as well as any materials or technology that will be used.
5. Establish the supervisory role: Once the supervisor has a clear understanding of both the teacher’s objectives and what will be occurring during the lesson, the supervisor and the teacher should agree on a focus of the observation that will be the most helpful to the teacher.
During my years of consulting, writing, and presenting on the clinical supervision process, one of the most frequently asked questions has been, “Are you getting an accurate view of a teacher’s classroom if the teacher knows ahead of time he or she is going to be observed? Wouldn’t it be more helpful for the observation to be unannounced?” I always thought this question revealed a certain underlying philosophy and assumption about the purpose of supervision, which I would challenge by asking, “Do you want to observe teachers at their very best or to catch them at their worst?”
If a formal observation is unannounced, the teacher has a ready-made excuse if things do not go well. The teacher can point out it was “just one of those days,” or say, “This is not the way my classes typically go.” On the other hand, if the teacher knows ahead of time he or she will be observed, there is little reason not to expect the teacher’s best performance. I must also note that very few administrators think it would be a good idea for school board members to drop in unannounced for the purpose of conducting a formal observation of their own work!
Certainly, principals and assistant principals need to be aware of what is occurring throughout the school and particularly in classrooms. But there is a difference between conducting a formal observation and simply dropping in on a classroom for a few minutes, or talking with students about their experiences, or meeting with a grade-level or content team. The Bellon approach to the clinical observation process emphasizes that trust is established by agreeing on a time for the observation and creating the conditions for seeing teachers at their best.
Phase 2: Classroom Observation
During the classroom observation phase, the supervisor observes and records the behavior of the teacher and students. The supervisor does not attempt to make general observational notes but rather focuses on the specific aspect of the lesson that was designated as being the most important during the pre-observation conference. Importantly, the supervisor only records what is occurring during the lessons, not his or her feelings or opinions about the observation. The description should be as objective as possible.
The supervisor may choose to focus on what the teacher or the students are saying or on what they are doing. In many observations, the supervisor will choose to focus on a combination of both verbal and physical behaviors as activities within the lesson change.
The supervisor’s notes might take the form of a script of what the teacher says or what students are saying. For example, if the teacher’s objective is for the students to gain a clear understanding of a particular concept, the supervisor might choose to record, as verbatim as possible, what the teacher says as he or she explains the concept. Alternatively, the supervisor and teacher might have agreed to record students’ questions after the concept is explained.
In some cases, the supervisor might record the physical movements of the teacher. Such diagrams can be particularly insightful in laboratory classes or physical education classes. Perhaps the focus might be diagramming where students are during an activity.
Regardless of the focus of the observation, the supervisor must observe two parameters. One, he or she must become skilled at recording classroom behaviors, and two, value judgments must not be part of the record.
Phase 3: Post-Observation Conference
The post-observation conference should be conducted as soon as possible after the lesson. During the classroom observation phase, the primary skill required of the supervisor is accurate recording of what the teachers or students are saying and doing, or a combination of both. In the post-observation conference, the primary skill required of the supervisor is interpersonal. An element of trust is essential if the post-observation conference and, by extension, the clinical process are to be productive. This trust must have been developed over time, before the clinical process even began. It cannot be built on the spot during the post-observation conference.
In this conference, the supervisor and the teacher sit side by side and examine the data the supervisor recorded (typically on a long legal pad). With the data in front of them, the supervisor and the teacher proceed through five distinct steps.
1. Reconstruct what took place: The supervisor reviews the data with the teacher regarding what took place during the lesson. The teacher might ask questions, or the supervisor might ask for the teacher’s view of what the data indicate. The important point is that the supervisor and teacher agree that the data portray an accurate representation of what occurred during the lesson.
2. Identify patterns of behavior from the recorded data: Patterns are defined as recurring behavior. A pattern may be verbal or physical. A pattern may be a teacher pattern or a student pattern. Often a pattern is a combination of behaviors. The point is, in this part of the post-observation conference, the supervisor is leading the teacher in the identification of actions that recurred during the lesson.
Ideally, the teacher will identify the most obvious patterns first. However, the supervisor may also point out a pattern that the teacher has failed to identify. This is a joint dialogue in which two professionals are doing their best to identify recurring patterns of behavior during the lesson.
3. Restate the content and process objectives for the lesson from the pre-observation conference: At this point, the supervisor quickly restates the objectives the teacher had for the lesson. The supervisor is setting the stage for a discussion of each pattern that occurred in relation to the teacher’s objectives, rather than to any preconceived notion the supervisor has about good teaching.
4. Compare the patterns that have been identified with the stated objectives: Together, the supervisor and the teacher assess the effects of each identified pattern on the teacher’s objectives for the lesson. The patterns either supported the attainment of or were detrimental to the lesson objectives. In many cases, it will be determined that some had no effect. It is important to emphasize that this discussion is a joint discussion. Ideally, the teacher will readily state his or her view regarding pattern effectiveness, but often the supervisor needs to take a more active role, pointing out effects that perhaps the teacher has not seen. Likely, there will be a good deal of anxiety during the first observations, but after being participants in the clinical process a few times, teachers become much more comfortable and trusting, active partners—providing, of course, the supervisor performs the role well.
5. Use the analysis for future teaching: Once the supervisor and the teacher have agreed on patterns that supported the attainment of the teacher’s objectives, the continued use of those patterns should be recommended and supported. There should also be agreement regarding detrimental patterns that need to be changed or modified.
For example, the supervisor might ask, “If you taught this or a similar lesson again, what would you do differently?” Such questions hopefully will cause the teacher to reflect not only on teaching behavior but also on how it might be improved. And, of course, the supervisor might offer suggestions on how to improve patterns.
At its core, the post-observation conference creates a mirror in which the teacher, along with the supervisor, reflects on the effectiveness of each pattern of teacher behavior in light of the stated objectives for the lesson and serves the purpose of enhancing purposeful reflection regarding teaching effectiveness, not only with individual teachers, but over time also with the entire teaching staff.
