Tips for Classroom Visits and Writing Teacher Stories
Observing the Lesson
Jot down notes during the lesson
Take notes in your preferred processing system (e.g. Word or Google docs) to use as an outline for the write-up
Take note of the step-by-step process of the lesson (How does the teacher start the lesson? How does the teacher set up the lesson or describe the instructions? What questions does the teacher ask? Does the teacher use an interactive tool like Padlet?)
Ask the teacher in advance if they are comfortable sharing any lesson documents with you (e.g. slides, tools, notes)
Try to write down direct quotes and insights from students and teachers
To make the write-up descriptive, you can also take notes about the energy in the class (e.g. “The students enthusiastically shouted out their answers”) and any non-verbal cues (e.g. “When the teacher asked the question, all of the students used the thumbs up reaction to express their support”)
You can also participate in the lesson (e.g. If it’s a role play mixer, take on one of the roles and go into the breakout room discussions) and share some of your thoughts and reflections about your experience engaging in the lesson
If it’s possible and permissible, take photos during the lesson
Writing the Story
Begin the piece with a hook (e.g. a quote, a question, or statistic)
Write the piece in the past tense
Think about writing the story in a way that others can gain inspiration from the lesson or walk through and replicate the lesson in their classroom
The more descriptive, the easier it is for other teachers to do the lesson similarly in their classroom
If it’s possible and permissible, sharing student work is always a powerful addition to a piece
Include pictures when possible
Note: pieces are different lengths depending on the lesson, they can be longer or shorter (see examples below)