Crea%ngaPathtotheFutureAnetworkofeducatorsusingInstruc%onalRoundstoenhancestudentlearning

GranvilleEastPSBurwoodPSGeorgesHallPSOldGuildfordPSSeAonIS

OurJourney–long,exci%ng,challenging,results-focussed

AndyHargreaves,2006TheFourthWayofChangeTheThirdWaymid2000stonow-ageofgreaterprofessionallearning-effervescencetowardsnarrowlydefinedtargets-short-termachievementsratherthantransforma8on

Thepointofnetworksistospreadinnova8on,s8mulatelearning,increaseprofessionalmo8va8on,andreduceinequi8es.TheyareafundamentalpartofTheFourthWay.

TheFourthWayAgeofInspira@onandSustainability§ highqualityteachers§ powerfulprofessionalism§ livelylearningcommuni%es

WhatisInstruc%onalRounds?Anetworkapproachtoimprovingteachingandlearning

networkofpar%cipantswhocommitover%me

differentkindofprofessional

learning

differentwayofcollec%ngevidence

aboutteachingandlearning

aprocesswithdefined

sequenceofac%vi%es

RichardElmore,HarvardGraduateSchoolofEduca%onPublished2009–generatedmuchinterest

Crea8ngthefutureisaboutadop8ngamindset,thenapassion,thenaplan,ratherthanchoosingapathofferedbythepresent.Thefutureisaplacewearecrea8ngandthetaskofcrea8ngthepathforwardwillchangebothusandwherewearegoing.Kember,2006,FuturesThinkingforLeadingLearning

Instruc@onalRounds

Theideabehindinstruc8onalroundsisthateveryoneisinvolvedinworkingontheirprac8ce,everyoneisobligedtobeknowledgeableaboutacommontaskofinstruc8onalimprovement,andeveryone’sprac8ceshouldbesubjecttoscru8ny,cri8queandimprovement.

Youdon’timproveschoolsbygivingthembadnewsabouttheirperformance.Youimprovethembyusinginforma8onaboutstudentlearningfrommul8plesources,tofindthemostpromisinginstruc8onalproblemstoworkon.

UnderpinnedbyBeliefsì  Increasesinstudentlearning

occuronlyasaconsequenceofimprovementsinthelevelofcontent,teachers’knowledgeandskill,andstudentengagement.

ì  Ifyouchangeanysingleelementoftheinstruc8onalcoreyouchangetheothertwo.

ì  Ifyoucan’tseeitinthecore,it’snotthere.

Studentengagement

LevelofcontentTeacher

knowledgeandskill

TheInstruc@onalCore

UnderpinnedbyBeliefsOneofthegreatestbarrierstoschoolimprovementisthelackofanagreed-upondefini8onofwhathigh-qualityinstruc8onlookslike.

Whatdetermineswhatstudentsknowandareabletodoisnotwhatthecurriculumsaystheyaresupposedtodo,orevenwhattheteacherthinksheorsheisaskingthestudentstodo.Whatpredictsperformanceiswhatstudentsareactuallydoing.

NewSkillstoLearn•  Thedisciplineofdescrip%veobserva%onisthecoreprac%ceonwhichroundsisbased.

•  Learningtosee,learningtounjudge

Eachroundfollowsasetformat

5.Networkproposesnextlevelofwork

4.Observa%onaldebrief

3.Observa%oninclassroomsanddescrip%onwithoutjudgement

2.Networkexploresbestprac%ceinthataspectofteaching

1.Hostschooliden%fiesaproblemofprac%ce

Instruc%onalRoundsWhatitis•  Processdesignedtouse

discussionsaboutlearningandteachingasthevehicleforimprovingschoolprac%ce

•  Basedonacoherenttheoryofschoolimprovement

•  Hasitsownexplicitprac%ceusingasetofprotocolsforobserving,analysingandproposingac%on

Whatit’snot•  Aprogram:it’saprocess•  Imposedbyanoutside

agency•  Anavenueforjudgingthe

efficiencyorqualityofindividualteachers

•  Quickfix

Howitlooks–GranvilleSouthPS•  GranvilleSouthPublicSchool–

supportstheneedforcrea%ngdifferentpathstothefuture

•  Schoolmoco:LOOKAHEAD•  Builtalearningcommunity–

watching,listeningandlearningfromeachother

•  Focusisonimprovedstudentoutcomesandimprovedteaching=excellentresults

•  Allstaffareawareofthephilosophy–stronginstruc%onalroundsteamdedicatedtotheprocess

Step1:Hostschooliden@fiesaproblemofprac@ce

•  Focusesonthe“instruc%onalcore”–rela%onshipbetweenteacher,students&content

•  Isdirectlyobservable•  Isac%onable–canbe

improvedinreal%me•  Connectstoabroaderstrategy

ofschoolimprovement

Example:StudentEngagement

•  Howarestudents

encouragedtothinkhard?•  Howarestudents

encouragedtofeelgood?•  Howarestudents

encouragedtobecomebecerlearners?

Step2:ResearchandDiscuss

•  Readingandinputfromanexpertinthearea

•  Whatwouldbetheop%malteachingandlearningforthisproblemofprac%ce?

•  Whatwouldtheteachersbesaying/doing?

•  Whatwouldthetasksthataregiventostudentslooklike?

Example:StudentWelfarePre-reading–chaptersfrom

SchoolisforMeAr%clesandvideosplacedon

thecrea%ngapathningInputfromBarbara–research

onstudentengagementInputfromChantal–prac%ce

relatedtotheMEeframework

Step3:Observa@on

•  Observa%onteamsgointoclassrooms&collectdatathatis:–  descrip%ve,notevalua%ve–  abouttheinstruc%onalcore–  relatedtotheproblemofprac%ce

•  Mayincludeaspecificformatforobserva%onnote-taking:–  Whatarethestudents/saying?–  Whataretheteachersdoing/

saying?–  Whatisthetask?

Step4:Observa@onDebrief

•  Observa%onteamsdiscussthedata:–  Describewhatyousaw–  Analyzethedescrip%ve

evidence(Whatpacernsdoyousee?)

–  Predictwhatthestudentswilllearn

Ifyouwereastudentinthisclassanddideverythingtheteachertoldyoutodo,whatwouldyouknowandbeabletodo?

Step5:NextLevelofWork

•  Groupbrainstormsthenextlevelofwork

•  Sharegroupresources,professionaldevelopmentandcurrentini%a%ves

•  Developaplanforthenextlevelofworkforthisweek/nextmonth/bytheendoftheyear–  Whatdoteachersneedtoknowto

supportop%mallearning?–  Whatdoestheschoolneedto

knowtosupportop%mallearning?

OurJourney–LessonsLearntNORMSOFOURNETWORK

•  Commitment:Datesare%metabledinadvanceandeveryoneacendsregularlyandcomeswell-prepared.

•  Involvement:Everymembercontributestoallac%vi%es,sharesexper%seandsupportsothersaswemovetowardscommonunderstandings.

•  IntellectualRigour:Everymemberengagesinlearningthatchallengesandmys%fies.Wewon’tdumbitdown.

•  Trustandconsidera%on:Everymemberac%velyinvestsinlistening,acknowledgesdifferences,andtrustsothers’abilitytogrow.

•  Openness:Everymemberisopentonewideasandprac%ces,andhonestlyexpressesopinions.

•  Confiden%alityandrespect:Everymembermaintainsconfiden%alityonsensi%vemacersandshowsrespectforthestudents,teachersandparentsinourschools.

•  Celebra%onandLaughter:Everymembertakesopportuni%estoacknowledgesuccesses–nomacerhowsmall–andtosharefunandlaughter.

•  Learningtakes%me•  Learningtakescommitment•  Learningisdeepenedby

collabora%on•  Learningneedsleadership•  Learningneedstostay

focusedontheInstruc%onalCore

KeepinginTouch-Ning

BenefitsofInstruc%onalRounds

•  Powerofthenetwork;•  Providesaschoolwidepicture:snap-shotsofanumberofclassrooms;•  Evidence-baseddatacollec%on;•  Professionaldialogue:highqualityandfocused;•  Increasedprofessionalreading:informeddecisions,researchbased;•  Professionallearningthatisbasedinaschool–thereforeincontext;•  ProblemofPrac%cefostersdeepknowledgeanddeepunderstanding;•  Protocols–keepusfocused;•  Feedback–aboutstrengthsand

recommenda%onsforimprovement;and•  Isintellectuallys%mula%ng.

WhatisworthwhileaboutInstruc@onalRounds?

Whatchangeshaveoccurredinourschools?

•  Professionaldialogueatexecu%velevelaroundpedagogyanditscomplexity;

•  Professionallearningatwholeschoollevel;•  Increasedreflec%ononourownprac%ce;•  Mo%va%ontochangeprac%ceinownclassrooms;•  Principalsvisi%ngclassroomsmorefrequently;•  Principalsfocusmoreonteachingandlearning;•  Greaterapprecia%onofwhatclassroomteachersdodaily;•  Recommenda%onstakenbacktoschool–sharedandimplemented;and•  Star%ngtoviewproblemsofprac%ceaschallenges.

Whatistheimpactonstudentoutcomes?•  Studentvoiceisbeingheard;•  Teachersareseeinglearning

throughtheeyesofthestudents;

•  Increasedandimprovedstudent/studentandstudent/teacherdialogue;and

•  Studentsarebecomingmoreindependentlearners.

Whentheprofessionisguidedbygoodques8ons,theinstruc8onalcoreisstrengthenedandwemoveafewstepsclosertowisdom.GregWhitby,bluyonder,August

2011