Peer observation!

A low-key way to create more enlightened teachers

I have been thinking a lot about how to disseminate what it is that enlightened teachers do. A promising way is through peer observation, with the observer as learner.  With so few enlightened teachers in place, around 5% of all teachers, then the logical next step is to take short video clips of them in action so that the observations can be done asynchronously and, ideally, in facilitated small groups.

We have a good basis for an observation protocol, which can be refined over time.

The facilitator for such a group would be an enlightened teacher, following a facilitation process to help the observers understand what they are seeing, the effect it is having on students, and to discuss what would it take for each of them to incorporate something new into their own practice.

I imagine that such a process would work by small cohorts, may be ten at a time.  The first cohort being made up of those staff who, once they know what is possible, have the motivation and self-belief to adopt new practices quickly and effectively.

Introducing a new cohort at the beginning of a term and, given the typical size of a secondary school and turnover of staff, would mean that this would be about a five-year program.  Student engagement would be continuously improving over this time and would give those teachers who are reluctant to change, the time and space to prepare and plenty of opportunity to see how colleagues’ wellbeing and general satisfaction with their work has improved as a consequence of slowly changing their practice.

This need not be disruptive, it is an opt in, volunteer, low-key program which will likely generate several passionate champions to maintain the program alive and relevant as it unfolds over time.

And of course, students will have a say in this, once they know what is happening, they will militate for more enlightened teachers.

Thus we gradually leave Behaviourism in the rear view mirror.

John Corrigan is an expert in helping individuals to bring their whole of mind to their daily life and increase their effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around them. This expertise scales from the individual to the team to the organisation.  At the core of this work is the concept and practice of providing psychological safety and unfeigned lover through operating from the Constructive Mutualist rather than the Behaviourist paradigm.  Earlier blogs can be found here.