Presented by

Jenny Ray, Kentucky Department of Education

The Power of Teacher Teams

(cue video…)

*What makes great teachers?

*Great leaders?

*Great schools?

Changes in culture follow changes in

practice.

“There is no doubt that high functioning [teacher] teams are the route to school improvement.” (Hackman, 2002)

However, introducing teams into a school, by itself, does not transform the culture of that school.

Leadership Support is

CRUCIAL

“Experienced teacher” does not always mean “experienced team member.”

In fact, even experienced teachers are usually “novices” when entering team work.

In too many cases, teachers act alone.

Still.

Talent wins games, teamwork wins championships. -Michael Jordan

Why teacher teams?

When teachers work together in successful teams…• They get group assistance with problem

solving

• Together they examine student work

• They address issues of class management

• They learn a new curriculum

• They provide support for new teachers

• They give veteran teachers roles as

mentors• They have an opportunity to observe each

other at work in order to improve their own practice

There is sufficient data to show that teachers who work in teams get more enjoyment and self-fulfillment from teaching as they see their own practice improve… (p. 8)

But most important of all…When teachers collaborate, their students do better. (p. 8)

*Why Teams Fall Short

P. 12

*The complexities of collaboration are untaught

*Effective Teacher Leadership is Missing

*The Need for Expertise is Ignored or Misunderstood

*Pitfalls are Unrecognized or Poorly Addressed

*Team Members Give Up When They Don’t Get Along

*There are No Consequences for Poor Performance

*5 Conditions of Effective Teacher

Teams

*Task Focus

*Leadership

*Collaborative Climate

*Personal Accountability

*Structures and Processes

*Connecting Instructional Talk to Classroom

Planning & Practice

*Focus on instruction

*Connect instruction to curriculum

*Connect instructional talk to classroom practice by:

*Using assessment data

*Working collaboratively on lesson plans

*Conducting classroom observations

*Team Meetings: Ongoing Focus

*Examine student work using protocols

*Use protocols to monitor and assure teachers focus on curriculum and instruction*Longer term professional development

tools:

*Instructional Rounds

*Lesson Studies

*Instructional Leadership (Ch 4)

*Principals and Teacher Leaders

*Principal as Instructional Leader

*“Nothing—and we really mean nothing—can become long-lasting in a school without the initial and continued support of the principal.” p. 27

*Team Building Tips (p. 28)

*Teacher Leadership

*Roles (pp. 31-34)

*Team Development &

Strategies for Success (Ch. 5)

*Establish Team Norms

*Appoint Specific Roles to Team Members

*Acknowledge “Sore Spots” and Take Steps to Avoid or Cure Them

*Learn by Example

*Don’t bite off more than you can chew

*Tips and Tools for Maintenance, Survival, and

Success

1. Improve your team’s communication skills

2. Fine-tune your team’s effectiveness

3. Move your team to its next stage of development.

4. Get your new principal on board

5. Connect your team with your school

6. Leverage your ‘what I know now.’

Review accompanying DVD and CD-ROM

*Teaching Cases

*The Power of Teacher Teams

*“Teachers working in teams—as professionals willing to engage in the process of looking at their practice and changing it for the better through collaboration with their fellow teachers—are going to change the face of education in America—and then the world.” p. 71