Bases of classroom Observation

WHEN YOUR PRINCIPAL ENTERS YOUR CLASSROOM TO OBSERVE

The following are the bases of classroom observation to be taken into consideration by a supervisor:

1.The Philippine Educational Aims – educational aims should be kept clearly in mind by school administrators and supervisors. The aims of education serve as guideposts for the educative process .

The aim of education give school administrators and supervisors a

general idea of the type of citizens that the country wants its school to

produce; give the goals toward which all educational efforts should

be directed, determine the curriculum and the kind of

practices that shout permeate the school system.

2. Child Growth – child development is the most important objective of supervision. School should provide conditions favorable to children’s growth, and supervision therefore must be so organized and administered as to make this growth possible. Teachers and supervisors must study children to determine their difficulties as well as their potentialities.

3. Good Teaching and Learning – the improvement of teaching and learning is the fundamental aim of supervision. The true function of teaching is to provide the best stimuli so that the best learning may take place. The quality of learning achieved by the pupil related to the quality of teaching done by the teacher. The test of effective learning is productive learning.

To make teaching and learning more effective, the supervisor must have a thorough knowledge of the learning process and a broad knowledge of the psychological principles. This concept is based on the principle that teaching is effective when it based on psychology of teaching.

4. Democratic Teaching Procedure – the total growth and development of the child can be realized best through the use of democratic process. Democratic teaching procedures are based on democratic principles and practices. They provide pupils participation in planning , carrying over, and evaluating classroom activities.

Democratic teaching procedures stress individual worth and the integrity of

human personality, in which individual worth of integrity of

human personality, in their social relationship on a plane of

mutual respect, cooperation, tolerance, and fair play.

Freedom of inquiry, development of self-responsibility, and the development of individual personality, which are the keynotes of the democratic philosophy are fundamental aims of democratic teaching.

Democratic teaching recognizes and guarantees the general welfare of the class, freedom of each member, the consent of the governed, the rule of reason, the pursuit of happiness. It puts emphasis on the development of thinking, initiative and responsibility.

Some Cautions About Classroom Observation

1. Importance of constructive approach – The result of classroom observation should be positive, preventive, and constructive. Observation should be resented in the light of positive and constructed help and not in the light that “Here I am, do something wrong.” Classroom should be done with the aim to help the teacher and the pupils, or to promote good teaching and learning.

2. Danger of premature evaluation – evaluation should not be done or given right away. It should be given only after sufficient and careful reflection. The supervisor should be on guard against rash comment. An evaluation without careful preparation is often harmful. Comments should on actual facts.

3. Observation is not an isolation – Classroom observation should not be used as the only measure of evaluating teaching and learning. Observation is only one of the activities of improving teaching-learning situation. It should be correlated with other procedures.

4 . Too much expectation – the supervisor should not expect

too much from a single observation. One observation

will not give us an overall assessment of a teaching

learning situation. Scientific observation is based on facts.

Likewise, the supervisor should not expect too much from a new

teacher and a poor class.

5. Too much attention in teaching – Classroom observation must be child-centered rather than teacher-centered. The achievement of the pupil should be the criteria of classroom observation. Poor achievement on the part of the pupils is not always the result of poor teaching. Poor results may be due to inherent factors – inexperience teacher, low mentality of the pupils or lack of instructional materials. The supervisors should analyze the possible causes of poor results.

The teacher who are afraid of the supervisor’s presence should not be visited at once. They may be visited but the supervisors should refrain from taking notes.

Efforts should be made to convince the new teacher not to fear being observed.

Observing the Teaching-Learning Situation

When the supervisor has made adequate preparation for the visit to a classroom. He will enter the room with a clear understanding of what they expects to stress in his observation. The entering and living of the classroom by the supervisor should be in such a manner as no to create an atmosphere of confusion and put teacher and the pupils into emotional tension.

Two important points involve in observing the teacher and the pupils on the teaching-learning situation at

work

1. Observing carefully the classroom performance

2. Evaluating the performance observed

These two phrases of supervisory observation have little value unless the observer assists in improving the teaching and the learning processes.

The job of the supervisor as he observes is to witness and analyze the teaching-learning situation in which learning is taking place.

The reason for witnessing the learning situation is to help to improve the teaching and learning that is taking place.

The result of classroom observation should be positive and constructive. In other words, classroom observations must be presented in the light of positive help to the teachers and the pupils.

In the observation, the class period must be taken or studied in totality.

The supervisor should therefore, not leave the room before the class period ends. The observer will surely miss some aspects of the total teaching-learning situation which needs improvement or corrections.

The observations notes should be put in outline form, in a form of an observation chart, or in the form of checklist.

In observing new teacher, every precaution should be taken to avoid making them feel uncomfortable, merely because they prefer to be visited.

Supervisor should:The supervisor should be frank at all

times in his dealings with the teachers.The supervisor must be dependable,

enthusiastic, courageous, and tolerant. He must not afraid to inspire action in understanding which seem difficult.

He must encourage the teacher to do independent thinking and if their conclusion are not the same of his.

Principles to be considered in observing the teaching-

learning situation1. The supervisor should enter the classroom quietly and be seated in a manner that will not distract the teacher’s attention and of the class. Many supervisory visit have been spoiled at the outset because of the manner in which the supervisor entered the classroom. The supervisor should sit behind the class where he can have a good view of the entire class.

2. The supervisor must study the teacher and his teaching

carefully in order to be genuinely helpful. His advice must grow out of the knowledge of the situation on hand. In studying the work it if

necessary to secure objective data, after a careful analysis and

interpretation of facts.

3. The supervisor must not criticize the teacher before on within the hearing of the pupils and other teachers; otherwise, the pupils will lose their respect for their teacher. The supervisor should show only interest, courteous, and self-effacing behavior, no matter what his inner response may be.

WHEN YOU WORK HARD AND YOUR SUPERVISOR

CRITICIZED YOU AS IF YOU DO NOTHING

4. The supervisor must not butt in during the recitation. He may do so through the request of the permission of the teacher. Permission must be asked first before the supervisor takes charge of the class.

5. The supervisor must preserve the impersonal objective, and scientific attitude during the period of observation and consultation. The recitation observed must be evaluated in terms of its result. One chief criticism against supervision in the past, is that the supervisor very often did not know the facts. Supervision has no value if the teacher feels that the supervisor is speaking without sufficient facts of the case in point.

6. The supervisor must not criticize the error of the teacher if he has no solutions to offer. He must offer a substitute plan for the teacher to consider rather than criticize him for what he has done.

7. The supervisor must know that democratic leadership must be based on respect for the personality and opinion of the teacher and the pupils. Good suggestions from the teacher should receive attention and consideration. The supervisor must give the teacher opportunity to ask questions and discuss some supervisory problems. No classroom observation is complete without this personal exchange of ideas between supervisor and the teacher.

8. The supervisor must concentrate on one or two items at a time. His notes or suggestions must be confined only to significant points. Routine matter must be discussed during the conference.

9. The supervisor, in leaving the classroom after a supervisory visit should avoid disturbing class.

10. The supervisor must keep some form of the visitation record. A record of activities and things observed is only safe basis for a professional discussion.

AFTER THE REPORT

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