Great Lessons are a continuous conversation from one day to the next where you build on yesterday in preparation for tomorrow.

It sounds like common sense. Shouldn't all observations be evidence based? Is this a passing fad using new vocabulary? Or is this a new focus for principals and teachers? The stakes are high and our focus has to be clear. We need evidence that our students are learning and state tests are not the way to do that. However, teacher observations and the conversations that take place before and after are important to that process because they can have a positive effect on student learning.

Observations used to involve a checklist:

• Students are sitting still...check
• Their eyes are on the teacher...check
• They seem to be writing answers on the paper...check
• Student work is hanging on the walls...check
• Students are being respectful...check

The stereotypical observation is hopefully changing.

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