stand and who have seemed intent on confrontation from
the outset. Here again I have repeated the goals for non-judgmental observation,
while also engaging in discussion of previous observation experiences to
try to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, without so far being able to
observe the same teachers over an extended period I do not know how effective
these attempts have been.
Yet another difficult issue has been trying to convince those involved
in management that observations carried out for professional development
purposes should not be used as evaluative tools when it comes to bonuses,
promotions and contract renewals. All of these situations suggest that there
first needs to be much more dialogue among supervisors and managers as to
our purposes for observation and our expectations of observation. Since
teachers themselves are rarely, if at all, in the position to request that
they be observed in a non-judgmental way, the impetus towards implementing
a non-judgmental approach in any institution can only come from us.
Certainly, for me, these on-going misunderstandings prove that it is
not enough for a single observer to simply propose and try a new approach.
However, it is one step on the road to the above-mentioned ultimate goal
of a non-judgmental approach to observation: the creation of an environment
where the traditional hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship is redefined
through the practice of helping others learn how to be non-judgmental observers
themselves. Only then can observer and observed participate in productive
non-judgmental discussions that they, their students, their program and
their institution can benefit from.
References
Cosh, J. (1999). Peer observation: a reflective model.
ELT Journal, 53 (1), 22-27
Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press
Fanselow, J. (1987). Breaking rules - Generating and
exploring alternatives in language teaching. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Fanselow, J. (1992). Contrasting Conversations: Activities
for Exploring our Beliefs and Teaching Practices. White Plains, NY:
Longman.
Richards, J.C., & Nunan, D. (1990) Second Language
Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom Observation Tasks.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press