Supporting and mentoring teachers

Observation as a teacher development tool

Observation in mentoring

Observation can be one of the most useful means of successful mentoring. This can take place in
great variety of ways; from sitting with the mentee for the lesson, to observing part of the lesson, or
perhaps combining this with the mentee exploiting self-observation techniques. Further approaches
make use of video recording and, where the mentor is not working in the same place as the mentee,
for example if they are working at a branch in another city, sending or uploading the video recording
for feedback. The key factor enabling successful observation in mentoring is to make sure this is
completely detached from any observation for performance assessment, and to create trust,
transparency and honesty.

Who is observation for?

Newly qualified teachers Experienced teachers Teacher educators

Teachers who are newly qualified If teachers are already The range of possible
will need to gain experience in experienced, then engaging in observation areas increases
developmental observations on developmental observation will significantly at this level, for there
their lesson planning and build on their experience and are options to include
teaching and acting on feedback. provide further insight and observations of teaching
This will enhance their own awareness of both the learning students, training teachers,
selfawareness and insight into area and the learners delivering feedback, and also
their own teaching and their themselves. Such teachers may preparation and planning
learners, as well as encouraging also want to prepare for further sessions. Mentoring is also likely
more ideas and development of professional and career to include peer observations of
materials and resources. The development. In terms of the other colleagues at similar
process of observing and CPD Framework for teachers stages of development.
delivering feedback will also they could be supported in
develop the skills and moving from the stages of
professional practices of the awareness and understanding, to
mentor, and greater experience engagement and finally
will reinforce this. integration.

Knowledge and skills required

• As a minimum you should have the professional practices and enabling skills to teach.
• Your skills in observation and feedback should be commensurate with your teaching or
educator experience; including length of time, context and previous observation experience.
• Minimum professional standards as stipulated by the country you work in and the organisation
you work for.
• Knowledge and skills of observation and feedback methods and approaches required to
educate colleagues across a range of contexts, including the context you already work in.

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 • Familiarity with observation tools set out in the Teacher Educator Framework ‘monitoring
teacher potential and performance’.

How you develop

There are two key areas that build and develop the professional practice of mentoring through
observation: experience and reading and research.
Experience Reading and research

1. Build on experience in observing and being 1. Research the role of observation and
observed. mentoring in your own organisation.
2. Develop and practise varied feedback 2. Find out as much as possible from your own
techniques. colleagues about their own opinions and
3. Explore and experience varied methods and experiences of being observed.
approaches to observation, including face-to-face 3. Keep up-to-date with reading of periodicals
and remote models. which frequently discuss mentoring and
4. Enhance experience in the role of observation observation issues. Examples are the ‘TESOL
within a mentoring and developmental framework. Quarterly’, ‘Applied Linguistics’, ‘ELT Journal’,
5. Develop experience of observation as a ‘Applied Psycholinguistics’, ‘Second Language
continued programme within mentoring and Research’, and ‘Language Learning’.
development, contrasting this with 4. Explore further research through specialised
a single observation of one teacher for texts such as ‘Classroom Observation Tasks for
assessment purposes. Teachers and Trainers’.

Task
Read the statements below. Which of the six views do you think are most appropriate in the
developmental and mentoring contexts? What are the reasons for your choices?

Approaches to observation

The following statements reflect common but varied opinions on observation generally. These are not
just confined to observation within a mentoring programme but are nevertheless relevant and useful to
reflect on:

1. Observation helps to show where teachers need to improve. I point out their mistakes and tell them
how to improve. I think we need to be critical – otherwise how will they improve?

2. I identify what they did well and discuss what could be improved. I offer practical suggestions, but I
also encourage them to reflect and come up with their own ideas.

3. I use my greater experience and knowledge to help them to do better. I carry out follow-up
observations where I expect to see improvements.

4. I deconstruct the workshop and go through it section by section looking at what they could do better.
I do highlight what they did well, but it’s important to deal with what they did wrong.

5. I see observation as a way of supporting teachers’ continuing professional development. It should

be non-judgmental.

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 6. I like to point out things I’ve learnt from them. I divide feedback into: what went well; what needs
attention; what should be prioritised. Then I ask how they would like me to help them.

Commentary

Some of the language used in Approach 1 is rather critical, judgmental and authoritarian, i.e.
‘mistakes’ ‘I think we need to be critical’, ‘what they do wrong’ ‘my greater experience and knowledge’,
‘I expect to see improvements’. Contrast this with the comments in Approach 5: ‘it should be non-
judgmental’, ‘I encourage them to reflect and come up with their own ideas’, ‘I like to point out things I
have learnt from them.’

Think about the impact of the contrasting approaches. For example, in the first approach, is there a
tendency to look for the negative rather than the positive? Do some teachers or educators expect the
teacher being observed to be almost like copies of themselves? Negative feedback can not only have
a negative impact on confidence, it can also suppress ideas and creativity.

An approach which encourages critical reflection on performance, whilst at the same time supporting
and guiding them to research, explore and experiment with ideas, is more likely to enable them to
develop and improve.

This approach does not mean that problems or issues are ignored. It is important that we are able to
identify and understand where things did not go well. The observer can help by asking guiding
questions, encouraging them to reflect, and helping them explore different ways of resolving these.

Suggested reading

The impact of observation on teachers classroom behaviour:

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/biblio/teacher-appraisal-impact-observationteachers-
classroom-behaviour-0

Observations – why bother?

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/observations-why-bother

Mentor story: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/ninamk/mentor-story

Developing through CPD programmes:

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/sandymillin/sandy-millin-developingmyself-
others

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