Teaching to impress or teaching to comply - some thoughts on teacher observations from a teacher's perspective

Formal teacher observations are an obligatory part of every teacher's journey but they can be rather stressful in most cases. They are institutional box-ticking exercises in most cases advertised as develpmental or opportunities for CPD. While they might be such for some (or in some contexts), for others they are an unnecessary and quite inauthentic experience bringing very little if anything by way of benefit to the tutor (not to mention it can be uncomfortable for the students as well). Some ways in which they are unnatural:

● they are disruptive as they impose additional burden on the teacher to prepare and perform for a higher level audience - it creates tension and stress

● they are inauthentic because they might urge the teacher to perform by the expected rules to show they have learnt them rather than go with the flow of their class and lesson

● they might leave the teacher anxious and feeling they are deficient as a teacher and professional because things didn't go as planned when they could have done better if not under the guise of an external observer

● they are just a snapshot of a longer series of teaching and as such fail to represent patterns or meaningful pedagogical activity. For example, it might be the first more presentaton-like lesson in a series of lessons leading up to a production stage leaving the impressions that the teacher is talking too much when that might not be the case in a successive lesson. Pre and post-observation chats can clarify that of course but the fact will remain that the teacher talked too much and that does not comply with the CELTA entrenched (archaic if you ask me) TTT limits

● the teacher feels self-conscous and is constantly on edge trying to observe themselves in order to perform according to plan and timing

In contrast peer observations can be much more beneficial and enriching due to their more informal manner and relaxed atmosphere. The teacher-observer has the chance to internalise what they are seeing and compare with their own practice. This can foster deeper reflection and encourage experimentation in the classroom. From the point of view of the observed peer, they are performing to impress and to show their talent in the classroom. With formal observations, they would be performing to show compliance with norms and the fact that they are a good learner.