PEER OBSERVATION, FEEDBACK AND REFLECTION

10 A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERSADAPTIVE EXPERTISE — peer observation providesschools with a flexible approach which supportspersonalised and reflective professional learning thatis based on trust and openness to learning. It enablesteachers at different stages of their development andwith different individual goals for improvement to gainnew professional knowledge.10COLLABORATION — the goal of schools is to improvepractice in order to improve student engagementand learning. Collaboration facilitates this as peerobservation enables teachers in learning teams or likecontexts, such as ‘Year 7’ or ‘Literacy’, to inquire intotheir practice. It is central to helping each other improvein a school, and invites feedback on individuals’ teachingpractice that can enable them to improve and providesthe opportunity to see others teach and provide themwith feedback as well, and learn from their approach.11 Itis a valuable tool to contribute to informed whole-schoolapproaches to teaching and learning.COLLECTIVE EFFICACY — Smith and Starmer statethat peer observation provides greater opportunityto move away from a desire to tell teachers what todo and instead enables teachers to draw on their owndeep knowledge of the context and pedagogy thatis most effective for their learners. Grimm, Kaufmanand Doty suggest that “adaptive expertise is aboutbeing self-aware, having agency over your ability tomake a difference and striving for the best outcomesfor your students. Engaging in effective professionalconversations can support you to learn from oneanother and develop collective agency”.12 Hattie citescollective teacher efficacy as the greatest influence onstudent learning, which was also a feature of studies byGoddard, Hoy and Woolfolk-Hoy.13101112131415161718192021IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING — Teaching practiceaccounts for approximately 30 per cent of thevariance in student learning. Therefore, what teachersknow, do and care about is very powerful.14 Providingopportunities for teachers to learn about teachingpractices, share evidence-based methods, and tofind out what is working and for whom will contributeto developing a culture that will make a difference tostudent outcomes.15SCHOOL CULTURE — When classroom observationinvolves self-assessment, reflection on practice andprofessional conversation it can make a dramaticcontribution to the educational culture of a school.16Through observing others and receiving feedback, goodteaching practice can be spread throughout the entireschool.17 Leithwood and Beatty identify that the schoolclimate and culture must be supportive in order forteaching and learning to be maximised.18GOOD PRACTICE CAN BE OBSERVED — Danielsoncontends that while teaching is supported by a lot ofwork behind the scenes (planning, preparing, workingwith colleagues, organising, marking, reporting), thequintessential skill of teaching is teaching, and it can beobserved.19 Importantly, interactive work with studentscan be observed. The critical work of teachers happensin the classroom and artefacts of learning can beobserved. Students’ learning tasks and outcomes canbe the subject of peer observations and identifyinggood practice through observations is a crucial part ofprofessional feedback.20 City, Elmore, Fiarman and Teitelestablish the importance of focusing on learning contentand tasks as a tool in improving teacher instruction andstudent learning.21Smith Ruth and Starmer Lisa, Building Adaptive expertise: Professional learning that works with teachers, not on them, Australian EducationalLeader, Vol 39., No 4 2017Macklin, P and Zbar, V., Driving School Improvement; a practical guide, ACER Press, 2017AITSL, Enhancing Professional Conversations rs/coach-others/professional-conversations;Grimm, E, Kaufman, T & Doty, D 2014 ‘rethinking Classroom Observation’, Educational Leadership, vol.71, no.8 pp24-29Hattie (2017) Video ‘Collaborative Impact’ at Cognitive Education “Collaborative Impact: Research and Practice Conference 2017” tie-collaborative-impact/; Goddard, R, Hoy, W & Woolfolk Hoy, A 2014 ‘Collective Efficacy Beliefs: TheoreticalDevelopments, Empirical Evidence, and Future Directions’ Educational Researcher vol. 33, no.3, pp3-13.Hattie, John, (2003) Teachers Make a Difference, What is the Research Evidence? ACER Conference Paper.Hattie, John (2009) Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement, Milton Park, Abingdon, Routledge, Taylor andFrancis PublishersDanielson Charlotte, (2012) Teacher Evaluation: What’s Fair? What’s Effective? pp 32 – 37 in Educational Leadership Vol 70, No 3.Pamela Macklin and Vic Zbar, Driving School Improvement; a practical guide, ACER Press, 2017Leithwood, K. & B. Beatty (2008) Leading with Teacher Emotions in Mind. SAGEDanielson Charlotte, (2012) Teacher Evaluation: What’s Fair? What’s Effective? pp 32 – 37 in Educational Leadership Vol 70, No 3Ibid.City, E., Elmore, R., Fiarman, S. & L. Teitel (2009) “Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning”Harvard Graduate School of Education

A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERS 11THE EDUCATION STATE AND PEER OBSERVATIONThe aspiration to lift student outcomes across Victoria is at the heart of theEducation State reforms. Quality teaching and school leadership are twopowerful levers for achieving this aspiration. Achieving excellence in studentoutcomes in the Education State is about recognising, supporting andsharing best practice within Victorian government schools.Key initiativesPeer observation contributes to the Department’s key initiatives as astrategy to support teacher professional learning and student learning.The following information illustrates how peer observation is aligned withthese initiatives.Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017The professional practice elements of the Victorian Government SchoolsAgreement 2017 create a groundbreaking opportunity to place qualityteaching at the heart of our approach to making Victoria the Education State.Peer observation is one area which teachers may choose to focus on fortheir professional practice days.The Framework for Improving Student OutcomesCreating a culture of working collaboratively to continuously improveteaching and learning is central to the Framework for Improving StudentOutcomes (FISO). FISO articulates the critical role of the teacher andthe importance of school culture in enhancing teacher practice andstudent learning.Within the FISO Continua of Practice, the Building practice excellence,Evidence based high-impact teaching strategies and Instructional andshared leadership dimensions, and the FISO Continua for ImprovementCycle, feature references to the strategies of observation, reflection andfeedback. The most relevant areas of the FISO Continua of Practice relatingto peer observation have been included in Table 1.Creating a culture ofworking collaborativelyto continuouslyimprove teaching andlearning is central tothe Framework forImproving StudentOutcomes (FISO)

12 A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERSTable 1. Extract from the FISO Continua of PracticeEMERGINGEVOLVINGEMBEDDINGEXCELLINGFISO priority area: Excellence in Teaching and LearningFISO dimension: High-impact improvement initiative: Building practice excellenceProfessional learning is collaborative, involving reflection and feedbackTeachers occasionallygive and receive feedbackwith a focus on improvingpractice.Teams monitor the impactof teaching strategies onstudent learning and adaptteaching to advance studentprogress.The school has explicitsystems for collaboration,classroom observation, themodelling of effective practiceand feedback.Teachers provide, seek outand receive feedback frompeers and school leaders toimprove teaching practice.Teaching teams regularlyobserve and provide feedbackon teaching, with support andinput from leaders and inputfrom students.The school has establishedteaching teams dedicated tochallenging and improving eachother’s practice.Professional learning is ongoing, supported and fully integrated into the culture of the schoolSchool leaders facilitateopportunities for staff to learnfrom each other and modelcontinuous learning in theirown practice.FISO dimension: Evidence based high-impact teaching strategiesThe school develops teacher knowledge of high impact strategies.The school providesopportunities for teachersto observe and discuss bestpractice teaching. Thereis a shared language todescribe agreed high-impactstrategies.Teachers have opportunitiesto observe skilled colleagues,trial and review newstrategies, receive feedbackand focused coaching tosupport changes to theirpractice.The school implements consistent and sustained high-impact teaching strategiesTeachers can identifytheir own pedagogy. Theyshare challenges andreflect on practice andshare self-assessment andfeedback with some trustedcolleagues.Teachers demonstrate theconfidence and skills to talkabout quality teaching. Theyquestion their impact throughanalysing various data, areopen to having their teachingreviewed, and are welcomingand responsive to thoughtfuland constructive feedback.Individuals and teams are opento critically evaluating theirpractice in a culture of trust andwith a strong sense of collectiveefficacy – a belief that teachersare jointly responsible forensuring success for all students.The school monitors and evaluates its practiceSchool leaders work with teachersto evaluate the effectiveness ofhigh-impact teaching strategiesto refine curriculum, pedagogyand programs and plan forfurther improvement.FISO priority area: Professional leadershipFISO dimension: Instructional and shared leadershipSchool leaders lead teaching and learningLeaders model and demonstratehigh levels of pedagogicalknowledge and skill, includingexpert knowledge of evidencebased teaching strategies.

A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERS 13The High Impact Teaching StrategiesOptions for teachers to consider when choosing to focuson peer observation may include:The High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)23 are asuggested starting point for teachers to consider whenplanning peer observations. The HITS are 10 instructionalstrategies that, when implemented with fidelity, reliablyincrease student learning. While the HITS alone donot constitute a complete framework for professionalpractice, they are part of the full set of instructionalpractices that contribute to a comprehensive suite ofresources.Practice Principles for Excellence in Teachingand LearningThe Practice Principles for Excellence in Teaching andLearning22 (the Practice Principles) provide a startingpoint for reflection and discussion about teachers’professional practice. They can be used by the teacheras focus areas for peer observation and improvement instudent learning outcomes.The use of HITS across schools and networks will alsofacilitate the sharing of best practice and allow forcontinuous learning.The Practice Principles are based on a body of researchand, as a whole, they provide a precise representation ofpractice excellence in the classroom.The HITS are linked to each other and connected to abroader repertoire of teaching skills and knowledge.They can be connected to collaboration betweenteachers in professional learning communities andintegrated classroom and school planning aroundcurriculum, instruction and assessment.For example, Action 7.4 in the Practice Principles notesthat teachers should challenge and support each otherto improve practice. The evidence of this action includespeer observations, including feedback and reflection, onteaching practice.The key elements of the HITS provide examples of areasof teaching practice that individual teachers maychoose to explore when engaging in peer observation.The relationship between the pedagogical resources isoutlined in the image below.Image 1: Victorian Teaching and Learning ModelExcellence inteachingand learningEvidence-based highimpact teachingstrategiesEmpowering studentsand building school pridePositiveclimate forlearningStudentachievement,engagementand wellbeingVision for LearningEvaluating impacton learningCommunityengagementin learningHealth and wellbeingParents and carersas partnersAll students are empowered to learn and achieve, experiencing high quality teaching practice and the bestconditions for learning which equip them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for lifelong learning andshaping the world around themGlobal citizenshipNetworks with schools,services and agenciesProfessionalleadershipSetting expectationsand promoting inclusionVictorian Teaching and Learning ModelBuilding practiceexcellenceCurriculum planningand assessmentPractice nt andself awarenessBuilding leadershipteamsInstructionaland sharedleadershipVision valuesand cultureStrategicresourcemanagement1. Highexpectations forevery studentpromoteintellectualengagementand selfawareness2. A supportiveand productivelearningenvironmentpromotesinclusion andcollaboration3. Studentvoice, agencyand leadershipempowerstudents andbuild schoolpride4. Curriculumplanning andimplementationengages andchallenges allstudents5. Deep learningchallengesstudents toconstruct andapply newknowledge6. Rigorousassessmentpractices andfeedback informteaching andlearning7. Evidencebasedstrategies driveprofessionalpracticeimprovement8. Globalcitizenshipis fosteredthrough realworld contextsfor learning9. Partnershipswith parentsand carersenhancestudent learningPedagogical ModelEngageExploreExplainElaborateEvaluateHigh Impact Teaching Strategies1. SettingGoals22232. StructuringLessons3. ExplicitTeaching4. WorkedExamples5. CollaborativeLearning6. MultipleExposures7. Questioning8. Feedback9. MetacognitiveStrategies10. DifferentiatedteachingThe Department of Education and Training (2017) Practice Principles for Excellence in Teaching and ce.aspxThe High Impact Teaching Strategies: Excellence in Teaching and Learning can be downloaded /teachers/support/highimpactteachstrat.pdf*The Victorian Early YearsLearning and DevelopmentFramework (VEYLDF) is anessential resource for primaryschool teachers. AbilitiesBased Learning and Education(ABLES) is an essential resourcefor specialist school teachers.

14 A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERSThe Victorian Professional LearningCommunities initiativeProfessional Learning Communities (PLCs) are basedon the notion that students learn more when theirteachers work together. Through the Victorian PLCinitiative, Victorian government schools are buildinga collaborative culture of continuous improvement inteaching and learning to improve outcomes for everystudent.Peer observation in the PLC Maturity MatrixPeer observation and collaborative practice isfundamental to PLCs and is a feature of the PLCMaturity Matrix. The matrix articulates the attributes ofan effective PLC. For each element of an effective PLC,the Maturity Matrix provides indicative statements sothat a school can self-assess its level of progress and setdevelopmental goals. 24The high-impact improvement initiative of Buildingpractice excellence is relevant to peer observation as itarticulates how teachers work collaboratively throughclassroom observations, and give and receive feedbackto achieve consistent instructional approaches. Thiscontinuum of practice from the PLC Maturity Matrix isincluded in Table 2.Literacy and Numeracy StrategyThe Department’s Literacy and Numeracy Strategy wasdeveloped to provide easily accessible, high quality,and differentiated literacy and numeracy support toVictorian teachers. Teachers can consider their literacyor numeracy teaching practices as a focus of theirobservations.The School Leaders’ Guide to Improving Literacyand Numeracy Outcomes provides guidance withrespect to building a culture committed to continuousimprovement, and supporting teachers to developtheir knowledge and capacity to identify, implementand evaluate the use of evidence-based high-impactteaching strategies. The School Leaders’ Guide toImproving Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes mayinform the focus of peer observation activities.Table 2. Excerpt from the PLC Maturity Matrix (Building practice excellence)Building LINGTeachers work inisolation and definetheir practiceindividually. There isvariation in qualityof teaching acrossthe school, with fewopportunities todiscuss and agreewhat constitutesexcellence in teachingand learning.Collaborativestrategies such asshared analysisof students’ worksample, studentfeedback, peerobservation arebeginning to beestablished.Teachers have highexpectations for allstudents. Individually,teachers are inclusiveand responsive tothe individual needsof their students.However, the qualityof teaching andlearning is variablebecause there areno formal, agreedprotocol of whatconstitutes excellentteaching.The school has aclear instructionalmodel that is basedon research relatedto high-impactteaching strategies.All teachers follow themodel which drivesand informs the workof PLCs. Teachersare committed toimproving theirpractice and activelyseek feedback andsupport from eachother. Curriculumand pedagogicalexpertise iscelebrated andshared across theschool.Teacher are skilledin classroomobservation,validatingjudgements using arange of evidence,and giving andreceiving feedbackin order to secureoutstanding teachingand learning acrosstheir own and otherschools, includingthe use ofhigh-leverageapproachesto address theimportant curriculumissues. PLCs supportand challenge eachother continuously toreview the impact oftheir practices andapproaches.The Professional Learning Communities Maturity Matrix can be downloaded at px#link56

A GUIDE FOR PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERS 15Alignment with school prioritiesThe school strategic plan is the school’s statement toits community about what it stands for and intendsto do over the next four years to improve studentoutcomes. It defines what the school values most andsets out the school’s goals, targets and key strategies forimprovement.25 The Practice Principles allow teachersto identify areas of professional development alignedto the school’s Annual Implementation Plan, thereforecontributing to the broader school improvementdirection. Schools implementing peer observation inline with agreed school improvement priorities willstrengthen personal and school improvement goals.Activities might include engaging peers and learningspecialists in observation of the explicit teaching oflanguage demands, introducing one of the High ImpactTeaching Strategies, lesson pace, teacher feedback tostudents, student participation or the introduction ofnumeracy in physical education.Approaches to peer observationas professional learningTeachers may already be engaged in a range ofprofessional activities which include observations.This section provides descriptions for some of theapproaches used in schools. This guide could inform acurrent approach or could be used as a starting pointfor a new approach.Classroom observations can occur in a range of formsand consist of teachers’ instructional practices beingobserved by other teachers.Learning walks might include professional learningcommunity team observations and aim to reinforcea shared vision for high quality teaching and providesupport to enable collective responsibility for achievingschool-wide priorities.Digital recording might include individual observationsand team analysis using technology to review andevaluate instructional practice, and to contribute tocollaborative team learning. Protocols around the use,storage and management of

includes an annotated template for teachers to inform their self reflection, pre observation conversation, observation, and post observation reflection . with feedback as well, and learn from their approach.11 It