Peer+Observations

Peer Observations
Both faculty and administration need to address the disconnection between learned teaching strategies and their implementation in the classroom. This work can begin within the PLC teams themselves. Teams can focus on a specific learned strategy and observe each other in action.

It is important for teams to take part in peer observations for the following reasons:
 * we can learn a lot from each other.
 * to evaluate our own use of instructional strategies by observing a team member's use of that same strategy.
 * to give each other support and feedback.

Suggestions to begin peer observations:
 * Decide what you will be looking for when observing each other.
 * Create a rubric or use an existing one.
 * Discuss the rubric prior to observing to decide if the criteria is fair/ realistic

An example of a strategy and rubric to use as an observational tool:

A prereading strategy...


 * Linguistic Frontloading:** "A lesson planning process that begins with a careful analysis of the linguistic demands of upcoming subject matter and tasks. After determining the academic language lesson priorities, the teacher then explicitly 'frontloads' or prepares students in advance with the vocabulary, grammar and language functions they will need to actively engage with the key lesson concepts, activities, and assignments." Dutro & Moran, 2003

[| VocabularyObservTool07.doc]