Instructional Rounds
Targeting Improvement
For more information on Instructional Rounds, to include a step-by-step
guide she has prepared, feel free to contact Dr. Tate either through
Saturday Morning Coffee (leave a comment or request) or email her
directly at ctateread@att.net.
“I have learned more
about myself as a teacher and quality instruction in one day of instructional
rounds than in five years of professional development.”
A teacher's comment after participating in Instructional Rounds
Walk into any school in America and you will see teachers who care deeply about their students and are
doing the best they can every day to help students learn. Yet, you will also see a high degree of
variability from classroom to classroom. Instructional Rounds asks educators to collaboratively define and establish a common understanding of what good teaching and learning looks like.
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| Amazon |
What actions might lead to
a more equitable education for all?
A
promising practice developed by the authors of Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching
and Learning is a must read for 2014. This book is intended to help education
leaders and practitioners develop a shared understanding of what high-quality
instruction looks like and what schools and districts need to do to support it.
I personally became interested in
Instructional Rounds in 2010, and my intent is to pique your interest in a model that creates a
culture of continuous learning and questioning through shared responsibility
and commitment.
Rounds is modeled after the
medical training model, where medical students gather in a hospital room with
an experienced doctor visiting a patient.
Afterwards they discuss what they observed. Medical students base their comments on
evidence and keep their comments factual such as the patient did this or I
noticed this. They ask questions and
eventually, a diagnosis is offered with possible treatments.
Rounds is an Inquiry-Based Process
It is designed to help network members understand what is happening in their classroom, NOT to evaluate or "fix" individual teachers. This is not about teacher evaluation.
Instructional Rounds
versus Supervision and Evaluation
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What rounds is Not
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What rounds is. . .
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A program
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A practice designed to
support an existing improvement strategy at the school level or system level.
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A teacher evaluation tool
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No assessment of individual
teachers.
Separate the person from the
practice; focus on the practice
Learn about effective
learning and teaching.
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An implementation check
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Rounds focuses on patterns
of practice, predicted results, not compliance directives.
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Training for supervision
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Rounds focuses on collective
learning, rather than individual supervisory practice.
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Passive
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A community of practice
where we expect to push each other and learn from each other.
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How Do Rounds Work?
STEP 1: Convene a network*. You assemble a group of colleagues who will
meet together over time to solve a problem of practice connected to an
improvement strategy.
*No steadfast rule to networks; while some are composed of
peers such as a principal network, others may include multiple roles such as
superintendents, specialists, teachers, and principals. A facilitator is helpful, but this model is not dependent upon outside
consultants. The first network I worked
with was comprised of district superintendents, county office personnel and
representation from California Department of Education. Another network was comprised of only three
rural superintendents and two county office consultants. Each of those
networks maintained a leadership team within their own districts.
Examples of Problems of Practice
- Student engagement strategies are in place, but all students are NOT actively participating.
- Are students provided powerful learning opportunities in reading and responding to expository text?
- Is the students’ understanding in mathematics conceptual or only procedural?
- Do teachers do most of the talking and thinking in the classroom?
- How are teachers challenging students with questions that require high levels of thinking and reflection and how are students responding to questions posed in class?
The school
identifies a problem of practice. A
problem of practice focuses on instruction that is observable, actionable,
connects to a broader strategy of improvement, and is high leverage. It should also be something the school cares
passionately about, feels stuck on, and wants to genuinely understand. Schools vary in their process, but clearly if
the problem is something teachers feel stuck on they need to have an
opportunity for their input.
Observe Practice in Classrooms
STEP 2: The network
will visit classrooms in groups of 4-6. Each group visits four classrooms, staying
20-25 minutes in each. There are no
checklists, rubrics or boxes for tally marks.
Observation teams collect data that is: descriptive, not evaluative;
specific; about the instructional core; and related to the problem of practice. Trained beforehand, observers take note of the
actual tasks students are doing. The network is collecting evidence and not passing judgment on teachers.
Debrief Observation
STEP 3: Observation teams discuss and analyze the data for
trends. Observation teams also predict what students are learning by
asking: "If you were a student in the class/school and you did
everything the teacher told you to do, what would you know and be able to do?"
The
debrief is steeped in protocol. The debriefing process moves in steps
from description to analysis to prediction and leads participants into
identifying the next level of work.
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| Two Hungarian consultants and two teachers from Pleasant View. |
STEP 4: Network members
think collaboratively about what resources and support are needed to provide
teachers with what will result in an improved instructional core. Some networks
brainstorm action steps for this week, next month, and by the end of the year.
Rather than handing teachers a
“fix-it” list on how to improve, members think together about what kinds of
resources and supports teachers and administrators would need in order to move
instruction to the next level. The more
detailed and precise the suggestions the more helpful they are.
In my opinion, the next level of
work is where the complex relationships among teachers, students and content
are addressed. At this juncture the
rounds process requires members to look within the school and district to
suggest new and powerful ways educators can work together to achieve the
student-learning they desire. They do
NOT blame teachers, students, parents or other factors outside their sphere of
influence.
If we believe in the educability of
all students, then we must also ensure that we provide the supports and
resources necessary for educators to do so. In closing, I would like to share a
Superintendent’s comment after implementing rounds in his district.
" I found teachers were doing exactly what we asked them to do, the problem was that what we asked them to do was not improving learning. We are all responsible for the learning in our classrooms. If you are sitting in your office, then you do not know what is happening in your classrooms."
" I found teachers were doing exactly what we asked them to do, the problem was that what we asked them to do was not improving learning. We are all responsible for the learning in our classrooms. If you are sitting in your office, then you do not know what is happening in your classrooms."
Additional Resources to Learn More
Targeting Improvement: Instructional Rounds by Colleen Gillard
feature article in current January, 2014 issue of AASA
Learning From Instructional Rounds by Elizabeth A. City
ASCD 2011/ Volume 69/ Number 2
Thank you Connie for graciously sharing your expertise on instructional rounds with us. Having been involved in district-wide improvement, I can see easily see the strength for a district's stake-holders (from superintendent to include all teachers), in learning how to hold one another accountable, individually and collectively. Can't wait to hear about the results. Please come back and share with us.
For next week I will be featuring an interview with Daniel O'Neill, a passionate high school math teacher from Central Oregon. He has pushed the idea of student reflection and accountability wide open. His story has completely captured my attention and admiration. Please join us. You will be inspired. As always, I hope you have gained something of special interest and send you best wishes for a very Happy Saturday.
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