5 Helpful Hints For A Successful Formal Observation Day in 2021

ONE MONTH LEFT! Can you hear the cheers in the clippity clap of the keyboard as I type those words? I can’t believe it. This was literally the longest and fastest school year at the same time which seems impossible! No matter what pace this school year is moving for you we all know that spring means it is time for observations. We want to help comfort your nerves and offer our BEST teacher observation tips to set you up for a successful visit from your principal.

Be Prepared

Do your part to be prepared with the subject matter and materials you will need for your lesson. There’s nothing worse than being observed and not being able to find that key manipulative you ALWAYS have on hand but it has managed to walk away. Also, make sure you have enough of the worksheets or manipulatives you will be needing for the lesson. You would be amazed at the number of teachers who don’t do this and how it shows in their classroom management.

Be prepared with the knowledge of the content you are being observed in. You are going to want your students to ask questions so be sure to do your homework and be able to answer them. Try to ask some higher order thinking questions or have students explain their thought processes as to how they got an answer. If you don’t know the answer to a question being asked, just be honest and tell the student what a great question that is and we will have to research this topic some more. You want to be comfortable with the topic so your lesson is fluid and comes across well prepared. 

Student Centered

So often we feel that when we are being observed, we as the teacher need to be the “star” of the show. If you can figure out a way to safely have students lead the learning I say, “GO FOR IT!” Let them be the “stars” of the show. This will alleviate some of the pressure off you, foster student engagement naturally, and allows you to show off your 21st century teaching skills. Um, WOW! Talk about taking a boring question and answer lesson to the next level.

Now, if this is something you are not used to implementing in your classroom then you might want to hold off and have this be a goal for next year. If this is a regular style of learning for your students, then “GO FOR IT!” This will show your principal your solid classroom management skills because your students will be able to handle the tasks with minimal questions. Things will just flow and your principal will know that this isn’t just a “show off” lesson. 

Technology Plan B

You know that your administrator is for sure going to want to see technology in action so be ready. Be sure to incorporate your at-home learners into your lesson just as you would your in-person learners. A difficult task to say the least, but again think of how you can impress your principal with that management style. You’ve been using technology all school year so don’t stop now...keep it going!

You and I both know that the day you are planning to use technology the most (i.e. Observation Day), is the day that technology just won’t work. Most teachers would panic especially when they are being observed, but not you! Nope. Not you. You are going to plan ahead and have a Technology Plan B in place so if this happens you are prepared and don’t miss a beat. 

If you can’t connect to your online learners, then tell them that you will post the assignment in Google Classroom and will touch base with them about questions. If the website you were planning to use is down, then simply move the lesson towards a conversation about what would have happened on the website. Your administrator will respect your adaptability and that you were prepared for when things don’t go as planned. Let’s face it, that happens more days than we care to admit in the world of primary education.

Practice

This one may sound crazy, but it works. Create your lesson and start thinking through all of the questions students might ask. Figure out the best placement of materials so they can easily and safely be accessed by students independently. This way, you can keep the lesson moving without too much transition time. Practice in your head what you think the lesson will look like and feel like in the classroom. Try to do as much troubleshooting as possible. Doing all of this will help you to create a confident mindset going into your observation.

Clean Your Room

Yes. I said it. Please, please, please be sure to clean your classroom. One would think this would be common sense, but one would be wrong. When your administrator walks into your classroom you want his/her first impression to be one of calm and comfort. If you have items hanging from the ceiling or the lights, then be sure that you are not obstructing the vision of your students or the admin observing you. If scraps of papers end up on the floor during the day, have your class brain break involve picking up 5 scraps before they can sit down again. Keeping your space clean shows that this room is important to you.

Conclusion:

Yes, these tips and tricks are meant to help make your formal classroom observation go smoothly, but try to enjoy it too. Be prepared. Try to organize a student centered lesson. Practice and ensure you have a Plan B if technology decides not to work on your big day. And of course, please be sure your classroom is clean. This is your chance to show off all of the amazing things that make you an incredible teacher. If things don’t go exactly as planned, then meet with your administrator and explain what happened. They will appreciate that you took the time to reflect on what could have been done differently which is very professional. 

You are going to feel so amazing when the observation is over. Please know that you are always welcome to reach out to us on Instagram (@lessonplantoolbox) or email ([email protected]) to help find resources or ideas that will help you in the classroom. We love serving primary teachers!

If you end up deciding to apply for a new position next year, then be sure to check out 7 Tips and Tricks for Landing Your Dream Teaching Job.

Don’t forget to grab your FREEBIE 7 Habits to Avoid Teacher Burnout!

Teach~Relax~Repeat

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