Educators are always hearing about how important feedback is to our students. This is true, as there may not be a more important tool to promoting the growth of students than clear feedback delivered in a timely manner. You would think that this concept would transfer over to how educators interact with other educators. Surely, when teachers are observed by other teachers or administration they are provided with clear and concise feedback that identifies strengths and areas of improvement. Nope, think again. There seems to be an unspoken code between educators, even those in evaluative positions, to keep things light and not be too critical. This is in the rare occasion that a peer visit or observation actually takes place. This serves to disrespect teachers and the education profession as a whole. According to Mike Schmoker, it sends the message of “feel free to be an effective teacher, but it is not a requirement.” Teachers want to be excellent at what they do, but no amount of professional development workshops will overcome this mindset. 

What can we do about it?

With all of this said, an increase in punitive observations that are conducted in a one-way manner is not the solution. That is the enemy of teacher progress and helps foster the aforementioned mindset of isolationism. Like most problems that matter, there is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution. We need to start by opening up the doors to our classrooms and inviting others to come in and see what we are doing. I have seen this done successfully in departments where teachers observed each other when they were covering the same learning objective. Teachers could then go over any data collected and compare teaching strategies, looking at what worked and what could be improved. 

For a model that applies to the entire school, Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez talk about “pineapple charts” in their book, Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School. A pineapple chart is essentially a calendar that is shared with the entire school and teachers post lessons that they would like to have others come and observe them. The point is to share something the teacher thinks has value or to request feedback about the lesson. The chart essentially says, “come on in, get comfortable, and let’s talk about what you see.” 

While we are promoting peer observations, we should be training all educators on how to observe other teachers and provide meaningful feedback. This would enable all educators to serve as school leaders and also help them think reflectively about their own practices. With these small changes, educators can start to break the walls down that promote isolation and start working towards successful teaching that benefits all students.
 

How have you smashed walls to unite teachers and foster growth? Please share below, on Twitter, or on Google+!