DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

Reflection

 

Instructional Supervision: Promoting the success of all students by promoting a positive school culture, providing an effective instructional culture, applying best practice to student learning, and designing comprehensive professional growth plans to staff. The Clinical Supervision and Cohort Inquiry assignment both address standard 2.0 by faciltating a process that involved looking at best practices, evaluating current practices, and implementing research-based strategies to promote the success of all students. For instance, in order to meet the standard and provide "an effective instructional culture" leaders must observe instruction at their school. This gives leaders an honest snapshot and a starting point for addressing instructional practices. In addition to our clinical observations and mini-observations providing a snapshot, professional development is critical to making progress. The observations of the leaders directly ties into informing the area of professional development needed. We can only promote the success of all students by being intentional about the choices we make about best practice. The Cohort Inquiry team project also highlights another component of the ELCC standard 2.0, in that we identified the problem student were having. Before leaders can prescribe best instructional practice to teachers,or expect teachers to believe in it's importance, it should be informed by both obsevational data and by student data. Our group targeted specific struggling learners and the areas that they needed support in. Then intervention options were explored and discussed and tried on the students. These assignments are aligned and promote the success of all students through our research, error analysis, inquiry,observations, interventions, and practice, we were able to see how each part fit into a cycle of instructional supervision. 

  

Thinking about the Clinical Supervision and the Cohort Inquiry makes me realize that these two processes are at the core of what we as instructional leaders must do. I see now that observations are not random checks on teacher instruction, but are meant to provide a snapshot into the world of the classroom. The pre-observation process is a tool for administrators to hear about what a teacher plans to do, and the observation indicates whether the instruction is aligned to that. The post-observation meeting allows administrators to discuss what they have observed, as well as start a conversation about the teacher’s perception of the observation. If a teacher is willing to candidly talk about the observation, then the administrator knows that they are on the same page in terms of agreeing on what was done. For example, if an administrator gives feedback about something that they saw, and the teacher acknowledges and is receptive to the feedback, then you know you’re on the same page. From this feedback, a teacher can build on what was done, and discuss new ways to take their instruction to the next level.

        

School Building Leaders must do observations to monitor instructional practices in their school.  Observations give leaders information on instructional practices which in turn, can be used to provide specific support for teachers to better meet their individual needs. Leaders are also able to see if the instructional practices at their school are aligned to the state standards as well as to the school curriculum.

 I conducted eight mini-observations and a clinical observation at my school. The observations gave me a window into teaching and learning as it happens. After being in the classrooms, I found that most instruction is teacher led.  During the observations, the teachers were doing all the talking and it made me wonder if students were all learning in this way. Students played a more passive role in their education, and spent most of their time sitting quietly in their seats. During the mini observations, teachers were doing all the talking and when students spoke, it was because the teacher elicited structured responses from the students. As a leader, I would need more time to observe teaching, to see if instruction is always done in this way. So far, it does seem to be a pattern in the way that the teachers teach students. Even when teachers facilitated group work, students were given instructions on what to do every step of the way. The students didn’t have any ownership over their work. I also noticed that a large portion of the time was spent on talking or teaching rather than on doing and learning.  The presentation of the material was standard in all of the classrooms; teachers had their aim written and visible for students to see. The aim was written either on the smart board or the blackboard. Any additional notes were written there for students to copy. The style of communication of the teachers from classroom to classroom seemed to mirror each other. Teachers spot checked for student understanding mostly by circulating and randomly questioning students.   

Professional Developments often help educators enhance their own practice and offer teaching strategies to improve student learning outcomes. After observing some of the teachers in my school, I would recommend attending professional developments that show teachers ways to facilitate group work in the classroom.  This would be valuable because none of the classrooms that I visited had students working with one another in groups. Although some of the classrooms did have students sitting in groups, the students were not actually working together. In fact, all the classes that I visited looked the same in respect to what the students were doing. It is clear that teachers need to feel more comfortable letting students work in groups. However, before this can happen, they need the tools to facilitate the process. In this PD, they will learn how to give students group roles so that they can actively take part in their learning.  For example, students will be given the opportunity to be leaders, recorders, time and resource managers, problem solvers, and discussion starters.  Teachers will learn the value in letting students take responsibility for their learning, and in having professional discussions with one another. Since working together is often times a challenge for young children, teachers need to be educated on how to facilitate group norms for their students. Students must feel like they understand the rules that apply when they work in groups, and they must buy-in to the group norms in order for them to work.  This all must be fully understood by the teacher before it can be taught and modeled.

Another beneficial professional development workshop for teachers would be one that shows them how to develop rigorous tasks for students, using the new Common Core State Standards. As I visited the classrooms, and observed a range of lessons from literacy to math, it wasn’t clear if the lessons were directly aligned to the state standards.

As a supervisor, I prefer mini-observations to formal observations for a number of reasons. First, I liked the ability to walk into the middle of a lesson and see what naturally goes on in the room without a clipboard. I also liked that the visit felt a lot less formal and intimidating for both the observer and the observed. The teachers knew that I wasn’t going to write anything down, or stay for the entire lesson. In addition, I was able to get a snapshot of more than one classroom a day because it wasn’t as time consuming as a formal observation. As a leader, the ability to be present in various classrooms throughout the day sends a message about how seriously daily instruction is taken. During the mini-observation walk-thru, I was able to focus deeply on one element at a time. I only had a few minutes, and so I had to prioritize my time in the classroom. The time limit forced me to pay attention to what was important; student learning and instruction. Each time I went into a classroom to do a mini-observation, teachers were more welcoming and the pressure wasn’t there in the same way. Both models involve being watched and judged instructionally, but the fact that there was no writing during the mini-observations, gave it a more collegial feel.  Although both models do help you gain information and insight into each classroom, mini-observations allow the leader to observe many more classrooms, much more frequently. This gives the leader the chance to see what goes on spontaneously in the classrooms.

  However, during the clinical observation, I felt like I was naturally inclined to want to see and hear everything while I was in the room observing. I was focusing on everything the teacher said instead of finding a balance between that and what the student’s were learning. During the clinical observation, my presence changed the dynamic of the classroom.  The fact that I was taking notes the entire time made me feel like I wasn’t “in the moment.”It was as if I was removed from the process, because my focus was to record it.   Clinical observations are extremely time consuming, with the pre-observation, observation, and post-observation; it could take days to complete the full cycle. Also, the fact that the clinical observation involves a write up which goes into the teacher’s file makes the conversation somewhat adversarial. Teachers feel like they have to defend their instructional choices even if they are not the best ones, simply to keep their professional integrity.  The clinical observation is more serious and formal, and gives the leader an opportunity to see what a teacher is capable of in terms of instructional strategies, higher order questioning, rigor, relationships with students, and facilitating group work. Due to the extended time of a clinical observation, a leader is able to view all these different elements in a classroom to make a holistic judgment on the teaching and learning.

  When I become a school building leader, my plan is to do mini-observations each day in order to get a realistic snapshot of teaching and learning in the building. I will look for patterns in the ways that students are learning and best practices that should be recognized and shared. I understand that clinical observations are part of the system, and will find ways to delegate them to assistant principals when appropriate. As in the mini-observation, I will find ways to prioritize the time I have each day. The bottom line is that we are here to benefit the students, and I will spend my time accordingly.

 

 

In terms of my observational skills, I would have to say that my number one concern is my tendency to focus on what the teacher is saying and doing more closely than on what the students are doing. This is an area that I need to focus on because the real goal is student learning. How would I be able to comment on student learning, if I was observing instruction? I found myself being aware of this during the lesson, and tried to more closely watch what the students were doing. Each time I did this, I felt like I was missing something that Ms. Bano was saying. I found the process of a formal observation to be difficult because the time goes by fast and there are many things that go on in a classroom that are important to getting a holistic view. I think I just need more practice doing formal observations where I observe students closely, while I listen to the teacher’s instruction. By the end of the lesson, I could tell how effective the instruction was based on the students’ responses, but I don’t want to wait until the end of a lesson to gage the students’ comprehension.

 

When I think of the pre-observation and post observation that I had with Ms. Bano, I know I was very straightforward with what I wanted to know about the lesson. I used the pre-observation form from class to guide my questions for her, but found when I didn’t receive a specific enough response, that I rephrased the question to get a deeper, more thoughtful response. In terms of how I communicated, my reflection is that it was similar to the way I always talk to people; straightforward, to the point, and honest. However, I did notice that my tone was almost like that of a reporter for the news.  At the time of the interview, I felt that I was simply doing what I suppose to do, asking questions, focusing, and being serious. I sounded a little mechanical, and need to work on setting the tone of the meeting by finding a balance between a professional and conversational approach. I think my tone in this context, was traditional.  Similar to how a boss would speak to their employee. Not that I felt as though I were more important than her, but it was a serious meeting, not a time for making jokes, as I ordinarily would.  I wanted to be taken seriously and accomplish my pre-observation goal, and gather all the information that I could. However, for the post-observation, my tone was more relaxed and natural because I had already experienced the formal interview process, as well as being taped. I am not sure about how my tone was interpreted by Ms. Bano, but I think she knew that I was being professional, which was appropriate given the context of the interaction.

           

During the post observation meeting, when I was providing the feedback, I started by asking Ms. Bano what she would change (if anything) if she were able to do the lesson again with the same group of students. At first, she said that she would change nothing. Then, I rephrased the question to get another response. I began by asking what, if anything could be modified for the next time. She seemed to respond better to the word “modify” than the word “change.” After viewing the video, and reading over my notes, I saw that Ms. Bano led the entire discussion and lesson. She started by asking the students’ questions, while students worked independently. Ms. Bano circulated to spot check their understanding. This made me suggest ways to make the lesson more “student centered,” by having the students start with jotting down a few bullets from the text to support the theme. After they had done that, instead of eliciting from students individually, she could group students according to the theme they decided to support. Once students were reorganized into groups, I suggested that they work together in teams. They could discuss the textual evidence they found to support the theme of their choice. The team’s goal would be to share out what they came up with, and combine the best examples of text evidence. By the end, students must be ready to debate their positions, newly supported by the best supporting details. Ms. Bano seemed to accept and like the suggestion I made to help instruction shift from teacher led to student led. In general, I would like to be more direct with what I want to see happen in the classroom.

 

However, I am not an official supervisor yet, and so it wouldn’t make sense to place demands that I cannot follow through on enforcing.

      

My strength during the conferences was my ability to rephrase questions that I had planned to ask. Sometimes, during this process, the answers you get aren’t the answers that you can build upon to convey your message. I think this is really important, because it shows that you won’t accept just any response. It shows that you are facilitating a more reflective approach to teaching. One of my weaknesses is not having enough information on what goes on in her classroom on a daily basis. This clinical observation, although longer than the mini-observations, only gave me a snapshot into the world of Ms. Bano’s classroom. I think that this is a problem that administrators face in general if they are too far removed from the classroom. During the conferences, I could have been a little more conversational in my style of communication, and this may have made Ms. Bano feel more comfortable as well. I also think I should have had a more specific agenda for what I wanted to convey besides a few pointers about instruction. I don’t think it makes sense to overwhelm any teacher. However, it does make sense to have laser type focus when you go to give specific feedback to improve student learning. As I watched the video, I noticed that there were times when the responses from Ms. Bano were short. For the next time, I will write down specific questions that I want to ask to make sure that I get as much information out of the teacher.

 

Any inquiry team is suppose to research best practice and analyze student performance as well evaluate instructional choices. Inquiry is therefore directly connected to observations of instruction. Inquiry is suppose to inform better decisions made during instructional planning. Our Cohort Inquiry Team was made up of professionals that are working toward becoming school building leaders in the near future. My School Inquiry Team consisted of myself and a teacher that has no interest in becoming a school building leader. That being said, motivation is a factor that affects the level of success achieved. We all want to become effective leaders, and are learning about how important teacher teams and school inquiry are in order to consistently monitor and revise instructional practices. The school’s inquiry team’s lack of structure and support from the school leaves all the decisions made up to the team members. This is a weakness because there is a lack of consistency within the teacher teams in the school, and there are no structures in place to share our findings with others within the building. The Cohort Inquiry team has the strength of a common vision, but we are all so consumed with class and school, it makes it hard to meet as often as necessary and to align our students (in the same grade).

 

With the group Inquiry project, my group members seemed to bring different strengths to the table. Some of us were more inclined to record what was being discussed, while others were comfortable brainstorming and discussing the next steps. I always focused on when we were going to meet and on clearly outlining our individual tasks. I think that my strength was my ability to set my own deadlines to meet the group’s goals. In addition to being timely, I also made sure that I was available and met with my group each time we had a meeting. If I felt that there was something I didn’t understand, I always asked for clarification. My leadership skill that was most apparent was my ability to communicate honestly and effectively, as well as manage my time. Our group members seemed to complement each other by supporting one another when needed. For instance, there were several times when I needed further clarification to understand something that was said, and Alex would address the confusion and explain the concept in another way that made it clearer for me.

 

We experienced the usual group problems; sometimes trying to arrange an equally convenient time to meet was challenging. We all have different obligations outside of class, and so we needed to meet in smaller groups sometimes and then fill in members that could not make it. Also, at the beginning I personally felt like there wasn’t a rhythm or fluidity to our conversations. For instance, our group seemed to split into two groups at times and we were all having different conversations that were valuable. This may have been a dynamic issue between personalities that were more inclined to gravitate to one another. I noticed that I had some difficulty (initially) contributing to a conversation because I interjected instead of allowing my group members to finish their own thoughts.

 

We worked well as a group because there was a level of honesty and playfulness between us all which made adhering to group norms a more natural process. I think its normal for groups to have minor growing pains, but our group was successful in terms of how we worked together. We all took initiative to get the assignments done in a timely fashion, and when we made our own deadlines for submitting work; each group member adhered to that date for the most part. 

 

My favorite part of this assignment was that I had other people to help me analyze student work and find the root of the problem. Its easy to find a lot of areas that need improvement when a student is performing at a low level, however, to find the core issues and focus interventions on those core issues is much more beneficial to the student and less maddening to the interventionist.

 

I learned many useful things during this assignment, but I think seeing different approaches to the same intervention was most beneficial for me. I may automatically think a student needs a web to grasp the main idea and details, while someone else may introduce a chart which asks students to discern the difference between main idea and details first. There are so many ways to provide interventions, but working with others helps to get a more detailed picture for what to do next.

 

If I could do this assignment again, I would want us all to work with students from the same grade so we could compare notes on the success of the interventions used before we moved onto identifying trends across the grades. I think that would have made this process more effective.

  

These assignments connect to the other courses I have taken so far and to my future role as a leader. For example, I have had to look at data and student work before, but I think the cohort inquiry assignment really relates to Dr. Kaufman’s class in respect to systems being in place that support these interventions. In the future, I realize now more than ever that I have to carefully decide what my goals are for my school and then carefully construct a plan that includes systems that are embedded in the school to support my goals for the students. I addition, relationships with staff are an important foundation for collaboration. Without a plan, relationships, and  systems nothing is possible.

 

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.