teacher monitoring

[tinks269]

I was just wondering how the teaching is monitored at school? Do you have weekly learning walks where your head sits in your lesson for 5/10mins?
Do you have formal lesson observations?
Is your planning checked? Etc etc

I am trying to find some innovative ways that monitoring is happening so I can suggest them to our SLT. As a school we are quite forward thinking but seem to be a bit stuck with this bit.

Thanks for any replies or ideas.

[MsAwesomeDragon]

We have 2 formal lesson observations each year, which are written up and kept as performance management stuff. Then we have a third observation which is completely informal and is used as a discussion, so I might choose a class I'm finding difficult for some reason and ask the observer to be thinking about behaviour management/getting them to read the question properly/challenging extension problems so it really helps my day to day teaching because it's an absolutely normal lesson they've seen rather than a "performance" observation lesson iyswim.

Smt do come round on learning walks, but not particularly regularly and they don't stay in each lesson for very long, so I'm not sure how much they see if my normal teaching. Normally they seem to arrive just as I've stopped the class so we can self assess our work (I'm reading out answers)

[goingmadinthecountry]

HT does formal observations, but also frequently drops in. This is much less scary than the formal observations. I think this gives him a good overview - stuff never runs to plan in an observed lesson! As subject leaders we also "observe" from time to time. We all try to look on it as a positive experience, whilst bearing in mind we loathe it and start to act like totally deranged people on too much helium. My last observed lesson was utterly sabotaged by a particular "known" pupil kicking off. Such is life. The regular drop ins reassure me that HT knows I am good at my job. Am more than happy with people in my class informally.

[PumpkinPie2016]

We have a 30 minute and a 60 minute observation each year. We have learning walks by SLT probably twice per term. Work scrutiny once a term. HoD 'drop ins' whenever.

Written down it sounds loads but mostly I don't mind - keeps me thinking about my practice and ways to improve/develop.

We have weekly CPD which focussed on key priorities for everyone as well to support.

[rollonthesummer]

3 formal observations a year.
Book scrutinies each term
Learning walks each half term
Regular drop ins-the smt are always in and out of lessons which I like, actually. I've worked in schools where the head NEVER sets foot near the classrooms unless they're observing or Ofsted is in-I'm not sure how they have any idea what goes on in their school!

[tinks269]

Thanks for the replies. They all sound pretty similar and roughly what we are doing. I guess I was wondering if anyone did anything radically different.

[Shadowboy]

1 formal biannual observation and then green door week (any member of staff happy to be observed by any other member of staff puts a sticker on their door) so if there is a member of staff you want to see for a specific reason, this gives you the opportunity to learn from them.

[rollonthesummer]

What happens if no one puts a sticker on their door during green door week?

[Shadowboy]

Rollonsummer- not sure?! Usually about 20odd staff happy to show off their teaching skills (approx 100 teaching staff so about 20% take up)