Lesson observations turned on their head - the observer is now the observee.

Brief description of session and activities

With classroom observations traditionally focused on the appraisal or judgement of the observed, the end result can undermine teacher confidence and limit opportunities to foster reflective practice.  In an attempt to re-evaluate such assumptions, ELT teachers working on the Presessional course at the University of the Arts (UAL), opted for a model of peer observations to inform their level of self-awareness.

This talk will outline the stages the Presessional programme at UAL 2014 undertook to replace the traditional model of classroom observations with a model of critical self-reflective practice.  As classroom observations are a regular feature of the Presessional course, the ELT team were keen to remove the negative connotations often associated with classroom observations in favour of a more collaborative, independent reflective approach.  The talk will reveal how this strategy was discussed with staff and how consensus concerning peer observation was agreed upon.  

The logistics of organising the peer observations within a limited timeframe will be discussed and an overview of teacher responses will be shared.  Given that this approach proved to be a highly positive experience for all involved, steps to ensure it is replicated on subsequent Presessional courses will be discussed along with attempts to roll it out across the language centre.

Presessional Academic English Programme
Languages: Arts & Culture Programme

Will students be involved in the session? If so how?

No

What will participants take away from the session?

• A greater understanding of the value of peer observation 
• Strategies to begin the process of reflective practice 
• News ideas on how to implement peer observation 
• Ideas on how to evaluate peer observation