ABSTRACT
How do you actively read a classroom rather than simply watch a teacher at work? This is a question you need to have some answers to if you are going to make the most of observation opportunities. These opportunities may be to watch highly experienced teachers or to watch fellow trainee teachers and newly qualified teachers. Whatever the case, you should not make prior distinctions about what observations are likely to be of greatest value to you professionally because there is so much to learn from every invitation you receive to observe. Equally you should not consider observation to be an activity reserved for the beginner teacher. Lesson observation and the improved professional practice that can be gained from it, is an important continual professional development activity for teachers at all levels of the profession.
