A teacher observation checklist is a short list of what to look for in a classroom visit, organized so you can collect evidence quickly and connect it to your district's rubric afterward. The checklist and observation form below are built around what you can actually see and hear in a lesson. You're welcome to copy them, or download both as a printable two-page PDF.
One warning before you print anything. Kim Marshall, a former Boston principal, wrote in Education Week that “elaborate checklists and rubrics distract the principal from being a thoughtful observer.” I agree. A checklist does most of its work before and after the visit. During the lesson, your eyes should be on students.
How to use this checklist
Before the visit
Read the checklist and pick two or three items to focus on, based on the teacher's goals or your last conversation. Nobody can watch for everything at once.
During the visit
Write down what the teacher and students say and do, in plain language, with as little judgment as you can manage. “Six of eight students in the front group answered without being called on” is evidence. “Great engagement” is a conclusion.
After the visit
Go through the checklist and sort your evidence under the items it relates to. Gaps tell you what to look for next time, not what the teacher failed to do.
The classroom observation checklist
The two middle sections follow the 2022 Danielson Framework components for Domains 2 and 3, the parts of teaching you can observe in a lesson. If your district uses a different framework, the questions still apply. Only the labels change.
Context
- What is the lesson's objective, and where is it in the unit?
- What is the teacher working on this year?
- What did you discuss after your last visit?
Learning environment (Danielson Domain 2)
- 2a, Cultivating Respectful and Affirming Environments: How do the teacher and students talk to each other? Do students treat each other with respect?
- 2b, Fostering a Culture for Learning: Do students act as if the work matters? Is the bar high for everyone?
- 2c, Maintaining Purposeful Environments: Do routines and transitions run without much teacher direction? How much time goes to non-instructional tasks?
- 2d, Supporting Positive Student Behavior: Are expectations clear? How does the teacher respond when a student is off task?
- 2e, Organizing Spaces for Learning: Can every student see, hear, and reach what they need? Does the room's setup fit the activity?
Learning experiences (Danielson Domain 3)
- 3a, Communicating About Purpose and Content: Can students say what they are learning and why? Are explanations accurate and clear?
- 3b, Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques: How many questions have more than one right answer? Who talks, and do students respond to each other?
- 3c, Engaging Students in Learning: Who is doing the thinking? Is the task challenging for most students?
- 3d, Using Assessment for Learning: How does the teacher find out what students understand during the lesson? What happens with that information?
- 3e, Responding Flexibly to Student Needs: When students struggle or finish early, how does the teacher adjust?
Evidence of student learning
- What work did students produce, and what does it show?
- Which students could you not see evidence from?
Teacher observation form
The form is where the checklist's evidence ends up. Keep it to one page, like the printable version. A form that takes longer to fill out than the visit lasted won't get filled out.
- Teacher, class or grade, and subject
- Date, time in, and time out
- Focus of the visit (two or three checklist items)
- Evidence: what the teacher and students said and did
- Rubric components the evidence relates to
- One strength, with the evidence behind it
- One question or next step for the teacher
- Follow-up: when and how you will talk with the teacher
There is no rating field on purpose. A short visit gives you evidence, and the rating belongs to your district's rubric and process. For more on short visits, see my guide to informal observations and classroom walkthroughs.
Checklist vs. rubric
A checklist tells you whether something happened. A rubric describes how well it was done, at several levels of quality. Mixing them up causes trouble: a teacher who “checked every box” can still teach a weak lesson, and a strong lesson can miss items that didn't fit the day. Collect evidence with the checklist and interpret it with the rubric.
Where Elevate fits
Elevate, our observation platform, does the evidence-collecting part of this form for you. It transcribes what is said during the visit, and you can add timestamped notes or one-tap quick tags for what a transcript can't hear, such as how students are grouped. Afterward it suggests evidence tied to your district's framework, which you accept, edit, or dismiss. In districts that require teacher consent before a microphone is used, Elevate keeps transcription off until you confirm consent, and you observe with typed notes instead.
If you'd rather spend your next visit watching students than filling in a form, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a classroom observation checklist?
A classroom observation checklist is a list of things an observer looks for during a lesson, such as whether the purpose is clear, how students participate, and what evidence of learning is visible. It helps an observer stay focused and consistent, but it records what was present, not how well it was done.
What should be on a teacher observation form?
At minimum: the teacher, class, date, and time in and out; the focus of the visit; evidence notes describing what the teacher and students said and did; the rubric components the evidence relates to; one strength; one question or next step; and when you will follow up.
What do principals look for in a classroom observation?
Most principals look at the learning environment (respect, routines, behavior, use of space) and the learning experience (the lesson's purpose, questioning and discussion, student engagement, and checks for understanding). In districts using the Danielson Framework, these correspond to Domains 2 and 3.
What is the difference between an observation checklist and a rubric?
A checklist notes whether something happened. A rubric describes levels of quality, so it is used to judge how well something was done. Use a checklist to collect and organize evidence, and your district's rubric to interpret it.
Can I use this checklist with the Danielson Framework?
Yes. The environment and learning-experience sections are organized by the 2022 Danielson Framework components for Domains 2 and 3, so the evidence you collect maps directly to the rubric your district may already use.