Our Mission
Let's get one thing straight. Teaching is the most important profession in the world. Perhaps in our ongoing pursuit to perfect our craft, we engage in professional development efforts that are a mile-wide and an inch-deep, gathering to discuss with colleagues the art of instruction but rarely having the opportunity to share real-time instruction with teaching peers. Busy schedules make traditional peer observation programs unwieldy.
With the advent of the smart-phone, teachers can now easily share instruction by obtaining their very own video platform with Fresh Eyes on Teaching. With our exclusive, interactive network, teachers can reciprocate feedback within or between schools and individually with teaching friends across the world to help each other hone the challenging aspects of pedagogy. Rarely can such an authentic yet simple form of professional development be found.
Teachers simply record instruction on their mobile devices and upload to their chosen video channel(s) by grade level or subject matter. Uploading and adding some interactive questions to lead the discussion help peer observers focus their feedback. This reciprocal process raises the bar of quality instruction.
With Fresh Eyes on Teaching, teachers become the reluctant stars of the show because the focus is on them, not their students. Peer observers want to see the teacher in action. By emphasizing instruction, the ultimate winners are the students. Curricula is plentiful, but instruction is where learning takes place.
Peer observation (Brooks, 2003) is important because it:
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supports teachers’ continuing professional development.
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draws on social cognitive theory, which suggests that people learn when observing others and participating in social environments.
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enables observing teachers to build on their current knowledge base by learning new strategies and applications for pedagogy, and then adapting them within the framework of their own teaching methods and teaching styles.
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allows observee teachers to share and demonstrate their expertise within the context of their classrooms, gaining valuable feedback and ideas.
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promotes reflective practice. https://online.glyndwr.ac.uk/the-importance-of-peer-observation-in-education
Research has shown that feedback for teachers helps to improve their instruction. In the digital age, offering feedback to teachers has been made simple. The Best Foot Forward Project by the Center for Education Policy Research in 2015 found that collaboration via digital video is helpful for both teachers and administrators. https://visiblybetter.cepr.harvard.edu/best-foot-forward-project
Until now, peer observation has been unwieldy and difficult because of busy teaching schedules and logistics. One-shot, annual formal observations by administrators never tell the complete picture. Fresh Eyes on Teaching attempts to resolve the dilemma of observation-as-perfunctory afterthought by empowering teachers to more frequently seek out objective peer observations to improve classroom instruction, classroom management, student engagement.
Have a look at our sample international channel below and imagine what your school or district can do with its own peer observation platform by creating group and subgroup channels for grade levels, subject domain, rookie and veteran teachers, within and between schools. Each teacher receives their own instructional video platform. Some videos they will like to share with other teachers. Others they may like to keep to themselves. You have the capacity to develop an impressive peer observation network for teachers. You will find this small investment to be the most cost-effective means to raise the quality of instruction in your school. Rather than discussing quality teaching in workshops, teachers can engage in professional development in real-time.
JOIN FRESH EYES ON TEACHING AND BECOME THAT RELUCTANT TEACHING STAR!
