Teachers rarely get a chance to rewind the action, slow down, and study what happened during class. While school administrators often provide formal feedback once or twice a year, that input usually lacks context or subject-specific expertise. A new 2025 study suggests that recording instruction on video can make teacher feedback more useful. The research found that when teachers supplement recording their practice with reflection from themselves and their peers, they are better able to maintain a sustained focus on student learning and integrate multiple perspectives to interpret teaching.
Look for the Moments You Missed
Instructional coach Donna Spangler suggests identifying a few “look-fors” before hitting play rather than trying to evaluate the whole lesson at once. Tracking student understanding allows educators to notice misconceptions and participation patterns that are easy to miss in the heat of the moment. A replay might reveal that the same students are participating while others remain silent or that directions were unclear right before attention began to drop off.
Related: Handwriting Outperforms Typing, Data Shows
Many classroom challenges emerge during predictable parts of the day, such as when students enter the room or during transitions between activities. Video lets you isolate one routine at a time to see what is working and what isn’t. You can check if students know what to do without repeated reminders or if the closing routine effectively engages them to consolidate learning.
Reflecting with Colleagues
Reflecting alongside colleagues can deepen insights that reviewing video on your own cannot. Peers often notice adjustments you missed in the moment, such as a clearer example or a different sequence to bridge prior learning. In one example from the study, a peer suggested a teacher introduce decimals with a number students would more easily understand, leading to a revision of the lesson plan.
Sharing video can feel vulnerable, but it helps build a network for honest feedback and advice. When colleagues regularly observe one another’s practice, they develop a shared language for discussing instruction and troubleshooting challenges. Principal Erika Kersey at Greenville Elementary School in Virginia notes that the practice can help build a culture of collaboration and trust.
Related: Remote learning works for some students surprisingly
Teachers who recorded a lesson and discussed specific clips showing where they struggled with peers engaged in deeper analysis than those who simply taught a lesson and tried to analyze pain points from memory alone. In conversations with peers, the video-supported group received comments grounded in evidence from the lesson and left with specific recommendations for improving their pedagogy.
Keeping It Simple
Video feedback doesn’t need to be formal, time-consuming, or tied to evaluation. You might record a short segment of a lesson that has been difficult to teach or a routine that keeps breaking down. Teachers Zachary Herrmann and Sarah Schneider Kavanagh suggest that a five-to-ten minute clip of a key moment or routine can provide enough evidence for rich and thoughtful discussion and analysis.
