Attending and Documenting What Happens

During the observation itself, the observer's role is to attend carefully to teaching and learning as they unfold in real time. Developmental teaching observation emphasizes noticing and documenting what happens, rather than evaluating effectiveness or prescribing solutions. Observation often focuses on a single class session (for example, a 50–90 minute lecture or seminar), though it may also involve partial observation, recorded sessions, or review of online learning spaces.

Methods for Recording Observations

Teaching observation can be recorded in many ways, ranging from open-ended narrative notes to more structured prompts or logs. Different approaches offer different affordances for noticing patterns, interactions, and moments of alignment or tension between instructional intention and enacted practice.

Rather than relying on a single observation instrument, observers are encouraged to select or adapt methods that support:

Descriptive, low-inference documentation
Attention to the instructor's stated goals
Later reflection and dialogue

Optional templates and prompts for recording observation evidence are provided in Part 5, and may be used selectively or adapted to context.

What Observers Commonly Attend To

Depending on the purpose and focus of the observation, observers may attend to aspects such as:

Instructional strategies and classroom interactions
Student engagement, participation, and responses
Pacing, clarity of explanations, and transitions between activities
Use of materials, learning technologies, or learning spaces
Accessibility, inclusion, and responsiveness to diverse learners

What is attended to—and what remains in the background—should be shaped by the goals identified in the pre-observation conversation, rather than by a desire to "see everything at once."

Guidance for Observers

Effective observers are encouraged to:

Observe quietly and discreetly, minimizing disruption
Focus on descriptive evidence rather than judgments or recommendations
Record specific examples that connect to the instructor's stated goals
Be aware of comparisons to one's own teaching style or preferences, and refocus attention on the instructor's goals and context

Descriptive observation notes—whether captured through narrative notes or time-based logs—focus on documenting what occurred, rather than evaluating it (e.g., questions asked, patterns of participation, moments of confusion or engagement). Observers may find it helpful to note timing, sequence, or shifts in activity to better understand how the session unfolds. These notes provide a shared record that supports collaborative interpretation during the post-observation conversation.

Using Frameworks as Optional Lenses

Some observers find it helpful to use conceptual frameworks as lenses for sense-making and for organizing reflection and dialogue, rather than as evaluative criteria. One such example is the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, which invites attention to:

Social Presence: community, inclusion, and interaction
Teaching Presence: design, facilitation, and instructional clarity
Cognitive Presence: evidence of learning, inquiry, and meaning-making

No single framework captures all aspects of teaching and learning, and observers may choose to draw on—or set aside—frameworks depending on context and purpose.

Across contexts, observing teaching as a developmental practice requires restraint. As Siddiqui, Jonas-Dwyer, and Carr (2007) note, effective observation involves sustaining attention, noticing complexity, and postponing evaluation in order to support meaningful reflection and learning.

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University of Toronto, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation