Altering the "observation" paradigm
Here are four ways schools could get more out of teacher observations.
Originally published in the Moultrie News.
My son says his teacher is great when she’s being observed by the principal, but other days … not so much. So it seems like the observations aren’t working. How can principals make observations more effective?
Parents might wonder why this topic should matter to them. What difference does it make if an administrator regularly comes into a class to watch and evaluate a teacher?
It can matter a lot. Observations are a hot tool to improve instruction. Yet, as I wrote several months ago, their proliferation has had a stifling effect on teachers.
That might be tolerable if observations actually improved instruction. But as today’s question suggests, they haven’t — they’ve only inflated teachers’ efforts during the observation itself.
It makes sense. Everyone drives perfectly when there’s a cop behind them — but does it carry over when the cop’s gone? Not typically.
But rather than dumping the practice altogether, schools could explore more effective ways to use it for meaningful educational improvement. Here are four ideas to make that shift, each one ultimately benefiting your child:
1. Stop watching and start helping
What good is a general who sits beside a soldier, critiquing how he loads his rifle? We’re at war, chief! Grab a weapon and help us win!
Likewise, instead of sitting silently in the back, counting how many students respond to a question, principals could circulate and help students who seem lost. If a teacher is struggling with certain students’ behavior, the principal could pay close attention to those kids, correcting or encouraging them as needed.
That’s leadership by participation, not observation.
2. Make it clear teachers and principals are on the same team
When a principal walks in and the teacher suddenly acts differently, kids notice. To them, it signals that the teacher’s just a middle manager with no real power — the weaker half of a “mom and dad” duo they can play against each other.
That dynamic could shift if principals made it clear they’re not there to judge, but to support the teacher. Better yet, they could tell students they’re observing everyone — teachers and students — to make sure everyone’s doing their part.
It’s amazing how student behavior changes when they realize they’re also being evaluated.
3. Share the load
Let principals teach part of a lesson while the teacher observes. They were ostensibly good teachers once — allow them to show it.
Some principals forget what classroom life was like, shedding those memories faster than breakfast duty the moment they rise to their positions. Sharing the load would remind them how challenging it is to manage a classroom and teach a good lesson. It would keep their perspective grounded and help them lead by example.
And imagine how much richer post-observation conferences would be when both principal and teacher discuss what worked and what didn’t — from experience, not hypotheticals.
4. Let teachers observe principals
Studies consistently show that principals have a tremendous influence on teacher effectiveness. When principals support teachers, keep the focus on academics, and maintain orderly classrooms, teachers thrive. Unfortunately, some principals haven’t signed on to that plan.
So one idea given to me by a colleague is this: flip the script. Let teachers observe principals. Give teachers the chance to provide constructive feedback, not just grumble in the faculty lounge.
Imagine watching a principal lead a discipline meeting. A teacher might affirm: “That went great,” or offer: “It might help us manage students like this more effectively if you gave them detention instead of candy.”
The result would be principals gaining a clearer understanding of how to support teachers, while teachers gain insight into a principal’s daily challenges. This kind of collaboration strengthens principals, teachers, students, and the entire school community.
Of course, you can file these four ideas under science fiction. There are better odds of building a working time machine as long as education remains more focused on fixing teachers with trends than supporting them with innovations.
That’s a script we really need to flip.
Jody Stallings has been an award-winning teacher in Charleston since 1992 and is director of the Charleston Teacher Alliance. To submit a question, order his books, or follow him on social media, please visit JodyStallings.com.