Source: Garden, Morguefile, http://bit.ly/1ApqsIg; Globe, Clker, http://bit.ly/1CVSonk; Stick Figure, Clker, http://bit.ly/1JoIB83
Hello everyone, and welcome. Today's lesson is all about you, the teacher, and how understanding both the content standards and practice standards can help you to become the best professional you can be. It's called connecting standards based instruction to professional teacher standards and practices. Let's get started.
There are a number of teacher evaluation models used out there, and many of them are based on the work of Charlotte Danielson, an expert in the field of teacher effectiveness. Here is the description of the framework taken directly from the Danielson website. It makes reference to the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, which outlines what teachers should know and be able to do to ensure that every student is college and career ready. They describe what effective teaching and learning looks like and sounds like. These practices represent a real shift from what was valued in education during the 20th century.
In this video, I'm going to introduce you to the four domains, and give a couple of examples of what they may look like and sound like in your school and in your classroom. For more information about the Danielson model, you can check out the website that's listed below, danielsongroup.org.
The first domain is called planning and preparation. And here's what it might look like. A teacher would have their materials organized and laid out before a lesson begins, and an agenda would be posted on the wall, on a monitor, or on some kind of screen. Planning and preparation sounds like an attention signal that is used consistently to get students' attention, and conversations are always on task.
Domain two, classroom environment. This may look like a morning meeting taking place. You'll also see students taking risks in a safe environment for learning. It would sound like encouraging comments around the room, and students asking questions of each other.
Domain three refers to instruction, where you'll find resources available, ready for students to use, and teachers using formative assessments to inform their instruction. It would sound like higher level questions coming from the teacher, in academic language used by all.
Domain four speaks to the professional responsibilities that we have as teachers. That might look like joining a committee to write curriculum, or attending and truly participating in professional development. It would sound like teachers advocating and being a voice for their students, and also adhering to established norms at meetings.
Another set of standards that can help guide us in improving our practice come from the National Board for Professional Teachers. As you can see, they are not all that different from what we addressed in the Danielson model. Both value such things as student learning, content, management, reflection, and professional responsibilities. For more information about these standards, you can visit their website that's listed at the bottom of this page.
It may seem like in the world of education there are a lot of standards. Well, that's because there are. We have standards for math, English language arts, science, history, and foreign languages. We also have ISTE standards for students, as well as teachers. So how does knowing these standards help you in your practice?
Consider this. There has never been more to cover, but that's not a bad thing. When you think about the advancements made in society by this generation, it's no wonder that the scope of what teachers do continues to widen. You've probably heard the phrase weed the garden, when it comes to letting go of some antiquated practices or content being covered.
Knowing and understanding the content standards for students, and the practice standards for teachers, will help us to do that. By focusing on what's truly important, and recognizing the areas of overlap among standards, we will ensure that students will be ready for college, career, and beyond. And by adhering to the standards established for teachers, we will ensure that we are doing so in the most effective and professional manner possible.
Let's quickly recap what we covered in this lesson. We began by looking at Charlotte Davidson's work and her model. Next, we looked at the National Board practice standards. We took a look at the subject and ISTE standards that teachers need to be aware of. And finally, we put it together by discussing what it all means for our practice.
Here's some food for thought. It's time for you to weed your garden. What content or practices can you do away with?
As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the additional resources section that accompanied this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set. As always, thanks so much for watching. We'll see you next time.
(00:00-00:19) Intro
(00:20-01:14) Danielson Model Overview
(01:15-02:38) The Domains
(02:39-03:34) Additional Resources
(03:35-04:23) Weeding the Garden
(04:24-04:43) Summary
(04:44-05:12) Food For Thought
The Relationship Between Standards-Based Teacher Evaluation Scores and Student Achievement
This article from the Consortium for Research is a research-based article demonstrating that teachers who are evaluated using a standards based framework typically realize higher student achievement.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.624.8160&rep=rep1&type=pdf
The Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework
This is the NY State Department of Education Handbook on evaluation that connects Marzano's framework with reflective practices and activities for teachers designed to improve practices. It provides teachers with questions to evaluate their own practices as a teacher. Although the tool may seem long and cumbersome, the reflection components can be broken down. For example, if you were focusing on building a culture of thinking and learning in your classroom, you could just use the reflection section provided in dimension 4. You might also consider having a peer reflect on your teaching practices and use the tool to guide their feedback.
http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/teachers-leaders/practicerubrics/Docs/SilverStrongSelfAssessmentRubric.pdf
ISTE Standards
The Student, Educator and Leader Standards have been updated since 2016. To reference the Newest Generation of ISTE Standards and to see which states have adopted the most current version, visit:
https://www.iste.org/standards