Join us as we get into Pineapple Charts and the benefits of watching and learning from your colleagues.
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Pineapple Charts & #ObserveMe
WHAT IS A PINEAPPLE CHART? – From the Cult of Pedagogy…
- A Pineapple Chart is a system that allows teachers to invite one another into their classrooms for informal observation.
- The chart is set up in some location where teachers go on a daily basis: the teacher’s lounge, the copy room, or wherever teacher mailboxes live in your school.
- On the chart, teachers “advertise” the interesting things they are doing in their classrooms, activities they think others might want to observe. The activities could be as complex as a science lab, a history simulation, or a Skype session with a school in another country. Or they could be as simple as a read-aloud or a lesson on badminton.
WHAT IS #OBSERVEME
- It involves educators making a sign that welcomes their colleagues to observe them and give feedback in specific areas they have listed. Then they ask their peers to come by and share their expertise.
Positives
- Pineapple charts do a great job of quickly informing staff members about what they could learn from their peers. It’s informal, so all you have to do is list what you are doing and when it’s happening. This makes it easy for everyone to participate in.
- #ObserveMe gives the teacher being observed specific feedback that can be used to improve her practice. So, both the observer and the person being observed gain insight that will help improve each other’s practice. Once you create the sign, you could leave it up for the entire year as long as those are the goals you still want to get feedback on.
Negatives
- Pineapple charts require regular updates so that people know what is going on in a classroom. That takes a little more maintenance. They also tend to encourage more of a one-sided flow of information: the observer is learning from the observed. Any feedback is shared informally.
- #ObserveMe requires more planning and work ahead of the observation. The teacher being observed needs to think of what he/she wants feedback on, use that information to create a sign, and display it in her room. Observers may also initially feel awkward giving anything but positive feedback.
Links and Resources
Resources
What We’re Listening To
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