New Teacher Observation Tips: From Planning to The Follow-Up

I’ve observed hundreds of teachers over the years, and let me reassure you: If you’re feeling anxious about your formal teacher observation, you’re not alone. Nerves hit even the most seasoned teacher when an evaluator walks into the room.  

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to control every aspect of a lesson.  Your chance at a perfect lesson increases exponentially if students are not present.  (Both a joke and 100% true.)  But when you’re teaching real students, anything can happen. 

Still, there are a few things you can do to make the experience less stressful and more productive. Here are 11 tips for planning, executing, and following up on your teacher observation. 

11 Tips for a Successful Classroom Observation

1. Remember that most evaluators have been in your shoes

Most evaluators want you to succeed. The fear that your evaluator is looking for ways to mark you down is largely unfounded, although, unfortunately, not unheard of. Ideally, your school culture is supportive and growth-focused. If so, your evaluator is likely to approach your observation with that same mindset.

2. Start with preparation

Even if it’s not required, create a formal lesson plan. Like a checklist, writing it out gives you the chance to think through each element of an effective lesson. Print your plan and any materials or handouts you’ll use. Handing this to your evaluator when they arrive signals your preparation and helps them better understand the objectives and structure of your lesson.

3. Think of your observation in two parts: planning and delivery

Lesson preparation is your intention.  It reflects your content knowledge and understanding of strong instruction. Your plan demonstrates that you:

• Have deep content knowledge
• Understand the structure of an effective lesson (opening, instructional activities, formative assessment, and closure)
• Apply sound pedagogy by designing opportunities for students to think critically and demonstrate understanding
• Incorporate cross-curricular competencies such as collaboration, creativity, and communication

Lesson delivery is your reality.  This is what happens when real students walk into the room. It demonstrates how you bring your plan to life and engage with students in real-time. Your delivery highlights:

• How effectively you engage with students and manage the flow of the class
• Whether routines and procedures are evident (even if still a work in progress)
• How do you adjust when something unexpected happens
• Your “with-it-ness” – your teacher’s instinct for noticing, responding, and keeping learning on track

A thoughtful plan reflects your expertise.  Skillful delivery demonstrates your presence, adaptability, and ability to connect with students in the moment.

4. Don’t surprise students with new policies or procedures

The desire to impress can tempt teachers to try something new on observation day.  Stick to your regular routines and procedures. If you change things up, students may react with confusion, which isn’t the impression you want to make.

5. Show off the students, not yourself

It’s natural to feel like the spotlight is on you during the observation.  And it is! But think of it as an indirect spotlight.  Most evaluators base their notes on what the students are doing.  Plan for student-centered activities that highlight engagement and learning.  

Look for opportunities to:

• • Incorporate student talk time and interaction 
  • Take on a facilitator role rather than being center stage.

One note: Direct instruction is perfectly fine, but it can lead to passive students.  If you are using more teacher-centered strategies, break them up with active student engagement.  Think: I do, we do, you do. 

6. Choose a class in which you’ll be teaching the lesson for the second time that day 

Do you ever feel bad for your first-period class because your lesson improves as the day goes on?  You’re not alone.  Keep this in mind when scheduling your observation.  

If possible, schedule your observation later in the day, once you’ve already taught the lesson once or twice. You’ll anticipate potential hiccups, make small adjustments, and feel more confident overall.

7. Keep school-wide initiatives or evaluation goals in mind

You want to highlight your best teaching, but try to keep the bigger picture in mind as well.  If your school has a goal or is focused on an initiative (literacy, for instance), think about including it in your lesson. 

Likewise, think about your evaluation goal and whether you can naturally address it during your observation lesson. While not essential, it is nice to see these big-picture goals come to fruition in a lesson. 

8. Provide context for your lesson 

This isn’t so much about making the evaluator’s job easier.  It’s more about helping them better understand your teaching practice.

An observation is one small snapshot of your teaching.  Any background you provide will help them better understand where this lesson fits within your unit or course sequence.

And, as mentioned above, have a lesson plan, handouts, and any other relevant background information ready for the evaluator.  

9. If you decide to try something new, tell your administrator ahead of time

Have an exciting new lesson that you think your students would love?  Go for it!

But give your evaluator a heads up.  Letting them know that this is a new type of lesson for both you and the students helps manage expectations if things don’t go perfectly.  It’s also helpful to give your students a brief overview so they feel prepared.

10. Keep it in perspective

The reality of our job is that we work with young people.  Your lesson will rarely go exactly as planned, and that’s okay.  If something unexpected happens, your evaluator will care more about how you handle it than about the disruption itself.

Revert to your classroom management basics.  Stay calm and remain friendly, yet firm, with your tone.  Look for opportunities to de-escalate.  

Don’t feel defeated if parts of your lesson feel clunky (i.e., a slow start or a rough transition).  Most evaluators, once new teachers themselves, understand those minor issues.  Acknowledge them honestly in your post-observation meeting as areas for growth.

11. Prepare for the follow-up conference

Most evaluators view the post-observation conversation as an essential part of the process. This is your chance to be reflective and demonstrate awareness of your own teaching.

In the follow-up meeting, you want to convey your own “with-it-ness” by reflecting on what went well and what you would like to improve. 

Expect questions like:

• Did the lesson go as you expected?
• How do you think the lesson went?
• Was anything challenging about it?
• Did student learning or the learning product align with your expectations?
• Where do you go from here?

Answer candidly. If behavior issues occurred or learning goals weren’t fully met, say so. Openness demonstrates professionalism and a growth mindset.  I think you’ll have a more productive feedback conversation.

Conclusion

While you can’t eliminate all nervousness from the process, keeping these key points in mind will help you prepare before, during, and after your observation.  This, in turn, will help to make the process more growth-focused and a genuine opportunity for learning and improvement.

Amanda Melsby has been a professional educator for 20 years.  She taught English before working as an assistant principal and later as a high school principal.  Amanda holds an Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Leadership and is currently a dean of teaching and learning.