Notes to Principal: How to Conduct a Classroom Observation

The principal observed my class today. It’s been on the agenda for a while and I’ve kind of been stressing it. It’s just hard to work with someone looking over your shoulder. I’ve never liked having outsiders in my classroom. Well, we’d scheduled once for the principal to come in but then I had to miss it because of a curriculum-planning meeting. The principal was getting on me to reschedule and I was trying to put it off. Finally, today was the day.
He drank a mountain dew while he was watching. (I guess I’m not the only one who stayed up too late on Election night.) The students were surprisingly quiet during the warm-up exercise. A couple of girls kept popping up and down to get textbooks off the shelf. The principal scribbled notes furiously. I could have killed them. Then, class started. The same group of girls kept raising their hands, volunteering to read, and answering questions. They’re never cooperative. I guess they’re just showing off for the big boss.
About twenty minutes into class (and just before we got to the interesting part) the principal’s radio went off. He left and never came back. The only part that he observed was the boring part. After school, I stared at his mountain dew sitting where he left it, next to his notes at the side of the room. I contemplated pouring the mountain dew on the notes. Then, I thought about reading what he’d written about me. I did neither. I’ll find out soon enough. The can and notes are still sitting there in my room.