For those of you playing along at home…it has been two years since I published part three of this series. The lesson for me has been “better late than never.” Instead of being highly critical of my failure to complete this series in a timely manner, I chose to focus on the fact that I am finishing this series at this time and will continue to add content to this website. Perhaps you have not made the progress you had hoped to regularly visit classrooms or maybe this is now part of your daily practice, but you have not had Continue Reading
Learning-Focused Conversations
Part Three of Building a Learning-Focused Culture in Four Parts: One Classroom at a Time
If you have been following along with the first two parts of this series, you learned in Part 1 what a learning-focused culture can be and what it is not. In Part 2, you were asked to record your informal classroom observations and follow up teacher conversations. You likely have every intention of getting into classrooms as often as you are able. However, it is far too easy to get caught up in the daily managerial tasks as they are many and typically urgent (at least in someone’s estimation). Three Dimensions to Success Building a Successful Practice The key to Continue Reading
Part Two of Building a Learning-Focused Culture in Four Parts: Taking Stock
There is no time like the present (NO exaggeration!) to be in classrooms. Your presence and interest in what teachers and students are experiencing is the best way to show them your support. Developing a practice that focuses on instruction will greatly increase the return on your investment of time and impact the learning-focused culture at your school. Read on to find out more… In the last post: Part One of Building a Learning-Focused Culture in Four Parts: Defining It, we looked at defining what it is and is not. Now it’s time to take inventory…literally, by counting the number of Continue Reading
Top Ten Considerations For School Administrators Before Setting Annual Goals and Objectives With Teachers
A Bit of Context Many districts in California and some districts across the nation have teachers develop annual goals and objectives (G/O). As one might imagine, there are a wide range of expectations between districts. Here are a few: Some have every teachers create them every year, whether or not they are being formally evaluated, others have this expectation only for those teachers on the evaluation cycle. Some have the expectation that they will be developed collaboratively with the administrator and others do not. Some require the use of a variety of teaching standards (like the California Standards for the Continue Reading
5 Steps to Dramatically Improve the Quality of Learning-Focused Conversations
Have you ever informally walked through classrooms and had teachers want to talk about what you observed? 1. Be aware of the six California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) and accompanying elements. Simple, right? Know the overall focus of each standard and some general descriptors within the standards. The CSTP Placemat is a simple one-page reference of the standards and their elements. If you are able, print on a bright color (cardstock, if you are fancy) and display somewhere in your office for quick reference. Also, if you are from another state, use the language that your state/district has Continue Reading
School Administrators: Make Your Formative Feedback to Teachers Meaningful
Did you ever feel that your feedback to your teachers after a classroom observation may not have been meaningful? This article will help you to begin to build the skills needed to ensure that your feedback is evidence-based, clear, and targeted…in other words, MEANINGFUL. Why This Is An Important Skill to Develop It establishes a common language around teacher instructional practice for clearer communication about what is expected. It provides talking points for conversations around what was observed and what improvement in this area might look like. It helps to develop an unbiased language for written reports of observations and Continue Reading