Teacher Observation Strategies: Can evaluations actually bring joy?

Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

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Teacher Observation Strategies: Can evaluations actually bring joy?

Season 3 Episode 17: In which I talk with an expert about the difficulties -- and promise -- of observing teaching effectively

Betsy Burris

Apr 30, 2026

How can it be that teachers all over the country want to be observed? How can it be that observations of their teaching bring teachers joy?

Today I’m conversing with Craig Randall, founder of Trust-Based Observations and expert in the art of supporting teachers in improving their practice. We go “pretty dang deep,” as Craig put it. Which is good, because classroom observations are super important and are too rarely done well.

Until now!

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We discuss

Building Trust: The wisdom of focusing on accumulating “trust marbles” before offering suggestions for improvement
Strengths-Based Observations: The importance of battling the deficit mentality and emphasizing teachers’ strengths
Coaching vs. Fixing: How to short-circuit the typical fix-them orientation
The History of Teacher Observation: How we got here (hint: It’s partly A Nation at Risk’s fault!)

Connect & Share

Got a story to share? Tell me a story of a disastrous observation! Or tell me about one that made you glow with confidence and happiness. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!

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