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What's the most useless piece of feedback you have received after a lesson observation?

93 replies

LizzieVereker · 19/09/2013 23:10

It's lesson observation time at our school, and everyone is getting anxious and comparing notes. I always promise myself I won't get worked up, but I always do Grin.

To cheer myself up, and to remind myself that judgements can be a bit abitrary, I wondered if fellow teachers would share the most pointless feedback they have received. I would like to offer the following:

"Just do exactly what you are doing but better!" (said to a colleague who asked for specific strategies to move a lesson from good to outstanding)

"Why did you waste 10 minutes having them read the book aloud? Wouldn't it just be easier to show them the film?" (said to me, an English teacher).

And my personal nadir of feedback bollocks: "you achieved the objectives, the behaviour was excellent, they all made progress, but it just didn't feel right. So I'm grading it "requires improvement"...

Anyone got any more?

OP posts:
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Rowlers · 19/09/2013 23:15

"You need to make sure that Joey Bloggs tucks his shirt in"
I should actually have been pleased that the observer couldn't think of much else to criticise at the time (years ago). Sadly, whatever we do will never be good enough.
Have just spent around 4 hours preparing for tomorrow's observation.
Wish me luck!

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BeQuicksieorBeDead · 19/09/2013 23:20

If you had played some mozart during their independent working time, I would have given you an outstanding. I love Mozart.

Hmm yes cheers boss, great advice.

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notwoo · 19/09/2013 23:20

"When your TA picked something up from the floor she should have stood up and squatted down rather than twisting round from her chair."

Yes, thank you for your concern for my TA's back but I really didn't need that as a written point for improvement on my (otherwise outstanding) observation.

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Ruprekt · 19/09/2013 23:22

Nothing like yours.

Had an ob today....use your TA properly! Big Ofsted thing atm.....

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paperclipsarebetterthanstaples · 19/09/2013 23:23

'teacher dressed inappropriately'

I was wearing black trousers a t shirt and smart jumper. I'd bent over to reach a pen a student had dropped and apparently the observer got a glimpse of the top of my knickers.

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notwoo · 19/09/2013 23:25

hope you squatted and didn't actually bend paperclips

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notwoo · 19/09/2013 23:25

bend paperclips

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SuffolkNWhat · 19/09/2013 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

snowmummy · 19/09/2013 23:34

I think if I got an obversation with any of these silly comments, I'd tell the observer where to get orffffff!

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Halfbaked · 19/09/2013 23:34

Don't walk around the room interacting with the students, set yourself up at the front, maybe with a little sign that says help desk. HOD then spends 5 minutes getting very into this idea and how he could make everyone a sign Confused

Him: I think the lesson was probably good.
Me: ok what can I do to make it outstanding
Him: well umm not much really , maybe a little sign?
Me: Confused

Both from my current HOD, who is mostly clueless. I had to point out he was using Ofsted criteria that was 3 years out of date. We are overdue an Ofsted, I supposedly work at an Outstanding school.

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rosabud · 20/09/2013 20:11

"Your voice isn't deep enough. It would be better if your voice were deeper.......like mine." Mentor from Hell.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 20/09/2013 20:16

I had an Outstanding once where the observer, who clearly felt the need to give me some advice, put, 'There is graffiti on the wall' as the only comment in the Areas to Develop box. I was teaching in six different classrooms that year and barely had time to GET to each room, let alone examine the walls.

The 'Little Sign' is my favourite so far. Shock

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ProphetOfDoom · 20/09/2013 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RupertTheBear · 20/09/2013 20:22

My personal favourite was when I was told that my room was too hot and I should open the windows. I just thought that if that was all they could think of to comment on I couldn't be doing much wrong!

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bronya · 20/09/2013 20:26

Many years ago, three weeks into a move from Y2 to a Y6... 'Everything was perfect, and the children obviously made progress within your teaching, but they all understood the objective by the end of your teaching and could do the work set.' Thanks folks, obviously I should make the work impossible then, so they can't practice what they've just learnt - that or perhaps I shouldn't teach well enough for them to understand it in the first place?

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Judyandherdreamofhorses · 20/09/2013 20:28

'You know your problem? You've got NO confidence...'. My first head as an NQT. I resigned the next day and have never regretted it.

I'm astounded by some of the awful, and bloody ridiculous comments here. I've just had a crap lesson observation. My head said, 'Shall we just pretend that never happened, and I'll come back next week?'.

I love my school.

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2kidsintow · 20/09/2013 20:29

That my lesson was strong, behaviour was good and progress was made by the children.... but that I didn't 'sparkle'.

Observer worked for local County Hall and is now my own DD's headteacher - hope she 'sparkles' when covering classes.

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Judyandherdreamofhorses · 20/09/2013 20:31

Anyone expecting me to fucking 'sparkle' would be getting short shrift these days!

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GetStuffezd · 20/09/2013 20:32

Not given to me but a close mate.

"Maybe you should wear a special hat to symbolise the start of the lesson?"

Er right. And spend fifty minutes wandering around looking like a tosser?

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EverybodysGoneSurfing · 20/09/2013 20:33

Dear Lord. How is it possible that ofsted just downgraded my school but there are numpties like your observers in other schools? Our leadership team would be furious if they read records like these!

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balia · 20/09/2013 20:34

I was once told that my classroom was too small. How very lax of me not to have built an extension. And another time I was advised to 'ask questions the students know the answers to'. You have to laugh.

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OrangeMochaFrappucino · 20/09/2013 20:35

'It's too sunny to teach Dracula.'

OK...next time I'll be sure to plan two different lessons and then teach the most weather appropriate one...

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 20/09/2013 20:35

Judy - that's what I do if I observe a less good lesson. Seems v sensible to me, but is unusual.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 20/09/2013 20:36

Wtf re Dracula? Okay - that's my favourite now. I'm lost for words.

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mineofuselessinformation · 20/09/2013 20:39

Does anyone ever get given the current criteria under which observations are going to be made BEFORE the lesson?

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