NCTE 2023

When we broach the topic of non-evaluative Peer Observation at teacher meetings and online professional development courses too often, we are met with negative responses. That teachers are so resistant to this brilliant tool for professional development suggests we have not yet created an atmosphere in which this sort of exchange is valued and encouraged, where we view it as a stimulating luxury to see how another teacher is putting the curriculum into action. Far too often, teachers have been discouraged by negative summative evaluation processes and think this will necessarily be more of the same. Some experienced teachers also believe they “know what they are doing” and as such, no longer require any sort of observation. And claro, there is always the challenge of time.

This session shares several simple-to-implement techniques to introduce peer observation into programs for sustained professional development that help create an atmosphere where every teacher, no matter their level of experience, has something to teach and something to learn. Participants will explore ways to encourage an active and stimulating community of inquiry in their own teaching contexts to support everyone’s ongoing professional development.