Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Review Tools handbook

The Review Tools handbook guides teachers & leaders to reflect on and further develop their current teaching and learning practice. Facilitator’s notes Review Tools handbook is one of the three key Teaching for Effective Learning resources. It is a supplementary resource which supports teachers to reflect on their practice and seek feedback from their colleagues and students.

Teaching for Effective Learning resources Facilitator’s notes To use the Review Tools handbook effectively, teachers need to be familiar with the concepts and the layout of the SA TfEL Framework guide. The SA TfEL DVD provides a range of resources for teachers to find out how students are learning in their classroom. They can use these ‘as is’ or adapt them. The DVD also contains an electronic copy of the Review Tools handbook.

Reflecting on our teaching and learning together The Review Tools handbook can also be used to guide a personal or whole school action plan to help further develop current teaching and learning practices. Reflect with: Facilitator’s notes Reflecting on our teaching and learning practice is not intended as a one-off exercise. Teachers who conduct ongoing reviews with their colleagues and students and who continue to personally reflect on their practice will enrich their understandings and enactment of effective teaching. This is on page 1 of the Review Tools handbook. 4

Reflecting on our teaching and learning together Use the Observation record sheets, Appendices 5 & 6, to personally reflect on your current practice at either domain or element level. Invite trusted colleague/s to observe your practice to gain feedback on your current practice and where to next. Facilitator’s notes This diagram demonstrating a triangulation of reflections is on page 7 of the Review Tools handbook. For more information on working collaboratively, read ‘Working with trusted colleagues’ on page 14.

Observation process Observation record sheets, Appendices 5 & 6 A colleague can observe you over one or more teaching lessons focusing on a specific domain or element/s. Or a take a broad focus with TfEL domains 2, 3 & 4 Facilitator’s notes Appendix 5 is an observation record sheet at the domain level and Appendix 6 is an observation record sheet at the elements level. Scoring against the SA TfEL quality tests is an option. The process for gathering feedback from colleagues is outlined on page 15. Score against the SA TfEL Quality tests (optional) 6 6

The SA TfEL quality tests and key questions Appendix 4 Intentionality Am I clear about what I want them to learn and how I want them to learn it? Effectiveness Did what I design work for everyone? Did they learn it? Consistency Do I act consistently? Responsiveness Am I responding to the moment? Am I taking them to the next step? Facilitator’s notes The four SA TfEL quality tests (Intentionality, Effectiveness, Consistency, Responsiveness) together with their key questions, provide an authentic assessment of quality learning. Teachers and their colleagues need to refer to the Quality tests and key questions sheet in Appendix 4 when completing the Observation record sheets because they guide critical reflection on quality learning. Remember, scoring against the quality tests is an option. Where they came from The SA TfEL Quality Tests were developed in response to the Australian Education Research Report by Louden, Williams called In teachers’ hands Effective literacy teaching practices in the early years of schooling, Edith Cowan University, 2005. This report identified ‘the qualitative difference’ as being a key factor that makes for quality teaching and learning - the essence of this has been captured through the SA Quality Tests. View Video 1 on the TfEL DVD for a detailed explanation of the quality tests 7 7

Teacher classroom observation What it is and is not It is: It is not: a process where the teacher sets the observation criteria Performance management about sharing good practice about ‘marking’ teachers a treasure hunt. a witch hunt.

Reflecting on our teaching and learning together Find out how students are learning in your class by asking them for feedback through a Student feedback survey or Student engagement questionnaire. Section 5, p. 18 Facilitation Notes For more information about seeking feedback from students, go to ‘Working with students’ on page 18.

Student surveys & questionnaires, Appendices 7 to 11 in Review Tools handbook and on TfEL DVD Surveys are suitable for R–12 students Student feedback surveys and Student Engagement questionnaire Facilitator’s notes This is screenshot of a the TfEL Review Tools section of the TfEL DVD

Student surveys & questionnaire Appendices 7 to 11 Change the Word version of the surveys to focus student feedback to your enquiry. Student feedback sheets, surveys and questionnaires are all available on the DVD, both as pdfs and in Word. This allows you to adapt them to suit your own enquiry.