Peer observations can be powerful professional learning experiences. They provide an opportunity to learn in an authentic context, with real students, featuring real lessons, delivered by collegial experts. Peer observations are perfect examples of job-embedded, relevant professional learning that allows practitioners to play leadership roles.
Yet the prospect of other professionals viewing our work can be intimidating. If we lack recent experience with peers observing us, we can feel less than confident. We may fear that we will stumble, that students may not cooperate, or that something unexpected and embarrassing might happen. Yet the experience of observing and being observed can lead us to discover alternatives we never considered, encounter new and exciting innovations, and witness artistry in real time.
Of course, successful ongoing peer observation experiences require administrative protection and support. Time must be made available for observations and follow-up. Observations do not have to be lengthy, and reflections and discussions do not have to be time consuming, but they need to be a priority.
Peer observations also do not have to be complicated. They can be organized and ongoing or arranged informally between colleagues. However, successful peer observations rest on several best practices. The attitudes and mindsets we bring and the behaviors we practice can have a determinative impact on the success of the experience. Let’s begin by considering the mindsets that make peer observations more comfortable and productive:
- Trust. The starting place for successful peer observations is positive intent and freedom from psychological risk. Peer observations need to be a space where sharing is more important than performing and learning is more valued than perfection.
- Curiosity. Peer observations that support learning begin with the question, “What can I learn?” rather than, “What should I evaluate/judge?” Curiosity opens the door to learning and invites sharing rather than proving. Looking for strengths and promising practices makes it more likely they will be found.
- Humility. Peer observations rest on the assumption that everyone can learn, including from colleagues. Differences in approaches and choices can reveal options and alternatives without defaulting to or comparing what is better. An attitude of learning can lift dialogue and lead to surprising and important insights.
- Respect. The presence of respect and appreciation reduces the need to protect and defend. Respect for the work, respect for expertise, and respect for the choices and actions of colleagues offer crucial support for reflection, inquiry, and sharing.
- Discretion. Protecting confidentiality can lower anxiety associated with peer observations. Knowing that what happens during peer visits will not be shared without permission or in inappropriate contexts can create freedom to take risks.
In addition to the attitudes and mindsets we bring to peer observations, there are several behaviors that can maximize the benefits of the peer observation experience:
- Focus. So much happens simultaneously in classrooms that unless we have a focus, we can become distracted, overwhelmed and overlook what might be most useful. It usually is best to decide in advance what we want to see. It is a fact that when we know what we are looking for, we are more likely to find it.
- Brevity. Peer observations do not have to be long. In fact, brief visits with a clear focus can be all that is necessary. It can be more beneficial to visit more times than to visit once for a longer period. Further, scheduling a brief - 10-15 minute - visit is much easier to manage than carving out a full class period, considering the typical time and responsibility constraints we face.
- Inquiry. A crucial element of peer observation is that it is intended to collect information and observe practice, not evaluate or judge. The process should emphasize what is seen and heard. Peer observations can also offer opportunities to explore processes and strategies employed at other grade levels and in multiple subject areas. We can discover ideas and strategies to use with our students that we might not otherwise have considered.
- Reflection. Obviously, much of the learning gained through peer observations comes through reflection. Spending time reviewing our notes following an observation can be a good start. However, reflecting on the experience with the person whom we observed can open a deeper level of reflection and lead to new insights related to options considered, decisions made, and other moves and approaches.
- Reciprocity. Peer observations often work best when both parties observe and are observed. When the process is reciprocal, it feels shared and balanced. There also is a lessened tendency for the process to feel as though it is evaluative or corrective. Further, mutual observations build collective knowledge and shared insights and practices.
Successful peer observations build agency, not anxiety. If teachers feel as though they are vulnerable, peer observations will fail. If teachers feel respect and support in the process, success is much more likely.
