Structured Modeling

Even though it happened nearly a decade ago, I still remember clearly the frustration I felt during one of my early coaching experiences.   I had finally gotten an invitation to model for a teacher who I’d had my eye on for a while.  She was an extremely organized teacher whose instruction generally followed traditional patterns that included lots of worksheets and keep-the-kids-busy activities.  I was excited to model a very different kind of lesson – something interactive that included extended writing, lots of student talk, and use of a rubric to guide students’ thinking.  I felt it would provide this teacher with a view of something new – an engaging way to do business in the classroom.  But my bubble was quickly burst.

Mrs. N. welcomed me into the class with a smile and announced to her students that I was a special guest here to teach them.  She then went to her desk in the back of the room, turned on the computer, and started checking e-mail.  As the lesson progressed, she shifted her attention to the pile of worksheets that needed grading.  Then she stepped out of the room, presumably to take care of some other pressing business. 

This disappointment was an important lesson for me about the value of taking a few minutes before modeling in a classroom to set up the scenario I’d like to see unfold.  When I talk in advance with a teacher, we can determine together a focus for the observation:  What is she wondering about for her own instruction?  What seems important in this lesson for her to attend to?  Is there something I’m wondering about that I’d like her to notice?  By setting a focus, the effectiveness of a modeling session increases exponentially. 

Once the focus has been selected, it’s helpful to have a method in mind for keeping track of insights during the observation.  Whether it’s a blank sheet of paper where she’ll jot higher-level questions, two column notes for students’ behaviors and teachers’ responses, or a list of students’ names so that she can check off participation, having a note-taking method you’ve decided on in advance makes observations more effective. 

These days, I set the stage for a modeling session by making sure we’ll have some notes by the teacher to refer to when we meet again later.  Although I still occasionally get a teacher who can’t help but check her e-mail at least once while I’m in the room, debrief discussions are richer when we have evidence from the modeled lesson around which to focus our conversation.  Providing structure for the observation pays off!

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Protocol for a PLC – Looking at Student Thinking:

http://www.ronritchhart.com/COT_Resources_files/LAST%20Protocol2.pdf

Student perspectives:  What is inquiry-based learning?

http://vimeo.com/14250807

More about Inquiry-Based Learning:

http://teachinquiry.com/index/Introduction.html

Ten Things Every Writer Needs to Know: A Podcast with Jeff Anderson:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1389

A Teachers Write Community – posts discuss quick writes, mini-lesson, feedback, and more:

http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write/

That’s all for this week.  Happy Coaching!