Teachers Collaborating

A teacher who reflects alone has limits. A teacher who collaborates with colleagues, including by being observed and observing in turn, has access to evidence the lone reflector cannot reach. The collaborative side of reflective practice rests on a few clear structures and a few non-negotiable rules.

Every teacher is an active participant

The starting point is that every teacher participates in their own development. The school does not develop teachers; teachers develop themselves, with the school’s support. Collaboration is one of the ways the development happens.

Real benefits appear when collaboration is the focus of reflection rather than an afterthought. A teacher who treats colleagues as a resource for reflection learns more than one who treats them only as colleagues.

The five-step evaluation cycle

Most evaluation systems used in schools follow a similar structure. A useful version has five steps.

1. Self-reflection. The teacher starts by reflecting on their own practice. What do they think is working? What needs attention?
2. Goal setting. Specific goals are set. What will the teacher work on this term or this year?
3. Observation and collection of evidence. The teacher is observed (or observes themselves through video). Evidence is gathered about what is actually happening.
4. Formative assessment and evaluation. The evidence is discussed. The teacher and the observer evaluate progress while the year is still in motion. Adjustments are made.
5. Summative evaluation. At the end, the cycle is reviewed. What was achieved? What goals carry over? What new goals emerge?

The cycle is closed: step five feeds back into step one for the next cycle.

Where observation sits in the cycle

Observation begins as soon as the goals are set in step two. It does not wait for a formal observation slot at the end of the year. Observations continue until the cycle ends with summative evaluation.

This means observation is not a one-off event but an ongoing source of evidence for the reflective practitioner. The summative evaluation at the end is built on a series of observations across the year, not a single high-stakes visit.

What to observe

Observation is not only about classroom teaching. The reflective practitioner has multiple aspects of work that can be observed.

Inside the classroom

1. Student engagement. How students are responding to the lesson. Are they participating? Are they following the explanation? Where does attention drop?
2. Classroom management. How the teacher handles transitions, behaviour, the use of time, and the physical setup of the room.
3. Differentiated instruction. Whether the teaching is adjusted for different learners.
4. A safe learning environment. Whether students feel comfortable contributing, asking questions, and making mistakes.

Outside the classroom

1. Professional collaboration in team meetings. How the teacher contributes to departmental and whole-school work.
2. Family and community engagement. How the teacher communicates with parents and broader stakeholders.
3. Collaborative data analysis. How the teacher works with colleagues to interpret student progress and adjust practice.

A reflective practitioner who is only observed inside the classroom has a partial picture. The outside-the-classroom dimensions matter too.

Principles of brief observation

Long, formal observations have their place but are expensive in time. Brief, focused observations done often produce more useful evidence in many cases. Four principles guide them.

Frequent

Observations should happen regularly, not only at the end of the year. A handful of short observations across a term shows growth and pattern in a way that a single long visit cannot.

Focused

Each observation focuses on one or two aspects, not the whole of teaching. “I will look for student engagement and questioning today” produces better notes than “I will observe everything.”

Varied

The observer should vary what they look for and the contexts they observe in. Observing the same kind of lesson three times shows less than observing three different kinds.

Useful and timely feedback

Observation without feedback is data the teacher does not see. Feedback should be specific enough to act on and arrive soon enough to act on it.

Collecting evidence through observation

The observer’s notes during observation matter. A few practices help.

Use a simple note-taking strategy that allows quick capture. Short paraphrases, brief direct quotes that catch the tone of the moment, and time markers for what happened when are usually enough.

Avoid writing full sentences during observation; they take too long and you miss the next moment. Capture enough to remember the moment when you write up the feedback later.

A useful note format is two columns: what happened, and a brief observer thought. This separates description from interpretation.

Feedback principles

The feedback after observation has its own principles. Four words capture them.

1. Focused. The feedback addresses what was actually observed, not generic teaching wisdom.
2. Evidence-based. The feedback is grounded in specific examples from the observation, not impressions.
3. Constructive. The feedback reinforces effective practice and identifies areas for growth, not only mistakes.
4. Timely. The feedback comes soon after the observation, while both observer and teacher remember the lesson.

A feedback conversation that takes place a month after the observation has lost most of its value. The details have faded for both members.

Flashcard

What are the four principles of useful observation feedback?

Tap to reveal

Answer

Focused, evidence-based, constructive, timely

Focused means it addresses what was actually observed. Evidence-based means it cites specific examples. Constructive means it reinforces strengths and identifies growth, not only mistakes. Timely means it arrives soon enough to act on while details are still fresh.

Why observation matters for reflective practice

Observation gives the reflective practitioner what they cannot get from solo reflection: an outside view of their own work. The observer notices what the teacher cannot see while teaching, including their own patterns, blind spots, and habits.

A teacher who is observed regularly, by colleagues they trust, and who receives feedback that follows the four principles, has a stream of evidence for their own development that no journal can provide. The journal records what the teacher noticed. The observation captures what they did not.

The reciprocal piece matters too. A teacher who observes others sees their own work differently afterwards. The observer notices choices the other teacher made and asks whether they would have made the same choice. This kind of vicarious learning, sustained across many observations, builds the reflective practitioner’s repertoire faster than experience alone could.