CLASSROOM OBSERVATION TOOL

MARIA LUISA C. DAVID

Classroom observations and evaluations should empower teachers to reach their full potential. It can be regarded as a traditional instrument for the processes that are planned for school development.

To be able to focus on the useful aspects and the benefits of classroom observation, understand first which factors make the instruments of classroom observation credible and reliable for the teachers who are being obser ved.

Teachers are observed if they are able to apply knowledge of content within and across curriculum teaching areas or if they demonstrate accurate and in-depth knowledge of key concepts in the presentation of the lesson.

Educators should be able to use a range of teaching strategies that enhance learner achievement in literacy and numeracy skills and apply a range of teaching strategies to develop critical and creative thinking, as wellasotherhigher-orderthinkingskills.

Teachers should also use questions and activities that mostly require the learners to interpret, explain or describe ideas learned, and manage classroom structure to engage learners, individually or in groups, in meaningful exploration, discovery and hands-on activities within a range of physical and learning environment.

They should also manage learner behavior constructively by applying positive and non-violent discipline to ensure learning-focused environments, and manage misbehavior against established rules of conduct and most learners follow such rules.

Effective teachers also use differentiated, developmentally appropriate learning experience to address learners’gender, needs, strengths, interests and experiences. They also plan, manage, and implement developmentally sequenced teaching and learning processes to meet curriculum requirements and varied teaching contexts.

What more, they are able to select, develop, organize and use appropriate teaching and learning resources, including ICT, to address learning goals, and be able to design, select, organize, and use diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies consistent with curriculum requirements.

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The author is Master Teacher I at Sapangbato Elementary School