Mini Observations

Activator/ Do Now:
On the index card you were given by the greeter, please

write your greatest concern regarding .

Mini Observations!

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Mini Observations:
What do they look like ?
26, 2012
Facilitators: Dr. Judy Ann DeLucia
Cheryl Bromley-Jones
Seaside Educational Consultants
judydelucia@gmail.com
508.523.7466

Agenda

9:25 10:20pm

9:25 Activator
9:30 Welcome ~ Goals ~ Introductions ~ Name Tents
9:40 As Leaders, How Do We Get Effective Teaching In Our Classrooms
Power Point
~
Turn & Talks
10:10 Ticket to Leave
10:15 Next Steps ~ Wrap-Up

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Lets Be Clear About the Goal

Good teaching
in every classroom
every day
every year
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Which two factors are most important in those beatthe-odds schools?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Difference in class size

Strict discipline
Sense of mission
School leadership
Teaching practices
Curriculum content
PD, coaching
Teachers credentials
Parent involvement
Students IQ
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Is there agreement on good teaching in your school?

We all agree on what excellent, good, mediocre, poor
teaching looks like? ( exemplary, proficient, needs
improvement, unsatisfactory).
2. We agree on what good teaching looks like.
3. There are some disparities within the school.
4. There are many different opinions on what good
teaching is.
1.

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Teachers are immune to feedback

from a coach or administrator
when they have a different definition of quality.
The single most important thing
that a school leader can do
is reach agreement with the staff about quality.
Fisher and Frey, 2010
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MINI-OSERVATIONS:
Frequent sampling and coaching

Short visits to fit them in very busy days

Unannounced to see what kids are experiencing daily
Lots of them to sample all aspects of teaching
Prompt, thoughtful feedback to each teacher
Early intervention with ineffective teachers, follow-up
Informal to maximize adult learning, formative feedback
Systematic cycling through the whole staff
Integrated with curriculum planning and student learning

Note: Recommended 10 per teacher per year; face to face feedback

within 24 hours.
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A theory of action: When principals.

Explain mini-observations to teachers.
Have a clear, shared sense of what to look for.
Stay long enough in classrooms.
Make enough visits to get a representative picture.
Capture and remembering key insights.
Give feedback in a way teachers can hear and accept.
Step up with criticism when necessary.
Follow up when mediocre teaching isnt improving.
Shift gears with unsatisfactory teaching
Integrate mini-observations with curriculum, PD, results

.then teaching and learning improve significantly.

Kim Marshall, 2011.
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Checklists can be superficial

Teacher is up and about
Students are well behaved
Lesson objective is posted
Standard is on the board
Classroom is attractive
Student work is posted with rubric
Books are nicely displayed
All students are engaged
Students are in groups
Be carefulthis is not the real stuff!

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A hypothesis on checklists
The more detailed and elaborate the checklist
-the more consumed you are with collecting data
-the less perceptive observing what is going on
-the more superficial your observations
-the less seriously the teachers will take the feedback

The simpler and clearer the vision of good teaching-the more observant you can be
-the more attuned to the specific issues in a class
-the more focused on a few key change levers
-the more seriously teachers will take the feedback
- the more teaching and learning will improve
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You can observe a lot by watching

Yogi Berra

Slow down, breathe, listen, pay attention

Dont impose a checklist on the situation; free range

Look at the learning task, check-in with the kids
Look for student understanding vs. superficial stuff
Youll notice 1 -3 main points to discuss
So as not to miss anything, do a mental checklist
-what every lesson, K-12 should contain
-share with teachers, everyone is on the same page
When you walk in the classroom, 1 -2 things should jump out!

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What every effective principal looks for

Student engagement, learning, understanding

-Participation, thinking, talking, making sense

-The rigor and cognitive complexity of the work
- Asking students what are you working on?
- Listening in on turn-and talks.

Climate, tone and atmosphere

Effective teaching: clarity, modeling, explaining
This is a contrast to the superficial stuff

What these principals looked for, they got!

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Johnson, Uline, & Perez, JESPAR, April/June 2011, Marshall Memo 389

How long does an administrator need to stay to form a

meaningful impression?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1 minute
3 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
35 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour

Best amount of time: 5 -15 minutes

Depending on:

-How many teachers

-How many administrators doing mini-observations
- Discipline issues
As you develop your style and expertise5 minutes
could work
But not too short!
Note: no pre-observation conference

Are full-lesson observations obsolete?

They are not the drivers of change
But two categories of teachers need the full

treatment:

- unsatisfactory teachers (by the principal)

- rookie teachers (by instructional coaches, mentors)

Other teachers if possible, but not by the principal

-instructional coaches
-peer observers
- lesson study colleagues
- videotaping lesson, watching with a critical friend

Doing lots
A good target: 10/teacher/year
-Seeing each teacher every 2-3 weeks
- Sampling all aspects of instruction
Frequent visits build dialogue, candor, trust
Also spot problem instruction early, go to work on it
How do you keep this up? Set a daily target number

and push!
Average 3 per day.try for 5!
Begin in September!

Do the math for your school

# of teachers

Minis for year

# per day

Stretch goal

60

600

3.3

50

500

2.7

40

400

2.2

30

300

1.7

20

200

1.1

10

100

.6

Note: Get 10 in the first two weeks of school & go until June!

A hypothesis on frequency
The less frequently a principal visits classrooms.

-The more chance for an inaccurate impression

-The riskier for teachers-caught at a bad moment
-The more teachers freelance, do their own thing
The more frequently a principal visits classrooms.
- The more accurate a picture of daily instruction
- The safer for teachers accurate sampling
-The more thoughtful feedback
-The better quality of instruction

Refinements and Variations

Mix up morning, mid-day, and afternoon visits
Observe the beginning, middle and end of lessons
Do a grade -level team in a single day
Have a theme for a complete cycle

- For example, wait time, use of technology

Follow one class through an entire day
Other ideas ( turn to a partner and see if you can come
up with 2 additional variations to share with group-3
minute)

Staff Feedback Visits..2011-2012

Fourth Quarter From _______ to _______

Date
when
visited

Teacher
Name

Notes:

5/23

Judy Chiara

Notes: beginning of class (first 10

minutesstarted 8 min. into class ; no
activator/ review of homework began

Steve DeLucia
6/14

Tom Ford

Kate Swenson

Note: Put in every

teachers name!

Noteput activity teaching/learning

observed time beginning; middle; end

Giving feedback will make a difference

After a mini- observation, 1-2 nuggets.
Whats the best way to deliver the feedback:

- How?
-How soon?
-Where?
These determine the impact on teaching and learning.
Within 24 hours!
Every teacher deserves feedback every time.

Some possible approaches

No feedback to teacher( not an option!)
Memo to whole staff showcasing best practices
Post-it on teachers desk on the way out
Handwritten feedback or checklist in teachers mailbox
4-3-2-1- or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory rating each time (NO!)
Feedback to central office, not teachers (NO!)
iPhone, Blackberry, iPad electronic checklist sent to teacher
Face to face conversation later that day
Email later that day

Activity: Discuss the approach you feel would work best and how
you could accomplish this approach with a partner.

Next Step(s) in this process

What are the DESE Supervision & Evaluation Rubrics and how to use them?
Multiple measures of student learning.
What should the presentation look like to teachers (presenting the process)?
How to use the Rubrics for Self-Assessment.
How to develop goals: Individual S.M.A.R.T. Goals based on data (Professional
practice Goal; Student Learning Goal).
Educator Collection of Evidence.
How do I really know what I am observing? Is there teaching and learning
going on in the classroom?
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Ticket to Leave: Using your

Activator/Do Now explain
how your concern has been
answered. If not, how can
MSSAA or
Seaside Educational Consultants
assist in Mini Observations.

Wrap- up