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American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
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Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

 Issue: August 2006

Learning to See: Developing the Perception of an Expert Teacher
 Paul G. Schempp & Sophie Woorons Johnson

Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to identify the perceptual skills of expert teachers and offer suggestions for teachers to learn to see like an expert. Being able to perceptively read the critical cues in a learning environment allows teachers to recognize present problems, anticipate potential problems, link immediate problems with previously successful solutions, and make exceptional in-class decisions. Four features distinguish what expert teachers see: (1) focusing on events relevant to student performance and learning, (2) making inferences from observations, (3) being alerted by atypical occurrences, and (4) observing with a critical eye. Because the skills of an expert are learned rather than inherited, anyone can increase their expertise by learning the skills of an expert. To do so requires knowledge of the skill and practicing that skill until it is mastered. The article offers specific suggestions for practicing the perceptual skills of an expert teacher.

Article category: Teaching