Classroom observation is at the heart of Mentoring. But how to do it so as to encourage intellectual growth and autonomy?

1. Personae
Poem
Ana
Daughter
of
……
Inhabitant
of
….
Who
was
……
as
a
girl
And….
as
a
student
Who
is
…….
as
a
teacher
Who
wants
to
be
a
mentor
because….
Who
expects
to…
Hurtado

2. Classroom
ObservaAon
The
more
you
know,
the
more
you
noAce.

3. NoAcing
• NoAcing
is
a
key
element
of
observaAon.
• Sherlock
Holes
noAced
small
details
and
then
put
them
all
together.
• Describe
without
giving
an
opinion.
• Previous
knowledge
about
key
methodology
concepts
are
crucial
for
being
able
to
noAce.

4. Key
mentoring
skills
for
classroom
observaAons
(p.
4)
1.
EmpatheAc
listening
2.
Classroom
ObservaAon
3.
ReflecAve
ConversaAons
4.
Giving
and
receiving
feedback

5. 1.
Listening:
Seek
First
to
Understand,
Then
to
Be
Understood!”*
‘listening
and
responding
with
both
heart
and
mind
to
understand
the
speaker’s
words,
intent
and
feelings’
(Covey1986:128).
‘the
essence
of
empathic
listening
is
not
that
we
agree
with
someone;
rather
we
deeply
understand
the
other
person,
emoAonally
as
well
as
intellectually’
(Covey
1986:
148).
* Based on the work by Stephen Covey.

6. Emotion Charades:
Find
a
partner.
PracAce
‘listening
with
your
eyes”.
Choose
an
emoAon
to
try
to
express
just
with
your
face
and
body.
You
can
not
use
words.
• Angry
• Sad
• Embarrassed
• Tired
• Happy
• Thinking
• Bored
• Impatient
• Scared
• Worried
• Relaxed
• Frustrated
• Surprised
• Stressed
• Confused
• Flattered
• Nervous
• Annoyed
• Interested

7. Autobiographical
filters
WHEN
YOU
ARE
IN
A
CONVERSATION,
DO
YOU
LISTEN
WITH
YOUR
OWN
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
FILTER?
OR
DO
YOU
LISTEN
TO
ACTUALLY
UNDERSTAND
THE
SPEAKER?

8. Listening Road Blocks
Spacing Out:
Your mind wanders when others
talk.
Pretend Listening:
You don’t really pay attention to
the other person, but you
pretend to. You say “yeah,”,
“uh-huh,” and “cool.”
Selective
Listening:
You listen only to the parts that
interest you.
Selfish Listening:
You always bring the
conversation back to you and
your life. You say things like “I
had that happen too” and “I
know how you feel.”

9. Are you a good listener?
Very
Good
Listener
Not Such
a Great
Listener
How can I be a better listener?

10. How can I assist the Mentee to reflect and enquiry?

11. 2.
Ethnographic
ObservaAon
• NoAcing
• Being
descripAve
• Non-­‐judgemental
• Focus
observaAon
to
look
rather
than
watch
• Beware
of
“Judgementoring”
(Malderez
and
Hobson,
2013)

12. Ethnographic
Recording:
Observing
without
glasses
• Record
as
much
as
possible
without
subjecAve
comment.
• Record
evidence
of:
– What
the
teacher
says,
does
and
writes
– What
the
students
do
and
say
– Timing
– SeaAng
plan(s)
• Record
real
Ame
every
Ame
the
teacher
changes
acAvity.
• Give
a
copy
of
the
ethnographic
record
immediately
alerwards.
• Example….

14.
THE
BEST
TOOL
FOR
OBSERVATION

16. Ethnographic
DescripAon
as
ObjecAve
Evidence
• Provides
a
wealth
of
informaAon
• A
good
starAng
point
to
help
the
teacher:
– Explore
– Discover
– IdenAfy
strengths
and
weaknesses
– Make
an
acAon
plan

17. ANY
VIDEO
SEQUENCE
CAN
BE
USEFUL
A
lesson
transcript
as
well…

18. 3.
ReflecAon

20. 4.
How
can
we
give
effecAve
feedback?
Describe, do not prescribe

21. Ana María Hurtado Maldonado
ObservaAon
and
the
three-­‐stage
model
of
helping
Supervision cycle
Pre-Observation
Meeting
The Lesson
Feedback
Session
Helping Cycle
(G. Egan 1984)
Stage 1:
Exploration
Stage 2:
New
Understanding
Stage 3:
Action
Advisor Functions
Attending & listening
Empathetic
observation
Empathetic listening:
T’s account of lesson
Guide teacher to new
ways of seeing lesson
Help to draw up a next
lesson agenda

22. Ana María Hurtado Maldonado
The
Typical
Life
Cycle
of
a
Teacher
Novice - Classroom survival Imitation
- Acquiring recipies Follow advice
- Short term planning
Advanced
Beginner
-Classrom routines automated
- Episodic knowledge, strategies emerge
- Shift attention away from his or her own performance…
questioning
Competent -Strategies to cope – Improvisational planning
-Self confidence - Context based decisions
-Focus: the student – Longer term planning
Proficient -Intuition and knowledge guide performance
-Problem solving
- Focus increasingly on learner
Expert - Intuitive grasp of situations - Flexible planning
- Anticipate - Fluid and seemingly effortless teaching

23. Ana María Hurtado Maldonado
(Diagnosis)
Survival
Security
Analysis
Dynamism

24. Types
of
IntervenAon:
Feedback
Session
A Inviting self-evaluation “How do you think the reading activity
went?”
B Directing “I think you should...” “Why don’t you…?”
C Benevolent prescription Suggest, persuade, propose, advise, with the
aim of helping the teacher.
“I think you would get more students to
volunteer if…”
No consultation.
D Consultative
prescription
As c), but elicit teacher’s view on proposal.
E Emphathising Putting yourself in the teacher’s place
F Self-disclosure A technique for empathising.
The observer provides information about
herself: “I’ve always found it hard to…”

25. Types
of
IntervenAon:
Feedback
Session
G Providing alternatives “Have you tried…?
H Personal interpretation “It seemed to me that…”
“From what I say, …”
I Confronting “Why didn’t you…?”
J Focusing attention “I noticed that…”
K ‘Holding up a mirror
feedback
“You asked the students not to write
anything.”
L Validation “I liked the way you did…”
M Feelings matter “How did you feel…?
N Teacher’s ownership of
the Feedback
“Do you want me to speak about something
else…”

26. Guide
for
Mentors,
p.
45
• More
examples
of
Mentor
intervenAons

27. Extracts
from
a
lesson
by
Mrs.
Black
T:
Now,
who
would
like
to
start?
S3:
I
like
er
cook
T:
I
like
cooking
S3:
I
like
cooking
T:
What
do
you
cook?
S3:
I
cooking
breakfast
T:
I
cook
breakfast
S3:
I
cook
breakfast
T:
Uh
huh
Ok
Anyone
else?
Extracts
from
a
lesson
by
Mrs.
White
T:
Now,
who
would
like
to
start?
S3:
I
like
er
cook
T:
Oh
really
–you
like
cooking?
-­‐
I
thought
only
women
liked
cooking!
So
what
can
you
cook?
S3:
I
cook
breakfast
T:
My
favourite
meal!
Ok,
I’m
going
to
have
breakfast
at
your
house.
What
do
you
usually
cook
for
breakfast?
S3:
Eggs
T:
Do
you
scramble
them
(miming),
or
do
you
fry
them,
or
boil
them
in
water?
S3:
Scramble
T:
Ok
let’s
all
go
to
Jaime’s
house
for
breakfast

28. Teacher’s
classroom
language
The
kind
of
quesAons
she
asks:
– DISPLAY
quesAons
(the
T
already
knows
the
answer).
For
example:
What
can
you
see
here?
– REFERENTIAL
quesAons
(T
doesn’t
know
the
answer).
E.g.
Do
you
have
a
computer
at
home?)
(Richards
&
Lockhard,
1996)

29. What
sort
of
quesAons
does
the
teacher
ask?
How
does
the
teacher
correct/respond
to
“errors”?
What
does
the
teacher
do
or
say
that
enables
the
students
to
figure
out
how
they
are
supposed
to
talk
and
act?
What’s
the
pedagogical
purpose
of
the
lesson?

30. Explore
ways
in
which
we
can
refine
our
observaAon
powers
Classroom
ObservaAon
Tasks
(1992),
CUP
By
Ruth
Wajnryb

31. Task
break:
Mentoring
Role
play
1. Let’s
work
with
a
script
of
an
instance
of
classroom
observaAon
(anonymity
preserved)
2. Roles:
mentor,
mentee,
observer
3. Role-­‐playing
4. Pooling
ideas
about
the
experience

32. Classroom
ObservaAon
Ana
Maria
Hurtado
for
BE
2014