Classroom observation: a necessary evil or outrageous intrusion?

By Gordon Cairns
Community contribution / January 29, 2018

One aspect of teaching is guaranteed to turn either the most tranquil or confident individual into an anxious, paranoid and quivering wreck; the dreaded classroom observation from another professional.

Maybe the fear arises as it reminds teachers of their time as a student when they were constantly on the ...

Head Teacher Science - North Sydney Girls High School

North Sydney Girls High School Crows Nest

Teaching - Secondary / Jul 01, 2026

Teacher Science - Gulgong High School

Gulgong High School Gulgong

Teaching - Secondary / Jul 01, 2026

Principal Level P3 - Tamworth South Public School

Tamworth South Public School Tamworth

School Management / Jul 01, 2026

By Gordon Cairns

Community

Gordon Cairns is an English teacher and education journalist in the UK.

Latest comments

This is a forever perception - when the comment was: "It must be great being a teacher - short days and ALL those hol...

— Jane Hunter on ‘It’S A Pile On’: Ignorant Media Narratives About Teachers Push One To The Brink

Top events

In medicine it is called 'white coat syndrome', when blood pressure is being taken. Doctors take into account that the stress caused by having a blood pressure reading will push up the reading accordingly. Unfortunately, I haven't heard of classroom observers taking into account that the stress of being observed will negatively affect the quality of the lesson.

— Gordon Cairns

School news / ‘It’s a pile on’: Ignorant media narratives about teachers push one to the brink

The mainstream media are fuelling an ignorant and harmful narrative about teachers which is divorced from reality and eroding the profession in the public eye, a frustrated teacher has argued.

School news / ‘Some wrapped in Govt protection, others left to weather storm alone’: scathing Hub response

The ink has barely dried on the signing off of the Albanese Government's Social Cohesion Education Hub and concerns have been raised about its bias, and largely one-dimensional bringing together of resources that focus on dealing with discrimination.

School news / Mental health crisis: Meta loses bid to dismiss claims it aims to addict kids

A federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit by 29 US state attorneys-general ‌accusing it of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and knowingly concealing the harm from the public.

School news / Safety over passion: school leavers are jeopardising a happy future career life

One-in-two young Australians are choosing career paths they believe are financially safer over roles they feel genuinely passionate about, new research reveals, as rising living costs reshape how Gen Z thinks about work and success.

School news / ‘Hit and miss’: major holes in Department’s oversight of student privacy information

NSW school principals have been left to use their own judgement when it comes to protecting the security and privacy of student information, with some using unapproved third-party digital products that the state’s education department are unaware ...

School news / ‘We can’t protect free expression by ignoring hate’: classroom help stamping out anti-Semitism

Australia’s school students are soon to have access to lessons combating anti-Semitism and discrimination as part of a broader plan to promote peace within communities and bring people together.

School news / New report reveals fossil fuel companies marketing to kids through trusted institutions

Major coal, oil and gas companies are reaching Australian children through schools, museums, science centres, sporting clubs, early learning programs, scholarships and career pathways, according to a landmark new report by climate communications c...

School news / ‘It’s a pile on’: Ignorant media narratives about teachers push one to the brink

The mainstream media are fuelling an ignorant and harmful narrative about teachers which is divorced from reality and eroding the profession in the public eye, a frustrated teacher has argued.

School news / Digital boost to broaden access to Indigenous-language books

Young Indigenous people in remote communities will be able to read more stories in First Nations languages by tapping into a global digital catalogue.

School news / ‘We know big tech wants this to fail’: social media ban to be strengthened

Tech companies have been dragging their feet on enforcing Australia’s child social media ban because they want the age limit to fail, federal leaders say.

Classroom observation: a necessary evil or outrageous intrusion?

Comments

EducationID

Our services

Ad centre