observation summary topic #7

7/31/2019 Observation Summary Topic #7

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Learning Topic 7: Field Experience Summary

Betty Hustead

4/22/12

I interviewed 6 different people with very different jobs to get a well-rounded viewpoint of thekey elements of leadership. My project was to create a new teacher training proposal for next year so I

created questions that related to that and interviewed a new teacher and a student teacher. I also

interviewed the principal, the building engineer, the instructional coach, and the deputy on duty.

The principal had some interesting comments regarding new teachers, collaboration and

empowerment relating to climate and culture, how to be an exceptional leader and factors regarding

continual improvement. (See chart below)

Question Answer points Comments/IdeasWhat is the biggest concern for new

teachers to the building that you would

like to see change or be anticipated toavoid problems? (Con)

What would you like to see in a new

teacher training/induction? (L)

New teachers need to understand how to use data to

inform and guide instruction, interventions and

assessments to increase growth.

I would agree with this. Can departments

help with this as well as coach or trainer?

Know it? Understand it? Know what they

don’t know?

How do collaboration and empowerment

relate to climate and culture? (L)

Students will not learn effectively from teachers if

those students do not believe the teacher cares about

them first.

Value of caring – very clear!

What suggestions do you have for me

regarding being an exceptional leader?

(L)

Leaders provide intentional and deliberate time for

teachers to engage in structured conversations, both

academic and environmental.

Time, always a factor, but is very useful

when you plan the little you have well.

How did you minimize the negative

nature of change? (CI)

Once you empower voices with purpose and

autonomy under a well-defined mission statement,you find consistency in practice so the school culture

becomes one.

Sometimes this requires individuals to make choices

to leave our environment and allows us the

opportunity to hire staff into our belief systems.

So very true. We always know the reason

behind what we are asked to do and wherethe change will take us in the improvement

of the students.

One bad apple … Before this happens,

hopefully they will leave or be asked to

leave.

What were the critical factors supporting

the change and resisting the change? (CI)

Our staff collaborates and converses with meaning to

action planning and implementation.

Time is always an issue and becomes the resistance.

If there is a understood purpose, staff will

follow suit much better.

There is never enough time, so resistance is

futile.

What does “Continual Improvement”

mean to you? (CI)

Prioritize items to accomplish in the immediate, next

month, next semester, next year, and multiple years.

Always have a plan with a goal and a

timeline.

What suggestions do you have to make

the first year of a new teacher easier so

they can teach and not stress about

everything that is involved with the job?

(L)

BALANCE – work, family, health. You should never

be afraid to ask questions. You are not expected to be

a master teacher your first year, but we do expect that

you are intentional, deliberate, and reflective of your

professional craft as an educator.

Well said!!

Intentional, Deliberate, Reflective are key

words.

After reflecting on what the principal said, I believe his key value is caring, his leadership

element is following the mission with a plan and proper communication of that plan. For new teachers,



they need to be intentional, deliberate, and reflective as they learn how to write goals, assess students, use

the data, and communicate with staff. So from this interview, the new teacher training needs to

incorporate more data practice.

The next interview was from the building engineer. She was new to the school this year and had a

lot to learn herself as well as teach her staff. I really liked some of the input I received from her, partially

because she was new, she was able to have new ideas. (See chart below)

Question Answer points Comments/IdeasWhat is the biggest concern for new

teachers to the building that you would

like to see change or be anticipated to

avoid problems? (Con)

Introductions of the custodial staff to the teaching

staff, so they know who to talk to when they have

concerns. Give the teacher advice on their new room

(blinds stay shut until 11:00, less heat in room)

Great idea! This should be done every year.


teacher training/induction? (L)

She would like the teachers to understand their jack of

all trade roles, to ask for what they need, but not to be

taken advantage of since they are quite helpful.

Great idea again. They should be included in

the introduction portion of a new teacher

training.

What do you consider a “successful”

school? Is that the same as an “effective”

school? (CC)

They are the same, because if you are not effective,

you will not be successful.

Effective communication, teaching, and

caring all play into a successful school, so I

believe they go hand in hand.

What are your thoughts on collaboration

and empowerment? (CC)

Collaboration means working together for a common

goal, empowerment is being allowed and trusted to do

your job effectively by your supervisor.

What a nice feeling to be left to do your job!

What suggestions do you have regarding

being an exceptional leader? (L)

Lead by example and trust your team. Great philosophy. Teach by doing.

What was the impact of change on the

building?

How did you expand the positive nature

and minimize the negative nature of the

change? (CI)

Cleanliness affects climate. If classrooms are clean,

kids are not home sick, and being here means

learning.

Positive – don’t ask them to do something you

wouldn’t do.

Negative – Don’t feed the negative talk, always find

positive in every situation.

Students definitely cannot learn if they are

not here.

What a great attitude she has! More people

should be this way.

What ere the critical factors resisting the

change? (CI)

Humans have a hard time changing habits, but with

constant leadership and positive interactions things

can change.

Between the attitude comments above and

these, I can see why the custodial crew is

much happier this year than in the past.

After this interview, I have even more respect for the building engineer than I did before. That

says a lot, because I thought she was great. Any time there is a problem, question, or task needed done,

she is right there to complete it. Her key elements are definitely positive attitude, communication skills,

and time management.

The instructional coach had a tremendous amount to say. It will be hard to get everything down

on paper. I was most impressed with her suggestions to make new teachers lives easier and how she said

she tries to interpret and possibly intercept the issues being sent down from district. (See chart below)

Question Answer points Comments/IdeasWhat do you think is the most important Observing teachers who have asked that I help with I am not surprised this is her most important



thing you do in a day? (DL) instruction – helping supply ways to improve

improves the school

part, or that it is her favorite part, but I was

surprised she doesn’t have scheduled

observations.

What is the biggest concern for new

teachers that you would like to see

changed? (Con)

I would like new teachers to feel supported and have

an opportunity to feel welcome to contribute to our

school’s culture.

I definitely agree with this. If the new teacher

doesn’t feel welcomed, cared for, and part of

the team, they will be leaving real soon.

What would you like to see in the new

teacher training? (L)

For brand new teachers, she does multiple

observations and training around the observation.

For seasoned, yet new to DRHS teachers, she spends

time connecting with them and helping them find out

what resources are available to them.

I like the connection piece. She values the

connectivity of staff for new and old.


school? (CC)

What are your thoughts on collaboration

and empowerment? (CC)

How would you describe the culture and

climate of DRHS? (CC)

Teachers are collegial and are able to have time to

plan together and discuss ideas for improving

instruction and content within an open environment.

Empowerment is a united front of teachers who have

collaborated and have a holistic view of expectation,

instruction, and curriculum leading to a well informed

group.

To improve instruction through collaboration,

learning, and assessments.

Once again, time comes into play with this

one. As long as the time is managed well, the

collaboration can be fantastic.

When cross-curricular collaboration is part of

the overall picture, you will get a united

front.

Collaboration works wonders.



Making sense of the big picture, while focusing the

ideas and thoughts into the big picture. An open mind

is needed to allow people to do their thing, at their

level, as long as it is best for the students.

She is talking about the plan on how to get to

the overall goal of having more growth in

student learning.

How do you expand the positive nature

and minimize the negative nature of

change?

We are a district of change. Figuring out a way to

bring the latest change to the staff with purpose or

intercepting it and handling it on her own is the

biggest part of her job right now.

Positive – patience! Being instructive when needed

and using less is more when appropriate

Negative – She “waters her flowers and ignores her

rocks” since she will get the most return from those

willing to work. Knowing who the resistant people

are is important so you can check in on them more

frequently.

If a change does not work, there is no harm in going

back to the old way.

The constant changes are hard to deal with as

teachers. We already feel like we have way

to much work to do. I appreciate the coach

sifting through the additional changes for us.

Communication and collaboration is onceagain a big piece to this.

Strive to work with the movers, but don’t

ever forget the couch potatoes.

I wish more people would evaluate more

often to see if the method is working.

What does continual improvement mean

to you? (CI)

Just because we have good growth, does not mean it

is okay to rest on our laurels.

There is always room to grow.

What suggestions do you have to make

the first year teacher easier? (L)

PRIORITIZE - First learn how to deal with parent

and administration communication. Second

instruction – don’t worry about the perfect lesson, fix

one thing at a time. Third – Don’t be afraid to ask

questions! Fourth – Be sure to create time to reflect

on how things are working.

What good advice. The communication piece

is huge for new teachers. Many of them are

afraid to talk to parents or admin. Once they

have done it a few times, they get

confidence. If the trainer or coach helps

guide them through this, it should be easier.

Next, they usually beat themselves up if their

lesson is not perfect. They need to

understand practice makes perfect. Needless

to say, communication and reflection cannot



be skipped!

The instructional coach is extremely organized, very good at communication, and wants nothing

more than to see every teacher in the school performing to an elite status. Unfortunately, she realizes, this

will never happen. She does her best to get as close to this as possible. Her keys are communication,collaboration, caring, and continual learning.

The next interview I did was with the sherrif’s deputy that works at our school. I thought she

would have a unique perspective. She discussed more on culture and climate than the other people. (See

chart below)

Question Answer points Comments/IdeasWhat would you like to see in a new

teacher training? (L)

More safety training so they understand why it is

important. The fact that violence in schools is

happening more and more and we need to be

prepared, mentally and physically.

I agree. I had to deal with Columbine, so I

understand. During these trainings, I would

like to see someone involved with that

incident speak in person about it to the new

staff. They may be too young to have

experienced it.


school? Is that the same as an “effective”

school? (CC)

Success is measured with effectiveness in learning

and something less tangible, like pride or a feeling of

“family-like comfort.” Success measures

consequences, maturity, hard work, compassion for

others, …

I believe a successful school also feels pride

and like family to the staff, students, and the

community. (Feeling of Care)



Encouraging and empowering people. Never afraid to

admit their own failure. They ask for help when

needed.

The encouraging piece and willingness to

admit failure go far in connecting with a

staff. They feel you acknowledge them,

understand, and make mistakes too.

What does continual improvement mean

to you? (CI)

Changes don’t always work, don’t be afraid to go

back to the way things were before.

Once again, evaluate and reflect in order to

move on and improve.

Safety was obviously the most important factor for the deputy. I agree this should be included in

the new teacher trainings much more than it is. I also believe it should be reviewed with the current staff

more as well. As far as being a leader, she believes in evaluation and reflection to determine if the best

method is being used. My favorite part of her interview was the feeling of family for climate and culture.

This is true for me at this school, and I know there are others that feel this way as well.

The last two interviews were from new teachers. I wanted to find out what their thoughts were

regarding the training they wish they had and how they felt things were going. There were some good

ideas mentioned that I have implemented into my new teacher training proposal. (See chart below)

Question Answer points Comments/IdeasAs a new teacher, what would you liked

to have known?

A – That students complain all the time, about

everything, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Both of the teachers mentioned very good

points. Obviously the record keeping should



Resist the urge to grade everything and every error.

Use rubrics, and how to create them.

B – How to keep records, infinite campus, admin.

Conferencing, IEPs, and parent interactions.

be addressed in training and then

departments can tweak it for their specifics.

Letting new teachers know it is okay to

check grade some items and be ready for

fussing would de-stress them quite a bit.

What would you like to see done next

year?

More checking in by trainer, coach, and/or

department manager to see how we are doing.

This would allow more evaluation on what

they don’t know they don’t know.


teacher training?

A + B - Having a successful veteran teacher to be a

mentor in building would be very helpful, even for an

experienced teacher that is new to the building.

B - More sharing of resources, syllabi, creating class

norms to avoid management problems and keep

consistency within the department.

Mentors are valuable if used correctly.

Interesting point on the new, yet experienced

teacher getting a mentor too.

Sharing resources and keeping consistent is

huge for a new teacher and the learning

environment for the students.


school?

A – A school and community in which a vision and

leadership are established and consistently supported.

They have strong family, school, and community

partnerships to help students succeed in school and

life. Quality professional development allows the

learning community to realize its vision and reach itsgoals.

B - Challenges students to think critically and

prepares them for life beyond HS. Consistent

expectations and enforcement of those school-wide. A

successful school creates a culture where students are

expected to learn and where honesty, integrity,

responsibility, and hard work are the cornerstones of

learning.

Once again, the family feel and partnership is

very important, it shows care. Learning

communities that collaborate will lead to

success.

Preparing students for life is what we are all

about! This includes values, not just

information.

For new teachers, I believe they have a good grasp on what is needed and expected to become

successful in their future. The information they provided was valuable in my proposal for a new teacher training program.

After interviewing all of these people, the ability to communicate, care about each other,

collaborate, continue to improve the processes and environment for learning, are all key points in making

this a successful student learning experience, a professional situation to work in, and a beneficial part of

the community.

ADDENDUM



New Teacher Interview questions EDLS670

1. As a new teacher, what would you like to have known before you started?

2. What would you like to have changed?

3. What would you like to see done for next year?

4. What would you like to see in a new teacher training?

5. What do you consider a “successful” school?

Administrator Questions EDLS670

(Included all Managers in Administration)

1. What do you think is the most important thing you do on a daily basis? (DL)

2. How much do you have to deal with conflict each day? (students, parents, teachers, staff) (Con)

3. What is the biggest concern for new teachers to the building that you would like to see change or be

anticipated to avoid problems? (Con)

4. What would you like to see in a new teacher training/induction? (L)

5. What do you consider a “successful” school? Is that the same as an “effective” school? Why or why

not? (CC)

6. What are your thoughts on collaboration and empowerment? (CC)

7. How do collaboration and empowerment relate to climate and culture? (L)

8. How would you describe the culture and climate of Dakota Ridge? (CC)

9. What suggestions do you have for me regarding being an exceptional leader? (L)

10. What kind of changes has the building experienced recently? What was your role in those changes?

(CI)

11. What was the impact of the change on the building? (CI)

12. How did you, the leader, expand the positive nature of the change and minimize the negative nature of

the change? (CI)

a. positive change -

b. negative change -

13. What were the critical factors supporting the change and resisting the change? (CI)

a. supporting –

b. resisting –



14. What does “Continual Improvement” mean to you? (CI)

15. What suggestions do you have to make the first year of a new teacher easier so they can teach and not

stress about everything that is involved with the job? (L)

observation summary topic #7

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