The Master Teacher Blog

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.

Teachable moments can be magical times for teaching and learning. After all, they hold the potential to open doors to exploration. They can capture intrinsic interest and lead to amazing learning adventures. However, they often arrive unannounced and can be easily missed or misinterpreted. They can even seem like interruptions and distractions rather than invitations to learning. 

These (often serendipitous) events can emerge as questions, mistakes, misconceptions, unfounded assumptions, and other seemingly innocuous comments and observations. Unless we are open, aware, flexible, and attentive, teachable moments can present themselves and dissipate without our realizing what we missed. Fortunately, there are practical strategies we can employ to recognize and make the most of teachable moments. Here are seven ways we can be ready to recognize and exploit these special teaching opportunities. 

First, we can be fully present. If we allow ourselves to become preoccupied with what we have to say and what we intend to happen, an unanticipated connection, useful observation, or provocative question can pass us by and leave a teaching and learning opportunity unexploited. Noticing and capturing teachable moments often is referred to as practicing attentive flexibility. 

Second, we need to listen closely and deeply. Students often tell us more about what they want, need, and are interested in than we realize. An important misconception may lie beneath confidence. Curiosity may hide behind a promising question or comment. Listening for what is not said can be as important as what is spoken. We can ask ourselves, “What are students telling me without saying it?” 
 
Third, we can watch for and capture connections to students’ lives. When students see how what they are learning may be relevant to their lives, casual attention can turn into engagement and compliance can shift to commitment. 

Fourth, we might make mistakes and elevate errors. Powerful learning experiences can emerge from examining the nature and causes of mistakes. Confusion and misconception can become the source of new understanding and memorable learning. Normalizing not knowing can make exploration and risk-taking safe and open the door to memorable learning moments. 

Fifth, we can teach with peripheral awareness. We can listen for side comments, confusion, or excitement. These and other similar behaviors can signal a change in energy in the room and may signal an opportunity to shift our attention and pace to explore the cause and implications. Teachable moments are often found in the unplanned and unanticipated responses students have to our instruction. 

Sixth, we might ask purposeful follow-up questions to explore what is behind a student’s response, what drove a perplexing question, or where a comment might lead. Teachable moments are more likely to surface in response to a secondary question than an opening or initial question.

Seventh, we can resist planning in excessive detail and with rigid pacing. Thinking of the lesson as a guide rather than a hard and fast blueprint can build in flexibility to pursue potentially teachable moments. We might identify the “must do’s” in the lesson so that we can adjust as the lesson unfolds and we see how students are responding. Too much structure can create pressure to follow the script rather than follow the learning. 

Capturing teachable moments does not mean that we must chase every unanticipated happening or pursue every off-topic comment or question. Rather, we can trust our instincts, use what we know about our students, and remain flexible enough to adjust and refocus when we sense something important may be available to pursue.   

Schools perform a wide array of functions and depend on many people to accomplish them. Naturally, within this context, people develop relationships and alliances with others who may perform similar functions or share other connections. These affiliations often lead to sharing expertise, building a sense of belonging, and creating alliances.

Unfortunately, they also can lead to separation among groups. For example, some teachers may see their interests and priorities as different from administrators. Or some may perceive staff in other roles as competition. Other issues and perceptions can result in other types and levels of separation within the school.

Over time, these perceptions can solidify into an “us versus them” mentality. When this happens, communication can break down, collaboration may suffer, and identities separate. The separation often produces reduced levels of morale, increased resentment, and even burnout.

 Students, too, can suffer when adults adopt an “us versus them” mentality. Services may not be well coordinated, support may become disjointed, and learning opportunities may diminish. Of course, students are likely to sense the conflict and resentment among adults they depend on and feel torn and stressed as a result.

So, what can be done if we find that an “us versus them” mentality is developing or is already present? Fortunately, with commitment, patience, and persistence, “us versus them” thinking can be overcome. Here are six steps to get started. 

Focus on purpose, not position.

Everyone has a role to play in accomplishing the school’s mission. When the emphasis is on the goal of student success and everyone shares in the work, there are far more reasons to collaborate, partner, and support than to separate, silo, and single out. The mission of schools is multi-faceted.  Success depends on everyone’s contribution. Viewing some members or groups as “others” makes the work more difficult and less satisfying. When we realize that we are all in the work together and we need each other to fully succeed, working together becomes easier. Sharing student stories, highlighting the impact of shared efforts, and mining data for new ideas and opportunities can create energy, promote shared ownership, and mutual appreciation.

Insight: Shared purpose can create connections, energy, and mutual respect.

Invite input early and often.

Listening sessions and open discussions that are taken seriously matter, but only if what is said is considered and used to guide deliberations. Input that is invited too late in planning and decision making can fuel resentment rather than trust and support. Willingness to wrestle with difficult questions may feel risky at first, but over time, openness and dialogue can build high levels of trust and lead to better decisions.

Insight: Input matters only if it is timely taken and heeded.

Commit to decision making transparency.

Knowing the “why” behind decisions can go a long way toward creating understanding, even when not everyone agrees with the outcome. When the factors, processes, and criteria that drive decisions are shared throughout the process, much of the mystery and suspicion can be avoided. When everyone understands the objectives, constraints, and options considered, trust grows.

Insight: Transparency strengthens decision credibility.

Create cross functional teams.

Bringing varied experience and expertise to focus on problems and design new initiatives can prevent foreseeable problems, build ownership for decisions, and create longer lasting solutions. Similarly, forming teams of teachers and administrators to conduct instructional rounds followed by reflection and analysis can surface examples of excellence to build on and opportunities for improvement. Planning, celebrating, and solving problems together can dispel faulty assumptions, build mutual understanding, and lower mental walls that can get in the way.

Insight: Diverse perspectives and varied experience will open the door to new possibilities.

Engage in productive conflict.

Avoiding conflict and ignoring tension reinforces separation and undermines trust. Honesty, respect, and clarity do the opposite. Having norms and processes to deal with disagreement such as assuming positive intentions, remaining open and curious, and committing to focus on issues and ideas rather than people can help to keep conflict respectful and productive. People will not and should not always agree, but they should always feel heard and respected.

Insight: Engaging in conflict that leads to understanding is more important than finding agreement.

Make wins “we” celebrations.

“We” language can send a powerful message of collaboration and appreciation. It is not “my” staff or “my” team, it is “our” staff and “our” team. Recognizing shared achievement leads to shared identity. Think: “We solved this problem.” “We improved this process.” “And we are making a difference for students.” Success as a school always is a shared effort and accomplishment.

Insight: Shared credit builds shared identity.

Finding common ground and forming shared identities takes time. However, the benefits of everyone sharing in the mission, committing to listening, engaging in productive conflict, and building trust far outweigh the effort required.

Teaching involves lots of talking. We introduce new concepts and skills, provide guidance and support, offer feedback and direction—all of which require verbal cues and interactions. It is also true that what we say, the words we choose, and the timing of our communication matter.

Unfortunately, over time, our speech can fall into patterns that feel natural, but we may give little thought to the messages they carry. They may be phrases and statements that we heard from our teachers, or they may just seem useful in the moment.  Nevertheless, what we say can have a greater impact than we realize. Let’s examine seven common teacher statements that can shut down engagement and undermine learning.

We don’t have time for questions.

We might be reluctant to interrupt a planned lesson or the flow of an ongoing explanation. However, questions are indicators of curiosity, confusion, and interest in learning. Ignoring or refusing questions risks stifling curiosity, deepening confusion, and fostering disengagement. Whenever practical, we need to take questions as they surface. If the answer to a question can wait, we might invite the student to hold the question and promise to address it at the conclusion of the current activity. Or we might signal that an opportunity for questions is coming soon and ask students to jot down their questions so they are captured and can be addressed.

I just explained this.

This statement may be correct, but if students were not listening, couldn’t hear us, or the explanation was not clear to them, they won’t be able to use our explanation to move their learning forward. Rather than pointing out that an explanation has been given, we might focus on what students did not hear or understand. Checking for understanding is likely to be more supportive of learning than focusing on what students should have heard and understood. 

You need to try harder.

The amount of effort a student is giving may be inadequate to support development of the intended learning. However, effort is only one contributor to learning success. Focusing on effort alone can leave students feeling unable to succeed and with nowhere to turn. Good strategy, deep reflection, sense making, and effective use of resources also are crucial to learning growth. Balancing effort with other contributing elements can give students multiple places to find success.

This should be easy.

The fact is that what may seem easy to us or even for some other students may not be easy for all students. Declaring that a learning task should be easy risks discouraging or undermining the confidence of students for whom the new concept or skill requires struggle. The implication of the statement is that if the learning task is not easy, it is the students’ fault, or that the student is not a good learner.

You should already know this.

It may be true that we have already taught students what they need to know to be successful with a current learning challenge. However, our teaching is not the same as student learning and recall. Our verbal observation of what may be obvious suggests that the problem lies with the student, when the cause may be shared or at least more complicated. Rather than lamenting what students do not know or do not recall, our time will be better spent, and students will be better served by refreshing, reviewing, or reteaching what students need to know to be successful. 

You are so smart.

On the surface, praising a student’s intelligence may seem like a good confidence builder. Yet, the statement implies that the student was successful because of his or her intelligence alone. Unfortunately, intelligence by itself can only take learning so far. Without good strategies and effective effort, students can encounter challenges for which their intelligence alone is no match. Consequently, students may give up, believing they are not smart enough to go any further. Alternatively, they may avoid learning challenges that risk revealing that they are not as intelligent as we assume.

Just follow these steps.

Following dictated steps might lead to a correct answer, but it does not necessarily lead to learning. Not knowing why or understanding the relationship between actions and outcomes can leave students dependent on remembering the steps to take, not why the steps are important or how they lead to a correct answer. Further, this admonition suggests that there is a single way of solving a problem or finding an answer, while in most situations multiple paths can lead to success.   

We have much to say to students and they have much to learn from us. It is worth the effort to examine the common phrases we use and the exhortations we depend on to urge students to learn. We need to lift students up and focus their attention on where it will make the greatest difference. Consequently, we need to choose our words carefully.

We face endless competition for our time. Whether teacher or administrator, we can spend our days assessing, reacting, and managing what is happening around us. Our time can be filled with responding to questions, issues, and circumstances. While these are important aspects of our professional lives, they can leave us preoccupied with surface issues. They distract us from reflecting, sense making, and planning while sapping our creativity.

For most of us, this pattern is not satisfactory and may not be sustainable. We seek greater control, more opportunities to shape and create, and greater impact from our efforts. Our challenge is to move from being reactive to proactive, and from routinely reapplying past behavior to designing new, more creative and effective actions.

For teachers, this can mean having time to think deeply about reoccurring classroom management challenges, ways to add creativity to lesson designs, building better rubrics, and planning beyond the next few days. For principals and other administrators, focus time might mean stepping back to analyze patterns of student behavior, making the case for and building commitment to a new initiative, or planning the best approach to a difficult conversation. Of course, these lists could go on.

Fortunately, the answer may be less daunting, energy draining, and time consuming than we think. Many professionals, inside education and beyond, have found the practice of creating and engaging in focus time to be an effective—even game changing practice.

Focus time can help us to step back from urgent tasks and reacting to our environment while spending high value time thinking, reflecting, and planning. We might think of focus time as the next level of time management. Instead of managing minutes, we are managing mental energy. Consistent practice of focus time can help us to engage in greater depth of thinking, create clearer priorities, and increase our productivity. If this shift sounds as though it might be helpful to you, here are some guidelines to consider:

• Commit to focus time. The good news is that focus time does not have to be lengthy. In fact, as little as 10-20 minutes can produce amazing results once we have established a structure and routine to shift our attention and ready our brains to engage.
• Find time that can be protected. For some people, the first half-hour of the day before students and other staff arrive works best. For others, the end of the day is better. Teachers might designate a portion of prep time for deep planning. Principals might choose a block of time immediately after school starts when most everyone is occupied with getting the day underway or find another time of the day when interruptions can be minimized.
• Identify potential focus topics. We might keep a list of ideas, challenges, and issues that would benefit from deeper thinking and more creative and effective approaches. Once we think of a potential topic, our brain will continue to work on the issue, often surfacing additional observations and insights for reflection and consideration.
• Create a routine. To the extent possible, clear unrelated materials from workspace, close email, and silence phones and watches. Let go of any mental distractions and focus on a single goal for the session.
• Arrange access to helpful resources. Depending on the topic of your focus time, you might have notes you made in preparation for your session, data on recent trends or incidents, previous lesson plans, ideas from colleagues, or other artifacts.
• Capture ideas and thoughts. Allow yourself to reflect, explore, and ideate. Avoid placing constraints on possibilities at this point. Jot notes to retain insights and possibilities.
• Make a list of next steps. We may need to consult a colleague for more information. We may need to work out additional details and arrange schedules. We may even need to return to the topic for more focus after working out aspects and determining implications.
• Protect focus time. Resist letting go of the time you designate, despite competing demands. Focus time is most effective when practiced consistently and frequently. Over time, our brains will recognize the routine and make the time even more productive.
• Share and celebrate results. Share new insights and ideas with colleagues. Celebrate small wins and productive outcomes from focus time. Consider keeping a log of new ideas and creative approaches discovered through this practice. Paying attention to results can be a great stimulus to continue protecting and engaging in focus time.

Focus time can be a great way to shift our minds toward creativity and productivity. It can also be a great reminder that we have much to contribute. Try implementing focus time into your day and see what it can do for you.

Leadership is challenging and complex work. Easy answers and obvious solutions can be handled by almost anyone. However, when issues involve complexity, demand insight, and clear thinking, they are more likely to land in the laps of leaders. While we may have more experience than some, we do not have access to an endless supply of answers to difficult questions or solutions to every challenging problem.

Nevertheless, we can tap strategies and approaches that strengthen our thinking, help us to see options and alternatives that others may miss, and uncover solutions that otherwise might be overlooked. These leadership tools can help us to focus our thinking, flex our perspectives, and expand our search for promising options. Here are five experience-tested strategies to consider and apply when answers are not obvious and deeper thought and reflection are required.

Perspective taking.

The observation may seem obvious, but every complex situation, significant conflict, and negotiation has multiple sides and involves multiple perspectives. Unfortunately, we can become trapped in efforts to strengthen our position and improve our arguments rather than tapping the often more powerful and effective approach of understanding how the other party views the situation. More power and persuasion may make us feel better. Yet, grasping the perspective and understanding the emotional investment others bring to the circumstance can uncover options and areas of agreement that can lead to better and longer lasting solutions.

Slow looking.

Adapted from the art world, slow looking involves taking time to observe details that may not be immediately visible, stepping back to see a larger image, and shifting perspectives to observe from varying angles. We can use this approach when confronting complex situations, attempting to understand other’s intentions, and examining our reaction to what we are hearing or experiencing. When we slow down our thinking and focus on relationships, motivations, and interactions, we often can deepen our understanding and discover options and implications we might otherwise overlook.

Deep thinking.

Quick thinking has its place. However, finding answers to more difficult and complex problems requires time and focus. Discovering the best course of action is more likely to result from reflecting, examining, and questioning than seizing on the first option to surface. By setting aside time to delve beyond our immediate reactions, probe our initial emotions, and quiet our minds we can open ourselves to new insights, tap our creativity, expand our empathy, and discover novel ideas and uncover helpful options. While deep thinking requires some time commitment, it can be an effective time saver and solution generator if we practice it regularly. 

Structured reflection.

Replaying experiences and reviewing our thoughts and actions can support emotional release and generate self-justifications, but they are of little value unless they create greater clarity and lead to new insights and improved future actions. Fortunately, a simple reflection structure adapted from medical practice can provide a useful path that creates better understanding and leads to informed action. The process is driven by three questions. The first question is “What?” What happened? What did I think and feel? What else did I observe? The second question: “So what?” Probes for significance. What were the consequences? Why was the experience important? Is this something I need to correct or from which I need to learn? The final question is “What next?” This question invites action. What adjustments will we make in the future? Is there repair I need to make now? What learning will I apply when I have a similar experience in the future?

Brain breaks.

We know the value of having students take frequent breaks while engaging in challenging learning tasks. Even though active instruction or focused learning efforts cease, the brain continues to process, sequence, interpret, and store what students are learning. It happens that brain breaks are not just for young learners. When we attempt to take in large amounts of information, engage in complex problem solving, and sort through and seek the best options, taking brief breaks can give our brains time to absorb and organize information. A brief walk, stretch, or few moments of quiet time can make a significant difference in our mental processing and memory storage. Regular breaks can refresh our energy, but they can also improve our mental capacity.

Obviously, not every one of these thinking strategies apply to every problem or challenge we face. However, having access to an array of thinking approaches and strategies we can tap can give us useful options from which to choose. Also, these thinking tools are not just for leaders or confined to leadership challenges. They can be helpful when confronting almost any life circumstance that calls for more than preset processes and knee-jerk reactions.

We live in a world that values speed, seeks easy answers, and accepts superficial thinking. Too often, we find ourselves scanning, skimming, and scrolling rather than listening, reflecting, and contemplating. We can feel as though we are on a treadmill of see, react, and act, rather than observe, reflect, discover, choose, plan, and engage. The latter requires taking time to think deeply and act purposefully.

Thinking is our most valuable skill. It is what makes us uniquely human. Deep thinking offers benefits that are both intellectual and personal. Deep thinking ignites creativity, builds empathy and self-awareness, and strengthens decision-making. Deep thinking can result in new insights, novel ideas, and useful solutions. It can help us to break out of unproductive cycles of thought and behavior. Deep thinking rewards patience and renews energy and strengthens and lengthens our ability to focus.

Our world, unfortunately, too often encourages surface engagement rather than deep thinking. It prioritizes emotional reaction over reasoning, stimulation over stillness, efficiency over substance, and comfort over complexity. These are formidable forces that push against deliberate, patient, deep thinking.

Admittedly, deep thinking is not always easy. Deep thinking requires us to protect time to engage, it calls for focus and quieting our minds, and for allowing ourselves to be curious. Deep thinking is a skill and discipline. Deep thinking calls for us to slow down and stay with questions. It can be awkward at first, but with practice it becomes a reinforcing and rewarding experience.

So, what are some strategies we can employ to build our skill and practice deep thinking? Here are seven strategies to get started:

• Set aside time specifically to think. As little as 10-15 minutes can be a good start. As we practice thinking, we can build toward longer thinking periods. However, we need quiet and to be free from screens, tasks, and other distractions.
• Select a focus. We might consider a question that has been on our minds, a problem we are trying to solve, or an idea that needs further development.
• Practice “slow looking.” We might consider an issue from different perspectives. How might someone else see the situation? Reflect on the “big picture” and follow by focusing on details. We can resist quick answers and stay with questions as long as we are able.
• Be patient with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty. New insights and ideas often surface from what may not be clear and obvious. Being curious and allowing our thinking to explore possibilities can uncover important elements and options that otherwise would go unnoticed and ignored.
• Make thinking a habit. Occasional periods of thinking can be useful, but making deep thinking a regular part of daily or weekly routines can lead to bigger breakthroughs, more and better ideas, and greater self-awareness and confidence.
• Keep a thinking log. Make notes of ideas, possibilities, questions, and issues about which you want to think more deeply. Life moves quickly. We need to capture what we can as it happens so that we can reflect and consider options and implications with care and focus.
• Write about your thinking. Writing can be a powerful tool to organize, explore, and memorialize our thinking. Keeping a journal might be useful. Even a blog—regardless of whether it is published—can be a helpful way to create purpose and value in your thinking.

Deep thinking asks us to prioritize our time, be curious, and practice courage. The benefits can be powerful as we discover new insights about ourselves, our work, and our world. We become more comfortable with uncertainty, more confident in our ability to understand and influence our environment, and more empathetic toward others in our lives.