Quality Assurance

I was a DOS [Director of Studies] talks recently told me how she hates classroom observations. It was not that they have no objection to the idea of ​​a quality control before but it felt the teachers were very defensive and clearly not happy with their presence.

It is a difficult question, it is not because the school must ensure that students receive top quality education, but teachers are understandably reluctant to open themselves up to possible criticism.

I think the system works better if the quality is not considered a top-down approach. If everyone is a partner in working for excellence, teachers need not feel threatened. The first step is to ask teachers, self-reflection. You may be asked to write down what they felt were more than one hour and what can be improved. Can you discuss this with the DOS, so the initiative to improve them. Peer class observation is another useful tool, so that teachers can support each other. A debriefing with the students can also help teachers consult regularly with their students about what is true, then the class as well.

Feedback from all these activities at staff meetings and teachers can collect their own action plans to improve the situation. Obviously this will only work if it provides the necessary support in the form of additional training, budgets for equipment and materials, and a general atmosphere of mutual respect.

The main hook of such systems is that many schools in cultures that strongly hierarchical with managers not see employees as equal partners, but as subjects to be checked are removed. It can be difficult in such situations to make sure that the principal work, "people" better targeted activities through cooperation than by orders from above.