Standard 3: Instructional Plan Implementation
As an instructional team we focus on developing a framework that aligns with curriculum and the State standards. Danielson (2012) in Observing Classroom Practice, breaks this framework into four domains. These domains are: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction and Professional Responsibilities. Identifying good practice through observation is essential for a good leader. Being in the classroom is extremely important to be able to support a teacher’s needs. It is important to review the classroom walk-throughs (CWT) and establish open conversations for growth and improvement. I find I am most successful when noting what I have actually observed during a CWT. I watch how many students are answering questions during class. I count how many students are called upon, securing the fact that each day all students are given the opportunity to participate in class. I feel one of the most important places an administrator should be is in the classroom. It is only within the classroom that one can observe effective teaching strategies and whether the Florida Accomplished Practices are being met.
There is a direct alignment between student engagement and participation and student performance. Often teachers and administrators find it difficult to measure student engagement. Taylor and Parsons (2011) in an article entitled Improving Student Engagement, write about improving engagement through the use of technology. I have created and piloted a “Bring Your Own Device” program at my middle School. I have observed that when teachers allow devices to be used, student participation and engagement begins to grow. There is pedagogy that must be taught for an effective BYOD program to be implemented. This was a project that I began and will focus on during the project phase of my portfolio.
I have found through multiple CWT’s that teachers want to discuss how to improve their classroom procedures. Many teachers are interested in how other teachers teach. It is important to fulfill this interest, for much growth can occur through teacher observation and collaboration.
It is extremely important to take the time to complete the pre-observation, observation and post-observation along with at least four CWT’s. I feel that if I model this importance as an administrator, my instructors will be encouraged to offer rigorous and relevant material that provides real life examples that includes cultural and global awareness, while teaching standard based curriculum. I take the time to meet with each instructor, during the pre-conference and I ask them if there is something they want me to watch for, or something they would like to improve upon. I make sure I have a statement about their area of improvement during my observation. During the observation I take the time to write about what I see in the room. Is there student work visible? Is there evidence that the teacher uses data to drive instruction? Is there evidence that the teacher uses rubrics? Does the room look orderly? Are the transitions between learning opportunities organized and smooth with little loss of time. Does the teacher teach bell-to-bell? Does the teacher have management or classroom behavior issues? Are higher order questions being asked? Does the teacher apply rigor to their lesson? Many other questions, which are covered within the teacher observation, should be addressed by providing the evidence of what was observed going on in the classroom. During the Post-Observation, I offer the teacher suggestions and support including opportunities to learn about Kagan or other needed strategies. If a teacher wishes to visit another classroom, I offer to cover their class. Offering opportunities for developing skills, and encouraging growth in areas of interest, is essential for increasing adult learning opportunities.
I believe the most effective leaders are highly visible.
SUPPORTING ARTIFACTS:
As an instructional team we focus on developing a framework that aligns with curriculum and the State standards. Danielson (2012) in Observing Classroom Practice, breaks this framework into four domains. These domains are: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction and Professional Responsibilities. Identifying good practice through observation is essential for a good leader. Being in the classroom is extremely important to be able to support a teacher’s needs. It is important to review the classroom walk-throughs (CWT) and establish open conversations for growth and improvement. I find I am most successful when noting what I have actually observed during a CWT. I watch how many students are answering questions during class. I count how many students are called upon, securing the fact that each day all students are given the opportunity to participate in class. I feel one of the most important places an administrator should be is in the classroom. It is only within the classroom that one can observe effective teaching strategies and whether the Florida Accomplished Practices are being met.
There is a direct alignment between student engagement and participation and student performance. Often teachers and administrators find it difficult to measure student engagement. Taylor and Parsons (2011) in an article entitled Improving Student Engagement, write about improving engagement through the use of technology. I have created and piloted a “Bring Your Own Device” program at my middle School. I have observed that when teachers allow devices to be used, student participation and engagement begins to grow. There is pedagogy that must be taught for an effective BYOD program to be implemented. This was a project that I began and will focus on during the project phase of my portfolio.
I have found through multiple CWT’s that teachers want to discuss how to improve their classroom procedures. Many teachers are interested in how other teachers teach. It is important to fulfill this interest, for much growth can occur through teacher observation and collaboration.
It is extremely important to take the time to complete the pre-observation, observation and post-observation along with at least four CWT’s. I feel that if I model this importance as an administrator, my instructors will be encouraged to offer rigorous and relevant material that provides real life examples that includes cultural and global awareness, while teaching standard based curriculum. I take the time to meet with each instructor, during the pre-conference and I ask them if there is something they want me to watch for, or something they would like to improve upon. I make sure I have a statement about their area of improvement during my observation. During the observation I take the time to write about what I see in the room. Is there student work visible? Is there evidence that the teacher uses data to drive instruction? Is there evidence that the teacher uses rubrics? Does the room look orderly? Are the transitions between learning opportunities organized and smooth with little loss of time. Does the teacher teach bell-to-bell? Does the teacher have management or classroom behavior issues? Are higher order questions being asked? Does the teacher apply rigor to their lesson? Many other questions, which are covered within the teacher observation, should be addressed by providing the evidence of what was observed going on in the classroom. During the Post-Observation, I offer the teacher suggestions and support including opportunities to learn about Kagan or other needed strategies. If a teacher wishes to visit another classroom, I offer to cover their class. Offering opportunities for developing skills, and encouraging growth in areas of interest, is essential for increasing adult learning opportunities.
I believe the most effective leaders are highly visible.
SUPPORTING ARTIFACTS:
Quick Glimpse Chart: During Data-chats with my teachers, I include a quick glimpse table to help place scores in a tight configuration. I include all district tables, but sometimes this feels to overwhelming to an instructor, so I make a small chart for easy conversation.
| qick_glimpse_scores_standards.docx |
Classroom Walk Through: The classroom walk-through is an important communication between an administrator and a teacher. The walk is a quick glimpse on what is going on in the classroom. Reflections shared can assist a teacher in improvement of the learning and classroom environment.
| cwt_example.docx |
Improving Student Engagement Article: The engagement of students in the classroom is extremely important for improvement of student learning. This article gives ideas about how to improve engagement through use of technology and active teaching methods. Students use BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) at my school and "apps" that they can download to their devices help improve engagement and practice. I send these articles to individual teachers, teams of teachers or speak about them at a faculty or eSTEAM (excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) meeting as applicable. The below artifact is an example of such an article.
| these_five_apps_can_help_middle_school_students_learn_math_skills_such_as_geometry.pdf |
Pre-Observation Example: The pre-observation session is a time when teachers can share their plan for instruction during the observation. A teacher can share the collaboration that occurred and how they use data to monitor mastery of taught standards.
| pre-observation_example_docx.docx |
Observation Example: During the teacher observation, it is important to gather information about the teaching environment. This observation occurs within the entire class period with the expectation of bell to bell engaging instruction. This artifact is an example of a teacher observation.
| teacher_observation_example.docx |
Observing Classroom Practice Article: It is good to keep up on the reading of articles about teaching and applying new techniques to hone a skill. Through continuous learning and effective application, classrooms can remain engaging and rigorous.
| post_observation.docx |