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Peer Observation: Improving teaching and learning through collaboration

Peer Observation: Improving teaching and learning through collaboration

By: 

£249.00

Phase: 

  • Primary
  • Secondary

ISBN: 

978-1-907927-11-9

: 

Jun 2012
Print

Deliver it yourself training

“It’s been the greatest mover in developing outstanding teaching in the school.”

Paul Stone, Headteacher, Kibworth CE Primary School

Peer Observation will help you promote the best possible teaching and learning across your school by enabling teachers and teaching assistants to work together to think about what they do, what works well, and what might work even better.

It enables staff to take ownership of self-development through an action research, coaching and mentoring approach by teaching peer coaching where the observer learns as much as the colleague being observed.  This resource will help staff make connections between their goals for developing pupils’ learning and your whole-school development and performance management agendas.

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Benefits

Peer Observation will enable teachers and teaching assistants to:

  • Review how well pupils learn by having a clear view of what happens in lessons
  • Create, act on and evaluate insights and trials in teaching and learning
  • Take ownership of how they will sustain and develop their teaching
  • Constantly look for new ways of meeting pupils’ needs to help them achieve their potential
  • Challenge themselves and each other to look at why things work or how they might be done differently
  • Develop trust using a two-way learning process and following a developmental agenda
  • Refresh their professional knowledge and skills within the context of the whole school development plan
  • Contribute to whole-school development by linking it to their teaching and learning goals
  • Benefit from  a culture of reflection, experimentation and sharing of ideas.

Why buy an Optimus Education DIY Training resource?

Peer Observation: Improving teaching and learning through collaboration is part of the Optimus Education D-I-Y (deliver it yourself) training portfolio. Our D-I-Y training packages provide:

  • value for money – training sessions can be delivered multiple times to different groups of staff
  • comprehensive training materials – detailed training plans, presentations, handouts and a variety of practical activities to engage participants are all provided in the package
  • flexibility – training sessions can be customised with case studies, questions or exercises which are specific to your school’s needs
  • excellent quality – the training materials have been written by experienced trainers with expertise in the topic area; you benefit from their knowledge and guidance
  • measurable outcomes – each package includes ways to monitor effectiveness and learning outcomes.

 

Summary of contents

Peer Observation enables staff to take ownership of their development through five training sessions which teach effective observation and feedback that helps them review pupils’ learning and decide how to sustain and develop their teaching.

  • Encourage a developmental agenda in your school
  • Build trusting relationships through two-way coaching
  • Develop a culture of reflection, experimentation and sharing
  • Promote excellent teaching and learning

Session Breakdown

Training Session 1 – Why use peer observation? How will you use it?

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explore how using peer observation can make a positive difference to pupils’ learning
  • Link chosen focuses for this continuing professional development (CPD) with performance management and whole-school development
  • Decide who will work with whom, on what focuses and for what reasons
  • Discuss feelings associated with observing and being observed by colleagues
  • Consider different approaches to peer observation, and what might suit you
  • Explore ideas towards a protocol for peer observations

Training Session 2 – Planning peer observation

Learning Outcomes:

  • Build on ideas expressed in Training session 1 and confirm the model of peer observation chosen
  • Draft the protocol for peer observations
  • Decide what you want your colleagues to look for, and how to record it
  • Make arrangements for your planning meeting
  • Explore ways of approaching pre observation meetings

Training Session 3 – Giving and receiving feedback

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explore what useful feedback focuses on and how feedback is usefully carried out
  • Check progress with your pre-observation meeting
  • Discuss arrangements for the observation
  • Develop the protocol for peer observations, to include giving and receiving feedback

Training Session 4 – Next steps

Learning Outcomes:

  • Review how lesson observations and feedbacks have gone
  • Consider how lesson observations can affect and be affected by other forms of CPD, quality assurance and developments
  • Consider how to continue using lesson observations and ways of developing peer observation further

Training Session 5 – Evaluating

Learning Outcomes:

  • Reflect on changes made to teaching and learning as a consequence of carrying out peer observations
  • Consider how best to share with others what is learned from peer observations

About the expert

John Blanchard provides independent consultancy, research, evaluation, coaching and mentoring for schools, local authorities and higher education institutions. John contributes to school-centred initial teacher training, accredited continuing professional development and master’s courses and is an Open University Level 2 course tutor.  Previously, John taught secondary English and modern foreign languages in Germany, London, Yorkshire, and Cambridgeshire. He became an advisory teacher, then an adviser, latterly responsible for assessment across all phases.

Details

  • A4 Ringbinder, c. 80 pages
  • DVD-ROM containing PowerPoint presentations and accompanying resources

Sample material

Choosing a focus
Teacher comments about feedback
Secondary school case study