What started as a way to provide teachers an authentic and timely professional leaning experience in my district has grown to over five Intermediate School Districts and has become a central course format and opportunity for research at Grand Valley State University, EDR 685 and 687!
Through facilitated conversations, educators are talking about the instructional decisions that impact student achievement. Educators come to a colleague's classroom with a specific lens that enhances the dialogue. Through observation, note taking of instructional moves, noting evidence of learning, and collaborative conversation, teachers are developing their own craft of teaching while contributing to the thinking of others.
The role of the facilitator is critical in providing a culture of collaboration among the participating educators. As a facilitator, you paraphrase thinking, prompt and nudge the thinking of each participant while honoring the thinking of each guest. Facilitators are trained to listen with intention, to listen to what is being said and what isn't and knowing the question that encourages self reflection.
It is the host teacher not only opens their classroom, but opens themselves up to offer colleagues a job embedded and authentic professional learning experience for all who participate. Each host teacher has a planning conversation with a coach to clarify their own thinking about their lessons before each Classroom Learning Lab. The host is prepared to articulate the researched practices they are embedding into their lessons and why. Host teachers continue to grow their own craft of teaching every time they invite guests into their classrooms.
All participants gain more clear understanding into their own instructional decisions through what is noticed, wondered, and shared. As a facilitator and trainer, I too continue to grow a more clear understanding as to how instructional decisions directly impact student achievement.
Teresa McDougall
Through facilitated conversations, educators are talking about the instructional decisions that impact student achievement. Educators come to a colleague's classroom with a specific lens that enhances the dialogue. Through observation, note taking of instructional moves, noting evidence of learning, and collaborative conversation, teachers are developing their own craft of teaching while contributing to the thinking of others.
The role of the facilitator is critical in providing a culture of collaboration among the participating educators. As a facilitator, you paraphrase thinking, prompt and nudge the thinking of each participant while honoring the thinking of each guest. Facilitators are trained to listen with intention, to listen to what is being said and what isn't and knowing the question that encourages self reflection.
It is the host teacher not only opens their classroom, but opens themselves up to offer colleagues a job embedded and authentic professional learning experience for all who participate. Each host teacher has a planning conversation with a coach to clarify their own thinking about their lessons before each Classroom Learning Lab. The host is prepared to articulate the researched practices they are embedding into their lessons and why. Host teachers continue to grow their own craft of teaching every time they invite guests into their classrooms.
All participants gain more clear understanding into their own instructional decisions through what is noticed, wondered, and shared. As a facilitator and trainer, I too continue to grow a more clear understanding as to how instructional decisions directly impact student achievement.
Teresa McDougall