Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
GEOFFREY NEWTON
Schools for many years have had the silo effect, where a teacher goes to a class and teaches a class, and any practises or any innovations or anything that happens within that classroom kind of stays there. So an observation programme broadens the ability for other teachers to see what practises are in various subjects and different teachers, different modes of delivery.
JASON SHARLAND
We looked at this huge pool of talent that we've got in the school and why are we never looking at what we do? Why are we never observing our peers? Why aren't we capitalising on the strengths that we've got? And so we decided that we should look into peer observation. So we launched our peer-to-peer programme.
STEPHANIE MUNDAY-LAKE
People volunteered to be involved, and then they would approach people to kind of come and visit you in your classroom.
JASON SHARLAND
When we launched our peer-to-peer programme, we were really conscious of the fact that teachers had not had other teachers in their rooms for most of their careers, except when they were being formally evaluated. So we were really conscious that we wanted to go slowly, slowly, slowly.
We wanted to build the culture so that our observations wouldn't be threatening, that the process of reflection would be something that people were really on board with. So we definitely kept the brakes on in terms of-- initially we just said no feedback, no feedback at all. This is about your reflection. And some people sort of want to jump in. It's like, no, please, at the start. We're going to take this slowly. Let's just get used to the thing of having other people coming into our classrooms.
GEOFFREY NEWTON
I think in terms of the effects of peer-to-peer or classroom observation programme, the first thing I'd say is that it's made teaching and learning more collegial. So we have a very flat structure at the school, and we have a strong culture of support. And one of the things that I think has come out of that is that teachers have taken on board the observations or have been observed as a teacher as a professional responsibility, rather than somebody checking up on them. And that, I think, has been, from the beginning, a very clear message that we've tried to give everyone.
CRAIG MERRITT
Our next step for observation at the school is just expanding it to make sure that we do have all staff involved. And at the moment, it's been on a voluntary basis. And we've taken over 80% of the staff of being involved in that.
GEOFFREY NEWTON
Teachers make the biggest difference in the student's learning. That's pretty obvious. And if we can improve every single teacher by observation, which is a main thing, and by research, which is a secondary thing, and by further study, which is the third thing, then I think we'll have a very powerful teaching programme, I suppose, teaching and learning programme and a very powerful group of teachers.