PEER CLASSROOM WALKTHROUGH GREG URBANIAK DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, & ASSESSMENT GRANT COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL THE MAIN IDEA BEHIND THE PILOT Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, & Claudia L. Edwards ASCD, 2013 1
12/3/15 PURPOSE Create an in-house professional development program that gives teachers the opportunity to investigate, practice, and observe instructional strategies, classroom management procedures, student engagement practices, and other components that are a part of the Danielson Framework for Teaching MAIN FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM Domains 2 and 3 of the Framework as it strives to enhance professional practice with the goal of improving student achievement 2
BENEFITS TO TEACHERS Allows teachers to share best practices Focus on certain look-fors that will help with implementation of the Danielson Framework for teaching (the new evaluation model) Create professional dialogues centered around teaching strategies that can help improve student achievement Model for the Peer Classroom Walkthrough Pilot Program 2014-2015: Four Corners Teachers who volunteered were placed into groups of four that crossed curricular areas. A maximum total of 16 teachers (four groups) were accepted for this pilot. Each group of four teachers will conduct peer classroom walkthroughs in each other s classrooms. 3
WHAT HAPPENS IN A PEER CLASSROOM WALKTHROUGH? Each round of classroom walkthroughs focuses on a certain Look For. A Look For is one of the components of Domain 2 or 3 that the Four Corner group has studied, researched, and discussed. Each teacher in the group then visits one other teacher s classroom from that group and collect data on the Look For. Peer classroom walkthroughs follow specific protocols set up by the Four Corners Group. What did we do the pilot year? Group of 16 pilot teachers read Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs Discussed any of their concerns, questions, ideas with the whole group Determined the protocols that would be used for the walkthrough process Decided on the first Look For Groups of four then met for a half-day to discuss and learn more about each Look For and review data from the previous round of walkthroughs Developed Google forms to use for each round of walkthroughs Held three rounds of classroom walkthroughs 4
DETERMINING PROTOCOLS FOR WALKTHROUGHS Walkthroughs will last no more than 15 minutes Observers will notify the teacher the week before they plan to come in for the walkthrough The teacher being observed can let the observer know which days the walkthrough shouldn t occur Unless it is agreed upon, the walkthrough will not start right with the beginning of the class or occur right at the end of class It will be agreed upon if the observer can talk to students during the walkthrough THE FIRST LOOK FOR : 3C Engaging Students in Learning 5
GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY Focused Instruction: I do Guided Instruction: We do Collaborative Learning: You do together Independent Learning: You do alone EVIDENCE OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT FOR FOCUSED INSTRUCTION Presents the topic and the learning goals before the beginning of the focused instruction Invites students to self-assess what they already know about the topic and elicits a few responses During the focused instruction, requires everyone to take notes Uses visual aids to complement the focused instruction At various points during the focused instruction, asks a question that requires students to refer back to their notes to respond When asking questions during focused instruction, calls on nonvolunteers At the conclusion of the focused instruction, ask students to reflect for a few moments to think, formulate a question, make a suggestion, or record their thoughts on the topic and share with others 6
REVIEW OF 2014-2015 DATA 112 Walkthroughs were completed Instructional Settings Averages Focused Instruction ( I do ) 22.97% Guided Instruction ( We do together ) 32.83% Collaborative Learning ( You do together ) 18.47% Independent Learning ( You do alone ) 25.73% 197 indicators of Student Engagement according to critical attributes for Walkthrough rounds 2 and 3 WHAT DID WE LEARN THE PILOT YEAR? Teachers are willing to do more! Teachers want as much support as possible with the Framework for Teaching. Teacher talk is as important as student talk. Besides noting what good things are happening, we do need to indicate when there is something bad. 7
PEER CLASSROOM WALKTHROUGH STRUCTURE FOR 2015-2016 One teacher serves as the Peer Classroom Walkthrough coordinator in lieu of a supervision Over a third of the staff are participating Each semester the participating staff will be placed into one of three groups Four rounds of walkthroughs will occur; two each semester For each round, a teacher will be assigned two teachers from within the group that must be observed and can observe anyone else within the group if desired PEER CLASSROOM WALKTHROUGH DATA COLLECTION FOR 2015-2016 Each round will focus/ Look for one or more component from the Framework for Teaching Participants indicate the following for each critical attribute of the Look for YES Evidence of attribute observed NO Negative aspect of attribute observed NOT APPLICABLE Did not see any evidence of attribute Participants also look for evidence of Teaching with Purpose 8
GREG URBANIAK GURBANIAK@GRANTBULLDOGS.ORG GRANT COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, & ASSESSMENT 9