Reflection on Supervisory Skills: Post Observation Conference Video

I would like to reflect on several aspects of the post observation conference that I assessed using the video of the teacher and myself. Video taping allows me to see how the actual conference may have looked to the teacher. In this way I can determine supervisory skills that are strengths and those that need improvement so that in the future I can be more effective in helping teachers.

I felt that the conference environment was comfortable and private. We sat in my office with chairs that faced each other and there were no interruptions during the conference. I decided not to sit behind the desk as it seemed too formal. I wanted to make sure that the intent of this observation was not evaluation and that the teacher felt supported and comfortable discussing the lesson. The teacher had some notes and frequently leaned forward, which indicated to me that she was both comfortable and felt she could share openly. Although we were both aware of the video, I thought the eye contact was good most of the time. I noticed that I often nodded in agreement and smiled. I felt that this was good non verbal feedback while the teacher was explaining. I did use um and other transition words at first, however, as the conference moved forward I used them less frequently. I was concerned about my voice tone being instructional however, as I listened I was glad to hear that I did sound supportive. Something I would like to work on is more eye contact when the teacher talks. I noticed that I looked down at my notes and questions and felt I should have been looking as I was listening. Overall the conference tone was very positive and the environment supportive.

It is important to know now that I observed the teacher in a virtual environment on Elluminate.
Elluminate is the interactive classroom for the virtual environment. Although some areas of observation may change from that of a traditional classroom, most remain the same or very similar.

The conference was collaborative. As the conference moved forward we discussed strategies that she used in the lesson and concerns for improvement. Prior to this lesson we had discussed several things that the teacher wanted to focus on including: a specific student, learning styles, and attendance and participation. We had also spoken in the pre-observation conference about the learning styles of the students and ways the teacher was currently addressing those. I used several questions to guide the format of the conference at this point- In what ways do you think the lesson was successful? How did you know the students understood what you were teaching? What evidence-based strategies did you use? If you were to do this lesson over is there anything you would do differently? I thought these questions moved the conference in the right direction and allowed the teacher to comment and me to reflect on her comments. I did make some suggestions and I thought they were constructive and clear and waited for her reaction. There are two areas where I needed to be more focused and specific. I needed to discuss the student that the teacher asked me to observe and in addition mention and note the data that I collected in the observation. Although I didn't feel that it affected the outcome in this case, it could be important in another observation. I did collect data on attendance as that and participation were one of her concerns. She had 7 total students out of 30 attend. This is a low number and it is also an overall school problem. I did let her know that and suggested that she set up an incentive program that I could help her with . I suggested that she could observe another math teacher in Elluminate to get some ideas that she could use regarding manipulatives on the whiteboard online. I also mentioned that we could meet as a vertical team (subject matter specific in all grades K-6) to share ideas to facilitate that in case she does not know some of the other teachers at different grade levels yet.

As I mentioned previously, the conference was collaborative. My predominant style is collaborative and at times, non directive. I spent most of the time in this conference asking questions, listening, clarifying, reflecting, encouraging and reinforcing. I felt the teacher responded well to this style even though she is a first year teacher in a virtual environment. I was very specific in asking her how I could help her and in suggesting that she observe another teacher who is using the manipulatives that she mentioned. This was an area that took time for her and this is a way she could use the experience of another team member to her advantage.
I felt after watching that I complimented her and gave positive feedback.

I came away from the conference with a list of things that I could do or initiate to help her and after viewing the video felt that the conference was positive and helpful to her. One thing that I would like to do is to send a quick online survey to make sure that my observations on her feelings are correct and if she had thought of other things it would give me a chance to address those in another observation. She is a very competent teacher who is adjusting to the online environment.