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Running head: THE USEFULNESS OF PEER-PEER OBSERVATIONS

The Usefulness of Peer-Peer Observations Enhancing Teacher Classroom Instruction Michelle A. Cordova-Montalvo Eastern New Mexico University

Research Interest My research interest drove me to find a way to get teachers more involved in seeing classroom instruction from a multitude of perspectives and creative avenues. Many times I find teachers struggling with how to differentiate their instruction. Taking the time to observe another teacher could give you the intervention strategy that you have not tried before. There is a huge gap between teachers and their time dedicated to observing other teachers during their instructional day. The last time that a teacher observes a classroom should not end after receiving a Bachelors Degree in Education. Goldhorn, Kearney, &Webb (2013) state that if used with fidelity, classroom [observations] can help eliminate the dog and pony show. As enrollment climbs and new standards are enacted, many of our teachers begin to build a routine that even they feel can become stale and less exciting to teach as the years pass on. The goal of this project proposal is to help my peers, with the guidance of the school and district administration, to give teachers the opportunity to observe a classroom at least once in a semester. This will give teachers an opportunity to find fresh and new approaches to differentiating their instruction, enhance student engagement, and create classrooms that embody an environment were equal learning opportunities take place on a daily basis. Of all the readings that took place throughout the course of this class the section on Privilege hit home (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012). We may all look at a classroom and think that the instruction is diverse enough to reach all students, complex enough to engage critical thinking skills, and most of the time this could be true. However its not possible to assess anyone outside of our preconceived and often unconscious beliefs about them based upon the groups that they belong to. (Sensoy& DiAngelo, 2012) What this means is that teachers should take the time to experience what other classrooms are doing and how students are interacting. Teachers should ask themselves, how are the students

working collaboratively and what kind of dialogue is taking place between the teacher and the students? The time for stale teaching can come to an end. This action plan is projected to be piloted in my school at the Early Childhood Education Center in Carlsbad, NM. The exact time frame has yet to be determined by administration. Moss & Brookhart (2013) discuss the importance of watching a lesson from the students perspective, and encouraging teachers to do the same and [can] bring enormous clarity. This tool of observation will allow peers to observe a classroom to find new and interesting ways to approach teaching and experience fresh ideas giving the teacher an opportunity to reflect upon best teaching practices. One of the challenges that teachers overlook is how their lesson is perceived by their students. Perhaps a teacher has a teaching style that is strictly auditory with little visual enhancements; lectures. This particular teacher may go to another classroom and see how lecture can be more effective with the use of technology that is engaging, educational, and evokes critical thinking discussions with your students. Some teachers simply need to see a teaching practice modeled to replicate that kind of higher engaging level of learning in their classroom. Moss &Brookhart (2013) encourages teachers to take the time to observe one another because students are the most important decision makers in the school, formative walk-throughs include conversations with students that begin with the question, What are you trying to learn today and how will you know when youve learned it. Some critical issues that come with observing your peers includes going into a classroom without a pre-set plan as to what you might want to take away from the classroom that you are going to choose to observe. Danielson (2012) states that unless there is a clear and accepted definition of good teaching, teachers wont know how their performance will be evaluated, and observers wont know what to look for. Having some time to reflect upon your own teaching

practices will help you see where you may want to improve or set even higher goals for yourself and your students. Teaching is sometimes like re-inventing the wheel. Finding new ways to help students achieve a more successful educational experience that will help them find future success is our goal as educators. It behooves us to better our skills, find different ways to reach our students, and engage in positive professional discussions about becoming better at the profession of educating our future students. Interventions At the Early Childhood Education Center, known as ECEC to the locals here, school teachers have opportunities to work with small teams that help build the lessons, compare and review data, discuss students on SAT (Student Academic Team), and learn from PD (professional development) activities; one being a peer-peer observation. Once a semester a teacher will have an opportunity to observe a peer in an area that they feel they would like some new ideas on or to simply observe how another teacher approaches a specific CCSS (Common Core State Standard) with their class. The teachers at ECEC meet three times a week for 40 minutes a day. This time is typically devoted to building lesson plans, reviewing school data, working on school improvement programs, and professional development growth opportunities. I have proposed that once a semester a teacher take 40 minutes to observe a classroom. After their observation, teachers could return their PLTC (Professional Learning Teaching Committee) the following week and discuss their findings, how they would use their new found experience to enhance, change, or strengthen their teaching practice and forge the much needed conversation about what could be done to help our students achieve the most out of their classroom experience. Creating a safe space to hold non-judgmental dialogues improves teaching practice and allows for better

focus (Moss & Brookhart, 2013). The most important factor of this peer-peer action plan is to ensure that this is not an evaluation. There is no rubric that is to be tallied off as to if a teacher was effective or not. This can be seen through the observation alone. The purity of this experience is to walk away with ideas not criticism. After teachers have observed in a classroom each teacher will be handed an observation reflection form to see if this exercise was an effective way to reinvigorate teaching practice and to learn from others. This tool will be used with the administration of the building to also give the principals an opportunity to learn from his/her teachers. Teachers cant be afraid of other professionals observing them to see how they use specific strategies to help students. No teacher should be alone when walking into a school; isolating themselves from their peers. The goal of the school is to have a strong, diverse, and well communicative group of professionals all wanting to better the educational foundations for students to become independent and cooperative members of our society. Teachers are life time learners and taking the time to observe others and to renew how to teach a skill is a way that helps teachers, but most importantly, the students. I will interview the principals and see how they feel about this strategy and their staffs overall performance throughout the school year. Interviews from teachers will also be taken to discuss the experience and test the effectiveness of this exercise once it has been official approved by the administration of ECEC. Analysis Since this is still in the planning stage there is currently no new data that shows the effectiveness of peer-peer observations at ECEC. However, I do have the reflective document that teachers can use when going to a classroom. It should be noted that this form has been

approved by the Carlsbad School District and will be used at ECEC once the plan goes into action.

Early Childhood Education Center Peer Observation Confidentiality considerations: The purpose for the peer observation is to maintain our goal of teaching excellence within the school, and to provide a venue for us to share teaching ideas and strategies with each other. In order to be effective, it is crucial that we establish and maintain an environment of mutual respect and trust. Therefore, all information in this form should be done in a constructive manner and kept confidential. All faculty members are encouraged to share particularly effective teaching strategies with colleagues in PLTCs, and also share any difficulties so that we can all be engaged in cooperative problem solving. Under no circumstances should copies of completed Class Observation Forms be shared or distributed to protect the identity of the teacher being observed. Faculty member observed:________________________ Observer______________________ Date and time of class:__________________________________________________________ Subject: _____________________________________________________________________ 1. What teaching methods did you observe?

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What worked particularly well during this class session?

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The WOW! Was there any small group or whole group activities, assignments or

teaching strategies that you will take back to your classroom.

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The I Wonder? Do you have a suggestion (s) or ideas for the faculty member you

observed in terms of expansion of particularly effective teaching strategies, problem solving, etc. Upon examination of the reports, administrators can take this information and find a percentage of teachers that found the exercise to be effective or not effective. Administrators want to see that intelligent teaching designs are maximizing the way that students learn and retain information. It is possible for a teacher to be observed by a principal and have a great lesson, but this great lesson does not occur as frequently. Teachers should be working hard to grow and work on their passion, dedication, and love to this profession every day. Not only does it benefit the administrator to see the positive teaching practices taking place in the classroom, teachers will grow to become more confident in how they teach and this will enrich the overall school climate. Conclusions This action plan will make the life of the teacher, workplace, and student education better in a variety of ways. The peer-peer classroom observations will help new and veteran teachers learn from one another. Creating a non-judgmental dialogue with peers is a great way to help teachers and to improve upon personal teaching methods. The conversations that will take place after the observation, through the use of reflective practice, also gives teachers equal sharing power and a voice towards developing instruction. Changes in my teaching practice and that of

my peers will be greatly effected as my students will benefit from my observations of others. The beauty of my particular location is that the entire facility is a Kindergarten center. This means that I have an opportunity to learn from master teachers that are involved in the same teaching materials and level that I am currently teaching. However, lets not forget that the new teachers also have a lot to bring to the table. As a rookie teacher myself, with only a few years under my belt, I have found some strategies that the veteran teachers had not thought of or approached before. If this action plan goes on to fruition, the possibilities of collaboration, teaching expansion, and professional unity will prevail. I would like to close this proposal with some wise advice from Moss& Brookhart (2013) as these researchers say that we are not looking for a list of what the teacher cant or didnt do. Instead, we are looking for and learning about what the students need and what they will benefit from. This focus creates a collaborative learning environment for everyone.

References Brookhark, S., &Moss, C. (2013). A new view of walk-throughs. Educational Leadership, 1, 42-45. Danielson, C. (2012). Observing Classroom. Educational Leadership, 1, 32-37. Goldhorn, J., Kearney, W. S., & Webb, M. (2013). Classroom walkthrough practices: Lessons learned From 10,000 observations. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 1, 20-27. Reflections in Informal Peer Observation Transformative Tools. Retrieved November 16, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEd2EoQcdAA Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is everyone really equal? NY: Teachers College Press