instructional rounds: our school’s approach to improving our teaching practices
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Instructional Rounds: Our School’s Approach to Improving Our Teaching Practices
Harmony Elementary
Session Norms
• Observe confidentiality• Speak and listen with respect• Monitor air time• Be here 100%• Be open, welcoming, and receptive to new
ideas• Believe all is possible
Jigsaw: Learning From Instructional Rounds
• Form six-member groups• Count off 1 – 6• Read your numbered section in article
(±5 minutes)• Summarize and share your section with
the group(±5 minutes)
Our Pre-work
Define the problem of practice– Looked at the data– Developed hypothesis– Planned for the transition from TAKS to
STAAR– Planned for increased rigor– Book study: Instructional Rounds in
Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning
Our Discovery/Focus: Round 1
The use of higher order questions.
After Round 1:Refined Statement
After our last instructional round, we have discovered we are asking many questions; however, most of the questions we ask students are at the knowledge and comprehension level. In order for our students to develop and use reasoning skills to be successful in learning, we must understand and deliver rigorous units of study. At Harmony Elementary, we are looking at ways to increase the use of higher order questions and reasoning skills from our teachers and students.
Doing the Work
Choosing the staff for Instructional Round groups
• Volunteers vs Volun-TOLDS• Which classrooms will you observe?• Who’s going to go on the first round?
Who are your most positive people?Who is willing to grow and learn?Who will recommend their friends?
Provide Research Material: Options
• Do We Understand the STAAR Definition of Rigor and Depth? – Holly Duncan
• Learning from Instructional Rounds – Elizabeth A. City
• Classroom Questioning – Kathleen Cotton
• Bloom’s Taxonomy – Alice Wellington Rollins
• Instructional Rounds in Education – Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman & Lee Teitel
• Teach Like a Champion – Doug Lemov
Getting Ready: Set the Norms
Harmony’s example:• Use descriptive voice• Separate the person from the practice• Honor differences and accept where people are at• Reward openness• Focus on building the next level of work NOT
judging the current level of work• EVERYONE CAN IMPROVE
Getting Ready Part II: Set the Schedule
Harmony’s Example7:45 – 8:30 Teams going on the IR will meet in the
conference room to review the day’s procedure8:30 – 10:30 Rotations of 15** minutes in each
classroom w/built in break10:30 – 11:20 Teams meet back in the conference
room and begin to organize their data on chart tablets11:30 – 12:00 LUNCH12:00 – 1:30 Large group data organization1:30 – 2:00 Make inferences based on data2:00 – 2:45 Share out strategies/next steps for
Harmony
Getting Set: Set the Expectations During Observations
Harmony’s example:• Team members observe and may ask a few
students some questions about their learning.• Team members may not talk about observations
until back in the conference room• All observation notes stay with Mrs. Grams.• Use a descriptive voice.
GO! Collect the Data
Harmony’s data collection instrument:Time observed: ___________________Grade level observed: ______________Subject observed: _________________
The students were:The teacher was:The task was:
Independent Data Analysis
• Each participant reviews their notes and generates 10 post-its of evidence to share with the group (teacher, student, task)
• Evidence is written to capture data collected across all visits (ex: 3/5 classrooms….)
The Work Post ObservationsThis is where it gets tough…
• Independent data analysis:
1010 10
1010
10 10
10 10
10 10
10 10
10
10
Teams then compare post-its and select/write 10 post-its that capture evidence of the full team.
The work continues
• Group Data Analysis: Affinity Diagramming
10
10
10
Patterns of Data:Trends
&Outliers
TeachersStudents
Tasks
Still the work…
• Inferences and Next Steps– Use the data to make inferences– When, where, and how can you share
information with the faculty?– How can the results of the Instructional
Rounds be purposefully be acted upon so that school improvement is realized?
Trends After 2nd Round
• Harmony’s Trends:– Station work is mostly at a
knowledge/comprehension level and some students could not explain their learning in stations
– Classroom procedures were apparent and in place as evidenced by time management and smooth transitions between whole group, small group, and stations.
– Observed higher order questions/activities in math and only identifiable in ELAR during comprehension as evidenced in making predictions/connections
– Evidence of joint planning (vertical/horizontal)– Sporadic real-life connections from teacher and
students– Varied methods of instruction: whole group, small
group, stations, technology, and cooperative groups– Few students asked their own questions. They
mostly answered teacher-generated questions and when they did answer questions, they didn’t use complete sentences or academic vocabulary (except dual language), which created missed opportunities for extension of lessons
Post work: ACTION!
• Take action–What?–How?
• Monitor/Supervise
• Assess Growth• Celebrate• Start Again
Take Action:Commitment Forms (data meeting)
• Individual– The trend I know I do well is:– The trend I want to work on is:– I plan to:
• Team– The trend we want to work on is– We plan to:
Take Action:Staff Meeting
• Accountability Partners• Shared commitments• Jigsaw Teach Like a Champion (Lemov),
chapter 1• Observed each other over a period of a
month – 6 weeks
Trends: Round 3
• Without Apology (Teaching Like a Champion) technique was used in most (90%-95%) of classrooms
• In 21 out of 24 classrooms, a variety of graphic organizers are being used
• Real-life connections are evident in 11 out of 24 (46%) of classrooms
• Questions still remain in the mid to lower ranges of Blooms.
• 13 out of 24 classroom teachers (54%) used a variety of strategies when calling on students. *The popcorn method was predominately used. (We, as a campus, need to define what the popcorn method looks like.)
• Students responded in complete sentences using academic and content vocabulary in 9 out of 24 classrooms (38%)
Post work: ACTION!
• Take action–What?–How?
• Monitor/Supervise
• Assess Growth• Celebrate• Start Again
Take Action:Developed after Round 3
• Question Walk-through Form:The Teacher…
1. Uses an appropriate mixture of questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
2. Phrases questions carefully, concisely, and clearly3. Addresses questions to the group then the individual4. Pauses to give students wait time5. Uses a variety of strategies when calling on students
(popsicle, choral, echo, individual/hands, popcorn, volunteer, think-pair-share, etc.)
6. Allows students to answer questions rather than the teacher answering her/his own questions
• Question Walk-through Form:The students…1. Uses graphic organizers (First I would, Next
I would, Then I would, Thinking Maps, word banks, academic organizers)
2. Can explain their learning (stations/independent work)
3. Make real-life connections4. Use complete sentences when answering
questions (using academic and content vocabulary)
Take Action After 4th Round: CO Team
AddedThe teacher uses the following strategies as listed in Teach Like a
Champion (Lemov)1. No opt out2. Right is right3. Stretch it4. Format matters5. Without apology6. There is evidence of using preplanned questions
**Comments: Student Work (level of rigor)Remember UnderstandApply AnalyzeEvaluate Create (synthesis)
What’s next for Harmony:2012-2013 School Year
• Two formal rounds this year
• Added 2 curriculum coaches (who are classroom teachers)
• Identified curricular areas to focus on in addition to higher order questioning
• Continued professional development in content areas
• Continuing growth in small group instruction
• Continuing developing highly engaging & differentiated environments
Questions
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