Mary Bousted: ‘Lesson observations can ruin teachers’ careers’

Teaching is a complex professional practice, drawing upon layers of knowledge and skill deployed in the constantly changing context of the classroom. Teachers explain, direct, listen, assess, differentiate, empathise and energise the pupils in their classes. Much of what they do is instinctive: responding to signs of frustration in one pupil; asking a particular question to another to reinforce understanding; using a wrong answer to illustrate a common misunderstanding. Teachers’ instincts are based upon their knowledge of their subjects and their experience of teaching and learning.

The Sutton Trust’s 2014 report What Makes Great Teaching? concludes that there is no framework for effective teaching that is not open to interpretation. Every recommended teaching and learning strategy could be executed well or badly and “none should be treated as a recipe or a formula”.

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