Classroom observation: a necessary evil or outrageous intrusion?

Gordon Cairns

By Gordon Cairns
Community contribution / January 29, 2018

One aspect of teaching is guaranteed to turn either the most tranquil or confident individual into an anxious, paranoid and quivering wreck; the dreaded classroom observation from another professional.

Maybe the fear arises as it reminds teachers of their time as a student when they were constantly on the ...

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By Gordon Cairns

Community

Gordon Cairns is an English teacher and education journalist in the UK.

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In medicine it is called 'white coat syndrome', when blood pressure is being taken. Doctors take into account that the stress caused by having a blood pressure reading will push up the reading accordingly. Unfortunately, I haven't heard of classroom observers taking into account that the stress of being observed will negatively affect the quality of the lesson.

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