Peer Observation

Identify Targets: Does it come from an outside source such as a lesson observation or a departmental priority? Or is it self-created —something you’ve decided to work on? Whichever the source of the target, it should be based on addressing a learning need of your students 

Find your HOW2s: Go to the Library to find a HOW2 that will help you with your focus. You can look through different HOW2 collections. And each HOW2 has specific learning statements that details how the students benefit from it.

Study the HOW2s: When you’ve found a HOW2 that matches your target, have a look at it in all three formats. At the same time, look at the HOW2 with your class in mind. Ask yourself if it will need any adaptation. For example, is it age-appropriate in terms of its complexity and the demands placed on the learners? Will it work with the subject content you will use? Capture your thoughts in your Notes.

Change your HOW2 Status: As you are now engaged with a specific HOW2, change your status to Working On It. Your new status for this HOW2 will immediately appear on the Skills Exchange.

Search the Skills Exchange: Now have a look at the Skills Exchange to find a colleague with whom you’d like to collaborate. You may prefer to work with someone who is at the same stage as you, in which case look at those in the Working On It status. Or you may prefer to work with someone who is more advanced with this HOW2, who will be found in the Embedded status.

Contact a Colleague: When you’ve found who you want, contact them with the Nudge tool, requesting their support. Tell them you’d like them to observe you and offer you their advice.

Adapt HOW2 if needed: Complete any adaptations to the HOW2 you think is needed for your class. If the colleague you’ve asked to support you teaches the same year group or subject, you may want to ask for their advice on these adaptations.

Agree Criteria: The next step before the observation, is to agree the criteria your colleague will use. Make sure they’re firmly focused on the HOW2 steps and your adaptations. Agree whether the observer will focus on your execution of the HOW2, or on the impact on your students. Initially, you may want her to focus on how precisely you follow your plan.

Take Notes: Ask your colleague to capture her observation comments in the Notes tool.

Joint Review: Now is the time to see if the HOW2 had the impact on your learners that you had planned. Do this in dialogue with your colleague, using her observation notes and any other available data such as video, test results or student voice.

Fine-Tune or Embed?: Discuss with your colleague whether you need to fine-tune and re-trial the HOW2, with a possible repeat observation. Capture your thoughts in your Notes.

Share Your New Skills: When you think the HOW2 is working well with your class, change your status for this HOW2 from Working On It, to Embedded. You can now confidently share your new skills of this HOW2 with your colleagues. In just the same way as you benefited.