The Language Teacher
November 1999

Restoring an Equal Balance: The Beneficial Effects of Taking a Non-judgmental Approach to Administrative Observations.

Gregor D. Smart


Throughout my ten years as a teacher and during my teacher training experiences I have been both observer and observed. Most recently, as a Chief Instructor at Simul Academy, I have had to observe five to six teachers each term as part of our in-house teacher development program. During this time, I have become much more aware of how my own past observation experiences, postgraduate studies, and gradually evolving beliefs about teaching have had a major influence on my present non-judgmental approach to classroom observation.

Why take a non-judgmental approach to observation?

For many teachers "observation" is synonomous with "evaluation and is regarded as being judgmental and threatening in nature (Wajnryb, 1992; Richards and Nunan, 1990; Cosh, 1999). This is probably because evaluative observation was an integral part of their own training. While learning how to teach, they were observed by trainers and judgments were made as to whether they were competent to be certified as a professional teacher. For others, evaluative observation has been part of their work experience, in which judgments about their teaching by those in supervisory positions may have been directly related to pay rates, financial bonuses, contract renewals and promotions. At the same time, this limited view of the purpose of observation is also common among supervisors. Their reasons for seeing observation as an evaluative tool may be due to institutional pressures, their own previous experience or because it provides them with an opportunity to justify their own existence.

Observation then, tends to exist solely within a hierarchical supervisor-teacher framework. It is the job of the supervisor to observe a lesson, make decisions about what is good or bad and then proceed to teach the teacher about teaching, so that she will do a better job in the future. The teacher's role is to act on the recommendations, criticism and advice handed down and thus become a "better" teacher. During the observation "feedback session" the teacher's role is exssentialy passive (Cosh, 1999). She may disagree or question what has been said, but rarely feels comfortable doing so and is often given little real opportunity to do so. When the session is over they may leave feeling resentful, frustrated, or with their confidence having taken a severe bruising. These feelings are unlikely to encourage professional growth. Even if the observation results in a positive evaluation, the teacher often gets nothing more out of it than a pat on the back for having achieved the desired state of "teacher-hood" required by the institution or supervisor. There is no mutual exchange of ideas, no discussion of issues and no generation of alternatives that could lead to professional development.

This is all well and good if one believes that there is some ultimate state of "teacher-hood" that can be achieved: a state which then qualifies one professional to tell another how to do a better job. As far as I am concerned, however, no such state exists, and as in most professions, there are a number of reasons why people reach supervisory positions: through higher qualifications, length of service, political machinations, the simple fact that no one else wanted the job, or a combination thereof. In drawing attention to this, I mean no disrespect to others in similar positions. All of these reasons reflect the realities of the world of work and I myself, in my present position, am also a product of those realities. However, none of these reasons qualify the observer, whether supervisor or peer, to be judgmental about other teachers. We cannot say that we know better; the most we can say is that we know differently.

I believe that the only reason for teachers to observe each other and to talk about observations is to learn more about teaching and about ourselves as teachers. The emphasis placed on observation as an evaluative tool within a hierarchical supervisor-teacher framework seems to me the antithesis of this goal. In my experience, when something is imposed on me by a person or institution that is when I am most likely to reject it and to question why I should respect them. I know that I am not alone in reacting in this way: it is a very natural human reaction. Yet such implied imposition is the basis of the more traditional forms of observation. The observer is automatically placed in a position of authority and frequently falls into the trap of telling the teacher observed what to do. Furthermore, the hierarchical framework by its very nature also encourages an emphasis on the negative rather than a mutual exchange of ideas.

A non-judgmental approach, on the other hand, makes the ultimate goal of observation the creation of an environment where this traditional hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship is redefined. This is important for the following reasons:

Since there is no one best way to teach, none of us can claim that we know best. Since there is no ultimate state of "teacher-hood," then the potential for development is unlimited for both observer and observed.

What does it mean to take a non-judgmental approach to observation?

The definition of the word "judgmental" here is key. As human beings we are automatically judgmental by nature, yet most of us are aware that there are also times when it is necessary to suspend judgment. This is what taking a non-judgmental approach to observation is all about. Any time I observe, I am constantly making judgements, although often not on a conscious level. These judgments influence what notes I take while observing, both what I write down and why I write it down. I often catch myself scribbling judgmental comments - and even if I am not writing them down, I am certainly thinking them as I watch.

In order to be non-judgmental in the feedback discussion with the teacher whose lesson I have observed, I first have to go through a process of editing. This ensures that I suspend judgement and that feedback is carried out in a non-judgmental way. My notes are divided into three sections: observations, questions, and comments/suggestions, which are then typed up and given to the teacher to look over and reflect on before we meet. During the editing process I try to choose language which is as neutral and as non-confrontational as possible. By rephrasing my own notes in such a way, I hope that the hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship can be redefined and that we will enter into our discussion on a more equal footing. If I did not edit my notes, I would be prone to making snap judgments about what I had seen and imposing my values and beliefs about teaching and teachers, without due consideration for my colleague.

Observing myself as a non-judgmental observer

As someone in a supervisory position, I have found my attempts at non-judgmental observation to be very rewarding. The observations and consequent discussions have helped me keep in touch with what is actually happening in the classroom and ensure that my other administrative duties do not distance me from teaching, which is a real danger for those of us in supervisory positions. I have also learned to be more open-minded about different approaches to teaching. Often during observations I have seen teachers try techniques which I had previously read or heard about, but dismissed as not "my kind of thing" or as having little value. Seeing them in practice has given me a different perspective and led me to question previous biases and prejudices. I have come to realize how important an individual teacher's personality and relationship with a particular group of students is in influencing what happens in a class. I have also been able to expand my own horizons as a teacher and take techniques I have seen from classes I have observed into my own classroom. My observations have also given me more ideas to share with other teachers I observe.

In other words, I am learning how to talk about teaching in a productive way, in a way that challenges my own beliefs and ideas as a teacher and those of the people I observe without being negative, overly critical or confrontational. Perhaps I could have learned some of these strategies through a more traditional approach to observation. However, it is my belief that what has made these lessons meaningful and lasting for me is that they arise out of extended and enthusiastic discussion in a non-judgmental atmosphere. It is the give and take of ideas, the consideration of alternatives and the process of questioning that has truly made being a non-judgmental observer a learning experience.

The impact of non-judgmental observation.

For many of the teachers I have observed, my approach has helped them to reflect more deeply on teaching actions that are unconscious or have simply become part of their repertoire. My observations, questions, comments and suggestions have prompted them to consider alternative interpretations of how they interact with students, which has encouraged them to think more about their teaching and themselves as teachers from their students' point of view as well as their own. As a result, they have questioned assumptions about their students that for a long time have influenced what they do in the classroom, and often have realized how these unfounded assumptions have at times contributed to what they have thought of as failures or problems in the classroom. In other situations, they have come to see how something they thought went disastrously wrong actually had some positive outcomes, even if these were not what was originally intended. Most importantly, a non-judgmental approach has meant that teachers' confidence in their own effectiveness has been increased and that an atmosphere of mutual respect has been built up. This allows us to move on together as concerned professionals who feel comfortable discussing teachers and teaching as equals and not within the constraints of a hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship.

The benefits of a non-judgmental approach for teachers also means benefits for the institution. The creation of an atmosphere conducive to ongoing professional development is more likely to encourage higher levels of commitment to the students and the program. As teachers develop, there are corresponding opportunities for the program and its materials to develop based on real teaching- and student- related criteria rather than simply on the intuitions of supervisors or administrators.

Some problems with taking a non-judgmental approach.

Taking a non-judgmental approach to observation has not been without its problems. I have conducted observation feedback sessions with teachers who clearly expected me to pass judgment on their teaching and to tell them what to do to become better teachers. My coping mechanism so far has been to compromise and give explicit advice, while also talking about my own related teaching experiences. I question myself and my teaching as we discuss, hoping that I can act as a role model for the person I have observed. I have also been in situations where the teacher I observed obviously felt that she had reached the mythical ultimate state of "teacher-hood" or for some other reason could not see any point in taking part in the kind of discussion I was proposing. With these people, too, I have tried to present myself as a role model, constantly drawing from my own experiences as observer and observed in a non-judgmental context to illustrate the benefits to my own teaching. Restating the goals for non-judgmental observation is another strategy I have called on. I have also had to deal with people who have taken a defensive stand and who have seemed intent on confrontation from the outset. Here again I have repeated the goals for non-judgmental observation, while also engaging in discussion of previous observation experiences to try to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, without so far being able to observe the same teachers over an extended period I do not know how effective these attempts have been.

Yet another difficult issue has been trying to convince those involved in management that observations carried out for professional development purposes should not be used as evaluative tools when it comes to bonuses, promotions and contract renewals. All of these situations suggest that there first needs to be much more dialogue among supervisors and managers as to our purposes for observation and our expectations of observation. Since teachers themselves are rarely, if at all, in the position to request that they be observed in a non-judgmental way, the impetus towards implementing a non-judgmental approach in any institution can only come from us.

Certainly, for me, these on-going misunderstandings prove that it is not enough for a single observer to simply propose and try a new approach. However, it is one step on the road to the above-mentioned ultimate goal of a non-judgmental approach to observation: the creation of an environment where the traditional hierarchical supervisor-teacher relationship is redefined through the practice of helping others learn how to be non-judgmental observers themselves. Only then can observer and observed participate in productive non-judgmental discussions that they, their students, their program and their institution can benefit from.

References

Cosh, J. (1999). Peer observation: a reflective model. ELT Journal, 53 (1), 22-27

Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Fanselow, J. (1987). Breaking rules - Generating and exploring alternatives in language teaching. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Fanselow, J. (1992). Contrasting Conversations: Activities for Exploring our Beliefs and Teaching Practices. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Richards, J.C., & Nunan, D. (1990) Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom Observation Tasks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press


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