What if we stopped grading lessons?

David Didau7th February 2014

Why observe lessons?

• To check teachers are doing the ‘right’ things?

• To check that students are safe and happy?

• To improve the quality of teaching & learning?

Improving teaching & learning

• Is there a preferred teaching style?

• Progressive vs traditionalist

• What is ‘learning’?

Performance

Learning

Separating learning from performance

Performance is measurable but learning must be inferred from performance: it cannot be observed directly.

Robert A Bjork

‘Poor proxies’ for learning

• Students are busy: lots of work is done (especially written work)

• Students are engaged, interested, motivated• Students are getting attention: feedback,

explanations• Classroom is ordered, calm, under control• Curriculum has been ‘covered’ (i.e. presented to

students in some form)• (At least some) students have supplied correct

answers (whether or not they really understood them or could reproduce them independently)

Robert Coe, Improving Education: a triumph of hope over experience

The MET Project

• If a lesson is given a top grade, there’s a 78% chance a second observer will give a different grade

• If a lesson is given a bottom grade, there’s a 90% chance a second observer will give a different grade.

http://www.metproject.org/downloads/MET_Composite_Estimator_of_Effective_Teaching_Research_Paper.pdf

Do we know a successful teacher when we see one?

• Fewer than 1% of lessons judged inadequate are genuinely inadequate

• Only 4% of lessons judged outstanding actually produce outstanding learning gains

• Overall, 63% of judgements will be wrong

Strong, M., Gargani, J., & Hacifazlioglu, O. (2011). Do we know a successful teacher when we see one? Experiments in the identification of effective teachers. Journal of Teacher

Education, 62(4), 367–382.

What about ‘formative’ observations?

• Personal preference & bias is hard to avoid

• We focus on performance• If you can do it you can spot it?• Can observation really miss so

much?.

Improving observation

• Don’t make assumptions• You’re there to learn• Make it reciprocal• Focus on instructional support• Watch the teacher or the pupils?

Lessons from Lemov

Quality Assurance

• What are your non negotiables?– Pupils’ work– Quality of marking– Responses to feedback– Punctuality & attendance – Professionalism

• How would lesson observation be used to ensure these things were happening?

There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes

it so.

@LearningSpylearningspy.co.uk

ddidau@gmail.com