1. Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation Kim MarshallB
Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation Kim Marshall
TEAM B: Candace, Trenessa & Heather
CHAPTERS FOUR AND FIVE

2. CHAPTER 4: MINI-OBSERVATIONS 2 Doing Them Right

3. MINI-OBSERVATIONS 12 KEY COMPONENTS UNANNOUNCED FREQUENT SHORT
FACE-TO-FACE
PERCEPTIVE
HUMBLE
COURAGEOUS
SYSTEMATIC
DOCUMENTED
LINKED TO TEACHER TEAMWORK AND SCHOOLWIDE IMPROVEMENT
LINKED TO END-OF-YEAR TEACHER EVALUATION
EXPLAINED WELL

4. MINI-OBSERVATIONS: STRUCTURE
UNANNOUNCED
ESSENTIAL TO AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF HOW TEACHERS PERFORM DAILY
SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES: *AUTHENTIC PRAISE *DEVELOPMENT FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHERS *COACHING/SUPPORT FOR STRUGGLING TEACHERS *WELL-INFORMED DECISIONS ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS *ACCURATE END OF YEAR EVALUATIONS *DISMISSAL OF PERSISTENTLY INEFFECTIVE TEACHERS *QUALITY ASSURANCE
FREQUENT
SINGLE SURPRISE VISIT IS UNFAIR
FREQUENCY ALLOWS FOR A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING
REDUCES PRESSURE AND DISRUPTION
CONVINCES TEACHERS TO TRUST THE FAIRNESS OF THE SYSTEM
HAVE A NUMERICAL TARGET
SHORT
5 TO 15 MINUTES

5. NO SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGES TO SKIPPING PRE-OBSERVATION CONFERENCES
FULL LESSON OBSERVATIONS ARE NOT A GOOD USE OF AN ADMINISTRATOR’S TIME
BRAND NEW TEACHERS AND UNSATISFACTORY TEACHERS CAN BENEFIT FROM FULL LESSON OBSERVATIONS
OTHER TEACHERS CAN BENEFIT FROM OCCASIONAL FULL LESSON FEEDBACK - ADMINISTRATORS CANNOT DO THE OBSERVATION
OTHER OPTIONS FOR OBSERVATIONS: 1) INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES 2) PEER OBSERVATIONS 3) VIDEO CAMERA
4) LESSON STUDY

6. FEEDBACK THAT FOLLOWS MINI-OBSERVATIONS
FACE-TO-FACE
ADMINISTRATORS MUST MEET WITH EACH TEACHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT NO MORE THAN 24 HOURS LATER
BRIEF, INFORMAL CONVERSATION
TEACHERS’ EXPLANATIONS WIDEN THE ADMINISTRATOR’S OBSERVATIONAL WINDOW
HELP TEACHERS TRUST THE PROCESS
NUMEROUS DISADVANTAGES TO WRITTEN FEEDBACK
PERCEPTIVE
FREE-RANGE - JUST WATCH AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND
CHECKLISTS - CARRY A LIST OF WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN DURING A GOOD LESSON AND A METHOD TO RECORD DATA (PAGES DESCRIBE DIFFERENT LISTS)

7. FEEDBACK THAT FOLLOWS MINI-OBSERVATIONS
HUMBLE
DO NOT ACT ALL-KNOWING AND ARROGANT
TALK ON THE TEACHER’S TURF “THEIR CLASSROOM”
THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE - TRIGGERS FEAR, CONSTANT INTERRUPTIONS, DIFFICULT TO DISENGAGE TALKATIVE TEACHERS
COURAGEOUS
SPEAK UP - IF YOU DON’T, WHO WILL
HARMONY AND WANTING TO BE LIKED INCREASES AVOIDANCE
THERE SHOULD BE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PRACTICES CAN BE CRITICIZED TO DECREASE AVOIDANCE
LACK OF PRACTICE WITH DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS INCREASES AVOIDANCE

8. ORGANIZATIONAL DETAILS OF THE MINI-OBSERVATION
Systematic
Keeping a checklist of mini-observations can be helpful in various ways.
Keeps track of which teachers had been observed.
Shows if a principal favors certain classes over others.
Goals can be tracked.

9. Documented
Should the administrator take notes? It is important to remember highlights and points of improvement, but note taking can make teachers anxious.
Should the teacher get something in writing afterward? Yes!
Mini-observation
Conversation
Brief write-up

10. Linked to teacher teamwork and schoolwide improvement
Time is limited for conversation after observation. Use larger improvement ideas with teacher teams.
Principals should watch for student learning.
Take a break from observations and set up short appointments with teachers. Ask them to bring grade books, assignments, and evidence of student work. This shifts the conversation to results.

11. Linked to end-of-year teacher evaluation
Mini-observations give a more accurate picture of teachers’ work over an entire school year.
If contracts allow, mini observations can substitute for longer formal observations.
This may not work for low performing teachers though.

12. Explained well
It is important for principals to explain the rationale for mini-observations and give teachers time to ask questions.
Show video examples of what these mini observation will look like.
Have teachers role play the part of principal and teacher to get a feel for what the observations will be like.
Have answers to common questions about mini observations.

13. Payoff of mini-observations
Get better sense student experience
Teachers should do their best every day
Get to know teachers better
Builds trust
Spreading effective teaching practices
Better sense of the school = making better hiring decisions
Getting to know students
Get an idea of struggling teachers and get them help
Visible principal
Chance to gather a lot of data

14. CHAPTER 5:
CURRICULUM DESIGN
The Foundation of Good Teaching

15. The Curriculum Planning Gap
The gap in curriculum planning gap is the gap between the process and the content, alignment and rigor.
Principals are able to see the process when observing and evaluating teachers but are unable to see the bigger picture of what was previously taught and what the overall objective is for the students.
The lack of effective “curriculum mapping” furthers the divide between good teaching and bad.

16. Intentions versus Reality
Teachers work to provide a lesson that looks like good teaching and the principal agrees but the end results is whether or not the students are truely learning. There is often a huge discrepancy between the intended curriculum, the taught curriculum and the learned curriculum.

17. Layers of Curriculum Planning
Grade level Expectations
Curriculum Calendar
Backwards Design plan
Lessons toward year-end learning goals and assessments

18. Grade Level Learning Expectations
This is what students need to know and be able to do by the end of the year to be successful at the next grade level.

19. Curriculum Calendar
A calendar is the road map to what the students need to know by the end of the school year and how the curriculum units fit into the school calendar.

20. Backwards Design
Curriculum units are important to ensuring the success of students achieving learning goals.
The UbD approach is planning the unit backwards.
The objective of the approach is to start with the final learning goals and working back through all the steps in hopes of student mastery.

21. Backwards Design Critical Components
The subject of the unit and length of unit
The state standards covered by the unit
Three to four Big Ideas( beginning with “Students will understand that…)
Three of Four Essential Questions to be posted in the classroom
The most important factual knowledge students will acquire
A list of skills to be taught or reinforced
Assessments written in advance assessing students formatively and summatively
A lesson-by-lesson instructional game plan

22. Principal’s Role in Unit Design
Give teacher teams mandates for the unit
Provide the training and the support needed
Provide time to plan over the summer and during the school year.
Make unit design one element in the regular rotation of the meeting agendas
Buy a school subscription to the UbD website for downloading
Provide peer review for each new unit
Have teachers develop standard ways for students to store their work
Principal critique each unit before it is finalized
Perform mini observations
Collaboratively analyze the learning outcomes of each unit

23. Lessons
Lessons implemented throughout a curriculum unit is essential to moving students toward year-end learning goals and assessments that are stepping stones to college success.

24. Good Teaching
Overall, there is a strong relationship between identifying schoolwide curriculum, planning units as a team and mini observations of the implementation of them. At the same time each of the components support and produce better teaching and learning.

25. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM DR. GANNON
What is important to “know and do” in becoming a very effective supervisor?

26. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM DR. GANNON
What are the “enduring understandings” from Chapter 4 “Mini-Observations 2: Doing Them Right” and Chapter 5 “Curriculum Design: The Foundation of Good Teaching”?

27. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM DR. GANNON
What competencies and skills from Chapters 4 and 5 can each of us use as administrators and supervisors?

28. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM DR. GANNON
How can Marshall’s book be a blueprint for excellence in the supervisory aspect of educational leadership?