Instructional Observation
Training
Day 1
Connector
 On the construction paper, please put the following information:
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Your name
Your school district
Your position within the district
Number of years “in education”
Favorite movie “genre” (Horror, Drama, Comedy, etc.)
Something about you that “few people know”
My favorite vacation is one that lands me at a … (beach,
pool, spa, casino, cruise ship, etc.)
If I could spend 5 minutes with any celebrity (living or
dead) it would be…
Introduction to the Course
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11 Sessions
3 Day Summer Introduction
4 Follow-Up Face-to-Face Sessions
4 Follow-Up On-Line Sessions
Introduction to the Course

Session 1: Creating a Sense of Urgency – Why
observing classrooms matters

Session 2: Exploring Options within Our Practice
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Session 3: Learner Focused Conversations

Session 4: Setting Up An “Instructional Observation
Protocol”
Introduction to the Course
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Session 5: Having Crucial Conversations
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Session 6: On-Line Progress Monitoring & Trouble
Shooting
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Session 7: Placing Achievement at the Center of
Conversations
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Session 8: On-Line Progress Monitoring & Trouble
Shooting
Introduction to the Course
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Session 9: On-Line - Seeking out Problems of
Practice
Session 10: On-Line – When “reflective
conversations” don’t change instructional
practice. Now what?
Session 11: Sustainability of Instructional
Observation
Finish this sentence…
 I hope that, as a result of the content of this
course, I will be …
Introducing…
 Dr. Marilyn Meell, Concordia University
 Information regarding on-line sessions
Today’s Objectives
Objectives:
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
Reflect on the importance and changing role of
instructional leadership
Explore the personal and collective understanding of
curriculum coherence and good instruction
Learn and practice a protocol for quick, effective
classroom observations
Norms
 Take care of your own comfort
 Start on Time…Stay on Time…End on
Time
 Turn Electronics to Vibrate
 Full Engagement but One Conversation
at a Time
 Conduct Sidebars in the Hallway
 Have Fun
Instructional Leadership vs.
Instructional Management
 Read – the article, The Limits of “Change”
 Share – with your table group using the following
protocol
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What Assumptions does the author of the text hold?
What do you Agree with in the text?
What do you want to Argue with in the text?
What parts of the text do you want to Aspire to?
 Create – a four part poster with your reactions
 Share – with the whole group
Four “A’s” Protocol
Assumptions
Argue
Agree
Aspire
Report out…
Allocation of Time:
Reflecting on your experience, rank order the
areas based on how much time you think
principals spend there.
A four (4) means most time and one (1) means
least time.
- Office & office area
- Off campus
- Classrooms
- Hallways & playgrounds
Do Spend
Amount of Time Spent:
Would Like to Spend
Office & Office Area
Off Campus
Classrooms
Hallways, Playground, Other
Rating 4=Most time 3, 2, 1=Least time
How Principals Spend
The Day
Thirteen studies reveal the following
percentages:
 40 - 80% is spent in the office or office area
 23 - 40% is spent in hallways and
playgrounds
 11% is spent off campus
 2.5 - 10% is spent in classrooms
Classroom Observation #1
Video Clip #1

Sample Teaching Video – Secondary
Humanities

Following the video, you will be asked to:
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Grade the teaching (A,B,C,D or F)
Answer: What did I see that is consistent with good
teaching?
Answer: What did I see (or didn’t see) that is cause
for concern?
Chart Your Responses…
 Please write the “grade” you give the teacher
on a sticky note and place it on the “letter
grade” chart.
Chart Your Responses
 Please write on a sticky note EACH thing you
observed that was “consistent with good
teaching”.
 One observation or idea per sticky note,
please.
Chart Your Responses
 Please write on a sticky note EACH thing you
observed that was “cause for concern“.
 One observation or idea per sticky note,
please.
Defining Quality Instruction!
On the front of the handout, please write your
personal definition of “quality instruction.”
Consider:
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What does it look like?
What does it sound like?
What does it produce?
Next Step
Please bring your “draft” definition of quality
instruction to the front of the room.
2. Please stay in the front of the room until
everyone has placed their definition in the
pile.
1.
Next Step
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select a definition that is not your own.
Read the definition carefully
Turn the paper over
Share with the author at least 1 thing you liked
about his/her definition and 1 thing you believe that
he/she should consider adding or subtracting.
Repeat …
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select another definition that is not your own.
Read the definition carefully
Turn the paper over
Share with the author at least 1 thing you liked
about his/her definition and 1 thing you believe that
he/she should consider adding or subtracting.
Again…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select another definition that is not your own.
Read the definition carefully
Turn the paper over
Share with the author at least 1 thing you liked
about his/her definition and 1 thing you believe that
he/she should consider adding or subtracting.
And one last time…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select another definition that is not your own.
Read the definition carefully
Turn the paper over
Share with the author at least 1 thing you liked
about his/her definition and 1 thing you believe that
he/she should consider adding or subtracting.
Authors…find your work!
Pick up your own paper. Re-read your
definition. Read the comments on the
back. Would you like to revise your
definition?
Group Processing
 Please move into the groups that I have established.
 Within your group, please use your individual
definitions of quality instruction to establish a group
definition that everyone in the group can support.
 Please write your groups definition on chart paper.
Report out…
BREAK!!!
Please return in 15 minutes
Reviewing Group Memory
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Please look at the “grade distribution” from
the video we observed together.
What do you notice about the letter grade
distribution?
Reviewing Group Memory
 Please review the items listed on the “good
teaching” chart.
 What do you notice about these items?
 Do you disagree with any of these items
appearing on the “good teaching” list?
Reviewing Group Memory
 Please review the items listed on the “cause
for concern” chart.
 What do you notice about these items?
 Do you disagree with any of these items
appearing on the “cause for concern” list?
Table Talk
At your table, discuss the following questions…
 What does this data (the information on our charts)
tell us about the challenges that we face, as a group,
as we begin to observe teachers and provide
feedback?
 What challenges would any system (a school district,
for example) face?
Report out…
LUNCH!
Please be back in 1 hour…
Re-connector
 Free write - As you think about the morning
session, what has pushed your thinking?
What has given you ideas that you have
rolling around your head? What things do
you wonder about?
 Pair – Find someone who you haven’t spoken
to yet today.
 Share – your reflections
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Quality Instruction
Essential Question:
What impact does poor quality instruction have
on children?
Marzano’s Research
The Effect of School and Teacher
Effectiveness on Student Achievement
*
School and Teacher Scenario
Effect on Students Entering Schools
at the 50th Percentile
Average School and Average Teacher
Least Effective School and Least Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Least Effective Teacher
Least Effective School and Most Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Most Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Average Teacher
Achievement
Percentile
Gain After Two
Years
The Effect of School and Teacher
Effectiveness on Student Achievement
*
School and Teacher Scenario
Effect on Students Entering Schools
at the 50th Percentile
Average School and Average Teacher
Least Effective School and Least Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Least Effective Teacher
Least Effective School and Most Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Most Effective Teacher
Most Effective School and Average Teacher
Achievement
Percentile
Gain After Two
Years
50th
3rd
37th
63rd
96th
78th
Essential Question…
 In looking at Marzano’s research, what does
this tell us about what we need to focus on as
instructional leaders?
 Which area of focus, creating an effective
school or effective teacher, gives us the most
“bang for our buck?”
Teacher Behavior
 What Influences Teacher Behavior?
Reeves Research
What is your best guess?
 On the following scale, how influential did
teachers see each of the following in terms of
causing them to change an instructional
practice?
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Undergraduate Coursework ______ (1-4)
Professional Reading ______ (1-4)
Graduate Courses ______ (1-4)
Advice from Colleagues ______ (1-4)
The results…
 On the following scale, how influential did
teachers see each of the following in terms of
causing them to change an instructional
practice?
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Undergraduate Coursework - Mean = 1.8
Professional Reading – Mean = 2.3
Graduate Courses – Mean = 2.6
Advice from Colleagues - Mean = 3.6
Video Clip
Watch Video Clip #2
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Teaching Sample Video – ELA Classroom

Following the clip you will be asked to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Grade the Teaching (A, B, C, D, F) and justify your
grade
Answer: What did I see that is consistent with good
teaching?
Answer: What did I see (or didn’t see) that is cause
for concern?
Answer: What specific feedback would you give to
this teacher?
Essential Question…
 Free write: Why should school administrators
place a significant emphasis and spend a
significant amount of time participating in
instructional observations and providing
meaningful feedback to teachers?
 Pair: Find someone you haven't spoken to
today and join them for a conversation.
 Share: Share with your partner your thoughts
regarding this essential question.
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Benefits of Instructional Observations:
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Opportunity for data gathering
Frequent sampling more valid
Reflective thought stimulated by follow-up
Reflective questions lead to on-going
reflective thought
 Lowers apprehension of formal evaluations
 Red flags
More Perspective:
• Most powerful change strategy; short 2 - 3
minute interaction on a single topic.
• Reflective question for staff to ponder which
might move them toward on-going reflective
thought.
• Feedback, when given, ultimately is to move
a teacher toward reflection of own practice
for even higher student learning.
More Reasons:
• Identify common staff development needs.
• Ongoing monitoring of staff development
implementation.
• Reinforces coach role of school-based
leaders.
• Walk the talk of district values (symbolic).
Quadrant Chart
High Impact/Low Resistance
High Impact/High Resistance
Low Impact/Low Resistance
Low Impact/High Resistance
Place the following on the
Quadrant Chart
•
•
If you put yourself in the shoes of the
teachers within your school or district, where
would each of the following fall within the
quadrant chart?
Create a sticky note for each of the following
questions and place the sticky note within
the appropriate quadrant.
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Frequent observations by a supervisor
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Frequent observations by other teachers
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Observing other teachers teaching
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Discussing, with a fellow teacher/colleague,
what was observed during an observation
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Following the observation of another
teacher, a discussion with a group of
colleagues about what they saw within the
classroom.
Moving Within The Quadrants
 Step 1: Share, with everyone at your table,
where you placed each statement within your
quadrant.
 Step 2: Discuss, as a table, strategies that an
administrator could use to move each sticky
note toward the upper left quadrant.
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Break
Please return in 15 minutes
Essential Question…
 What is the difference between an
“observation” and a “judgment”?
Judgmental Language
 Kids appeared bored
 Students were disengaged during the lesson
 Students were disrespectful of the teacher
 Instructor favors girls in terms of interactions
 Poorly constructed questions were used
 Students were distracting each other
 Poor classroom management
 Too much down time
Observational Language…
 Kids appeared bored/disengaged
(judgmental)
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3 students were working on assignments for
other classes
2 students had their heads down during the
lesson
4 students (1 of the groups) were talking about
their weekend plans during group work
Of the 32 students in the class, 4 put their
hand up and volunteered to participate in the
classroom discussion
Observational Language…
 Students were disrespectful of the teacher.
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8 of the 32 students were engaged in
conversations with one another during direct
teacher instruction.
John refused to take out his writers notebook
when asked to do so by the teacher.
When Mrs. Smith asked the students to take
their seats, she had to make the request 3
times and it took approximately 4 minutes
before all students were seated.
Observational Language…
 Instructor favors girls in terms of interactions.
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During this observation, boys were called on
to answer 2 questions. Girls were called on to
answer 10 questions.
Observational Language…
 Poorly constructed questions were used.
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During the observation, the teacher asked the
students the following questions:
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Why did the main character go to the store?
Who was the main character with?
What did the main character purchase while at
the store?
Where did the main character go after leaving the
store?
Observational Language…
 Students were distracting to each other.
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The group of three girls in the back left of the
room were talking loudly with one another
throughout the lesson.
On 3 occasions, a student interrupted the
student who was reporting out to the class.
Jon, throughout the class, was tapping his
pencil on his desk. The girl in front of him
asked him to stop 4 times.
Observational Language…
 Poor classroom management.
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During the group activities, 3 of the 4 groups
were having conversations unrelated to the
assignment given.
4 students used inappropriate language,
privately to another student, within the
classroom.
While the teacher was giving instructions to
the class, 6 students got up and moved about
the classroom.
Observational Language…
 Too much down time.
 10:00 – 10:09am, teacher attendance and
student questions at the desk.
 10:09 – 10:20am, teacher direct instruction
 10:20 – 10:29am, students move into groups
 10:29 – 10:50am, students work in groups
 10:50 – 10:55am, students return to seats
 10:55 – 11:00am, students line up at door
awaiting dismissal bell.
 28/60 minutes were spent in transitions (47%)
Looking back…
 Pull out your notes from the second
observation that we viewed.
 Identify whether each statement you wrote
down was an “observation” or a “judgment”.
 Please re-write any “judgments” using
observational language.
The Ladder of Inference
The Ladder of Inference
 Please take a few moments to read the
excerpt from Rick Ross book, The Fifth
Discipline Fieldbook, and mark/highlight any
key points within the article.
The Ladder of Inference
From the 5th Discipline Fieldbook, Peter Senge, 1994.
Ladder of Inference
Groups of
teenagers
shouldn’t be
out this late
and shouldn’t
be hanging out
on a street
corner.
I need to cross
the street and
avoid the
teens as they
are going to do
something to
me.
The
teenagers are
talking quietly
to one
another
I see a group of
teenagers
standing on a
street corner
Ladder of Inference
This teacher
has poor
classroom
management
skills
The teacher is
not paying
attention to
students that
are off task
Two students
are off task
Two students are
playing “hangman”
on the chalkboard
The Ladder of Inference
 Please think of three examples, from within
your own previous experiences, where you
have climbed the “Ladder of Inference”.
 Please jot these three examples down so that
you do not forget them.
Report out…
The Ladder of Inference
 Don't Climb The Ladder – Clip (Hospital)
 Don't Climb The Ladder – Clip (Cat)
Formative vs. Summative
Formative:
• Ongoing
• Fluid
• Growth
• Coach
• Improvements
Summative:
• Event
• Static
• Status
• Judge
• Contract Driven
Report out…
Strategy Harvest – Day 1
Strategies Used
 Connectors
 Four “A’s” Protocol
 Free writes
 Individual Processing
 Group Processing
 Group Memory
 Table Talk
 Think/Pair/Share
 Quadrant Chart
 Objectives



Reflect on the
importance and changing
role of instructional
leadership
Explore the personal and
collective understanding
of curriculum coherence
and good instruction
Learn and practice a
protocol for quick,
effective classroom
observations
Evaluation
Overall Satisfaction
0 = Not worth my time
10= Great Session
Session
+ Biggest learning today
+
 How could today have
been better?
0

5
10
Homework
 Please read “Improving The Instructional
Core” by Richard Elmore
 What are the “key ideas” within this selection?
 What in the selection do you agree with?
 What would you like to challenge?
 What questions do you have?
Instructional Observation
Day 2
Connector…
 Free write
 As you think about implementing Instructional
Observations within your school, what do you
believe will…
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Go really well?
Be your greatest challenge?
Barriers that you may encounter?
Your biggest supporters (use names)?
Your greatest resisters (use names)?
Connector
 Please find someone who you did not talk
much with yesterday and share what you
wrote about in terms of the following three
questions:

As you think about implementing Instructional
Observations within your school, what do you
believe will…



Go really well?
Be your greatest challenge?
Barriers that you may encounter?
Session 1 Evaluation
 Overall Satisfaction: 9.27 mean (n=11)
 How To Improve
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Temperature of room (IIII)
More High Energy Activities
Paper to write on
More on use of proper language to get point
across
Today’s Objectives
Objectives:
 Learn a number of different approaches that can be used to
effectively integrate instructional observation into the daily life of
a school.
 Reflect on your own environment or environments and
determine which approach or approaches best fulfills the needs
of your organization.
 Plan the initial phase in of instructional observation within your
school.
 Continue to “calibrate” our team in terms of recognition of
Quality Instruction.
Norms
 Take care of your own comfort
 Start on Time…Stay on Time…End on
Time
 Turn Electronics to Vibrate
 Full Engagement but One Conversation
at a Time
 Conduct Sidebars in the Hallway
 Have Fun
Three-Minute Walk-Through
Free write…
 During this free write, please reflect on each
of the following questions:
 When you visit a classroom…
 What do you pay attention to first?
 What do you do? (walk around, talk with
students, etc.)
 What are the things you “look for?”
 What data do you gather?
 What do you do with the data you gather?
Group Memory…
 Chart responses…
 Carousel Sharing…

Instructions: On the wall are 5 posters. Each
poster has one of the 5 questions we just
responded to. Please add each of your
responses to the appropriate poster. For
example, you will list the “data you collect” on
the “data you collect” poster.
Break
Please return in 15 minutes
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Step 1:
 Student Orientation to the Work
 Completed within the first few seconds of the
observation
 Goal: To notice whether students appear to
be oriented to the work (listening, interacting,
independent work, etc)
 It is best to collect this data before the
students notice that you entered the room
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Tips…



Be careful not to take students off task
If the door places you at the front of the room,
quickly move to the back
Clarify to teachers that they are to ignore you.
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Step 2:
 Curricular Decision Points



Goal 1: Identify Curricular Objective
Goal 2: Establish if curricular objectives align
with the written or prescribed curriculum
Goal 3: To establish “If what the teacher
thinks is being taught is what is actually being
taught.
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Step 3:
 Instructional Decision Points


This is looking at teaching practices
The focus is on things like: teaching to
objectives, questioning skills, grouping
strategies, assessment strategies, etc.
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Some “look-for” items in Step 3:
 Generic Instructional Decisions

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



Comparison & Contrast
Assigning of Homework
Feedback
Use of Examples
Student Error (how it is dealt with)
Differentiation to the needs of the students
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Some additional “look for” items…
 Instructional Strategies
 Identifying Similarities and Differences
 Nonlinguistic Representations
 Summarizing and Note Taking
 Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
 Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
 Generating and Testing Hypotheses
 Homework and Practice
 Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers
 Cooperative Learning
Marzano’s 9 Instructional Strategies “That Work”
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Focus on Effectiveness - Thirty classroom
examples embed research-based practices
within the teaching and learning process.

http://www.netc.org/focus/examples/
 MCREL – Building Better Instruction – The
Role of Technology:

http://www.mcrel.org/pdf/educationtechnology/
9713IR_buildingbetterinstruction.pdf
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Some additional “look for” items…
 Subject Specific, Research Based Best
Practices:




Inquiry based mathematics instruction
Use of Readers and/or Writers Workshop
Use of manipulatives within math or science
Use of artifacts and primary source materials
in social studies
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Step 4:
 Walk The Walls
 What do the classroom walls tell you about:




Curriculum objectives
Instructional ideas
Student performance or student work
Look beyond the walls for artifacts of learning


Portfolios on counters
Graded student papers
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Step 5:
 Safety & Health Issues





Trip Hazards
Blocked Aisles
Lighting Issues
Loud Unit Ventilators
Defective Equipment
Free Write
 Go back and review the free write you did
earlier today. The question was:

When you visit a classroom…





What do you play attention to first?
What do you do? (walk around, talk with students,
etc.)
What are the things you “look for?”
What data do you gather?
What do you do with the data you gather?
Downey – The Three Minute
Classroom Walk-Through
 Free write…
 Comparing your responses from earlier to
Downey’s approach, what do you see as the
strengths of Downey’s approach and what do
you see as the limitations?
 If you were to implement portions of this
approach, what portions would you include?
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Lunch
Please return in 1 hour
Connector
 Find a partner, preferably someone you
haven’t spoken with a lot over the past few
days, and talk about the following questions:
1.
2.
Could teachers observe other teachers using
the Carolyn Downey “Walk-Through”
process?
What would teachers gain, and how might it
improve instruction within a school, to afford
staff this opportunity?
Report out…
Involving Staff in Observations
 Premise

Our most effective means of staff development
does not come from listening to “experts”
discuss what has worked within schools or
districts with a different fingerprint and/or
philosophy. Instead, our most effective
learning can take place by observing one
another and having reflective conversations
about what works well with students at our
school.
Involving Staff in Observations
 A Model – Carolyn Downey with Modifications
 Process:
 3-5 teachers and an administrator observe classrooms
together
 3 classroom visits are scheduled each time walkthrough observations are scheduled
 Each classroom is visited for approximately 3-5
minutes
 Following each observation, the 3-5 teachers and the
administrator will discuss, in the hallway outside the
classroom, the quality things that were observed within
the classroom.
Involving Staff in Observations
 Developing “Instructional Observation” as a
form of imbedded staff development
 Step 1:


Define, for staff, what “Instructional
Observation” is. Use a series of “It is…”
statements to accomplish this.
You might look back at some of our group
memory from day one to help with this task.
Involving Staff in Observations
 Example…
What it is…
 It is an opportunity to watch other teachers
teach.
 It is an opportunity to observe quality
teaching techniques and see the impact
these techniques have on “real students.”
Please continue the list of “It is” statements
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Involving Staff in Observations
 Developing “Instructional Observation” as a
form of imbedded staff development
 Step 2:


Define, for staff, what “Instructional
Observation” is not. Use a series of “It is
not…” statements to accomplish this.
You might look back at some of our group
memory from day one to help with this task.
What it is…

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












An opportunity to find expertise amongst teaching staff
An opportunity to reflect on ones own teaching
Observing connections students make with the content and the world around them
Ownership for the professional development within our school
The beginning of professional discourse on instructional practice
Instructional decisions that teachers make
Collegial experience that promotes professional and positive conversation with each other.
An opportunity to see a practice or strategy in action
An opportunity to watch students respond to another teachers instruction
An opportunity to learn from each other, as the expert is within our building, an opportunity
to get pointers and conversations going with that teacher,
An opportunity for all of us to consider our practice and improve it to change student
learning.
An opportunity to have a stronger, but still flexible learning community
An opportunity to celebrate the strength of our entire staff through collective observation
An opportunity to establish on-going peer to peer relationships
An opportunity to use our observation skills and take them into our own classroom for the
betterment of our students.
An opportunity to see what is going on in the rest of our school to see the connection
between what is happening in my classroom and how it fit into the bigger “whole school”
picture.
Involving Staff in Observations
 Example…
What it is not…
 It is not used as part of the teacher evaluation
process
 It is not an opportunity to reflect, with colleagues, on
the negative aspects of another teacher’s classroom
environment or methodologies.
Please continue the list of “It is not” statements
It is not…
















It is not used as part of the teacher evaluation process
It is not an opportunity to reflect, with colleagues, on the negative aspects of another
teacher’s classroom environment or methodologies.
An attempt to have teachers do an administrators job
A tool to rank the staff
It is not done without your agreement
A replacement for a real evaluation
An opportunity to criticize children or teachers
Negative
Opportunity to spy on one another and/or gossip about one another
An opportunity for one-up-man ship
An opportunity to take other peoples “stuff” and use it as your own
An opportunity to say “gotch-ya”
A competition
Not a judgment
It is not a costly learning experience
Fad!
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Involving Staff in Observations

Developing “Instructional Observation” as a form of
imbedded staff development

Step 3:

1.
2.
Create a list, that could be shared with your staff, that
answers the following questions:
What should I expect, on the day of a walk through
observation, if my classroom is being observed?
What should I expect, on the day of a walk-through
observation, if I am observing another classroom?
Involving Staff in Observations
 Example…
What to expect if my classroom is being observed…
 Approximately 5 staff members will enter your
classroom quietly
 We will have no expectation that you, or your
students, will stop what they are doing to
acknowledge us.
Please continue the list of “what to expect” statements
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Involving Staff in Observations
 Example…
What to expect if I am observing a classroom…
 Please meet at the main office at a specified time.
 We will visit 3 classrooms together
 We will spend about 3-5 minutes in each classroom
Please continue the list of “what to expect” statements
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Involving Staff in Observations
 Developing “Instructional Observation” as a
form of imbedded staff development
 Step 4:

Develop a list on “Conversation Starters” that
can be used, with staff, following an
observation that assure:
1.
2.
3.
That they are processing the right “data”
That the conversation stays positive in nature
That the conversation encourages reflection
Involving Staff in Observations
 Example…
Conversation starters…
 What techniques or strategies were used to engage
students?
 What behavior management techniques did you see
that were working effectively?
Please continue the list of “conversation starters.”
Conversation Starters…

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

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
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What techniques or strategies were used to engage students?
What behavior/classroom management techniques did you see that were working
effectively?
What instructional decisions did you see?
What curriculum decisions did you see?
What evidence did you see that learning was occurring?
What strategies, from Marzano’s 9, did you see?
What formative assessment strategies did you see?
What evidence did you see that the teacher was well prepared for instruction?
What techniques were used to maximize the use of instructional time (minimize down time)?
What strategies were used to make the content relevant to students?
What type of modeling did you see?
What connections did you see the teacher making to connect to prior learning?
What did you see today that you could incorporate into your own classroom?
How might you use a strategy you say today, during a different lesson, within your own
classroom.
How did you see technology or visual supports being integrated to improve student
learning?
What effective questioning techniques were used?
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Break
Please return in 15 minutes
Calibration…
 Instructions:

Please watch the following classroom video.
As you watch the video, please conduct a
“Downey Style” observation. Remember to
consider the 5 essential areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Student Orientation to the Work
Curricular Decision Points
Instructional Decision Points
“Walk the Walls”
Safety and/or Health Issues
Classroom Observation
 The following is an early-childhood
classroom.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShwR_AVLAA4
Report out…
Question: What comments do you have relative to the student
orientation to the work? Remember, observation rather than
judgment.
Report out…
Question: What comments do you have relative to the curricular
decision points? Remember, observation rather than judgment.
Report out…
Question: What comments do you have relative to the instructional
decision points? Remember, observation rather than judgment.
Report out…
Question: What comments do you have relative to what you noticed
while “Walking the Walls?” Remember, observation rather than
judgment.
Report out…
Question: What comments do you have relative to safety or health
related concerns that you noted? Remember, observation rather than
judgment.
Re-connector
 Using the classroom we just observed…
 Look at the conversation starters that you created




while working on the “Modified Downey Approach”.
Find a partner, someone who works at a similar
grade level, and role play.
Person A is the administrator. Person B is a teacher
who observed a colleague.
Try out your questions. Person B, remember to
answer from the perspective of a teacher.
Once finished, switch roles. Person B should now
ask their questions of Person A. Person A is now the
teacher.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
The Instructional Core…
 “In its simplest terms, the instructional core is
composed of the teacher and the student in
the presence of content.
Reflecting on “Improving the
Instructional Core”
Key Ideas…
Argue with or challenge…
Agree with…
Questions about…
7 Principles of the Instructional Core
1. Increases in student learning occur only as a consequence of
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
improvements in the level of content, the teachers’ knowledge
and skills, and student engagement.
If you change any single element of the instructional core, you
have to change the other two.
If you can’t see it in the core, it’s not there.
Task predicts performance.
The real accountability system is in the tasks that students are
asked to do.
We learn to do the work by doing the work, NOT by telling other
people to do the work, not by having done the work at some
time in the past, and not by hiring experts who can act as
proxies for our knowledge about how to do the work.
Description before analysis, analysis before prediction,
prediction before evaluation.
Strategy Harvest – Day 2
Strategies Used
 Connectors
 Reflection Activity
 Free writes
 Individual Processing
 Group Processing
 Group Memory
 Lecture Burst
 Guided Practice
 Carousel Sharing
 Classroom Observation
 Brainstorming
Objectives:
 Learn a number of different
approaches that can be used to
effectively integrate instructional
observation into the daily life of
a school.
 Reflect on your own
environment or environments
and determine which approach
or approaches best fulfills the
needs of your organization.
 Plan the initial phase in of
instructional observation within
your school.
 Continue to “calibrate” our team
in terms of recognition of Quality
Instruction.
Evaluation
Overall Satisfaction
0 = Not worth my time
10= Great Session
Session
+ Biggest learning today
+
 How could today have
been better?
0

5
10
Homework
 None
Instructional Observation
Day 3
Norms
 Take care of your own comfort
 Start on Time…Stay on Time…End on
Time
 Turn Electronics to Vibrate
 Full Engagement but One Conversation
at a Time
 Conduct Sidebars in the Hallway
 Have Fun
Session 2 Evaluation
 Overall Satisfaction: 9.75 mean (n=12)
 How To Improve




Watch more classes and discuss process as a
group
More movement
Move faster – cut break times
More activities in the afternoon
Today’s Objectives
Objectives:




Learn strategies for having reflective conversations
with teachers around the achievement of their
students.
Learn strategies for having “Learner Centered
Conversations” with all school staff.
Learn strategies for debriefing instructional
observations to increase the impact on teaching and
learning.
Build skills in the area of have “Crucial Conversations”
with staff regarding instructional practices.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Step 1:
 Developing a “Problem of Practice”


A problem of practice is something that you
care about that would make a difference for
student learning if you improved it.
The “problem of practice” becomes the central
focus when visiting classrooms.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Where does the problem of practice come
from?



Data
Dialogue
Observation
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Some obvious sources are:





School Improvement Plan (needs
assessment)
Achievement Gap Data Analysis
AYP Reporting
Reading or Math Assessments
MEAP
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Pitfalls to avoid in identification of a problem
of practice…





Too much packed into the problem of practice
Implementation/Audit Syndrome (looking for
the problem you want to fix, not the one you
need to fix)
Too broad or vague statement of problem
Too little or too much context
The network has too little exposure or
background to understand and observe the
problem of practice.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Step 2:
 Observation of Practice

Purpose: The purpose of visiting classrooms
is to gather data directly on the work of
teaching and learning.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Guidelines for Instructional Rounds



Listen; don’t interrupt the teacher or disrupt
the lesson
It’s fine to ask students questions as long as it
seems appropriate at that point in the lesson
Talk with other observers during the debrief,
not in the classroom or in the hallway
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Remember, for the purpose of doing
“Instructional Rounds” all of your focus is on
the specific “problem of practice”.
 Example problem of practice:

Our children often aren’t getting opportunities
to practice thinking, work with one another, or
engage in problem solving through different
types of modalities. As a result, our students
are often unmotivated, unfocused, and off
task. Lessons aren’t consistently meeting the
motivational and learning needs of students.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Free write…
 Looking at the problem of practice described
on the previous slide, what would you expect
to see within a classroom where the teacher
was working hard to improve in this area?
 What would you expect to see in the
classroom of a teacher not committed to
improving in this area?
Report out… (Create Group Memory)
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 Tips & Takeaways



Don’t aim for the “perfect” problem of practice.
You will get better over time.
Look down, not up. Observe what students
are doing, not what they have been asked to
do.
Focus on the students, not the teacher.
Instructional Rounds in Education by
City, Elmore, Fiarman & Teitel
 The Debrief of Instructional Rounds







Focus on the problem of practice
Stick to the evidence (observation v judgment)
Designate facilitator & timekeeper
Debrief by questions
Debrief in small groups before attempting
larger groups
Share talk time (all voices are heard)
Create group memory
Classroom Observation
 Watch the following video and do so using
the following “problem of practice” as your
lense.
 Problem of practice:

Our children often aren’t getting opportunities
to practice thinking, work with one another, or
engage in problem solving through different
types of modalities. As a result, our students
are often unmotivated, unfocused, and off
task. Lessons aren’t consistently meeting the
motivational and learning needs of students.
Video
 Problem of Practice
 You have already observed this teacher
once. Please remember to view her practice
through the “Instructional Rounds” lens.
 http://www.youtube.com/user/NASSPtv?blend
=24&ob=5#p/u/3/xsnC4tfVlVs
Debrief
 Read through your notes, place a “*” next to
observations that are relevant to our “problem
of practice.”
 What did you see or hear that relates to our
problem of practice? Stay descriptive!!!
 Let’s list, together, the evidence we gathered
while observing this classroom.
 Please get into groups of four
Debrief, continued
 Three pieces of paper are on the wall labeled:



Students practicing thinking
Students working with one another
Students engaging in problem solving
 As a group, please do the following:


Identify evidence, from the lesson, that
supports or negates each of the above.
Write the evidence on the appropriate chart.
Debrief, continued
 Do a “Gallery Walk” and read all three of the
charts to identify patterns.
 Group Sharing: What did you notice on your
“Gallery Walk” that will be helpful for us in
working toward improving our “problem of
practice?”
Jig-Saw “The Michigan
Framework”
 Group 1: Beginning through Foundational
Principles (including Foundational Principles)
 Group 2: The Framework Overview through
the end of the “Developmental Goals”
section.
 Group 3: The Framework is divided into a
three-part… through the end of the article.
The New Teacher Evaluation Law
 Please read the “draft” of the new evaluation
law.
 How can instructional observations assist
administrators in fulfilling the requirements
established within the new evaluation law?
 How can regular “instructional observations”
complement the current summative
evaluation model that exists within your
district to better comply with the new law?
Learning Centered Conversations
Three-Minute Walk-Through
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom
Walk-Through
 Three Types of Feedback (Invitation)
1. Direct: Supervisor gives feedback to
teacher then teaches the teacher how to use
the feedback.
Let’s talk about how we set up evaluation
processes to determine which students are
learning the objectives we want them to learn.
2. I would like to chat with you about the criteria
we use to select one activity over another
when teaching the curriculum.
1.
Direct Feedback
 There are no judgmental words
 The focus is on the curricular or instructional practice
decisions, not on the teacher behavior observed
while in the classroom.
 The focus is not on the “small picture” or focusing on
the specific observation. Rather, it is “big picture”
and focuses on future curriculum or instructional
delivery.
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom
Walk-Through
1. Indirect: Supervisor invites teacher to reflect
on the lesson (the portion observed) and the
supervisor follows up on those practices that
the teacher brings up. The supervisor may
end this type of conversation with a
reflective question.
Indirect
 Sample Indirect Statements (Invitation):



I know you enjoy reflecting on your work;
would you like to take a few minutes to reflect
on your practice.
When you think about this lesson, what
decisions were you making that seemed to be
working well for both you and the students?
When you are planning for a lesson, how do
you decide what you are going to teach and
how you are going to teach it?
Indirect
 Statements should be unfocused (general) and invite
reflection and inquiry
 It should contain no judgmental language.
 The teachers response to the indirect question
should be the basis for the conversations that follow.
 As a goal, an administrator should try to end an
“indirect” session with a reflective question.
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Indirect – Basic Format
Ask an unfocused question about the classroom
observation.
2. Probe for the criteria the teacher uses in making a
particular decision.
3. End the conversation with a reflective conversation
related to the teachers response to the first question
and an invitation for a follow-up conversation.
1.
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom
Walk-Through
1. Collegial: Supervisor poses reflective
questions in a conversation and engages in
further dialogue in the future if teacher so
chooses.
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 1: Identify Situation

Examples



When you are planning your lessons…
When you are teaching…
When you are evaluating your teaching…
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 2: Add a condition, if necessary

Examples



Considering the grade level curriculum standards
For students with special needs
For a classroom of students at such varying
instructional levels
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 3: Teacher Reflection on Practice

Examples



And considering the many types of questions you
might ask
And considering how you might access the prior
knowledge of your students
And considering the variety of ways in which you
can deliver the content to your students
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 4: Choice

Examples




What criteria do you use
What factors do you consider
What thoughts are in your head
What considerations do you make
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 5: Decision

Examples




To decide on the objectives to be taught
To decide on the questions to be asked
To decide on the best means of assessing
student learning
To make decisions in terms of which strategies to
use
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Parts of a Reflective Question
 Part 6: Student Impact

Examples



To impact student achievement
To increase the likelihood of student mastery
To assist students in learning the learning
objectives
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom
Walk-Through
 Volunteer Needed To Play The Role of
Teacher!!!
 Watch this video clip and I will model each of
the three forms of dialogue…
 Secondary Humanities Classroom
Examples of The Types of Questions
 Direct: I would like to chat with you about
student engagement and how we decide the
degree to which it takes place within a
classroom.
 Indirect: When you think about the thinkaloud you did with your students today, what
aspects of this lesson do you think went really
well for both you and the students?
Examples of The Types of Questions
 Reflective: In deciding how to structure your
lesson, how did you determine the best
approach, given the wide variety of learners
within your classroom, and taking into
account your strong commitment to teaching
your students the techniques good readers
use to process and understand a text, to
assure that the students ability to make sense
of a complex text improved as a result of this
lesson.
Look Out!!!
 Sentence starters to avoid using all three types of
questions:








Why did you do…
Have you considered doing…
You might want to…
How come you…
What might you do differently next time…
Tell me how you did…
How do you know that…
Do you think it would have been different if you had…
Downey, The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through
Mentoring Matters
Principal as Instructional Coach
Coaches need to ATTEND FULLY by:
 Pausing to provide a space for thinking
 Paraphrasing to establish a relationship and increase





understanding
Reflecting feelings to show empathy and build trust
Inquiring to invite the construction of new connections and
meanings
Probing gently to clarify thinking and increase precision
Extending thinking by providing resources and information
Physically Engaging with non-verbal communication
Adapted from Mentoring Matters
The Adaptive School: Developing &
Facilitating Collaborative Groups
Seven Skills of Collaborative Work
 Promoting a Spirit of Inquiry (Putting Inquiry at the







Center)
Pausing
Paraphrasing
Putting Inquiry at the Center
Probing
Placing Ideas at the Table
Paying Attention to Self & Others
Presuming Positive Intent
The Adaptive School: Developing & Facilitating
Collaborative Groups
Seven Skills of Collaborative Work
Switch to Elmo to explore each Norm
in detail.
Modeling The 7 Norms of
Collaboration
Topic: A reflection with a teacher!
Guided Practice
 Topics…
 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would
you live (promoting a spirit of inquiry)
 Your plans for the summer (pausing)
 A challenge you are having (or have had) with a
colleague (paraphrasing)
 Why you prefer a _______ over a ________ (probing)
 A challenge you have faced at work or at home (putting
ideas on the table)
 Your political affiliation (paying attention to self &
others)
 When was the last time you remember really offending
or upsetting another person? (Presuming positive
intent)
Self Assessment of Norms
 Please take a moment to self-assess yourself
on each of the 7 Norms.
 If you feel that the Norm comes naturally to
you, rank that norm a 4.
 If you feel that you seldom act in a manner
that is consistent with that Norm, rank that
Norm a 1.
Crucial Conversations
City Slickers
 Curly: “If you want to succeed in life, you
need to do one thing.”
 Inappropriate Language Alert!!! S@!T
 City Slickers Clip - The One Thing
Premise – “the one thing”
“When it comes to risky, controversial, and
emotional conversations, skilled people find a
way to get all relevant information (from
themselves and others) out into the open.
Filling the Pool of Shared Meaning
 When two or more people engage in a crucial
conversation, they don’t share the same
“pool”. Opinions, in this situation, differ.
 People skilled in dialogue make it safe for
everyone to add their meaning to the shared
pool.
Crucial Conversations, Page 28
Disneyland Example
Challenge #1
 When faced with a failed conversation, most
of us are quick to blame others.



If others would change, we wouldn’t be in this
situation!
It’s their fault, not ours!
If he would only take the suggestions I gave
him in our post-observation conference, we
wouldn’t need to be having this conversation
Solution #1
 People who are best at dialogue understand
the principle of “work on me first.”
 Your own words and actions are the only
ones you have any control over.
 As much as others may need to change, or
we want them to change, the only person we
can inspire, prod and shape is the person in
the mirror.
Challenge #2
 When we are challenged or our “position on a
topic” is challenged, we often shift our focus
away from our initial goal and begin to defend
ourselves instead.
Solution #2
 Talk to point
 Focus on what you really want
 Four essential questions…




What do I really want for myself?
What do I really want for others?
What do I really want for the relationship?
How would I behave if I really wanted these
results?
Challenge #3
 Watch for safety concerns


When your emotions intensify, your brain
function starts shutting down
As people begin to feel unsafe, they often
start down one of two unhealthy paths:
1.
2.
Move toward “silence”
Move toward “violence”
Silence
 When a person involved in a crucial
conversation purposefully withholds
information from the “pool”.
 Silence often exists in one of the following
forms:



Masking – sarcasm, sugarcoating & couching
Avoiding – we talk, but without addressing the
real issue(s)
Withdrawing – exit the conversation or exit the
room
Violence
 Any verbal strategy that attempts to convince,
control, or compel others to your point of
view.
 Violence often exists in one of the following
forms:



Controlling – forcing views on others or
controlling the conversation.
Labeling – putting a label on people or ideas
so we can dismiss them
Attacking – belittling or threatening
Work-Time

During the remaining time, please do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Decide how your organization will move toward
regular “instructional observations.”
Decide which model, models, or combination of
models that you will implement within your school(s).
Plan the “roll-out”. What will you share with staff?
What will be your process? What will be the timing of
this roll-out?
Who should be informed of your intent before the rollout? (HR Director, Union President, etc.)
What process will be used to select staff to observe
or be observed?
Strategy Harvest – Day 2 & 3
Strategies Used
 Connectors
 Reflection Activity
 Free writes
 Individual Processing
 Group Processing
 Group Memory
 Lecture Burst
 Guided Practice
 Carousel Sharing
 Classroom Observation
 Brainstorming
Objectives:
 Learn strategies for having
reflective conversations with
teachers around the
achievement of their
students.
 Learn strategies for having
“Learner Centered
Conversations” with all
school staff.
 Learn strategies for
debriefing instructional
observations to increase the
impact on teaching and
learning.
 Build skills in the area of
have “Crucial
Conversations” with staff
regarding instructional
practices.
Evaluation
Overall Satisfaction
0 = Not worth my time
10= Great Session
Session
+ Biggest learning today
+
 How could today have
been better?
0

5
10
Homework
 Establish/Designate Learning Partner. Meet
with your partner, prior to our next session,
and ask if he/she will partner with you for the
purpose of helping you as a learner in this
process.
 The learning partner will be agreeing to
having you visit his/her classroom, have
follow-up conversations, and provide you with
honest feedback about your progress.
Homework, continued
 Begin working on an implementation plan for
Instructional Observation, of some form,
within your school and/or district.
 Come to our next meeting with a status
update and a reflection on what is going well
and what challenges you have encountered.
Session #4:
Setting Up An “Instructional Observation
Protocol”
September 28, 2011
Wayne RESA
5:30p – 8:45p
Bring Your Laptop!!!