ABSTRACT
An observation is statement of a fact, one upon which other human observers would concur. However, an observation becomes an inference when prior knowledge has been drawn upon to describe something beyond our senses, or assumptions have been made about what is actually known in a given situation, or reasoning leads to a tentative conclusion. Making judgments in a classroom situation, particularly as an outside observer, is fraught with peril because judgments obstruct our ability to understand what is happening by assigning undue weight to interpretations that may not be correct. Developing multiple interpretations gets one in the habit of framing events through different lenses, in order to consider the possible range of interpretations that can result. In formal teacher evaluations, administrators and supervisors often separate their description of the events of a class from the interpretations, judgments, and suggestions for improvement.
