If
I rubbed a lamp and was granted one work-related wish from a genie, I’d wish
for the chance to spend more time in classes.
Not only is it energizing and a learning experience for me, my most
productive coaching comes after observing a lesson.
I
don’t have a magic lamp to rub, however, so I’ve settled for the next-best thing:
video reflection. If you, too, are
wishing for a way to observe more lessons next year, you might consider the
power of video for those times when you wish you could be there but can’t.
Video
is a pretty good stand in for an observation. And I’ve found it offers
effective opportunities for self-reflection. I ask teachers to record a lesson
and then reflect by selecting excerpts to share with me. Here are the things I ask teachers to
consider and be ready to share before we meet to debrief:
*What was the main objective of the lesson?
*How did you measure the lesson’s objective? What were
the results?
*What was an effective aspect of this lesson? Why do you feel this aspect was effective. (I
ask teachers to note the time stamp in the video recording when this occurred
so that we can look at this 3-5 minute excerpt together.)
*What was a less effective aspect of this lesson?
Explain why you feel this aspect was less effective. (I ask teachers to note
the time stamp in the video recording when this occurred so that we can review
this 3-5 minute excerpt together, too.)
One
of the great things about asking teachers to select an effective segment is
that it gives us opportunities for sharing and celebration. Often we’ll share this excerpt with the team
or at a faculty meeting. Everyone
benefits from seeing and hearing about a positive aspect of a lesson.
The
excerpt that a teacher has selected as less effective, along with her
explanation of why she feels it was less effective, provides opportunities for collaboration
and coaching. If the “why” has to do
with things outside of the teacher’s control, I help her refocus on something
that she can change. Blame-shifting
doesn’t improve instruction, but problem-solving does.
When
we get together to debrief, I often also ask about any modifications the
teacher made during instruction. What
decisions did she make on the fly, why did she make them, and what was the
effect?
I
might also ask what potential modifications could have been made to increase
the lesson’s effectiveness. We talk
about why she feels these modifications might have been beneficial.
I
usually end by asking how the teacher felt about recording and analyzing the
lesson. Teachers have said, “Seeing
myself on video made me aware of student engagement and the kinds of questions
I use during a lesson” and “It’s easy to analyze how things could have been
done differently to have a better outcome.” Comments like these encourage me to
continue using the video reflection protocol.
Video
coaching can be a comfortable approach for teachers, since they are completely
in control of what they want to share.
If they don’t like the way a lesson went, they can choose to record
another. So even just the process of
recording can improve instruction. And
choice and control foster motivation, so the desire for participation in
coaching might be enhanced.
Because
coaches are usually serving many teachers, we can’t be in every classroom. But video recordings can be a wish come true,
giving us a glimpse into many lessons and opportunities for increased buy-in
and effective coaching.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
The importance of teacher reflection:
Interesting video with Richard Blanco about teaching his poem
about memory and longing:
A principal’s choices for read alouds
that the whole school benefits from:
A
short TED Talk on everyday leadership and lollipop moments (a great ice-breaker
for back-to-school meetings):
Thinking about a meaningful assessment
approach for next year? This video describes the senior portfolio defense:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/success-portfolio-defense-eed/?utm_source=newsletter20170520/
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
No comments:
Post a Comment