Classroom observation guidelines

By Maryellen Weimer, Ph.

Teaching excellence is the primary criterion in these decisions, but it can be harder to see in a file than research success or service contributions.

Professors who teach in or near a candidate's field are especially well-qualified to judge the quality of his or her pedagogy, and their comments provide a helpful balance to student evaluations and descriptive documents generated by the candidate. All the members of a candidate's tenure or promotion committee, therefore, should have first-hand knowledge of what happens in the candidate's classrooms.

They should describe their observations in letters or memos to be included in the tenure or promotion file. As a group, these letters should document the full range of the candidate's teaching-large introductory courses, special seminars, labs, and other offerings.

Further, because too many classroom observations during a short period of time can be disruptive, we recommend spacing these visits over the full range of the probationary period.

Ideally, candidates for tenure should be observed by the tenured members of their department on a regular basis from the first year of employment onward. If such observations occur at least twice a year over the probationary period, senior professors will have many opportunities to mentor their junior colleagues and address problems early, and completed files will present a much richer picture of candidates' professional development.

The candidate should provide the relevant syllabus to each observer, and both parties should discuss what sessions might be observed most usefully no unannounced visits. Every effort should be made to space out these observations and limit the distraction caused by multiple visitors in any one class.

The process of observing a class involves interactions with the observed professor outside of class, sitting in on the session, and then documenting the experience in a letter. Determine the professor's goals for the session and course before the observation. Take notes during the session but not participate in the class.

Write a letter or memo describing the visit, give a copy to the candidate, debrief with him or her, and amend inaccuracies if necessary. This should occur within two weeks of the visit, before memories fade. The letter or memo should: Describe the professor's goals for the session and evaluate how well they were met.

Evaluate the appropriateness of the goals. These letters have two audiences: Letters should therefore be constructive, praising success and offering advice when relevant.

They must also be very clear and specific about any problems and their relative urgency. They serve a double purpose in both judging achievement and nurturing a teacher's continuing development. Basic data the course title, class subject and date, length of the session, and number of students in the class assignments due that day what proportion of the period was spent in various activities how the class was staged: It is helpful to describe the place of the session in the syllabus.

In English, for instance, the first class on a novel would work differently than the second or third, when students should have read the entire text. A September class might devote more time to terms and skills, while a December meeting should show students' sophistication with materials and approaches.The Types of Classroom Observation is a tool that helps educators understand the purposes for their classroom observations.

Types of Classroom Observation This tool outlines three types of classroom observations and provides leaders with a rationale and guidance . The AET Community: The AET has helped more than 2 million users nationwide to manage time and financial resources both inside and outside the classroom.

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Please help us maintain our outstanding learning environment by following these guidelines. Program Guidelines/Teaching & Learning Standards. Birth to 3 Years. New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards (en español) ; Preschool.

New Jersey Early Learning Pathways - An Alignment of New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards and the New Jerrsey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. Sample Forms for Teaching Observation. Undergraduate and Graduate faith-based degree programs in Lisle, IL.

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