{"data":{"ID":648,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1477784636,"CreatorID":4735,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Breaking Down Walls: The Power of Teacher Peer Observation","Handle":"breaking_down_walls--the_power_of_teacher_peer_observation","ShortDescription":"All student teachers start by observing more experienced teachers practicing their craft. But, as teachers progress in their careers, they often don't seek out opportunities to watch and learn from other teachers. Why? In this conversation, we'll explore starting a peer observation program - the pushback, the fear, and also the success.","Description":"We\u2019ve probably all sat through \u201cdump-and-run\u201d professional development - the kind of PD where a hired consultant comes and talks at the faculty for a day. This strategy promotes the counterproductive idea that PD should be neatly confined to a handful of days a year. It\u2019s also costly and ineffective, and most teachers find it pretty useless.  \r\n\r\nCreating a peer observation program where staff members can visit other classrooms any day of the school year and utilize colleagues as professional development resources is an easy alternative to traditional PD strategies. \r\n\r\nAt our school, we created a schedule where teachers could post any lessons they were willing to allow other teachers to observe. Then, if others had a prep period or free time, they could check the schedule and get quick, free professional development by seeing a fellow colleague at work. It gave teachers agency over their own learning and encouraged them to develop a growth mindset about their practice. \r\n\r\nBut like most school initiatives that buck traditional norms, such a program didn\u2019t come without its challenges. In this conversation we\u2019ll share the lessons we\u2019ve learned from starting the program, the hard work it takes to shift teacher culture, and discuss challenges and best practices for teacher peer observation.","Link":["https:\/\/dylanfenton.com\/","https:\/\/danwhalen.org\/"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"The facilitators will share their experience starting a peer observation with attendees and present questions that will guide the conversation with the group. Insights, \u201clight bulb moments,\u201d and best practices from the conversation will be shared with the larger EduCon community.","Presenter":["Dylan Fenton","Dan Whalen"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Collingwood Public Schools"],"PresenterEmail":["dylan.h.fenton@gmail.com","dwhalen@collsk12.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":84,"ScheduleLocationID":6,"SubmitterID":4735,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":6}}