A
hallmark attribute of the Gradual Increase of Responsibility (GIR) Model is its
emphasis on differentiating the support that is provided when coaching. If we
believe instruction should be differentiated to meet students’ individual
needs, it’s reasonable to suggest that the same is true for teachers. The GIR
model offers different entry points, different types of scaffolding, and the
recommendation to adjust support over time as experience and expertise are attained.
The
GIR model provides for differing support as individuals or groups move through
a coaching cycle. The idea of differentiated support for teacher learning can
also be applied in a more traditional professional development setting. When
any group of teachers comes together, there’s bound to be diverse background
knowledge represented. If one of your responsibilities is to facilitate professional
development, you’ve probably considered this, and perhaps scratched your head
about how to move the group forward together while meeting individual needs. I
faced that situation this week when meeting with a group of teachers to talk
about Socratic Seminar.
These
ten teachers not only taught different grade levels (K – 10) and subjects
(literacy, math, art, history, etc.), they had had significantly different
teacher preparation experiences. Some did not have teaching licenses; others
had master’s degrees. Some had taught for many years, and there were brand new
teachers in the bunch, too. So, as I planned for our time together, I knew a
differentiated approach was important.
I
decided my method for differentiating teacher learning would capitalize on two
components that are also important for students: Essential questions and choice.
I
became familiar with essential questions when using Understanding by Design to craft
units of instruction for students. Essential questions are meaty issues that
promote inquiry and “uncoverage” of a subject. Rather than yielding a single
answer, they encourage thoughtful and divergent responses. I’ve found that
essential questions support student engagement and support teacher engagement
equally well. For our professional development experience on Socratic Seminar,
I offered the following essential questions:
*What instructional strategies encourage students to support their thinking with evidence?
*How can I encourage my students to build on each other's thinking?
*What is the role of discussion in building connections between new and previous learning?
*How might Socratic Seminars differ across grade levels?
*What prerequisite skills do students need to successfully participate in Socratic Seminars?
*What instructional strategies encourage students to support their thinking with evidence?
*How can I encourage my students to build on each other's thinking?
*What is the role of discussion in building connections between new and previous learning?
*How might Socratic Seminars differ across grade levels?
*What prerequisite skills do students need to successfully participate in Socratic Seminars?
Near
the beginning of our time together, I asked each teacher to pick the essential
question that they were most curious about and write a tentative answer. This
opened up opportunities for self-selected differentiation through choice.
Throughout our morning together, teachers used their essential question as a
lens for viewing each aspect of the professional development experience. They
observed a demonstration lesson looking for interactions that related to their question;
they read an article while looking for information related to that question.
During whole group, small group, and partner discussion, they talked about how
what they were seeing, hearing, and thinking expanded their response to their
personal essential question and enriched their understanding of the role of
dialogue in student learning.
As
our time together neared an end, each teacher again wrote a response to their
essential question. Comparing their more developed response to their thinking
earlier in the day, teachers expressed satisfaction about the learning journey
they’d taken – a journey that was differentiated to meet their own individual
needs. Our learning was a social,
collaborative experience, but essential questions and choice
had helped teachers take a path that was suited to their unique needs.
********************
This week, you might want to take
a look at:
As teachers get their classrooms ready for the upcoming school year, you might share these ideas for organization:
This
brief Daily 5 Video about having students model appropriate independent reading
behaviors (and then non-examples!):
10 Ideas that get kids writing – from the National Writing Project:
Organizing
a notebook: a life-hack that could be applied to the Writer’s Notebook and
beyond:
Choosing 7: Making technology manageable by limited apps:
That’s it for this week. Happy
coaching!
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