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June 2003
Teacher Observation at Two Massachusetts ABE Programs
Thank you to the International Language Institute of Northampton, Massachusetts and the
Mount Wachusett Community College Adult Basic Education Program of Massachusetts
for their generosity in sharing their insights on teacher observation. Both programs have
developed unique processes that address the specific circumstances of their individual
programs; both have used other programs tools and processes as inspiration, but have
either created unique tools and processes to use in their own programs or have adapted
existing tools and cited the source of their inspiration. They ask
that you do the same.
The first lesson to be learned from these two programs is that creating an observation
process and tools is work — it requires time, knowledge of your program's mission,
structure, staff, processes and resources, particularly staff time available for
implementing the process and using the tools! Developing a process for teacher
observation and the tools that go along with it is only part of the work implementing it,
evaluating it and revising are equally important.
Teacher Observation at the International Language Institute
The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) is a private, non-profit
language school located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school offers free English
classes, services for immigrants and refugees and an international intensive English
program. It also provides the language program at Hampshire College in Amherst,
delivers various state and federally funded programs, and teaches world languages
including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). In collaboration with Vermont's
School for International Training, ILI runs a 130-hour teacher training TESOL Certificate
program 4 times a year. ILI has been operating since 1984 and is accredited by the
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. It is affiliated with Partners
for Community (PfC), a management services organization delivering human services to
individuals and families across Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire.
ILI has a well-established process for teacher supervision, evaluation and support that has
been shaped over the years as the program has matured. Classroom observation is the
keystone of the ILI process. ILI's priority for teacher observations is on staff
development, although observations also play a role in teacher evaluations due to the
small size of the program.
Clear About Expectations
The first and most fundamental aspect of the ILI process is clarity about expectations for
performance. Job descriptions are reviewed and up-dated regularly and teachers are
aware of the process of supervision, evaluation and support.
The Observation Process
Teacher observation for new teachers (teaching at ILI less than 1 year) is conducted more
than annually, for teachers whose tenure is between 1 and 3 years, observations are
conducted once each semester. For teachers who've been teaching at ILI for more than 3
years observations are done annually.
Pre-observation Conference
The observation of a teacher comprises three aspects: pre-observation conference,
observation visit and post-observation conference. At the pre-conference, the
expectations and focus of the observation are refined through dialogue between the
teacher to be observed and the observer. Ideally this is a time for the teacher to identify
things that they would like to have the observer pay special attention to. This might, for
example, include teacher talk, activity stretching, vocabulary recycling, etc. Observations
are conducted by either the Program Director or the Executive Director, both of whom
have extensive teaching and teacher training experience.
At the pre-observation conference, agreement is made about when the observation will be
scheduled as well as when the post-observation conference will be held. Scheduling the
post-observation conference to happen in close proximity to the observation is critical -
teachers want immediate feedback and everyone benefits from a quick turnaround.
Observation Visit
Observation visits are usually one hour, give or take, but are never the entire class. During
the observation, the observing staff person uses an observation form. This observation
form was developed for the SIT TESOL Certificate Program.
This form allows the observer to:
- cite the time of a specific classroom interaction,
- describe that interaction, and
- offer observations: comments, questions, ways to alter/improve/refine.
ILI puts a high premium on teacher involvement in the observation process and so
observing staff make a commitment to frame some of their observations as questions.
Using the question format, allows teachers to more easily engage in brainstorming and
innovating around the issues and dilemmas they face in their teaching.
Some examples of questions that might get raised by an observer:
- How could you have stretched this activity to include the other skill areas?
- Was everyone involved in this activity? If not, what could you have done to include the other students?
- Did everyone understand this grammar point? How do you know they understood it?
- What was the objective of this activity? Was it met/achieved?
Observers also use the "comments" column to note things like:
- aspects of an activity that went well,
- teacher responses or comments that were right on target,
- student responses to activities that might not have been easily noticed by the teacher,
- additional ways to shape/stretch an activity.
Since at ILI the observations are also an aspect of teacher evaluation, when appropriate
the observer will note gaps and difficulties that need to be resolved. In these instances,
the Observation form will serve as a written record of an area that requires addressing by
the teacher.
Post-Observation Conference
Following the observation, the observing staff person photocopies the Observation form
and shares it with the staff person who was observed. ILI knows that immediate
feedback is the most valuable thing for teachers. Teachers get the Observation form prior
to the post-observation conference meeting so that they can reflect on it before discussing it.
At the post-observation conference the teacher and the observer discuss the observation,
using the questions and comments on the Observation form to guide the conversation.
ILI has found that the question format keeps the teacher actively engaged with improving
their teaching, rather than more passively listening to advice on how they can improve.
The outcome of the post-observation conference discussion is an agreement on what the
teacher will do to improve their teaching. In instances where there are specific aspects of
teaching that need to be remediated, agreement will be made about the timeframe and a
follow up conference will be scheduled. In instances where teachers are performing
adequately, or more than adequately, agreement will be made about what professional
development the teacher will seek in the period between the post-observation conference
and the next observation.
Observation as an Aspect of the Overall Process of Supervision, Evaluation and Support
ILI teachers have a comprehensive annual review which links all other supervision,
evaluation and support activities and processes. Teachers keep portfolios of their work
and are expected to include the following in their portfolio (and bring these items to their
review):
- observation forms from all of the observations conducted in that year
- updated resume (good for grant applications)
- staff development goals and action plans (ILI uses the form from the SABES Staff and Program Development Process)
- copies of student evaluations that were beneficial to the teacher (These student
evaluations are completed by all students at the end of every course.)
- copies of originally developed curriculum
- other items that demonstrate the teacher's growth
The lead up to the annual review is the completion and sharing of the ILI Annual
Review Form (filled out by the Executive Director or the Program Director) and
Questions for Annual Review (filled out by the staff person). These two documents are
shared before the review so that there aren't any surprises during the annual review.
At the annual review, the teacher brings all of the portfolio items listed above.
Discussion focuses on the materials in the teacher's portfolio as well as the answers the
teacher provided for the `Questions for Annual Review' and the job performance of the
teacher (with reference to the observation, professional demeanor, paperwork and team
spirit). Notes taken at the annual review along with the teacher's portfolio are kept until
the following annual review meeting. If there are any critical issues brought up during
the annual review, they are addressed in a follow-up meeting that is held within two
weeks of the annual review meeting.
Advice to Peers
ILI's Program Director, Caroline Gear, serves as one of the co-facilitators of the SABES
"Rethinking Supervision" course. Her advice is grounded not only in ILI's experience,
but that of many programs she's worked with over the years. Number one, she says, is
have experienced teachers conduct the observation. "The observation process detailed
above will not work unless the observer has extensive classroom experience."
Number two, teacher reflection is essential. "Allowing teachers to have time to reflect on
questions that the observer poses allows them to come up with answers rather than
relying on the observer for the answers. I try and put a photocopy of the observation
sheet in the teacher's box immediately after the observation. This allows teachers to get
immediate feedback on the class and gives teachers ample opportunity to reflect on the
questions and comments before the post-observation conference."
Number three, have the emphasis of the observation be on staff and program
development rather than on evaluation. Teacher improvement is key. As Caroline put it,
"Don't bombard teachers with all that could be improved - be judicious in sharing
positive feedback and comments on what could be improved.
Number four, build slowly to a process. "If you are starting out and looking for an
supervision, support and evaluation process, I suggest that you begin slowly and work on
the observation piece first. Developing (and then implementing) a process is time
consuming, but the more time you put into the observation piece, the better off your
program, teachers and learners will be."
For more information about the International Institute, see their website:
www.languageschoolusa.org
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Teacher Observation at the Mount Wachusetts Community College ABE Program
The Mount Wachusetts Community College ABE Program is a multi-site ABE, GED and
ESOL program. The program has sites in Ayer, Devens, Gardner, Leominster, Fitchburg,
and Winchendon and runs morning, afternoon and evening classes. The majority of staff
are part-time teachers.
The MWCC ABE program has recently developed and tested a new teacher supervision
and evaluation process that is substantially connected to existing program and staff
development efforts. This coming year, MWCC ABE staff will evaluate the process and
make refinements. It is a friendly approach that includes one annual formal observation
and at least one informal observation each year.
Begin with Clear Expectations
At the beginning of the year, MWCC ABE are given the MWCC ABE Program
Instructional Expectation sheet. This document outlines the
institutional expectations for lesson content, classroom climate, instruction, and
assessment and communication. The MWCC ABE program's commitment is to
continual program and staff improvement. Clear expectations afford staff the opportunity
to self-assess and pursue professional development. In addition, clear institutional
priorities, laid out in advance enable staff to begin dialogues with each other and with the
administration regarding what these expectations look like in action. Such a dialogue is
invaluable for creating unity in understanding across teaching and administrative staff.
The Observation Process
MWCC ABE Program has instituted two forms of observation: an annual formal
observation at which the Program Director and Curriculum/Program Development
Coordinator are present in the classroom and an informal, or "walk-through" evaluation,
conducted at least once during the year by the site director. The walk-through occurs
prior to the formal observation.
Informal Observation
The purpose of the walk-through is four-fold, to:
- promote the positive
- create a climate of comfort around observation,
- increase supervisory staff's familiarity with classroom practice, and
- alert supervisory staff to any issues that need addressing ahead of the formal evaluation process.
The walk-throughs are just that: 10 - 15 minutes visits during which the site coordinator
notes the date, the class they observed and makes positive comments. The form is
immediately put into the mailbox of the staff member who was observed. Upon receipt,
the staff reviews the form, has the opportunity to respond to the comments made, and
returns the form having signed and dated it.
While the point of the informal observation is primarily to promote the positive and to
affirm the teacher's expertise, in cases where site coordinators observe problematic
practice, these walk throughs provide a heads up that allows issues to be addressed prior
to the formal observation.
Formal Observation
Formal observations happen once per year. The appointments are set up in advance with
the teacher and are scheduled at the teacher's convenience. Both the Program Director
and the Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator visit the class, generally staying
for one hour of a three-hour class.
Prior to the formal observation visit, the staff member is asked to generate a list of
questions they'd like the observers to attend to during the visit. The role of the observers
is to focus both on the questions staff raised, as well as on commenting on what they see
during their visit. MWCC ABE Program uses an observation form that has three
columns, one to note the time, one to note the step in the lesson and one to note
comments. MWCC ABE's philosophy is to support teachers to
improve, so comments are positive, constructive and challenging.
Post-Observation Meeting
Following the observation visit, the observed teacher, the site coordinator, the program
director and the Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator meet together to follow
up on the visit. Unlike some observation processes, at MWCC ABE Program the
meeting is not solely about the observation but covers the teacher's annual evaluation and
discussion of program and staff development needs and issues.
For the first half of the meeting they review the teacher's evaluation. This evaluation is
developed subsequent to the formal observation visit by the staff who conducted the
observation. For the first half of the meeting, the teacher's evaluation is reviewed. This
is the opportunity for more in-depth discussion of the comments from the observation, as
well as questions and answers related to student evaluations and the teacher's self-evaluation.
The second half of the meeting is the opportunity for the teacher to gives feedback on the
program, suggests program changes, requests staff development and address needs
they've got.
Observation as an Aspect of the Overall Process of Supervision, Evaluation and Support
The post-observation meeting includes discussion about the observation as well as about
the evaluation and staff and program development issues and needs. This meeting brings
together all of the processes. Because MWCC ABE has the position of the
Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator, the overlap between support for
improvement and evaluation is addressed by the different staff members participation:
the Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator is responsible for making the
connections to staff and program development, the site coordinator and the program
director serve in the evaluative capacity.
After re-visioning the program's supervision and evaluation processes, MWCC ABE
created new tools, in addition to the walk through form and the class observation form, to
be used in the evaluative aspect of the process. One tool was the evaluation form which
synthesizes the information from the formal and informal observations, student and
teacher evaluations. This form is filled about by the supervisory staff member. A second
tool that was developed was a set of questions to be used as part of the annual review.
These questions cover the following areas:
- progress on staff development over the past year
- strengths and contributions the staff member made this past year
- their assessment of the observation process as it has affected them
- identification of areas for growth in the upcoming year
- concerns and comments about the supervision and evaluation process
- needs and issues they identify regarding the overall program
- and, upcoming professional development goals.
The process of re-visioning the supervision and evaluation processes for the entire
program was spear-headed by the Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator, and
drew in the input from staff at a number of points during development. This entire first
year of application has been seen as a test phase and teacher and site coordinator input is
being actively sought to assess the new processes.
Key Points
Because this is a new process and because MWCC ABE is engaged in evaluating it, they
were able to quickly identify some issues worth noting.
Time: This process takes a lot of time on the part of the observing staff. In addition, it is
a real challenge to schedule formal observation visits. This year, for example, it took
from November to mid-May to conduct the process for all 28 classes at the teacher's
convenience and so that both the Program Director and the Curriculum/Program
Development Coordinator could be present. They anticipate sharing the responsibility
next year; this should streamline the process a bit.
Emphasize the Positive: MWCC ABE is committed to emphasizing the positive
wherever appropriate. This first year especially, they bent over backwards to make the
process a positive experience to build buy-in for the new processes, to help to de-stress
what is traditionally a highly stressful process for teachers and to acknowledge and affirm
the hard work teachers do.
Informal and Formal Observations: For MWCC ABE program the combination of walk
throughs and site visits/observation/evaluation is definitely worth the extra time and
energy. After one year, they feel like they have a very good sense of what is going on in
their classes. They do believe that more walk throughs would be very beneficial.
The Process is Evolving: After this first trial of the new processes, everyone is clear that
there is some tweaking to be done. They anticipate that to some degree the process will
need to be reviewed every few years to make sure it is continuing to provide useful data
to teachers and administrators about teaching.
Advice to Peers
Kathy Penney, the MWCC ABE Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator, was
happy to share the following advice:
- "Work hard to develop a process of supervision and evaluation that makes sense
at your program. Ours has really improved our program and has been a positive
experience for teachers."
- "This attention to practice and the processes' connection to staff developments is
seen as a perk for part-time staff who have few perks."
- "This process has opened up communication between administrative staff and
teaching staff. It has also led to program growth."
- "Developing and implementing such a process takes an ongoing commitment of
time and resources. And once it is developed, it isn't just the implementation -
tools and processes need to be adjusted regularly, especially as the program
matures and staff expertise increases."
- "Finally, a process this involved is possible largely because of the
Curriculum/Program Development Coordinator position. Smaller programs with
fewer staff resources would need to develop other processes."
For more information about the Mount Wachusett Community College Adult Basic
Education Program go to: www.mwcc.edu/LLL/ABE
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