Lesson Observation Tool

Incorporating the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Observation of practice is an expectation for all teachers that is described in both the Australian Teacher
Performance and Development Framework and the NSW Department of Education Performance and
Development Framework.
Effective feedback, review and observation processes support the ongoing development of the teacher
and the promotion of high quality learning experiences for students.
Use this tool to scaffold professional conversations before and after observation to assist teachers to
engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).
Before using this tool it is important to reach agreement about:
• the purpose of the observation
• the curriculum context of the lesson/learning situation
• the profile of the students/children
• who will have access to the data collected.

Date

Teacher
Pre-observation conversation
Accreditation Stage

Link with PDP Goal

Observer

Standard 1 Know the students and how they learn

• Describe the class, student needs or groups.

Standard 2 Know the content and how to teach it

• Describe the curriculum context, lesson sequence or purpose
and cross curriculum links.

Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching

Professional practice

and learning
• What is your learning intention or goal for the students during
the observation?
• What particular strategies or methodologies will be used,
including any plans to differentiate the learning?
Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe
learning environment
• Describe any specific classroom routines or strategies, including
the use of ICT, intended to support learning.

Standard 5 Assess, provide feedback and report on

student learning
• How and when will the students receive feedback?

APST Standard or focus area(s) for the observation,

e.g. 3.5 Use effective classroom communication

© NSW Department of Education, PDHPE Unit, 2016

During the observation

Australian Professional Teaching Standard What to look for Comments

Standard 1 Know the students and how they learn • How did the teaching and learning activities take into account
students’ prior learning, skills and/or interests both within and
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and outside the school context?
characteristics of students
• How did the teacher create relevance and build connection to
1.2 Understand how students learn students’ lives outside school and in the future?
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious • How did the teacher include student input and perspectives
and socioeconomic backgrounds into the learning experiences and assessment?
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait • Consider the ways in which tasks are challenging, relevant and
Islander students achievable by the students?
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning • How do the variety of activities within the lesson support
needs of students across the full range of abilities learning?
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students • Observe how the lesson and/or classroom was organised to
with disability
Professional practice

accommodate specific students’ intellectual, physical and/or

social needs?
• How does the teacher differentiate the lesson to cater for
student needs and abilities?
Standard 2 Know the content and how to teach it • How did the lesson reflect current health, safety and wellbeing
issues and contexts to create relevant for the students whilst
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching still meeting syllabus requirements?
area
• Was a deep knowledge of relevant concepts, topics and
2.2 Content selection and organisation themes demonstrated, including diverse perspectives?
2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting • Look for ways the teacher developed a clear and coherent
sequence of activities undertaken to engage and support the
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres learning of all students.
Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous • How were resources and materials used to support learning?
Australians
• How were models and scaffolds used to support literacy and
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies numeracy?
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) • How was ICT used to expand curriculum learning opportunities
for students?
Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching • Observe verbal and non-verbal communication used by the
teacher, including proximity and positioning.
and learning
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals • Look for ways the teacher models questioning and thinking
routines from various perspectives.

© NSW Department of Education, PDHPE Unit, 2016

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs • How did the teacher integrate relevant syllabus content to build
and transfer learning of concepts?
3.3 Use teaching strategies
• What learning experiences were used to allow for the
3.4 Select and use resources
development of student communication and interpersonal
3.5 Use effective classroom strategies skills, problem solving and decision making skills, critical and
creative thinking skills, help seeking skills, skills to manage
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs emotion and stress and planning and self management skills?
3.7 Engage parents/ carers in the learning process • What evidence is there of the teacher using a range of
teaching strategies and resources?
• How does the teacher encourage students to make sense of
their learning?

Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe • How does the teacher establish and implement inclusive and
learning environment positive interactions to engage and support all students in
classroom activities?
4.1 Support student participation
• How does the teacher model and reinforce inclusive and
4.2 Manage classroom activities respectful language, behaviour and relationships?

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour • How does the teacher establish and negotiate clear
expectations with students and address issues or concerns
4.4 Maintain student safety promptly, fairly and respectfully?
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically • How does the teacher negotiate the learning with the
students?
• How does the teacher differentiate the task so that all students
can access the learning, are challenged, supported and
engaged?

Standard 5 Assess, provide feedback and report on • Look for ways in which the teacher seeks, acknowledges or
student learning builds on what the students already know and can do.

5.1 Assess student learning • Look for examples of when the teacher intervenes at various
stages in the learning process.
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
• Are the expected outcomes and levels of student achievement
5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements clearly identified?
5.4 Interpret student data • What opportunities are created for assessing or evaluating
student learning?
5.5 Report on student achievement
• How does the teacher provide provide timely, effective and
appropriate feedback to students about their achievement
relative to their personal learning goals?

© NSW Department of Education, PDHPE Unit, 2016

Post observation

Use the post observation conversation(s) to promote self-reflection by the teacher and Example prompts to commence a post-lesson conversation:
to collaboratively analyse the observations in relation to the Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers. The NSW Department of Education Performance and • Did the students learn what was intended? How do we know?
Development Framework provide guidance for these conversations by encouraging • Given your intention to... how do you think the lesson went?
non-judgemental, learning focussed and reflective dialogue between colleagues. • What were the strengths of this lesson?
• I observed... Could you tell me more about that?
The GROWTH Model is a simple yet powerful framework for structuring post • When... happened... Why do you think that was?
observation conversations. GROWTH stands for: • What do you think would happen if...?
• What might be improved or changed?
• Goal- What do you need to achieve?
• How could this lesson be built on for the future?
• Reality – What is happening now?
• What aspects of our professional conversation have made a positive contribution
• Options- What could you do?
to your learning?
• Will – What will you do?
• Tactics – How and when will you do it? • How could you use your self-reflection from this learning to guide your
• Habits – How will you sustain success? professional learning goals & priorities for future development?
• How might you seek and use feedback from your students to improve your
(Source: Growing Coaching International) practice?
• How might this feedback contribute to your Performance and Development Plan?

Teacher’s signature: Observer’s signature:

Comments post observation conversation

© NSW Department of Education, PDHPE Unit, 2016

Additional GROWTH questions
Goals – What do you Reality – What is Options – What could you Tactics – How and when Habits – How will you
Will – What will you do?
need to achieve? happening now? do? will you do it? sustain your success?
What are the most What skills, knowledge and What could you do to What will you do How and when will you do How will you sustain your
important things you are resources do you have now achieve your goal? immediately? it? success?
doing now? that is most likely to
facilitate achievement of What could you do to What will you do in the next Outline the steps for your What obstacles might get in
What are the best things your desired outcomes? change the situation? month? actions. the way of you doing this
happening now? action? (e.g. fears, excuses
What skills, knowledge and What alternatives are there Which options align most How can you track your or distractions)
What is your passion? resources do you need to to that approach? closely to the critical actions and achievement?
work towards achieving success factors to achieve How can you overcome
What would you want to What approaches have you your goals? those obstacles?
achieve by the end of this goals and outcomes? seen used, or used
month/ term/ year? What is happening now? yourself, in similar What are some barriers to How can you reflect on
circumstances? your actions or success? your attitudes, values and
What do you need to How do you know that this beliefs to enable growth?
achieve? is accurate? Who might be able to help? What are some enablers to
your actions or success? What support do you need?
How could you measure What effect does this How could these people
achievement? have? help you? What is one thing you could How will you know you’ve
do that, if you did on a completed the action?
What do your students What other factors are What options do you like regular basis, would make
want from you? Is that relevant? the most? a significantly positive What structures are
realistic? difference? needed to maintain this?
What have you tried so far? What are the advantages
What would you like to What is working? and disadvantages of these What old habits might you
happen that is not options? need to break?
happening now? What is within your area of
control? How could you improve in What barriers need to be
What would you like from the areas within your removed for sustained
the observation sessions? What else is missing? control? performance?
What would need to What results are you What skills, abilities, What opportunities do you
happen for you to walk getting now? attitudes and beliefs will see for practice and
away feeling that the you need to accomplish consolidation of your skills?
observation and What external factors help your goal?
professional growth time you perform well? How can you ensure that
was well spent? you persist, despite
possible challenges and
Can we do that in the time setbacks?
we have available?
How will that be of real
value to you?

© NSW Department of Education, PDHPE Unit, 2016