If you’re a teacher, then you know it’s always just around the corner; your very own assessment of your work: The Observation!
While it’s normal to be nervous whenever your work is judged, we want to remind you that you are awesome and you can, and will, rule your observation day.
Here are five handy tips to help calm your nerves:
1. Prep Your Students
You don’t want your students to act too unnatural on your observation day, but you also don’t want them to be unnerved by the official-looking observer sitting in the back of the room. Your best bet is to prep your students in advance and discuss how to react whenever there is a visitor in the classroom. Teach them that when they see another adult in the room, it’s a chance to impress. After all, the students never really know who the person is there to watch. It could be them!
2. Have an Emergency Observation Lesson Plan
Depending on your administrator, you may or may not know when you’ll have your observation. They’re busy and their schedules can change. Sometimes, in the midst of your unit, you may have your observation scheduled when you’re in the middle of a teacher-centric lesson, or a group project, or even a test. These are essential for your overall unit, but don’t make for the ideal observation lesson. It happens. So always have a specially designed lesson plan ready to go that really hits all the marks your administrators are looking for. It’s also one you can practice from time-to-time, so it’s ready to go, and you’ll be ready to shine.
3. Practice
If you know you have an observation scheduled and you teach multiple periods, make sure you run through the lesson before the big day. If you teach one class, test run a similar lesson with your class the day before your administrator arrives. And it’s a bonus if you have a colleague with an off period, as it doesn’t hurt to have them watch you test run the lesson. They may have some extra input to help push your lesson to perfection.
4. Don’t Panic
Most important, remember to be the teacher you naturally are. Don’t worry if it doesn’t go perfectly to plan. Trust your instincts and do the best you can, because that’s what you do when you aren’t being watched, and it’s probably when you’re at your best.
5. Rest Up and Eat Well
Just like you tell your students the night before a big test, make sure you go to bed early and eat a good breakfast. Give your body and mind a chance to be at their best. This is a teacher test, after all!