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An alternative logic model

• Sample the 900 lessons via short, frequent, unannounced classroom visits with coaching feedback each time.

• Get teachers invested in a good rubric.

• Ensure that lessons are part of thoughtful, well-aligned curriculum units.

• Keep an eye on interim learning results and how teacher teams are handling them.

• Survey students for their thoughts on teachers’ work.

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In simple terms:

• Visit classrooms frequently and coach teachers.

• Work with a shared understanding of teaching.

• Know curriculum unit plans.

• Constantly use evidence of student learning.

• Get students’ opinions.

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Mini-observations

A teacher’s performance

Rubric scores, self-assessment

Analysis of student surveys

Team interim

assessment workTeam

curriculum unit

planning

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I. MINI-OBSERVATIONS • Structural change from announced, infrequent, full-lesson to:

1. Unannounced2. Frequent3. Short

• Feedback to improve the human dimension, adult learning:4. Face-to-face5. Perceptive6. Humble7. Courageous

• Organizational details so the system runs well:8. Systematic9. Documented10. Linked to teacher teamwork11. Linked to end-of-year teacher evaluation12. Explained well

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Why might a teacher not want this?Why might administrators resist?

• What resistance would you predict?

• What worries?

• Rational and irrational

• Come up with as many as you can.

Do the math for your school

# of teachers Minis for year # per day Stretch goal

60 600 3.3 4

50 500 2.7 3

40 400 2.2 3

30 300 1.7 2

20 200 1.1 2

10 100 .6 1

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Full-lesson observations ever?

• Yes, in three situations:– Rookies (ideally by instructional coaches, mentors)– Unsatisfactory teachers (by an administrator – the

skill of doing write-ups is vital here)– If invited by a teacher to see a lesson

• The rest of the time, mini-observations should be the norm.

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The challenge: keeping up the pace• Strategies to get into classrooms frequently:– A daily target– A weekly target– A checklist– Poker chips in pocket– Seeing results in classrooms– Rewarding oneself– Secretary reminding– SAM (School Administrative Manager)– Superintendent asking, supporting– Others?

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Four-squares approach

What’s working Any concerns

Your biggest take-aways? Next steps?How can I help?

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S - Safety

O - Objectives

T - Teaching

E - Engagement

L - Learning

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7. Courageous

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Low standards, lack of guts

• Want to keep the peace, avoid conflict, be liked

• Fear of grievances, lengthy proceedings

• Afraid of jeopardizing other initiatives.

• Wait for them to retire.

• And some teachers are scary…

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A leader who is silent on mediocrityspeaks loudly

• Some teachers get into bad habits, slack off.• Addressing mediocre and poor teaching depends on:– Belief – good teaching really, really matters– Urgency – every minute counts– A good eye – knowing mediocre, poor practices– Guts

• How to keep a strong moral edge?– The superintendent pushing relentlessly, co-observing– Regularly look at interim assessment results

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Written follow-up after the chat?• For nine years, I gave only face-to-face

feedback.• I’ve changed my mind.• Alex Estrella’s approach:– Mini-observation– Face-to-face conversation– A short paragraph to the teacher summing up

• Written documentation serves two functions:– Some teachers need written reinforcement.– It legitimizes mini-observations.

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Software to keep track of minis• A net-based program: T-EVAL www.t-eval.com • Created by school administrators in Tennessee• 1,000-character maximum for comments• Takes 10-15 minutes to write, electronically sent• Also built in: keeping track of mini-observations

and follow-up chats, rubric scoring, teacher self-assessment, goal-setting

• Much richer material for discussions among school leaders than checklists and rubric scoring

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Sample T-EVAL write-upGood to talk to you about your 6th period English class today. What

an enigma! The lesson was perfectly planned and differentiated, and yet, somehow, many of the students were not working as hard as I felt they could have. They had a set of questions to answer based on their reading of and listening to the short story, and several of the students were not actively answering the questions. You and I discussed when we met that you had also had frustrations with them not reading when you asked them to.

One recommendation that I came up with was to try a timerand check in with them at intervals through the lesson. Gradingtheir class work each day may also work. They also need a pep talkabout college, as many of them are not currently passing the marking period. Finally, in some cases, I think a parent phone call and/or letter can help. The student aides can assist with this. I look forward to working with you to get these kids working well this semester.

Sarah Scrogin, East Bronx Academy for the Future

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Contact information

Kim’s e-mail:kim.marshall48@gmail.com

Marshall Memo website for rubrics and articles (click on Kim Publications):

www.marshallmemo.com