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Video also provides insight into how students learn and react. Perhaps there’s a student in the back of the classroom who raised their hand, but the teacher didn’t see it. Those little moments are visible with video and enhance a teacher’s awareness of their classroom and what, or who, to pay close attention to during their next lesson.

When a teacher uses video to review their instruction in a classroom and is made aware of habits that can be improved—such as using their hands too much, talking too fast or keeping their back turned to the class—they can correct themselves and improve their practice. That self-awareness helps teachers become stronger educators and greatly impacts the student experience for years to come.

Personalized feedback from colleagues

It’s difficult for district-level leaders to give teachers the dedicated time needed to provide actionable feedback on their instruction. Video allows teachers to share their strategies and gather valuable feedback from their colleagues.

With teachers pulled in so many different directions, dedicated time for self-reflection can fall short. However, when using video, educators can record themselves and continue teaching. Then, when teachers meet with their colleagues, it’s an engaging process, rather than a passive conversation.

Personalized feedback not only supports new teachers, but veteran educators as well, by providing an opportunity to discuss new and worn-in techniques, an avenue for authentic dialogue, and a chance for educators to truly collaborate and learn from one another. The time spent discussing and reviewing classroom video with others creates a nurturing environment where teachers build trust, share experiences and foster relationships with their colleagues,

Those interactions are key to student success and translate to tangible, real-world benefits.

Actionable next steps

Connecting, collaborating, and sharing teaching strategies strengthens instructional approaches and creates more effective teachers—which leads to more confident, successful students.

Through video, educators can see themselves in a new light, sparking self-reflection and conversations with their colleagues. Those important discussions lead to actionable next steps that can be applied the very next day in the classroom. From taking a moment to pause for questions, to learning a new instructional approach from a colleague, video helps teachers improve their craft and set students up for greater success.