Changing the Lens on Teaching and Learning Robeson County Coaches Robeson Community College November 14, 2012

Examining the Impact of Instruction Objectives Examining the Impact of Instruction Improving Student-Centered Lesson Observations Talking points: Explain the overall objectives for the next two days.

Objectives Participants will: explore components of change; identify and examine evidence and impact on student learning; and develop skills in conducting student-centered observations. Objectives specific to Day 1 work.

Change Organizations are constantly in change. Schools are particularly dynamic organizations. Your role is to assist the school to become: stable, not stagnant in a positive state of change. Talking points: Introduce the idea of change in the school environment. It is important to recognize and acknowledge the many educational reforms and changes that are happening at this time.

Requirements for a Change in Culture A true belief with accompanying actions that “this is the work that must be done” Accountability for all (Accountability System) Courageous conversations Strong sense of vision and focus

Transforming School Cultures Develop goals and priorities with an effective plan for implementation Use data to drive decisions* Recruit, train, and retain high-quality staff Implement high-quality PLCs* Implement strategies for ensuring ALL students are learning* Implement a strategic literacy plan Talking points: As we are discussing the strategies, we are defining and describing a “collaborative culture.” Speak specifically to the statements with asterisk beside them. These come from the Framework for Action. This ties into and supports the ongoing work of the division and we will be discussing how intentional conversations about what teaching and learning looks like and be tied into PLC’s and strengthen outcomes. Looking for impact during lesson observations links to #5 and #8.

Transforming School Cultures Maintain student engagement and plan transitions to ensure on-time graduates Re-evaluate practices and procedures for their impact on learning* Engage the community in partnerships to support high-quality education for ALL students *NC Framework for Action Components As we are discussing the strategies, we are defining and describiTalking points: As we are discussing the strategies, we are defining and describing a “collaborative culture.” Speak specifically to the statements with asterisk beside them. These come from the Framework for Action. This ties into and supports the ongoing work of the division and we will be discussing how intentional conversations about what teaching and learning looks like and be tied into PLC’s and strengthen outcomes. Looking for impact during lesson observations links to #5 and #8. ng a “collaborative culture.”

Examining the Impact of Instruction Transition slide. Shift the conversation towards changing how we look at instruction by first examining some important questions about teaching and learning.

What does it mean to educate? 4. How do you determine if students are learning enough? 1. What is good teaching? Talking points: Use this slide to introduce the question – What does it mean to educate? – Have participants reflect on each question individually to provide processing time (option: you can have them write down their thoughts ). This transitions into the next group activity. 2. Who determines what high quality teaching and learning look like? 3. How do you determine if students are learning?

Evaluating Teaching and Learning Activity: Consider the following: What is good teaching? What are the elements of a good lesson? What does learning look like? Talking points: Each group starts with a question. Broad thinking is what we are looking for here. After about 5 minutes, participants move to the next station with another question and adds to the previous groups work. Keep going until each table has addressed each question. Emphasis should be placed on the last question – “What does learning look like?” Facilitators should encourage participants to stretch their thinking.

Evaluating Teaching and Learning Use teaching and learning criteria to: help you make sense of what you see help you to record evidence and outcomes clearly know what or how much students are learning No Handouts Talking Points: Use the bullet points as a transition from the discussion that the participants just had to lead to the next activity. Why do we need to set clear criteria for teaching and learning? Why is this critical to the development of the academic program? Why do these types of discussions matter?

Teaching and Learning Criteria What would you look for in the classroom to demonstrate these criteria? Standard I Teachers Demonstrate Leadership Standard II Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students Standard III Teachers Know the Content They Teach Standard IV Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students Standard V Teachers Reflect on Their Practice Standard VI Teachers Contribute to Academic Success * NC State Board of Education and the NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission Prepare in advance, criteria from the Teacher Evaluation Document, for each group to use in the following activity. Give one that is easier to see and at least one that challenges the group. They will complete the activity on the next slide in reference to the criteria. Participants can use next slide as handout.

What does it look like in the classroom? Criterion What does it look like in the classroom? Participants should consider the criteria they have been given from the Teacher Standards. In column 1 they should write what they are looking for and in the 2nd column they should consider and write what that would actually look like in the classroom.

Directions: On an index card…. Describe an engaging activity you plan to do in your content area Write the higher-level questions that would accompany the activity On the back, describe what you would do to ensure every student understands

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Evidence and Impact Objectives Engagement Monitoring/Feedback Questioning Pace/Rigor

Objectives: Do students know what they are expected to do and learn? We will examine a variety of ways in which students are presented with objectives. We are always asking ourselves this question.

Today’s Objective 6.P.1.4 This is an example of one of the examples we noticed in a classroom. No one knew what it meant.

Today’s Objective Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Sometimes……..this is what we see. The teacher ran off all of the objectives for her subject and would post them in a tiny corner on the board. Would this help students understand the objective? Rhetorical question, of course.

Are objectives student-friendly? Bottom line…………ask this question…….

Today’s Objective Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. This is the objective that was posted small earlier. Is it student friendly????? It was taken straight from state guidelines.

Objectives: Does the teacher make connections between what the students are doing and the objectives? Does the teacher refer back to the objectives?

Evaluating and Documenting the Impact of Instruction The teacher posts the NCSCOS objectives on the board and uses this as a guide for learning by referring back to them throughout the lesson. As a result, students are well aware of what their learning targets are for this lesson, and are therefore, engaged in the learning process. Or The teacher posts the NCSCOS objectives on the board, but does not refer to them at any time. When students are asked what they are learning they point to the objective on the board, but cannot explain it. Consequently, the NCSCOS objective was not used effectively to help students understand what they should be learning, leaving some students disconnected from the process. Let participants read these statements to themselves. Then, move to the next slide for comments.

Engagement: Are students doing what they are supposed to do? Pose the question on the slide and ask for responses from participants. We are not looking at what the teacher told them to do, but the real question is “Are they doing what they should be doing to learn what they should be learning and at a high enough level.

Engagement: Are students doing what they should to achieve the objective? Be sure teachers understand we are not talking about behavior/ compliance or just being on-task.

How do you know?

Ask: Do students look like they are learning????

Teaching and Learning Teaching ………………..Learning Cause….………………...Effect Teaching ………………..Impact Stress the link between teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are interwoven. Teaching cannot occur without learning. Teaching and learning exist in a cause and effect relationship and when using the CNA process that is what we strive to capture during observations. We record the teaching that is going on and the impact on students, i.e. cause and effect – teaching and learning.

Evidence – SO WHAT? What’s the impact? What’s the outcome? So what? How do you know? Talking Points: Stress the importance of the questions above and that is important to weigh all evidence carefully and contextualize it.

Evidence Impact Based upon your observations, how would you provide teachers with effective feedback?

Let’s examine an example……

Observing Instruction

Lesson Observation and Video Analysis

Peer Observation

Peer Observations and Feedback

LUNCH

Lesson Observations/Discussion Handout: Teacher Observation Form with elements of effective teaching Show a video demonstrating teaching that matches the school’s level. Explain the context of the video. Instruct participants to write evidence and impact on the handout throughout the lesson. Stop after several minutes and ask probing questions about what the teachers observe. Consider stopping at a point in the lesson where you see students responding in a particular way (either positive or negative impact). Ask participants to share some examples of what they have written. Probe to be sure they are capturing specific evidence and impact on students. What is the teacher doing and do students respond? Watch the remainder of the video and give participants time to finish writing. Ask participants to discuss evidence and summary statements in preparation for their peer coaching conversation. In this case, do not discuss this with the whole group.

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Peer Observations and Feedback Participants will engage in two peer coaching experiences. In one case, they will be the observer and, in the other, they will be the teacher. Explain that participants should use their observation forms to structure the conversation. Encourage participants to ask question that provoke reflection. In addition, they should focus on specific evidence and avoid “judgment” statements like “good, excellent.” Tell them to talk for a full 5-10 minutes. Presenters circulate and provide descriptive feedback, ask probing questions, and help when participants are stuck. Then debrief with partner. Ask some to share examples from the whole group about things that happened during the conversation. Find a different partner who had the opposite role. Switch roles. Repeat the process described above. Ask participants how this process differs from peer conversations they’ve had in the past. Ask how the process of capturing evidence and impact can help structure peer conversations about teaching and learning.

Questions/Evaluations Handout: Evaluation Form Ask participants what questions they have. Finally, give out the Evaluation Form.

Administrative Assistant 919-835-6124 Ellen.stone@dpi.nc.gov Contact Information Ellen Stone, Administrative Assistant 919-835-6124 Ellen.stone@dpi.nc.gov