Gallup Poll Ranks Peer Observation at the Top

This tracks: 

Recent Gallup poll highlights peer observation as a practice that is high impact on teachers' growth and engagement, yet only 1 in 3 have the opportunity to do so.

In my experience working as a coach and consultant, peer observations have the most bang for your buck.

I'm not talking about the random one-offs such as…

'If you have a moment come pop-in and see what I'm doing'- type observations my teacher friends and I used to try to squeeze in during our 22 minutes for lunch.

I'm talking about creating intentional opportunities for teachers to observe instruction.

On a large scale, this could be an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), made up of principal, administrators and teacher leaders, organizing an in-house learning walk for all educators to participate in, focused on one of the school's instructional priorities.

For example, one 9-12 school ILT focuses on how teachers facilitate accountable talk across the grades.

They dedicate one day, four times a year, where small groups of 5-7 educators pass through multiple classrooms using a common rubric and discuss the evidence collected. 

This intentional practice helps the school get a high-level data dipstick that can inform next steps for professional development, and empowers teachers to advance their own practice. Teachers can't help but return their classrooms with actionable ideas. 

The instructional coach who helps facilitate the learning walks explained that teachers gain so much more than when district leaders ”do an instructional walk-through TO us." 

District walk-throughs are important for accountability, but in-house learning walks, where teachers get to choose which classrooms they observe and see how others put the school priority in action, helps everyone reflect on and improve their own practice.

On a mid-sized scale, a department chair with teachers might agree to video-record segments of their instruction related to a targeted skill, strategy or concept that all grades are working to strengthen.

For instance, a few teachers in a science department show short videoclips where they gave different mini-lessons about teaching students to write CERs (e.g., how to set up a CER from collected data; the distinction between informal and academic language in a CER…). 

After viewing the teachers' instructional videos, the department examines the student CER work that resulted. 

Once a quarter teachers in the department take turns viewing and analyzing a few teachers' instructional mini-lessons and the student work that results.

This intentional practice helps the department engage in evidence-based discussions about instructional moves that help advance a shared, specific student-centered goal. 

As one department teacher put it (paraphrased): "I actually look forward to our meetings now because I know I'm going to take away a practice that's going to help my kids."

On a small (but I think most powerful) scale, teacher teams who routinely build in peer observation seem to have a big influence on practice. 

Grade-level or affinity-based teams who meet once a week as a PLC have a fantastic opportunity to build-in time to go beyond curriculum design and lesson planning together to actually view one another teaching segments of the lessons they plan.

On pages 400-403 of my bestselling book, Intentional Moves, I share three options for peer observation: 

1. Live observation

2. Pre-recorded observation

3. Dry-demo observation

Regardless of the method you use, you'll want to try the following moves to get your team engaged in meaningful, focused peer observations. 

Don't forget!

Peer observation at any scale is only effective if leaders foster psychological safety. 

And psychological safety is about risk.  

Educators on High-functioning High-impact teams (p.18) let others see them teach because they believe there is a low-risk of ridicule, judgment, gossip or negative consequences from the group. 

For a team that isn't comfortable yet taking the risk in a group, you might start with paired peer observation with a trusted colleague. Move 9.6 offers this and other strategies to help establish psychological safety on your team.

I've helped many leaders launch or elevate peer observations on their teams. Reach out if you'd like to learn more!

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