B 3: Lecture/Tutorial Plan, Teaching Material & Feedback of my teaching by my learning set peers – Cycle 1

Reflection: My peer observation cycle - round 1….

This was not the first time I was being observed by colleagues in the classroom. However the earlier observations were always related to lecture audits, which are a part of standard quality audits at Pearl to ensure that the lecture content is in keeping with the standard of the programme. Even though in my many years of teaching I have never walked into a class unprepared for a lesson I was a bit apprehensive about the session. This could namely be because I found the structure of the prescribed session plan restrictive. I was also conscious of the fact that at my micro teaching session I had overshot the time limit.

I paid more than my usual attention to the planning of the lesson and its delivery. My learning set peers were teachers of design and had a different approach to classroom instruction. Also, I must admit I was a bit inhibited because I was working on the basis of my readings of Biggs, Ramsden and Moon, and somewhere in the back of my mind there was a niggling feeling of – am I doing this right?

However once the class began I think my involvement with my subject and natural teaching abilities took over, and even though I did follow the session plan to the T, the class did not feel restrictive. Actually in many ways it kept me focused and helped me manage my time and class better.

The cohort initially was also a bit conscious of the observers, but 10 mins into the lesson I don’t think they even notice them.