instructional rounds training (sept. 19, 2013)

Getting Started with Rounds

http://bit.ly/1fbGFnb

Three Big Ideas of a PLC

Essential Characteristics of a PLC

Mission, Vision, Values, Goals

Collective Inquiry

Continuous Improvement

Collaborative Teams

Action Orientation

Results Orientation

Why Instructional Rounds?

http://bit.ly/19gWRyy

Why Instructional Rounds?

“You can’t change learning and performance at scale without creating a strong, visible, transparent, common culture of instructional practice.”

(City et. al, 2009)

Why Instructional Rounds?

Professional Learning Should Be:

Job embedded

On-going

Collaborative

Collective inquiry

Big Idea #1 - Everyone

Everyone involved is working on their practice 1

Big Idea #2 – The Core

Focus is the instructional core 2

Big Idea #3 - Improvement

Goal is to improve practice over time 3

Big Idea #4 – Know Thy Impact

Develop shared practices and a shared understanding of the

cause-and-effect relationship

between teaching and learning

4

The Instructional Core

http://bit.ly/18CGv14

The Instructional Core

Improvement can occur through

changes in the relationship of

students and teachers in the

presence of content. Student

Teacher Content

Steps of the Rounds Process

1. Identifying a problem of practice

2. Observing in small groups

3. Debriefing as a group

4. Focusing on the next level of work

The Problem of Practice

A problem of practice is a statement that describes the instructional problem that a school is struggling with and that serves as a focus for classroom observations.

Observing

Use the ESMS observation protocol

Focus on our school’s identified problems of practice. Look for alignment with the four district NEE indicators.

Describe

Describe what you saw using specific, nonjudgmental language.

Analyze

Look for patterns across classrooms, giving names to categories and

patterns.

Predict

In light of your group’s evidence, predict what students are learning.

Predict

What should the school do or learn next? What should the observers do or learn next?

Avoiding “Scrub-like” Rounds

http://bit.ly/18CGv14

Small Group Observations

Observation Norms

20 minute observation

Refrain from talking to teachers in class

Fine to ask students questions if it seems appropriate

Observation Reminders

Describe what you see.

What is the task?

What are students saying or doing?

Observation Reminders

Be specific – pay attention to the instructional core (teacher, student, content) and the evidence related to the problem of practice.