As a teacher, the idea of an upcoming classroom observation can be enough to have you stressed out and worried. Even though you might feel confident about your teaching skills, you might also worry about what others will think and about how the observation will go in general. It can be easy to be stressed out about these things, but there are steps that you can take that can help you prepare. These are a few tips that you can follow if you would like for your classroom observation to go as smoothly as possible:

1. Clean Up Your Classroom

First of all, even though you might feel as if you and your students strive in your current classroom environment, even if it's a little bit messy, you should know that a messy classroom can be a turn-off to whoever is observing you while you are teaching. If you would like to give off a good impression and help start things off on the right foot, it's a good idea to clean up your classroom. Straightening up your desk, the bookshelves, and any other areas of the classroom that might look a little messy can help.

2. Prepare Yourself Physically

If you aren't feeling your best physically, you might not perform as well on your classroom observation. Therefore, you should do what you can to take care of yourself. Make sure that you get a good night's sleep the night before the observation, and take the time to shower and put on a nice outfit so that you feel nice and confident. Try to treat yourself to a nice, healthy breakfast so that you feel energized and recharged when it's time to start teaching class for the day.

3. Don't Go Too Far Out of the Box

Even if you are a teacher who prides yourself on thinking outside of the box and doing things a little differently, the day of your classroom observation is not really the best time to try to switch things up. Instead, stick to your typical routine rather than changing things or trying to intentionally impress the observer. You will probably find that you are much more natural and confident if you keep things similar to your day-to-day routine.

A classroom observation can be scary for teachers, but it doesn't have to be. If you follow these three tips, you are sure to feel well-prepared when the day of the observation rolls around.