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2.2LessonObservationandtheOPELTMissionItisintheinterestofsupportingthisthirdgoal,professionaldevelopment,thatthelessonobservationsystemwasdevisedandimplemented.Althoughconstructive,peer-ledlessonobservationtasksarewidelyregardedasanimportanttoolforthecontinuedprofessionaldevelopmentofbothnewandexperiencedteachers,itisalltooraretoseethemactuallyimplementedinamindfulwayattheuniversitylevel.Spotlessonobservationsinresponsetoproblemsorcomplaints,orobservationsofnewteachers'lessonswithgeneralteachingtechniquesinmind,mayoccur,butthisonlyleadstothereinforcementoftheunfortunateideathata"good"teacherneednotbeobserved.Inaddition,whenlessonobservationsdooccur,theytendtoprovidelittleinthewayofusefulfeedback.Anon-task-focusedobservationislikelytofocusprimarilyontheobserver'sopinionsaboutthelesson,whichwillnecessarilybecoloredbyhisorherteachingphilosophies,whichmaywellbequitedifferent-butnomoreorlessvalid-thanthoseoftheobservedteacher.Withthesepointsinmind,thecurrentvideolessonobservationsystemwasimplementedatOPELTbeginningin2010.3TheLessonObservationSystem3.1PhilosophyAllOPELTinstructorsareprofessional,trainedteachers,withpotentiallyverydifferentteachingstylesandphilosophies.Althoughthereisatimeandaplacetochallengethesebasicassumptions,theselessonobservationsareemphaticallynotsuchaforum.Tothisend,theinstructorbeingobservedisinstructedtoprepareanexplicit,focusedtaskfortheobservers,basedonanaspectofhisorherteachingthattheinstructorfeelsneedsimprovementorattention,anditistheresponsibilityoftheobservingteacherstolimittheirfeedbacktotheassignedtaskandareaofinvestigation.IntheunlikelyeventthatalessondoesnotmeetthefundamentalPASEOcurriculumandphilosophy,itistheresponsibilityoftheDirectorandtheDirectoralonetoprivatelydiscussthiswiththeinstructor.3.2SystemAlessonobservationisconductedateachIn-Servicemeeting,heldforafulldayeachsemesterafterclassesareover;theobservedinstructorrotatesbetweenallfiveOPELTinstructors.Itistheobservedinstructor'sdutytoprepareanexplicit,focusedobservationtaskforobservinginstructorstoperform,includingadescriptionofanaspectofhisorherteachingthattheinstructorwantstoinvestigate.ThistaskandanyassociatedworksheetsaredevelopedinclosecooperationwiththeDirectorofOPELT,andtheDirectormaysuggestchangesorrefinementstothetask.Theinstructorisresponsibleforhavinghisorherlessonrecordedduringthesemester.ManyinstructorstakeadvantageoftheChubuUniversityMediaEducationCenter'shigh-qualityclassrecordingservices,whilesomemoretechnically-mindedinstructorsrecordthelessonontheirown.Afulllessonisrecorded,andtheinstructorchoosesasegmentofthelessontofitthedesignofthetask.DuringtheIn-Servicemeeting,theOPELTfacultyobservethesegmentofthelessonselectedbytheobservedinstructor,performthetask,anddiscusstheresultsofthetaskwiththeobservedinstructor.Discussionisstrictlylimitedtopointstheobservationtaskaskstobeobserved,andtheramificationswithrespecttotheareaofteachingthattheobservedteacherwantstoinvestigate.Withawell-designedtask,thisisusuallyextremelyenlighteningforallinstructors,butthefocuseddiscussionoftenleadsintoamore-generaldiscussionofclassroommanagement,strategiesfordealingwithproblematicalsituations,andsoon.Thewiderangeofteachingexperience,teachingphilosophiesandteachingstylesamongOPELTinstructorsmeansthatthisdiscussionisoftenwide-rangingbutalwaysuseful.―20―DavidR.Laurence