Peer observing is the part of our AIS class we’d heard about the most before starting the class, so it goes without saying that it is one of the most influential parts of the class as well. In examining this practice to determine what we gain through it, I’ve more fully bought in to the process. I’ve broken up the components of growth into knowledge, skills, and dispositions below.
Knowledge: In getting to observe our peers in their teaching, we gain knowledge of their own methods, strategies, and ways of teaching and building relationships which we can then try out in our own teaching. Through the conversations that occur about the observations, we can learn more detail about others’ thought processes in planning their teaching and their choices in the moment.
Skills: The skills that peer observing help to develop are virtually endless. The most evident to me are coaching conversation skills, mentoring, general observation skills, and providing feedback. We become better at observing and recording observations while remaining present in the moment, at recording feedback in a meaningful way and sharing it with peers in a way that they can accept, at having conversations that push beyond the concrete and into the abstract.
Dispositions: The key dispositions that peer observing helps to develop mainly surround giving and receiving feedback. I think that it all comes back to knowing how to frame feedback in a way that it can be well-received, and being receptive to that kind of feedback from others. I think these all tie into a disposition of acceptance and open-mindedness. Additionally, a disposition of accountability, both to oneself and to others, is developed. Providing feedback in a timely manner, arriving to observations and meetings when expected, and being fully present mentally when doing these things all contribute to this disposition.
Outcomes:
Servant Leader: Through peer mentoring, I collaborate with my colleagues by reflecting on my own teaching and helping them to think about their instruction in different ways, allowing both parties to make positive changes that benefit students.
Knowledgeable Practitioner: The knowledge, skills, and dispositions listed above are being applied in peer relationships.
Systems Thinker: Through peer mentoring conversations, I help guide others to see the relationships at play in their teaching, in student interactions, and in planning effective instructions.
Julia Tandy Harnick 