Supervision of Teachers to Ensure Quality Teaching Dr. Timothy L. Heaton Associate Professor of Education Cedarville University Cedarville, Ohio

Labor before Labor Day! Picking up Clues Begin Informal Supervision before school begins: 1. Observe teacher’s preparation in rooms ( planning, activities, dressing the room) 2. Observe teacher’s frustrations ( workbooks haven’t arrived, Johnny Wonder is in their class this year, or they repeatedly say;” I have HOW many students with I.E.P.s?” Talk to teachers informally about their curriculum ( What do they like about their new Math series, what do they find problematic?)

At the First Teacher’s Meeting 1. Explain the process of informal and formal formative evaluations and the final yearend summative evaluations. 2. Put the process in writing 3. Ask the teacher to list their goals for their teaching this year….be specific. 4. Begin daily informal observations of all classes and all teachers during the first two weeks of school ( Just walking down the hall, sticking your head in the door, peeking in during lunchroom duty, looking out your window while teacher is on recess duty.

Supervision vs. Evaluation Supervision: 1.Aimed at Improvement 2. Assumes that the teacher will be successful 3. Assumes that contract will be renewed. Evaluation: 1. Aimed at judgment 2. Does not assume that success is automatic 3. Contract renewal not automatic

Observing Quality Teaching Good teachers: 1. Establish a climate of learning 2. Gain student’s attention 3. State what is to be learned

Good Teachers motivate students by: Establishing importance of lesson material. Relating new information to prior student’s experiences Relating new information to prior student knowledge Using appropriate cooperative learning techniques.

Good Teachers Sequence Lesson Delivery by: 1. Reviewing needed basic skills 2. Presenting concrete material before abstract concepts. 3. Using manipulatives and visual approaches before oral ones 4. Developing the lesson from the simple to the complex 5. Checking for student understanding at intervals. 6. Use good questioning techniques 7. Periodically review lesson progress to date 8. Confirm what has been learned during the lesson 9. Use guided practice when appropriate.

Good Teachers Involve students actively by: Not personally dominating the lesson Inviting student contribution and response Planning for activities which require student involvement and initiative

Good Teachers Manage their Classrooms well by: 1. Planning procedures which will reduce disruptions to class. 2. Clearly communicating rules and expectations 3. Being aware of all students and intercepting misbehavior at earliest possible stage. 4. Enforcing rules fairly and consistently.

Good Teachers Use Effective Questions 1. Asking few “yes/no” questions 2. Asking questions which require higher order thinking such as application, analysis or synthesis. 3. Insuring that questions have their opportunity to provoke responses in every student’s mind before being answered( wait time).

Types of Supervision and Conferencing 1. Teacher-generated analysis: The teacher plans lesson, teaches lesson while supervisor watches, reflects on their lesson…what was good, what wasn’t, what would they change next time.

Collaborative Analysis Teacher plans lesson, goes over lesson with supervisor who critiques it. Teacher teaches critiqued lesson Both Supervisor and Teacher do analysis of the lesson taught Supervisor and Teacher’s comments are included in final review.

Supervisor-generated conference Teacher plans lesson Teacher teaches lesson Supervisor sees lesson and plans for the first time during the observation Supervisor gives teacher analysis of teaching with comments on what went well and what didn’t and how to improve.

Basic Info for All conferences 1. Build a positive climate, so the teacher feels open and comfortable talking. 2. Present data in order for learning to occur 3. Wait for teacher’s comments and see if they understand meaning of your comments. 4. Ask awareness questions to elicit teachers reaction to your data on the review and talk further explaining what the data means.

Dealing with Teacher Resistance: Types 1. Unwillingness to concur with truthfulness of data regarding teacher’s classroom performance 2. Disagreement regarding interpretation of data which may require the teacher to change behavior/teaching style. 3. Blameshifting to other things which caused lesson to go poorly.

What to do about Teacher Resistance 1. Be firm and patient in presenting the data. 2. Be unilaterally prescriptive….keep personalities out…just deal with facts. 3. invite the teacher’s collaboration in the collection of new data. 4. schedule another observation 5. suggest another method of data collection including another person supervising the lesson.

Glickman’s Developmental Supervison 1. Directive Control behaviors 2. Directive Informational Behaviors 3. Collaborative Behaviors 4. Nondirective Behaviors

Directive Control Identify problem Ask teacher for input into problem Understand teacher’s viewpoint Mentally determine best solution Tell expectations of solution to teacher Ask teacher for input into expectations Detail and Modify expectations

Directive Informational Identify goal Ask teacher for input into that goal Understand teacher’s viewpoint Mentally determine possible action Tell other options for teacher to consider Ask teacher for input into options Give final options and choices Ask teacher to choose which choice would be best.

Collaborative Identify problem as the teacher sees it. Understand teacher’s perception Verifying the teacher’s perception Providing supervisor’s perception Seek teacher’s understanding of supervisor’s perception. Exchange suggestions of options Accept any conflict and work on finding an acceptable solution

Nondirective Wait until teacher’s initial statement is made. Verbalize your understanding of initial problem. Probe for underlying problem Show willingness to listen further Constantly paraphrase understanding of teacher’s message Ask teacher to think of possible actions Ask teacher to consider consequences of various actions Ask teacher to commit to a decision Ask teacher to set time and criteria for action Restate teacher’s plan

Other supervision options Peer Coaching Mentoring Lead Teacher Professional Dialogues with other faculty Professional development Action research Use of Student evaluations Videotaping for self-supervision Videotaping for supervisor