Making observation optional
As we approach the end of another academic year, we are thinking again about ways to strengthen our culture and practice for professional learning at school. With this in mind, I’d be grateful for any views on the below, or to hear from any other schools who already do this or something similar. We’ve worked hard to make lesson observation a positive experience over the last few years. Taking grading away felt risky at the time, but turned out to be an absolute nailed-on no-brainer. Thinking carefully about how to run lesson feedback , with a view to rooting the conversation in clarity and humility has helped us to make the process more collaborative and impactful. Explicitly dissociating lesson observation from appraisal or quality assurance has encouraged a healthier focus on development, and reduced stress. This year, we’ve experimented by retaining the same observer for each of the three observations we have over the year. We’ve organised observations in three loose cycles (o...