Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth

Co-Planning
Description Work closely with a teacher as they design classroom systems, select objectives, construct unit or lesson plans or integrate strategies into their practice by providing examples, modeling and feedback while they work. Use When You Want To Improve teachers ability to plan, improve the strength of their current plans, demonstrate how to plan through a step by step process, and ensure they appropriately integrate a new strategy. Implementation For Teacher Team Collaboration, a team of teachers conducts a lesson study to improve planning and enhance instruction. With One-on-One Collaboration, a support-giver (coach, Instructional Facilitator, principal, assistant principal, content specialist, or colleague) works specifically with a teacher to improve a particular section of a lesson (motivation, direct instruction, small-group instruction, closure, etc.) or to improve lesson planning overall. 1. Provide a framework or template: A strong template includes the parts of the plan (i.e. a lesson plan template) and embedded examples and/or descriptions. 2. Provide concrete exemplars: An ideal example is one that is aligned to the teachers context (same grade or content). 3. Provide explanation: A teacher will better understand how to create a strong plan if they understand the intended purpose of the planned activity. Take time to explain data-based decisions and instructional strategies to uncover misconceptions and misunderstanding that are, in part, responsible for the teachers problematic planning. 4. Follow an I do, We do, You do process: It is easy for co planning to quickly become the administrator or coach doing all the planning. After showing a teacher how to design a portion of the plan, have the teacher practice the skill. Before sending the teacher off to create plans independently, ensure that they will be successful. 5. First things first: When supporting teachers in lesson planning, specifically, ensure a teacher is able to create/solidify a strong objective before helping them create direct instruction, guided practice, etc. Teachers must know what they are teaching before they know how to teach it.

Observation of Other Teacher(s)

Description Facilitate teachers to observe other instructors for parts of or an entire lesson live, in a video, or with remote viewing. Use When You Want To Teach new strategies, watch an excellent example of a specific teacher strategy, and build expectations of high level student responses or behavior. Implementation For Teacher Team Collaboration, a group of teachers observe one teacher or watch one teachers video of instruction. If this option is chosen, the activity should be more structured with a focus on data collection. With One-on-One Collaboration, a support-giver (Administrator, Coach, Facilitator, or Peer) conducts an informal 1

Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth
observation to give targeted feedback to the teacher. This strategy is most helpful to a teacher to provide a note of progress on an area of need before the teachers official observation.
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Clarify the purpose of the observation. Ensure that the observing teacher and the teacher to be observed understand the purpose of the observation. Choose a teacher that is likely to demonstrate the focus skill. An excellent teacher may not actually utilize the skills that a newer or struggling teacher is working to integrate or improve. Strategically select a portion of the lesson to observe. Its likely that the strategy you want your teacher to observe will happen in a particular portion of the lesson. Direct a teacher to observe only that portion of the lesson so they are not distracted by ideas and strategies from all the other aspects of the lesson. It is more valuable to have a teacher who is working on streamlining the first 10 minutes of class to observe the first 10 minutes of several lessons and teachers instead of a whole lesson from one teacher. This way, teachers can internalize the common characteristics of a strong first 10 minutes and watch different versions of excellent strategies to make that first 10 minutes valuable. Purposefully choose whether the teacher will conduct the observation independently or jointly with you. If properly structured, an independent observation of another teacher can be incredibly beneficial to a teacher working to improve. When sending a teacher to observe independently, there is a risk that the teacher will not walk away with the intended lessons. To avoid this, make sure the observed teacher is very clear on the purpose of the observation. Observations can also be done jointly, with administrator or coach and teacher. When together, the administrator or coach has a unique opportunity to narrate the observation, point out particular teacher techniques, and immediately reflect with the teacher, post observation. The decision between independent and joint observation should be made purposefully. Utilize an observation form to gather data. This is most effective when the form is designed for gathering data that is particularly aligned to the teachers area for improvement. The assimilation of data facilitates a deeper discussion by a team of teachers on what is observed during a lesson. Provide Guiding Questions for Reflection. Once a teacher has gathered data from the observed teacher, provide some guiding questions to best interpret the lesson. Reflecting upon these questions will be most useful if a coach is available to talk through the responses with the teacher. The administrator can help a teacher use these answers to apply what they learn back into their own classroom. Some general questions should always be posed for reflecting, including: Did the teacher implement the intended strategy? When exactly? Describe exactly how the teacher implemented the strategy. Did the strategy have the intended results? How is this different than how you have attempted this strategy? What will hold you back from implementing this in your own classroom? Determine if the teacher and the observed teacher should meet. After the teacher observes another teacher, they will likely have several questions about the observed teachers instructional choices, execution of their strategies, and how to apply that to their own classroom. The administrator has the option to set an expectation that two teachers will debrief the peer observation if it will be integral to improving the teachers approach. (Beware that these meetings have a tendency to turn into the teacher asking the observed teacher questions about how they do everything in their classroom. While interesting, this can result in a teacher losing focus on their specific areas for improvement.)

Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth
PLC Study
Description Organize PLCs that consist of 6-12 educators who meet regularly for a sustained and focused period of time to work and learn together. Participants observe each others practice, examine each others work, and give feedback to each other on a regular basis. Use When You Want To Bring multiple teachers together to discuss a specific topic or to examine a specific element of teaching. This action should be used strategically with a trained facilitator who can activate an appropriate protocol that can maximize group discovery and streamline a solution-based discussion. Implementation 1. Identify 6 12 educators (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, coaches, librarians, etc.) that can select a common meeting time and place. Make sure participants know that this activity is not evaluative and that all comments and discussion should remain in confidence. It is not necessary that the team teach the same content, the same grade level, or even at the same school. 2. Designate one person to be the facilitator of the group, responsible for moving the group through the entire protocol. This teacher leader should then ask for someone in the group to volunteer to be the timekeeper. 3. The teacher who has agreed to a PLC Study on his/her PGSP should be the presenter. This activity must be voluntary and at a point when the presenter trusts the participants that are part of the PLC. 4. The facilitator should meet with the presenter ahead of time to determine the purpose of the PLC Study. The presenter should explain what assistance is needed based on the previous observation that placed this activity on the PGSP. The facilitator then chooses the appropriate protocol for the activity. a. Tuning Protocol for Examining Student Work b. Standards in Practice Protocol c. Consultancy Protocol for Examining Student Work d. More Protocols on National School Reform Faculty Website 5. The presenter receives specific assistance with an area of need within the structure of the PLC protocol. During the meeting, the presenter shares concrete evidence of teaching either with a video clip or student work samples upon which other members of the PLC reflect. The presenter is given an opportunity to explain the rationale for the lesson and/or activity, and the participants are able to ask questions and give suggestions to the presenter.

Teaching Demonstration / Modeling

Description Model a lesson, lesson portion, redirection strategy, check for understanding, etc. with a teachers students or in a simulated environment. Use When You Want To Provide a concrete, excellent example of a teaching strategy that a teacher can improve and demonstrate teacher presence in a realistic situation with students.

Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth
Implementation For Teacher Team Collaboration, one teacher models a teaching strategy for a group of teachers. With One-onOne Collaboration, a support-giver (coach, Instructional Facilitator, principal, assistant principal, content specialist, or colleague) demonstrates the strategy for a teacher. 1. Reinforce the steps or concrete strategies that you want your teacher to execute. When you are modeling, be sure to follow the exact steps that you advised your teacher to follow. You want to provide a clear model of exactly what you want to see in their classroom. If you are encouraging your teacher to move around the room more, be sure to consciously do that throughout your lesson. 2. Signal when you are executing your strategy (if possible). To ensure the teacher is focused on your strategy execution, use a non verbal cue to signal that you are about to or just utilized a strategy. This will allow the teacher to take note of the context and steps involved. 3. Avoid undermining the teachers authority. When you are modeling in a teachers classroom, its likely students will have questions about your presence. Be prepared to explain to students and answer questions without commenting on their teachers performance or classroom challenges. 4. Utilize an observation form to gather data. Observing other teachers can be more useful with a focused observation form to gather specific data. This is most effective when the form is designed for gathering data that is particularly aligned to the teachers area for improvement. 5. Provide Guiding Questions for Reflection. Once a teacher has gathered data from your demo/modeling, provide some guiding questions to best reflect upon what they observed. Reflecting upon these questions will be most useful if a coach is available to talk through the responses with the teacher. A coach can help a teacher use these answers to apply what they learn back into their own classroom. Some general questions should always be posed for reflection including: a. Did the teacher implement the intended strategy? When exactly? b. Describe exactly how the teacher implemented the strategy? c. Did the strategy have the intended results? d. How is this different than how you have attempted this strategy? e. What will hold you back from implementing this in your own classroom?

Video Lesson Reflection

Description Have teachers plan and execute a particular instructional strategy, watch their video together, and practice again. Use When You Want To Have teachers practice a teacher strategy, isolate a problematic execution of a teacher strategy and retry, and practice a new strategy in a safe environment. Implementation For Teacher Team Collaboration, a video can be used as the focus for a group discussion. With One-on-One Collaboration, a support-giver (coach, Instructional Facilitator, principal, assistant principal, content specialist, or colleague) and teacher agree to watch a teachers video together. For an Independent/Individual Study, the teacher follows purposeful steps to review his/her own video for the purpose of self-reflection. 1. Have a clear transparent focus for the co-viewing: This is most effective if both support-giver and teacher are clear on the focus of the video. For example, if the focus is on increasing teacher frequency 4

Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth
of narrating the positive, both participants should point out when it would be appropriate to do so, whether the teacher executed the strategy, and to what degree of success. In that exact moment, the teacher and support-giver should avoid discussing other elements of the captured lesson. 2. Be comfortable stopping the video or rewinding and re-watching: Take time to celebrate successful teaching moments. If there is a point in the video that is an especially challenging moment, stop the video and reflect upon the outcome of the moment. What was the outcome in the video? Now that you have some distance from the moment, would you do anything differently? If your solution was effective, what can you do to ensure you handle similar situations successfully in the future? Consider re-watching the particular clip to further clarify your point of view. If you are unable to identify solutions to some challenging moments, try sharing your clip with a trusted colleague or coach. Maybe they have ideas or strategies to try. 3. Explicitly discuss the degree to which the strategy is successfully implemented: Sometimes the video can show examples of the teacher successfully, semi-successfully and unsuccessfully executing the focus strategy. Try to identify each example, especially when you are having a degree of success. This will provide a strong visual to encourage continued improvement by reinforcing an effective way to execute the strategy of focus.

Strategy Building Meeting

Description Directly instruct a teacher on a new skill/strategy. Use When You Want To Teach a teacher a new skill/strategy that they have not implemented, want to adjust or want to apply with more depth in the classroom. Implementation 1. Create and share an explicit outcome. Be clear about what skill or knowledge a teacher will have mastered by the time they walk out of the meeting. 2. Follow an I Do, We Do, You Do Format. Take the time to give a clear explanation, practice the strategy with the teacher, and have the teacher practice applying it on their own with you observing. 3. Check for understanding and investment throughout. A teacher can sit through an entire meeting about how to execute a new strategy and still walk away and never try it. This often happens because a support-giver doesnt ensure that the teacher both understands and is invested in the new strategy. This can be avoided by asking explicit questions such as: a. Is this different than what you already do? How? b. What will be hard about trying this strategy? What might hold you back? c. What else do you need to prepare in order for this to work? 4. SIMPLIFY! The purpose of the meeting is to help a teacher master a specific strategy or skill in their classroom. Keep it simple and avoid excess information. This does not mean to avoid any background or rationale, but it does mean keep it minimal.

Action Research
Description Inspire a teacher to conduct inquiry-based research at the school site with the goal of solving a particular problem that can be school-wide or within the classroom. 5

Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM): Professional Growth and Support Plan Guide to Educator Actions for Growth
Use When You Want To Empower a teacher leader or initiate a colleagues journey to solve an underlying problem with instruction or management through research and reflection. Implementation Action research is a means to more systematically and rigorously examine ones teaching and its impact on student learning. The current school restructuring movement has site-based, shared decision-making at its core. School teams are now accountable for their programs and practices. It is not enough for teams merely to make decisions. They must make decisions that are data driven. Therefore, it is necessary for them to be much more deliberate in documenting and evaluating their efforts. Action research is one means towards that end. For more information on specific steps in the cycle, visit http://ccsd.net.

Book Study
Description Match a book by topic or theme to a teachers specific area of need. Use When You Want To Bring people together to collaborate using the latest research to support, to inspire, or to challenge a colleagues thinking on a subject. Implementation The principal plays a key role in championing book study groups. He/She can help support book study groups by finding time during the day for groups to meet or even use faculty meeting time for groups. Principals can also promote book study activities by asking members to present their book at a faculty meeting and by encouraging them to share their insights. Other creative ways to promote book groups are to work with parent groups to provide faculty with bookstore gift certificates as presents, review books in faculty newsletters, provide refreshment for study group meetings, or designate a faculty reading area in the school's media center.

Online PD Course
Description Match a course by topic or theme to a teachers specific area of need. Use When You Want To Suggest a way for teachers to learn much needed content and/or strategies in a way that provides flexible scheduling and pacing. Implementation Use the resource guide to identify options for meeting the needs of the teacher. It is often helpful to suggest one or more options to allow the teacher to choose which course best fits his/her needs.