effective teaching learning guide

7/31/2019 Effective Teaching Learning Guide

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JSD Professional Learning Guide

A companion to December 2011 JSD

THEME: EFFECTIVE TEACHING

INSIDE THIS GUIDE

DEFINING EFFECTIVE TEACHING IS A DYNAMIC ENDEAVOR p. 2

VISION, PLUS SO MUCH MORE, PROMOTES EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING p. 4

ACCESSING STUDENT PERCEPTIONS AS A SOURCE OF DATA p. 5

TEACHER EVALUATIONS EVOKE VARIED EMOTIONS p. 7

DECONSTRUCTING MULTIPLE MEASURES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING p. 9

TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS EFFORTS EMERGE FROM THE FLOOD p. 11

Cover suitable for binder sleeves, front, and spine p. 13


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Dening efective teaching

is a dynamic endeavor

By Jacqueline Kennedy

Worldwide, there is a shared concern about the

eectiveness o education systems and a corresponding

magniying glass on teachers. Although most peoplerecognize whywe need good teachers, the more

challenging question is howwe dene an eective teacher. In Qualities o

Efective Teachers, James Stronge (2007) reminds us that no single method

or developing teachers exists, but there are common attributes that

characterize eective teachers.

According to Stronge, Considering the degree o the teachers infuence,

we must understand what teachers should do to promote positive results

in the lives o students with regard to school achievement, positive attitudes toward school, interests in learning,

and other desired outcomes(2007, p. ix). With that end in mind, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched

the Measures o Eective Teaching project (p. 18) to test new approaches to measuring eective teaching

and improving the quality o inormation available about teacher practice. Furthermore, the Standards or

Proessional Learning declare that increasing the eectiveness o proessional learning or educators, includingteachers, is the most accessible leverage point with the greatest potential or increasing eectiveness and

changing practice


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teacher practices and teacher evaluation systems. The practitioners in this issue provide the practical examples

to illustrate eective teaching observed every day in classrooms and schools. Use the tools and tasks in this

guide to rame both individual and team refection and dialogue about how eective teaching is dened,

observed, evaluated, and learned.

As you read the articles in the edition, individually or in teams, consider the ollowing questions as they pertain

to your school, school system, and organization.

1. What specic behaviors describe and dene what eective teaching looks like?

2. What kinds o data are available to determine i teachers are eective?

3. What steps are necessary to measure and support eective teaching?

4. What will it take to ensure eective teaching occurs every day, in every classroom, in every school?

5. What steps will you take to positively infuence a vision or teaching and learning to increase teacher

eectiveness?

Reerence

Stronge, J.H. (2007). Qualities o efective teachers (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

For more inormation on the Measures o Eective Teaching Project, visit www.metproject.org.


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Vision, plus so much more, promotes eective teaching and learning

M

ost school reorm eorts recognize the need or a clear and concise vision or teaching and learning. Use The

elements o eective teaching: Proessional learning moves vision, ramework, and perormance standards into

action, by Joellen Killion and Stephanie Hirsh (p. 10), to inorm your initial round o conversations around thevariables oten overlooked when considering teacher eectiveness. Follow the process below as a guide to ocus your

reading and team conversations.

1. In the rst row, independently record the key ideas described in the article or each o the elements o eective

teaching.

2. In the second row, independently record your personal refections based on your current experience with each o the

elements described.

3. In the third and ourth row, with your teammates or partner, identiy specic gaps and then possible solutions or

growth and learning in each o the elements.

Elements

o eective

teaching

Vision or

teaching and

learning

Instructional

ramework

Student

learning

outcomes

Perormance

expectations

or educators

Policy,

planning,

and goals

Proessional

learning

Elements

Current

experience

Gaps

Areas or

growth and

l i


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Accessing student perceptions as a source o data

The Standards or Proessional Learning assert that thorough and ongoing uses o multiple

sources o data, quantitative and qualitative, help to inorm decisions and provide schools

and school systems with a comprehensive analysis

o student, educator, and system perormance. As

described in The view rom the seats: Student input provides a

clearer picture o what works in schools (p. 24), many systems

are collecting and analyzing educator, parent, and student data

and taking a specic look at perception data rom students.

The Tripod Project acknowledges the rsthand experience students bring to the conversation about

teacher eectiveness by capturing key dimensions o classroom lie and teaching practice as students

communicate them. The set o classroom learning conditions that lead to student engagement have

been described in what is reerred to as the Seven Cs ramework.

As you refect on the value o including student voice to inorm teacher eectiveness, use the Seven Cs

as a guide to discuss the kinds o observable student and teacher behaviors that would serve as evidence

or each o the ramework dimensions. Chart the behaviors you identiy, and in the space on the next

page, identiy gaps and possible areas or proessional learning based on your completed columns.

For more inormation on

the Tripod Project, visit:

www.tripodproject.org.


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SEVEN CS FRAMEWORK STUDENTS TEACHER

1. Caring about students

(encouragement and

support)

2. Captivating students

(learning seems

interesting and

relevant)

3. Conerring with

students (students

sense their ideas are

respected)

4. Controlling behavior

(culture o cooperation

and peer support)

5. Clariying lessons

(success seems easible)

6. Challenging students

(press or eort,

perseverance, and

rigor)

7. Consolidating

knowledge (ideas

get connected and

integrated)

GAPS

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING


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Teacher evaluations evoke varied emotions

D

eveloping a reliable and coherent evaluations system is no easy eat. Headden and Silva (p. 40) share lessons

learned rom the implementation o the IMPACT system in Washington, D.C. The highs and lows described in this

article can become the springboard or engaging teams, schools, and school systems in discussions and dialoguearound the diverse points o view about teacher evaluations and alternative approaches to current or uture models.

Beore discussing the article with colleagues, identiy your own views on teacher evaluation and respond to the prompts

rom the six dierent perspectives.

What do you know about the role

o teacher evaluations?

What are the possibilities and

opportunities or teacherevaluations?

What are the benets o teacher

evaluations?

What is your gut eeling about

teacher evaluations?

What are the cautions

surrounding teacher evaluations?

What is the most eective way to

move orward?


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Directions

1. Use the questions to identiy your own views.

2. Share your responses with colleagues in small teams.

3. Invite each team member to respond to one question at a time while others listen.

4. As you listen to the responses o others, note dierences and similarities in points o views, and be prepared to share

them as specied.

5. As much as possible, allow all members to share their responses to the same question beore discussing similar

and opposing views. Remember, the goal o the discussion is to relate to other perspectives on teacher evaluation.

Dierent views are expected and should be embraced and acknowledged.

6. Share in a round-robin ashion, allowing all members to respond to the same question until all questions have been

addressed.


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Deconstructing multiple measures o eective teaching

A

s illustrated by Hillsborough County Public Schools (p. 32), the question o what constitutes eective teaching is

one that has multiple answers, inormed by multiple measures. As you read, use the chart to collect your thoughts

and ideas about each o the measures. Ater you have collected your notes, engage others to exchange your

thoughts and ideas, and devise possible solutions and implications or your work.

AGREEMENTS ARGUMENTS ASPIRATIONS

Value-added

measures

(student

learning data

Rubric-based

evaluation

systems

Peer and

mentorobservations


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For urther discussion

1. What assumptions about eective teaching are evident? Describe your ndings.

2. What questions do these measures raise or you?

3. What are the implications or your work?


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Teacher eectiveness eorts emerge rom the food

N.P. Trist Middle School in Meraux, La., (p. 46) has a heart-wrenching

story most cannot imagine, but it is the schools resurgence that

will inspire all that read about its journey. As you read, you will

learn about the role the TAP System or Teacher and Student Advancement

program played in the schools success. As you read, note your responses

to the ollowing prompts. Use the questions on the ollowing page when

discussing the article with your team.

4 core elements of the TAP system and its impact on Trist.

3 connections made while reading about the schools road to rebuild and reform.

2ideas you have about rebuilding teacher quality as a result of the article.

1 thing you intend to do.

For more inormation

on the TAP system, visit

www.tapsystem.org.


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For urther discussion

1. Which o the our core elements identied on p. 48 would enhance teacher quality in you school or district?

2. What could be the dierence as a result o the enhancement?

3. How might schools and districts learn how to implement and manage these kinds o systems?

4. What would need to occur rst?


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JSDProfessionalLearningGuide

A

COMPANION

TO JSD

JSD

ProfessionalLearning

Guide

A COMPANION TO JSD

A bimonthly collection o toolsto help educators expand their knowledge

and learn about new practices

through collaborative refection

Learning Forward

www.learningorward.org

800-727-7288

effective teaching learning guide

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