Look, we don’t need to dwell on observations too much. I’ve previously written about them on this blog if interested. This post is just about sharing some shameful and regrettable acts, from me, as a result of the graded approach to lesson observations. I’m sharing them now as I was reflecting the other day and cringed – I’m glad that, for the most part, they’re gone [note: all examples below occurred between 2007 and 2015]
My experience of graded observations as a teacher:
1. Like many, each year, I played the game to ‘tick the right boxes’. The observation lesson always got a lot more focus and attention than the other lessons. I’d write lesson plans that were thousands of words long (yes, thousands!). My resources were always created to ‘wow’ the observer, not help the students. For example, I created an individualised monopoly board game for students to learn about money management – it took forever to do and did not help them to understand money management whatsoever – shameful. As you might imagine, due to my approach, my lessons were never graded as less than good. However, looking back and knowing what I know, I would say that all of these observations were probably less impactful than my typical lessons in terms of supporting long-term learning.
2. I realised after progressing and being involved in observations myself that there was an unwritten quota of grade 1’s, 2’s etc that a curriculum area could award without being suspected of ‘over grading’ or having issues with teaching by the quality team. It was all a game. Consequently, you could guess who would get what grade before the lesson had even been taught. In fact, when I was observed in one of my ‘expertly manipulated lessons’, the feedback from the observer was that it was an ‘amazing lesson’ and that she couldn’t find anything wrong with it BUT, she had given out too many grade 1’s last year, so had to give this one a 2.
3. The year before, the same observer gave me a grade 1, however, this time, my feedback did include some criticism: that I should check the volume before playing videos (it started quite loud and I had to turn it down) and that I should NOT have laminated my card sort as the students struggled to pick them up from the table (big eye rolls).
My experience of graded observations as an observer:
1. Following what can only be described as a rogue Ofsted Inspection, the feedback led to the college adopting an approach to grading lessons whereby any teacher with attendance less than 85% would be graded Requires Improvement (3), leading to capability proceedings. I did not agree with it but, regrettably, whilst I did raise concerns, my challenge to the hierarchy was weak. I observed around 120 teachers in one academic year, around a quarter of whom had attendance in the observed session as less than 85%. The fact that I observed so many teachers in adult community settings, where attendance was quite often terrible, meant that I upset a lot of people. I felt terrible about it and still do now.
2. Quite rightly, many of those I graded as RI or Inadequate formally appealed their grade. Defending my decisions in an appeal meeting with the teacher, a union member and a panel of senior leaders was always nerve wracking, especially as I almost always agreed with any objections. I can’t imagine the stress and upset the teachers went through. It was a circus and massively flawed but I now understand that I was complicit in it and have huge regrets.
3. My favourite appeal was when one individual used one of my blog posts about graded observations being nonsense to overturn a grade 4 (I loved this and tipped my hat to them). To be honest, the lesson was very poor as the students had no clue what they were doing, nonetheless, the teacher was only judged on 60 minutes and the subsequent lessons may have led to great learning.
4. One vivid memory of doing a graded observation was having an Ofsted Inspector do a joint observation with me and because I disagreed with him (he graded it 3; I graded it 2), I was hurled in front of two Vice Principals to defend my position and eventually due to the pressure (3v1), had to back down.
Overall, graded observations, in my experience, were punitive and created a culture of game playing, rather than putting the students first. Furthermore, there were no development opportunities born out of the process.
Don’t get me wrong, I think quality assurance is important but more holistic approaches would likely yield fairer and more accurate outcomes. A single lesson is just one piece in a gigantic 1000 piece puzzle – there’s no way of getting a clear picture.
I publicly apologise to anyone affected by the above.
furtheredagogy.wordpress.com 