Trust-Based Observations

Classroom observation can lead to telling teachers to do what I did, to advocating different ways of teaching, and to complying with accountability edicts. Trust-Based Observations starts where it matters, establishing trust, building on strengths, focusing on the impact of teachers on the learning lives of students, showing how to have open conversations about learning, and demonstrating collective teacher efficacy in action.

— John Hattie, PhD, emeritus laureate professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia; chair of the board of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership



TBO represents one of the biggest gains to improving teaching and learning that exists. Craig Randall’s Trust-Based Observations shows us what a culture of trust is and provides many ideas for putting TBO into practice. If you want improvement, read TBO and use its ideas.

— Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, Author of Leading in a Culture of Change



Craig Randall’s book has many deeply insightful and compelling ideas. And indeed research shows that when students trust that educators believe in them and their development, their learning can be significantly enhanced.

— Carol Dweck, author of "Mindset", and the Lewis and Virginia Eaton professor of psychology at Stanford University



Craig Randall’s much needed book is a must read for every school leader involved directly or indirectly in performing teacher observations. Trust-Based Observations succeeds because it stresses heart before head. It shows that by putting relationships and people first, trust is built. With trust present, observations are now used to bring out the best in teachers because they feel safe to take risks and know they will be supported as they strive to improve.

— Jon Gordon, best-selling author of "The Power of Positive Leadership" and "The Energy Bus"



In any field, practitioners need honest, well-intentioned, and trustworthy feedback in order to succeed and improve. If the feedback process is compromised by suspicion and anxiety, it quickly becomes useless, even counterproductive. In this thoughtful and empathetic book, Craig Randall details how teacher observation has gone awry and how to put it back on track. He offers a sensible, empirically grounded technique, as well as indispensable advice on how to build trusting relationships among educators.

— Ulrich Boser, author of "Learn Better" and "The Leap: The Science of Trust and Why It Matters"



Trust-Based Observations is an overdue rethink of how to support the most important asset in schools and in the lives of students: their teachers. This book honors the art and science of teaching and the complexity of creating learning environments where all students can find success and challenge.

— Glenn Whitman, director of The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, and author of "Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education"



Most teachers view administrator observations as inauthentic for capturing what happens in classroom instruction. Most administrators want the observation process to be supportive and not an obligatory hoop to jump through. Craig Randall’s book is a game changer. Honed by deep experiences, Trust-Based Observations, combines empathy and growth mindset to create a powerful system for professional collaboration that enables teacher growth and an empowered professional community. This book opens a new and liberating world for positive and productive classroom visits.

— John McCarthy, author of "So All Can Learn"



Trust-Based Observations should be on the shelf of every administrator. It offers brisk, engaging writing and makes a compelling case for why we should radically rethink teacher observations. The book is never preachy and is full of practical resources that principals and school leaders can use immediately. I have experienced Craig Randalls trust-based method personally when he was my principal and can honestly say that the observation process was empowering, greatly impacting my subsequent work as a coach. This is a must-have for leaders that want to improve morale, feedback, and trust.

— Alexis Wiggins, director of Cohort of Educators for Essential Learning and author of "The Best Class You Never Taught"



Written from the perspective of an educator who has a wealth of experience working in educational institutions internationally, this book provides an interesting contribution to the thinking and practice surrounding the use of observation in educational contexts. In Trust-Based Observations, Craig Randall puts forward a compelling case for engaging with observation as a supportive tool for teacher learning and provides a framework for educators to apply this.

— Matthew OLeary, author of "Classroom Observation: A Guide to the Effective Observation of Teaching and Learning" and "Reclaiming Lesson Observation: Supporting Excellence in Teacher Learning"