Session 3 Summaries

Gary Borich – Lenses For Observing from ‘Observation Skills For Effective Teaching’

Four characteristics of classrooms –

a)    Rapidity – the speed during lessons and the quickness of transitions

b)    Immediacy – The need to respond quickly to continue the momentum established

c)     Interruption – The breaks in the nat5ural flow of the class – it minimizes learning time and student concentration levels. Learn to manage these effectively.

d)    Social Dynamics – Structures like group work allow for cooperative learning and social interaction. Try to minimize social distraction.

‘Teachers need to be active decision makers who influence the quality and nature of events of the classroom’.

Borich outlines his eight areas to focus classroom observation that he calls his ‘lenses’. See the reading for the eight areas.

Borich states that it is important to remember that classroom management involves the organizing of the classroom and anticipating and responding to student behaviours (not necessarily discipline) to provide an environment for effective learning.

Three teacher scenarios (responses to a request for information) are presented to highlight the fact that teachers will respond according to their experiences and biases unless they are particularly focused by the one seeking information. Vagueness in goal leads to a presumption of what information is requested.

Borich discusses the ‘Sources of Influence Outside and Inside Ourselves’. See the reading for the lists.

He concludes with the comment – ‘… for the purposes of classroom observation … (they) are those that capture important classroom events within a well-defined context’.

Judy Jablon et al – Becoming a Skilled Observer – found in ‘The Power of Observation’

Jablon proposes that effective observing takes planning to be effective. One needs to ‘make decisions in advance about what and how you want to observe’. It should be an ongoing daily practice of … ‘asking questions, gathering information. And (especially) reflecting on and hypothesizing about what you observe’.

One needs to put what it is you want to find out in the form of a question so it give you (like the thinking of Borich) a clear purpose (or focus) as an observer. Information collected over time will give you a ‘bigger picture that will lead to new questions and new observations.

The rest of the Jablon chapter deals with examples of different types of ‘observation devices’ or methods per se that will allow you to collect your raw data. These include things like matrices, brief notes, running records, rating scales and tallies, etc. that she describes in detail. See the article.

The latter part of the article is devoted to organizing your findings so that they are useful to you. The organizational pattern and the types of vehicles you use must both suit your style and be easily organized in a way that the information garnered will be readily accessible.

Use your information collecting as a review of happenings to determine your next direction in your program, to evaluate the effectiveness of your methodology or to aid you when doing formal student assessment. Suggestions are made as to possible ways to organize you.

Judy Jablon et al – Using What You Learn – Found in ’The Power of Observation’

Jablon suggests that ‘When you observe, you gain insights into children’s strengths, knowledge, interests, and skills’.

Here she uses different teacher scenarios and the thinking that was involved to take action based upon those observations and in turn individualize both their program and instruction. Some of that change is brought about by adapting environmental factors and daily routines to better suit the needs of the students.

Each scenario is structured about the same – the observation, analysis of what is seen, a decision to institute change and the overall affected result. See the reading for scenario particulars.