The Monday Morning Memo #4: Be a Noticer, Not a Judger

April 21, 2025 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of being a noticer rather than a judger during classroom visits to enhance teacher feedback.

Happy Monday! This week’s focus is on being a noticer vs. a judger during classroom visits. 📚 PROFESSIONAL STRATEGY When informally observing classroom instruction, shift from judging to noticing. Start by acknowledging what you see and hear without evaluation: "I'm noticing..." rather than "This is good/bad..." Naming our observations keeps them at an objective level; noticing activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex which moderates emotional reactivity. We create mental space between what we observe and any premature conclusions we might draw about a teacher’s practice. We can respond then more thoughtfully with our feedback. From my Choice Literacy article: " Off the Hook: How to Engage with and Reframe Our Obstacles in Order to Reduce Anxiety and Stress ” 🌱 PERSONAL TIP Start small in your observations if classroom visits are new to you. Begin with one aspect of instruction. Share what you noticed with the teacher, followed by a genuine question. This can lead to noticing/sharing two aspects of instruction, and so on. Build on success. 📢 FOR YOUR TEAM & SCHOOL Today's Quote: Joke for Announcements: Which month of the year is the shortest? May. It only has three letters…

People in this episode

Host: Matt Renwick

Topics covered

classroom observation
noticing vs judging
teacher feedback
professional development
instructional strategies

Keywords

classroom visits
noticing
judging
teacher practice
feedback
professional strategy
anxiety reduction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Choice Literacy, Reader’s Digest

Books & works: Off the Hook: How to Engage with and Reframe Our Obstacles in Order to Reduce Anxiety and Stress