Lesson visits are an integral part of maintaining quality assurance in teaching, designed to support rather than evaluate you. They offer opportunities for teachers to receive constructive feedback and improve their instructional practices. This article explores the rationale, process, and key criteria involved in the process of lesson visits at Fluentbe.
Read this article and watch our webinar on this very topic here.
Purpose of Lesson Visits
Lesson visits can be triggered by various factors, including:
Standard Observations: We aim to observe a teacher’s lesson at least once, so even without the reason listed below we may visit you.
Student Feedback: Responses from students can indicate the need for observation.
Performance Reviews: Lesson visits are an integral part of this process.
Company Requirements: With some organizations we have contractual obligations to do periodic observations.
Teacher Requests: You may seek feedback on your performance or support with specific courses.
The primary goal of lesson visits is to provide supportive feedback. They are not punitive and should not be viewed as a source of anxiety.
The Observation Process
Here is a step by step how it works:
A teacher trainer will send you an email. Please keep an eye out for it and check your spam folder regularly.
Acknowledge receiving the message, confirm that you’re aware of the upcoming visit, and familiarize yourself with the process.
The teacher trainer will be added to one of your courses with "Mentoring" attached to their name.
When the trainer joins your lesson, they will always have their camera and microphone turned off to minimize disruption.
At the beginning of the lesson, let your students know about the visit in a low-key manner. You can say something like: “Just a quick heads-up, a teacher trainer is joining us today for a routine observation. They won’t participate, so we’ll continue as usual. Let’s get started.”
After the lesson, the teacher trainer will contact you to inform you of the next steps.
Key Criteria for Successful Lessons
Fluentbe has established several criteria to guide lesson observations, focusing on aspects that contribute to effective teaching:
1. Lesson Goals
Teachers should clearly present and review lesson goals, ensuring that students understand what they are expected to learn. Goals should be revisited throughout the lesson to track progress.
2. Lesson Structure
A well-structured lesson follows a clear framework: revision, goals, core content, summary, and next steps. Transitions between sections should be smooth, emphasizing student engagement and participation.
3. The Way of Conducting Lessons
The lesson pace should match students' activity completion, avoiding rushing or getting stuck at certain stages. Your speaking manner must be engaging, natural, and balanced, suited to the students' age and needs — neither monotonous nor exaggerated. Activities are selected and tailored to the students' abilities and needs. Both interactive and speaking tasks are incorporated, with individual activities followed by relevant productive exercises.
4. Interactions
Observers look for balanced interaction among students and between the teacher and students. Teacher talking time should be minimized to encourage student participation.
5. Personalization
Lessons should be tailored to meet student needs and interests, providing relevant content that challenges them appropriately. This may involve adjusting tasks or questions based on individual capabilities.
6. Feedback and Corrections
Teachers should approach error correction selectively, focusing on a lesson target vocabulary or specific areas for improvement. For higher-level students, the goal may be to encourage the use of more sophisticated vocabulary.
7. Time Management
Make sure you always start and finish your lessons on time. Effective time management is essential, with teachers aiming to cover one topic per lesson while adhering to the lesson structure. Key components should never be omitted, even when modifications are necessary.
8. Instructions and Explanations
Clear, concise instructions help guide students through discovery-based learning. Teachers should feel confident in utilizing complex activities and giving extra instructions if needed.
9. Target Language Use
Maintaining a target language environment is crucial. Whether the target language is English, German, or French, teachers should encourage students to use it as much as possible throughout the lesson, providing support when necessary. The goal is to immerse students in the language and create opportunities for authentic communication.
10. Use of Tools and Resources
Teachers are expected to leverage available tools, such as Extra vocabulary functions and Chat. In courses for children and teens, tools like Screen sharing or the Whiteboard may also be necessary to enhance the learning experience.
11. Audio and Video Quality
A professional learning environment requires good-quality audio and video equipment. Clear communication is paramount in creating an optimal classroom atmosphere.
Maintaining professionalism is essential for online teaching. Key aspects include:
Lighting and Background: Ensuring proper lighting and a professional background enhances communication and engagement.
Professional Appearance: Dressing neatly, even in an online setting, contributes to a professional image.
Utilizing Feedback: Embracing feedback as a growth tool is critical. Regularly reviewing feedback helps teachers refine their practices.
Conclusion
Lesson visits serve as a valuable resource, enabling you to enhance your skills while maintaining a high standard of education and understanding our method. By focusing on clear goals, structured lessons, effective communication, and professionalism, we can create an engaging and supportive learning environment for our students. Embracing this process not only benefits individual teachers but also enriches the overall educational experience.