What I had prepared for this evaluation conference fell just short of my master's final theses, and my conference with my principal? Well, I felt like I was defending my doctoral thesis...okay so I exaggerate; but, it sure did feel that way!
Best practice, brain-based teaching strategies, Madeline Hunter, whole language, Multiple Intelligences, reading/writing/math workshop lesson structures...These buzz words all describe strategies for good teaching and successful student learning. Marzano's work is part of that list. What is powerful about Marzano's research and how it has been used in teacher evaluations all over the country is that it gives teachers a framework for describing, discussing, and defending their teaching practices. It also gives administrator's a framework for observation. It spells out, succinctly, what they should expect to see from teachers and students during classroom observations and walk-throughs.
As a literacy coach, coaching teachers in a voluntary model on quality instruction practices in their literacy workshops, I saw first hand the empowerment teachers feel when they can identify and then reflect on their teaching strategies. One of the difficulties I ran into as a coach is that teachers often had a hard time identifying what they did to make a lesson "work." They knew if it had or hadn't worked, and most often could describe why it didn't work, but not with a great degree of specificity. Outside of me telling them "the answer," which is as far from coaching as a coach can get, they needed an easy-to-go-to resource at their finger tips. They needed to be able to say I think this lesson worked because "I used a classroom game to review the long division process!" (Marzano, design question # 3). So I created the "easy-to-go-to resources." And, I put it into the hands of my coachees and the new teachers I was mentoring!
The reaction was inspiring. It changed the depth of our coaching conversations, as well as the conversations they had with their administrators.
Now, I'm back in the classroom. I've loaned my ringed Quality Instruction Tool out to new teachers. It has helped them have better evaluative conferences with their administrators. Remember me on the bench outside my principal's office? Well, that conference went well. I was pleased with myself and my efforts. However, my administrator didn't understand something she had seen in my classroom. She questioned me. I was able to explain my choices, reflectively, and point to best practice "evidence" because I had my Quality Instruction Tool with me. We both learned something that afternoon!
Teach on, my friends!
Be sure to check out the tool I created!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Quality-Instruction-Tool-Your-Path-to-Teaching-Stardom-2115957
