Professional Dialogue Training
Derry Township School District
Differentiated Supervision
A. Mackley – revised January 2012
Welcome to Professional Dialogue Training
mark lines that are significant. meaningful confusing controversial relevant to life disturbing useless
Please be sure to…
sign in on the attendance sheet.
begin reading your copy of “Batter Up.”
Agenda Opening Activity: “Batter Up” Develop Group Norms Purpose Setting
Goals Requirements
Finding the Forms Record Keeping
Action Plan Identifying a Challenge Statement in your Practice Developing an Instructional Goal Secondary Goal and Culture of Collaboration
Book Choice Suggested Book List Additional Option
Agenda continued
Record Keeping continued
Developing an Implementation Plan
Using Assessment Results Reflective Journal Absence Report
Conducting a Professional Dialogue Group
Discussion Style Overview Facilitator Role Possible Roadblocks and
Discussion Etiquette Meet with Administrator: Mid-
and End-of-Year Reports
Action Plan Work Session or Homework
Evaluation
Excerpt Selection: “Batter Up” – Bill Cosby
Share one significant line and explain why it was significant to you—personally or professionally (excerpt selection)
Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching is the driving force behind our planning, instruction and professional practice.
By using an agreed-upon framework for excellence in professional practice, educators have a way to structure conversations about exemplary practice. A uniform framework allows those conversations to guide novices as well as to enhance the performance of veterans.
If you were developing a statement of challenge for Bill Cosby, which Danielson domain might you use as a foundation for developing a goal? Why? (Think-Pair-Share)
Danielson Domains - Off Stage“Components of Professional Practice”
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Knowing content, students, resources Selecting goals Designing instruction Assessing student learning
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
Reflecting on teaching Communicating with families Attending to your own professional
growth Contributing to the school and district
Danielson Domains - On Stage“Components of Professional Practice”
Domain 2: Classroom Environment Interpersonal relationships Classroom routines and procedures Management of student behavior Use of physical space
Domain 3: Instruction Communicating clearly Using questioning and discussion
skills Engaging students in learning Providing feedback to students Responding to classroom events
Professional Dialogue Training Forming Ground Rules
Ground rules, or norms, are important for a group that intends to work together over time. They may be added to or condensed as the group evolves. Starting with basic Ground Rules, builds trust, clarifies group expectations of one another, and establishes points of “reflection” to see how the group is doing regarding process.
Marylyn Wentworth, National School Reform Faculty
Needs—Each person lists his/her needs in order to work productively within the group.
Share—Each person shares one item from that list. Others ask for clarifications if necessary.
Revise—Group combines rules that seem similar or eliminates rules that are redundant.
Check-In—Facilitator asks if everyone can abide by the listed Ground Rules. If not, the group discusses the validity and necessity of rule and revise until consensus is reached.
Use—Group members refer to Ground Rules whenever the rules would help group process.
Check in—Group members use Ground Rules during group reflection.
“Forming Ground Rules” was adapted from Harmony Education Center’s National School Reform Faculty found at www.nsrfharomony.org.
Goals of Professional Dialogue
To update professional staff members on relevant educational issues
To enhance instructional planning and practices
To provide opportunities for extended educational learning through collegial interaction
Requirements
An educational challenge or learning issue. A consideration of the four domains of Professional Practice
with an emphasis on Domain 3: Instruction. Current educational topics and/or district initiatives.
Complete an Action Plan (deadline: first student day)
Read text and actively participate in group discussions
Attend Professional Dialogue Training
Choose text that addresses one or more of the following (as agreed upon by the group members and the building principal):
Requirements continued
Document growth: Reflective Journal (not submitted or shared) Implementation Plan (not submitted or shared) Using Assessment Results (not submitted or shared) Mid-Year (January/February) and End-of-Year (April/May)
reports are submitted to building principals during mid- and end-of-year meetings.
Meet for one-hour (before or after school) for five (5) sessions during the school year (i.e. October, November, February, March, April).
Submit a list of meeting dates to building administrator (August or September).
Where do I find the forms?
Choose “District Forms & Resources”
Choose “Differentiated Supervision”
Professional Dialogue Absentee Report Action Plan Approved Reading List Reflective Journal Implementation Plan Using Assessment Results Mid-Year Report End-of-Year Report
o Open the DTSD website
o Sign in (username and password)
Completing the Action Plan: Statement of Challenge
Respond to each item on the Action Plan form, and submit it to your building administrator by the first student day of the school year.
Identify the educational challenge or problem that you wish to address through your professional dialogue reading and discussion. (Problem Statement)
Image Credit: Washington State Leadership Academy
What is a Useful Challenge Statement? Identifies a learning or achievement gap problem for students Frames the problem as a question to be answered Avoids embedding blame in stating the problem to be solved Avoids embedding pre-conceived solutions in stating the
problem.
A problem well-put is
half-solved.- John Dewey
o Considers “root causes” that led to the problem, such as personal beliefs, professional learning needs, and system learning/alignment needs.
o Considers the professional learning needed to help solve the student learning problem
o Considers the system learning that is needed to help solve the student and the professional learning issue.
Identifying a Learning Problem or ChallengeA few questions to ask - What information do you have that sheds light on the challenge? What data are you looking at, and what do those data tell you?
What information (data) do you still need to acquire that might help you to clarify the challenge?
o Is there a professional learning challenge associated with the student learning problem that you have identified? What is it, and how do you know? If not, reconsider the student learning problem.
o Is the problem a classroom, course, grade or system-wide issue? What is the scope of the problem?
o Is the challenge solvable by you or your professional dialogue group, or will there have to be system- or school-wide change? What are the systemic implications?
Sample Problem Statements
Problem Statement: Students come to school with widely different levels of reading readiness.
Challenge Statement: How can I ensure that all of my students will be reading at or above grade level before the end of my course?
Problem Statement: The instructional strategies that I use in my classroom work for some students, but they do not work for other students who seem to struggle finding success.
Challenge Statement: How will I learn and use instructional practices that support the academic achievement of all students who enter my classroom?
What Teachers MakeConsider the
Domain of Instruction
If you were another teacher sitting at the dinner gathering in the video, what do you think this teacher needs to work on in the classroom and in his beliefs as a teacher?
(mark words/phrases on your written copy)
What Teachers Make – List/Sort Problem Statements
List and sort the problems in the video based on the four Danielson domains. In which domain do most of the problems fall? How do you think the arrangement of problems might affect student learning?
Develop Your Challenge StatementUsing the Challenge Framing Template, brainstorm responses to the following questions:
Frame the Problem: Develop an initial understanding of the problem of practice
In your work at your district right now, what is the pressing learning problem you will work on this year? How do you know it is a problem? What data are you relying on?
What are you doing about it now? What would be different, and for which
students, if the problem were solved?
Determining the Root Cause
Reframe the Problem to find the Root Cause: Raise; check; and clarify values, assumptions, beliefs embedded in the problem; connect to core values.
What are the root causes of this learning problem? Instructional Practices Assessments Curriculum Policy/Procedures Culture/Structure
What more do you need to know to understand the problem as fully as possible?
Developing Your Challenge Statement
Take a Break
Please return in 15 minutes.
Check-In – One Word
Share a “one word” response about where you are right now.
No cross-talk, please.
Evaluate the Challenge Statement
Evaluate Your Challenge Statement: (Write-Around)
Identifies a learning issue or achievement gap issue for students
Frames the challenge as a question to be answered Avoids embedding blame in stating the problem to be solved Avoids embedding pre-conceived solutions in stating the
problem. Considers “root causes” that led to the problem, such as
personal beliefs/cultural structures, professional learning needs, and system learning/alignment needs. Instructional Practices
Action Plan: Develop an Instructional Goal Danielson’s Framework for Teaching defines four Domains of Professional
Practice. The Domain of Instruction is the single most important determinant of student learning.
Considering the Domain of Instruction and the text you have chosen, please list and rationalize the specific instructional goal(s) you have developed to enhance your professional practice. This goal should be stated in terms of one or more of the indicators for the Domain of Instruction. Some revision or refinement may occur based on the content of the text or your group’s dialogue.
How do you believe the successful completion of your goal(s) will facilitate growth in student learning?
How will I use instructional practices that support the academic achievement of all students who enter my classroom?
In my classroom, students will be highly engaged throughout the lesson and make material contributions to the representation of content, the activities, and the materials. The structure and pacing of the lesson will allow for student reflection and closure. I will seek out resources for teaching and build knowledge of Best Practices.This will facilitate growth in student learning…
Action Plan: Develop an Instructional Goal
With a partner, use one of the Challenge Statements below…
Considering the Domain of Instruction and the text you have chosen, please list and rationalize the specific instructional goal(s) you have developed to enhance your professional practice. This goal should be stated in terms of one or more of the indicators for the Domain of Instruction. Some revision or refinement may occur based on the content of the text or your group’s dialogue.
How do you believe the successful completion of your goal(s) will facilitate growth in student learning?
How can I ensure that all of my students will be reading at or above grade level before the end of my course?
How can I provide feedback to my students, so it is useful in helping them develop their own new goals for learning? In addition, how can I use these assessments to inform my instruction?
How can I encourage students to formulate high-level questions and assume responsibility for the participation in learning.
If you want to improve learning, you have to improve teaching. (Richard Elmore, Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Developing Your Instructional Goal
Action Plan: Evaluating Your Instructional Goal
In partners, evaluate each person’s instructional goal for the following traits:
Under the control of the classroom teacher
Collective responsibility for learning (teacher and student)
Makes use of instructional data to solve problem
Provides a contrast or enhancement to current practice and understanding of effective instruction for the identified learning problem.
Action Plan: Secondary Goal and Culture of Collaboration
Teaching is a complex task that involves the interplay among all four Domains of Professional Practice.
How will this text promote professional growth and quality teaching in the Domains of Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment and/or Professional Responsibilities?
The Professional Dialogue track provides a vital forum for teachers to engage in professional conversation and reflection on practice.
What strengths will you bring to help enhance the culture of collaboration within your group?
The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other.
- Thomas Stallkamp
Book ChoiceRemember, your book choice will guide the development of your Action Plan; however, you may want to identify your problem of practice and instructional goals before choosing your text. The content of the book along with your professional dialogue will help you to solve a problem of practice and to meet your individual instructional goals.
Is this text on the Recommended Bibliography? If not, please justify why this text will promote your professional growth and reflective practice in relation to current research or understanding of how students learn. In addition, please attach a short review, which can be quoted from any resource.
Option 1 Choose a book from the Approved Reading List
Option 2Choose a book that addresses a current District initiative and provides best practices in solving your problem of practice. On the Professional Dialogue Action Plan, attach a short review of the text. The review can be from any resource. You may also want to include a copy of the table of contents.
Implementation PlanElements of a Successful Implementation Plan
Goal(s) are based on problem of practice Addresses the actionable content of the problem of practice and consists of
specific steps Designates persons responsible and resources needed Has realistic short- and long-term steps in a realistic timeline Identifies and responds to the potential barriers Identifies a communication plan
Purpose: To create a “script” to help you meet your Professional Dialogue goal(s) and to support implementation. An implementation plan is a systematic way to solve classroom problems.
Develop an implementation plan for each goal identified on your Professional Dialogue Action Plan. Modify the form as needed to fit your unique context. Keep a copy handy to review and update regularly. You may decide to develop a new implementation plan for new phases of your professional development effort.
Goal: What goal are your attempting to achieve? (Use the goal(s) that you created for your Action Plan)
Implementation Plan Action Steps Responsibilities Timeline
Resources Potential barriers Communication plan
Implementation Plan
Evidence of Success (formative)
How will you know that you are making progress? These may be direct or indirect methods.
Evaluation of Progress (formative) How will you determine that your goal has been reached? What are your direct or indirect measures?
Implementation Plan: What Do You Know About Learning?
Documenting Student Learning: Knowledge, skills and attitudes that students take with them from a learning experience.
Direct Methods provide evidence of whether or not a student has command of a specific subject, can perform a certain task, exhibits a particular skill, demonstrates a particular quality in his/her work or holds a particular value.
Direct questioning, writing samples, performances, presentations, exhibits, research, field work, portfolios, etc.
Indirect Methods provides signs that students are probably learning, but the evidence of exactly what they are learning is less clear and less convincing.
Course grades, self report format survey, questionnaires, interviews
Implementation Plan
Results/Accomplishments
Indicate changes made to teaching and the impact on student learning
Provide evidence to show how your changes made a difference in student learning
Using Assessment Results
Document what has been learned from assessments.
Define what actions are being taken to improve student learning.
Plan for assessing the effectiveness of the change.
Reflective JournalAll participants are expected to maintain a personal reflective journal.
Reflective JournalThe personal journal might include the following:•brief summaries of the literature selection•responses to reading•outcomes of discussion•personal reflections•related articles•plans for implementation of ideas in the classroom•connections to Danielson’s “Components of Professional Practice”•questions•conclusions
Absence from Dialogue Group Meeting
Participants are expected to attend all dialogue group meetings. Should an extenuating circumstance occur, one
absence report may be utilized with prior approval of the building administrator
If extenuating circumstances make it necessary to miss more than one dialogue group meeting, the participant must, in consultation with the building administrator, choose a different track.
Absence Report
Conducting a Professional Dialogue Group
Maintain reflective journal.
Develop and maintain an Implementation Plan.
Rotate the facilitator role.
Be sure to have completed the reading and any tasks before arriving to the meeting.
Bring text, reflective journal, and implementation plan.
Suggested Discussion Styles
Excerpt Selection
Identify and discuss significant excerpts
Meaningful Confusing Disturbing Controversial Relevant Useless
Guiding QuestionsCreate text-based questions based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, Marzano’s Dimensions of Thinking, Web’s Depth of Knowledge or Reader Response
Suggested Discussion Styles
Suggested Discussion Styles: Guiding Questions continued
Suggested Discussion Styles
Current Issue Search Complement or contradict what was
read with current events drawn from periodicals, on-line sources, other texts, news programs, etc.
Task-Directed Organize/create an oral, visual or
written product based on the reading.
Facilitator Role Ask participants to sign in.
Submit attendance form to your administrator.
Facilitate the Professional Dialogue meeting following the agreed upon format.
Encourage equal participation of all members.
Be sure to adequately and meaningfully fill the allotted time.
Encourage all participants to follow discussion etiquette.
Discussion Etiquette and Possible Roadblocks
You have a team member who rarely contributes to the discussion.
You have a team member who has come poorly prepared for two meetings.
A team member has come late to two meetings.
A very heated debate ensues at the meeting that makes you feel uncomfortable.
You have a team member who always dominates the discussion.
What can you do?
Meet with the Principal: Mid-Year and End-of-Year Reports
Use these reports to document your mid-year and end-of-year growth. Please provide a copy to your administrator at the mid- and end-of-year meetings.
Discussion Topics:
1.Problem of Practice
2.Goal/Action Steps/Evidence
• Instruction• Planning and Preparation• Classroom Environment• Professional
Responsibilities
3.Professional Learning Community
Mid-Year Report
End-of-Year Report
Workshop Evaluation
You will receive a workshop evaluation by email. Please take the time to fill it out.
You may choose to receive pay or three (3) trade hours for attending this workshop.
Have a great day!
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