Lately, I’ve been pondering on the idea of observation and the role it plays in the field of education particularly among educators. As an education master student, I find the act of observing classroom practices to be a wealth of information. I learn so much from this experience.

What is it about an observation that brings educators in the sweet spot of social and experiential learning pouring invaluable knowledge on how to teach?

Albert Bandura, a cognitive psychologist who studied social learning, explained in his observational learning theory that children observe the way people around them behave and from there they learn to imitate that behavior. I find that educators and students just like young children, benefit from observational learning in a very similar facet.

While we learn a lot about learning theories in school and snippets of strategies about classroom management, assessments, and technology, nothing beats seeing all these ideas, methods and tools in action.

The process of watching teachers teach, reflecting on what they have observed, retaining it and later on practice it is one of the most valuable experiences both a pre-service teacher and in-service educator can have. While we learn a lot about learning theories in school and snippets of strategies about classroom management, assessments, and technology, nothing beats seeing all these ideas, methods and tools in action.

There is a whole lot you can learn by sitting quietly in the corner of a classroom, you just need to pay close attention.

One thing that is hard to visualize are the small nuances that spontaneously occur in regular classroom settings. We can only learn so much inside the walls of our classrooms. Just like how young students go on field trips to see how paper is made or how recycling works at a facility, education students (and in-service teachers) also need to step into classrooms to observe how teachers do it. One can learn a lot of things from student behavior, body language, motivation, to redirecting strategies… heck even hot to get students attention just like public speaking! There is a whole lot you can learn by sitting quietly in the corner of a classroom, you just need to pay close attention.

The challenge is how to get education students or in-service teachers to get their foot in the door. Most of the time they need a good source of connection and network from people who are already in the school scene. And even if they do, how do we make this process more efficient and seamless?

As a student teacher, I find this to be a challenge. Not all schools are open to having someone come in to observe. There are various reasons for this:

Judgment. Not everyone like the idea of being watched. This can be uncomfortable for some. It’s the feeling of being “judged.”
Bureaucracy. Approval has to come from up above. Whether I personally know the teacher, he/she still has to get permission from the Principal and if the principal’s got a lot on his/her plate… Good luck with that!
Identity. Schools need to protect their constituents. Therefore, some schools require to verify your identity beforehand. They want to know what school you come from, why are you observing their classrooms, etc.
Time. For educators to observe other teachers, time is an essence. A lot of educators don’t have time to get out of their classrooms. They have a full schedule all week long plus some more. Teachers are not really given that free time to walk into other classes whether in their neighbor schools or even within their building.
Outcome. For some teachers, they don’t find any benefit from having someone come in to observe and then just leave. Perhaps, constructive feedback can close the loop and add interest to the observation practice.

The challenge is getting everyone on board and sharing the same vision of observation as a shared practice.

Ultimately, opportunities to observe whether being the observer or the observed is a mindset and a culture in itself. Educators who are open to this experience are those who are confident in their practice and believe in sharing what they know not for others to steal but to reinvent and practice in their own fashion. It is a practice that has to be embedded in the core mission of the institution, encouraged and implemented by the leadership and members of the organization. The challenge is getting everyone on board and sharing the same vision of observation as a shared practice.