Lucky Day 7
On Day Seven . . . Using the Throwback Time Machine . . .
Quality Instructional Practices
- How do teachers improve?
- How do they know what to improve?
- How can teachers be given an opportunity to rethink, reflect, and revise with support?
This post began four years ago today, March 7, 2015. But the content remains pertinent.
What is the source of teacher improvement? Is it “Professional Development”? Is it “Professional Learning”? Is it time for “Reflection”? Are there some features that should be present for all teachers?
Doug Fisher, Visible Learning
Collective Teacher Efficacy – John Hattie – effect size of d=1.57 (approx. 4 years growth)
Feedback – effect size of d=0.72 ( half of Collective Teacher Efficacy)
The message seems to be clear: together teachers can achieve more, especially if they collectively believe that they can do so!
How Leaders Inspire Teachers . . .
But what if . . .
These discussions / conversations were a part of “regular business” in all our schools . . .
How do I know I am using my instructional time wisely?
How do I know my students are learning?
One professional filter might be Good to Great Teaching: Focusing on the Literacy Work that Matters . . .
Good to Great Teaching by Dr. Mary C.Howard
Where is the learning?
Are pendulum swings the result of information overload or the lack of solid grounding in the research/understanding WHY?
A search for FUN?
A search for the EASY button?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this daily forum in March from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
Resource - Full 
Love the infographic and all the questions that get me thinking, Fran. I will want to return to your post later today. It is important! Thank you!
Lynne,
Just as with students, I think there is an element of “self-confidence” that needs to grow as one uses new ideas – in order to continue to use those same ideas! Still thinking here as well.
Yes very interesting indeed, much food for thought. Have to admit the Collective Teacher Efficacy calculations are way beyond me!
Effect size is easy with the right formula. But the biggest point is that we can study our own work and think about how we can grow and learn!
I think that one of the best ways for teachers to improve is that they keep an open mind and admit to themselves that there are areas in which they need improvement. I am sad to say that I know some teachers who feel that what they have been doing for twenty years is fine and they don’t need to change anything. How sad.
The difference between teaching 20 years and each year different and teaching 20 years and repeating the same year over and over. Not all change is bad; not all change is good. But we can all grow and learn!
I do think this is important AND (referring to the great, good, bad chart above) I also have to wonder and relate this to my reading life, for it informs my teaching practices. If we expect ALL kids to be reading ALL the time in independent reading (and are judging them on that) then we are setting them up for failure. When I read, I often take a break to put my book down and think, or if it is challenging me, I take a break. I think we need to afford children that same respect and teach them about authentic reading experiences. I believe when we trust kids and see that they may not be reading, we owe it to them to confer and see if there is an issue or if they were lost in thought about a character, event, or even thinking about the implications the book is having on their own life.
Thanks for this post.
Great point – reading all the time means reading or reading related (a quick note jotted, pointing to the text and talking to a partner – those would count as reading). What does not count is packets, worksheets, cutting, coloring and glueing activities. Those are not reading. Yes, we need authentic reading experiences but we also need a realistic expectation about reading stamina. Thanks for that point!
I have a hard time relating to those who want to teach the same year over and over again. It isn’t how I am wired and sometimes I need help to relate to those wired so differently from me.
Me, too. Seems boring to me . . .