For us to create a blueprint for great teaching school-wide, we need to reflect on our own practice currently, and be proactive in terms of the professional development we seek out and provide for each other. Much of this survey was derived directly from the Learning Walks in the early part of the year, and the rest came about through discussions about what constitutes highly effective teaching. We will use this data to begin to develop a menu and schedule of professional development offerings for instructional needs.

 

What Students Hear:

 

Before each lesson, I am thoughtful about the vocabulary I will use, to ensure that it is grade- and developmentally-appropriate, as well academically rigorous.

 

I consistently reinforce my expectations for high-level student work by explaining criteria and exemplars.

 

Each phase of my lesson is timed well. My students hear clear instructions about how much time they have for completion of tasks, or how much time is left (e.g. "Okay, you have one more minute...").

 

During each lesson, I model my own thinking to show students both deep and high levels of mature thought (e.g. "When I first looked at this, I thought...")

 

I ask higher order questions (why and how).

 

I use techniques such as the 3 second pause or “calling cards” to ensure that questions and responses are shared across the class.

 

I collaborate with other teachers to ensure that there is commonality in what my students are hearing (e.g. in terms of academic language or routines) from class to class.

My students hear clear links to previous lessons and units of study, as I am constantly helping them to make connections.

At the end of each lesson, my students participate in a “share”, which enables reinforcement of the mini-lesson and an insight into each other's understanding.

I incorporate read alouds, music or audio (such as podcasts) where and when appropriate to vary the lesson, and encourage listening skills.

I make verbal links to visual support (i.e. word walls, criteria charts, maps, etc.) on the classroom walls.

 

I include ‘turn and talk’ and, at times, spoken tasks or spoken assessment for social development.

My students are very well informed about their areas of strength and weakness, and their current progress in relation to meeting or exceeding grade level standards.

My students observe clear, effective and consistent routines for managing student behavior.

 

 

 

What Students Do:

 

I often use technology, including the SMARTboard, to make my lessons more engaging and interactive.

 

My students complete authentic (real life and complex) tasks, as opposed to copying from the board or completing low-rigor worksheets.

 

I confer with individual students on a daily basis and have a system for organizing and tracking the conversations.

 

My students sit, work, and talk in collaborative groups of 4 or 5 students.

 

My students have established roles when working in groups.

 

My students are productive in groups because I use techniques such as ‘Jigsaw’, group contracts, group competition or group presentation.

 

My students get opportunities for physical movement, or to work with manipulatives, to cater for tactile learning where and when appropriate.

I make the best use of all of my instructional minutes by using thoughtful transitions, systems for passing out and collecting, and starting class on time.

 

My students are able to explain the concepts and processes that they are learning, and connect them to their own lives.

 

My students write for a sustained amount of time during every instructional period.

 

With my assistance, students set their own learning goals.

 

We have an end of unit celebration showcasing student work.

 

 

 

What Students See:

 

My classroom learning environment is thoughtfully designed in such a way as to promote academic rigor and student autonomy of learning.

 

I use visual aids – pictures, charts, graphs, cartoons, movies—each period to enhance learning and heighten engagement.

 

I create opportunities for students to visualize (e.g. through mind mapping or by having students draw a response).

 

There are fixed areas of my classroom for students to find expectations for their learning and quality of work, including dates, criteria, and processes.

 

Before each lesson, I am thoughtful about how I will visually present material to students so that it is creative and engaging.

 

My students see many of the same excellent practices in my instruction that they do in all of their other teachers.

 

My students can see written affirmation of areas of improvement for the whole class, and our class goals posted on the classroom walls.

 

I provide detailed feedback to students on how the quality of their work can be improved.

 

We celebrate excellent work in class. My students see exemplars of very good work from each other, and from expert sources.

 

My students know that I endeavor to inform parents of excellent or improving work.

 

 

 

Differentiation, Data and Assessment:

 

I use a wide variety of informal assessment techniques.

 

I analyze assessment data and use this to inform my teaching.

I differentiate effectively for

·       ELL/ESL

·       Special Needs

·       Level 1 and 2 students

·       Extension