Focused Feedback...Becoming a Reflective Teacher Part 5

    We need Feedback to focus our practice, we need REAL feedback!

    How do we get good, real feedback?

    You can video yourself, take a student survey, and use your students' achievement data.

Reflection is the key here...use a log and write down what you see in your video, ask a trusted friend to watch it too. Watching it with someone who can give you honest feedback will give you specific elements of your performance that you will need to focus on.

When you ask the kids to help expect some REAL answers. I use Exit Slips (Exit Tickets). I found a great one for math, but I tweak it to fit anything really.

Using achievement data can give you some insightful feedback too. It can show you where you need to re-teach. Ask yourself questions as you are digging through the data; What concept was most missed on the test? Am I tracking their data? If so, what are you tracking? Grades? Growth? Did my teaching help them achieve?

Receiving Focused Feedback is the key to great teaching...are you getting the right feedback? Or are you listening to what you WANT to hear? Remember anyone giving you feedback, good or bad can only make you stronger!

Reference:

Marzano, R. (2012). Becoming a reflective teacher. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

Becoming a Reflective Teacher -Part 4

It's time to get real...how will this revolutionize student achievement?
How will Reflecting on your teaching affect your student's growth? Let's explore....

If you go back and look through the element list you will find many items are linked directly to you and your students, such as "What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students?" To answer this question you will have to be honest and extremely self-aware. Once you answer this question then you must set  some guidelines for yourself...I will focus on students who seem disenfranchised in my class and those with whom I don't have a good rapport yet... When a student does something well, I will compliment them...I will find out information about my students and use that knowledge in my interactions with them...(Marzano, 2012)
These type of rules will help you stay focused, which in turn will help your children stay in the game and want to achieve for you!
Does your class KNOW exactly what you want from them? Post examples (concrete and specific), this will help JUSTIFY their learning.
Are they writing and reflecting about  themselves? If not Blair Turner has some GREAT reflecting tools that will help your students reflect about their leaning through writing, which could lead to better grammar and mechanics in their daily writing.
Reflection not only helps you synthesize and analyze your teaching, but also does the same for your students learning. Can you imagine your class operating on the synthesis level all day long? Your goals will be met in no time!(So will theirs.)
The most important part of student reflection is that teachers give specific FEEDBACK...during conferring time, when you comment to them and when ever you are celebrating success.
Next time we meet, let's talk about all that FEEDBACK...be prepared!

Reference:

Marzano, R. (2012). Becoming a reflective teacher. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

Becoming a Reflective Teacher-Part 3

Why do we use REFLECTIVE teaching?
We NEED to REFLECT on our teaching so we can become better at our craft AND improve student achievement gains!!!
Let's begin by conducting a self-assessment. You need to rate yourself, if you are familiar with Robert Marzano's scales from your teacher evaluations then this is already a part of you!
 You must give yourself either a 4, 3, 2 or 1 ( I don't do 0 because if you are operating at a 0 you need to seriously think about another career choice, sorry to be so blunt but the children need teachers, not people who are not in it to win it!)
A 4 looks like this...
The teacher adapts or CREATES a new version of the strategy or behavior for UNIQUE student needs and situations.
A 3 looks like...
The teacher uses the strategy or behavior and monitors the extent to which it affects student outcomes.
A 2...
the teacher uses the strategy or behavior but does so in a somewhat mechanistic way.
A 1...
The teacher uses the strategy or behavior incorrectly or with parts missing.

Now that you know how to rate yourself, here is your test:
(Think about what, and how you do for each question...)

1. Do you typically provide clear learning goals and scales (rubrics)?
2. How do you track student progress?
3. What do you do to celebrate success?
4. How do I do to establish and maintain classroom rules and procedures?
5. What do I typically do to organize the physical layout of the classroom?

There are 41 questions that match up to the nine design questions. We just explored the Lesson Segments Involving Routine Events. If you would like to view the rest of the questions visit the Marzano Center.

After you have reflected and evaluated yourself, make yourself some GOALS!!!!

I recommend you choose three elements that you are struggling MOST with. Your goals should be attainable, but not too easy nor lofty. Your goals should be clear, such as "By the end of the year, I will raise my score on celebrating success from 1 to 3." (I hope you have that competitive edge, like I do...for me it would have read from 2 to 4.)
In order to be successful you MUST have a MODEL OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING! Find a mentor, be a mentor, READ and RESEARCH best practices, visit other classrooms and take notes. Look up videos on Teacher Tube or YouTube, read awesome teacher blogs...FIND YOUR PERSON! Accept feedback, focused feedback is the best!
I will be back soon with the next installment.

Reference:

Marzano, R. (2012). Becoming a reflective teacher.Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.