Teachers often find observations stressful, whether they are unannounced "pop-ins" or formal evaluations. This pressure can make it difficult for them to perform at their best, particularly when they are already managing a complex classroom environment. They may perceive the observer as a threat, triggering the fight or flight survival response. Their stress is compounded by their need to make a decision, which they can’t make because of their students. The result? The teacher endures the observation with suppressed anxiety.

Coaching Dilemma

Teachers will often resist coaching if it has any link to evaluation and development. Our experience suggests that in many cases, the provision of coaching when linked to evaluation can often be seen as a ‘talisman of failure.’ 

As we look to move beyond instructional coaching, we need to ask, 

“How can we make the observation process feel more like a supportive tool rather than a judgmental one?”

Feedback Prompts

Approaching feedback with a positive approach promotes the sense that the observation is part of a longer-term development process that engages the teacher while reinforcing their sense of wellbeing:

·       What went well?

·       What could have gone better?

·       What would you change in the future?

By moving away from seeking to control systems and ensuring accountability through ‘control’ alone, we also facilitate the transfer of professional learning to effective classroom practices and improved student performance.

Collective Leadership

We have seen successful schools effectively leverage coaches to create an environment of collective leadership and person-centered development, for example, through learning communities. This has meant discarding directive approaches that treat teachers as ‘the problem’ in outdated ‘zombie’ leadership practices that realize the self-fulfilling prophecy of ‘zombie teachers.’ 

Pause for Reflection

·       How can we move beyond ‘technical’ goal-driven approaches to evaluation to approaches that are person-centred?

·       How can we develop more agile responses to evaluation that account for the complexity of change and ensure knowledge is transferred from training to the classroom?

·       How can we leverage positive psychology to address teacher wellbeing and build a profession that is attractive to new teachers whilst maintaining accountability?