Group 2 - Chapter 2 Key Highlights: The Norm: Why Traditional Schools Are as They Are. We discussed: * Tpep adoption has helped to WA State with minimizing disparities described. WA State is heading in the right directions. * Some district this is not the case – Ex: BA without instructional training to “instruct” (inadequate induction process for beginning teachers) * School culture in the larger culture of community – community pressures and perceptions * Isolation, insufficient support of new teachers, career pathways are limited – becoming increasingly more challenging. * Need for effective induction and then look at gradual release for process. * Lack of dialog on instruction – use framework and vision for teaching and learning. * PLC – doing the real work to work through instruction challenges. * Consider frequency and ensure authentic discussions on instruction (use data). Think about essential standards. * Where do districts want to invest?
Kathi- thank you for capturing this! As I read this chapter, I realize that many schools and districts in Washington are making forward movement away from these "norms", but I also can't help but think ahead to a situation in which I am assigned a principalship in a building where the described "norms" in this chapter are my school's current reality. I truly believe that operating as a true PLC is the key to moving away from many of the aforementioned norms in traditional schools. In addition, if an induction plan is not already in place, a strong new teacher induction plan, and mindful teaching assignments for our new teachers is key. However, if I am fortunate enough to be in a building that has moved away from these traditional school norms, then I want to be sure to capitalize on the progress they have made and keep that forward momentum going so our students can continue to grow and flourish.
Kathy did an EXCELLENT job of collecting the key ideas of Chapter 2. Something I would offer to consider that is my impression (so please take with a grain of salt) is that the authors in identifying what traditional schools "are as they are" make some assumptions and generalizations that reveal their particular bent. I don't mind that slant because I think I agree with most of what they are saying, but it is worth noting that interspersed with the impressive collection of research they cite around the very real issues of isolation psychologial dilemma and frustration, the limited pathways available to teachers, inadequate induction, and inequity is a generalization about schools not being places where teachers talk about instruction, are not involved in instructional decisions and they share a lack of technical expertise. I do not believe that is the 'norm' in most schools in our state partly because of how we elected to revise our teacher evaluation system. While there certainly are pockets of toxic cultures and blaming the victim, I do believe that adopting an instructional framework and changing how teachers are evaluated has done a lot of good towards increase dialogue and technical expertise around instruction.
One area that I do agree is still lacking is the reliance on restricted, teacher-centered instructional materials and methods. I'd love for us to dialogue more about the impact these can have on teachers intrinsic motivation as discussed in chapter 2 of Ginsberg's work.
Chapter 5: Reflections on Educational Beliefs, Teaching, and Supervision Big idea: "Whether or not they are conscious of it, teachers' and supervisors' educational philosophies have a significant impact on instruction and instructional improvement efforts." (page 84) The chapter begins with an impressive list of qualities that expert and culturally responsive teachers possess. While there is not one single way to deliver effective instruction, research has proven that there are certain qualities that can be identified and worked towards. As supervisors, we need to be clear on our own educational platform and page 85 has a list of questions to help us think about our beliefs. Page 86 and 87 have questions directed to our beliefs on supervision; and page 95 has questions to help us reflect on any cultural biases or assumptions we may be harboring. This chapter also contains 3 descriptions of supervisory philosophies: essentialism, experimentalism and existentialism. We will likely take a blend of multiple philosophies and beliefs into our own future practice as supervisors.
Since the summaries above were terrific, I am going to focus on three things that I see linked together. First, in chapter 2 one of the reasons it mentions for why traditional schools are the way they are is that there is usually inadequate induction of beginning teachers (pg 25). This connects to Chapter 3, in which it talks about Shared Leadership...(pg 34). First, for shared leadership to happen, there needs to be teacher leaders. If you're in schools that have high turnover and constantly adding inexperienced or new teachers, you don't 80% experienced teachers (3 or more years experience) to make up traditional teacher leadership teams. Secondly, administrators seem reluctant in schools to share leadership with inexperienced teachers. This seems to a tough cycle to break- poor teacher inductions, teachers quit before moving to teacher leaders, admin. doesn't share leadership because too few experienced teachers, which leaders to poor teacher induction... Professional development is mentioned (pg 36) as critical for developing shared leadership, collaborative work and collegiality which would break this cycle if done effectively. Finally, looking at Chapter 5 and looking at Supervisory Beliefs (pg 92 & 93), I have found that I am a collaborative supervisor who looks at a classroom as a problem solving adventure, but it seems many teachers I have worked with wanted me to be more of a directive informational supervisor which gave them alternatives to choose from when they need helped. I suspect many of my colleagues preferred the directive informational supervisor because they need to solve problems quickly and move on. Also, they don’t have the professional development to solve the problem efficiently and if it goes poorly, they could blame the supervisor.
I'd agree that sometimes, as a teacher, I'd be looking for a straightforward answer (directive) from leadership to guide my decision making. Especially if my need or question stemmed from schoolwide systems of operation. However, I certainly enjoyed the collaborative nature of day to day leadership which allowed me to implement my best pedagogy with guidance and support. On page 81 Glickman says that searching for a single instructional model, effective in all situations, is futile. So too with supervisory models in my opinion. Deploy a well balanced repertoire of beliefs and philosophies in order to create ONE that is truly personalized and your own.
I'd agree that sometimes, as a teacher, I'd be looking for a straightforward answer (directive) from leadership to guide my decision making. Especially if my need or question stemmed from schoolwide systems of operation. However, I certainly enjoyed the collaborative nature of day to day leadership which allowed me to implement my best pedagogy with guidance and support. On page 81 Glickman says that searching for a single instructional model, effective in all situations, is futile. So too with supervisory models in my opinion. Deploy a well balanced repertoire of beliefs and philosophies in order to create ONE that is truly personalized and your own.
Key takeaways from Ch. 3 (which strongly reiterates much of the reading/discussion/learning from last year): The dynamic school is energizing, and has the capacity for continuous improvement to meet the needs of students. Characteristics: •Shared leadership, shared decision making, builds capacity of stakeholders. •Teachers see themselves as part of a common cause (vision), part of a larger enterprise to educate students. •PD is focused on the school’s vision, is collaborative, is embedded and ongoing. •Has a positive learning climate, safe environment, moral tone, strong relationships, a sense of empowerment. •Authentic curriculum, instruction, and assessment – comprehensive curriculum that subsumes and goes beyond external mandates. Embraces higher-order thinking, deep knowledge, and conversation. •Embraces democratic ideals of inclusion, integration, internalization, and inquiry. •Cultural responsiveness is integrated across the curriculum. •Partnerships and networks (both within and beyond the school) underpin and support the work.
Chapter 3 is entitled, “The Dynamic School.” In this chapter, Glickman highlights components in direct contrast to the traditional school attributes described in chapter 2. Glickman provides a brief synopsis on each subtitle: Shared Leadership, Collegiality, and Collaboration; A Cause Beyond Oneself; Professional Development; Positive Learning Climate; Authentic Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; Democracy; Inquiry; Cultural Responsiveness; Partnerships and Networks. Each of these 9 subsections could be full chapters, if not books, unto themselves. Glickman merely acknowledges each component as being a necessary part of the dynamic whole. Chapter 5 somewhat echoes themes brought up in Chapter 3. Many of the core components of the dynamic school manifest themselves in Glickman’s bulleted list describing expert teachers on pages 82-83. Delving into the various philosophies of education is a pastime I usually enjoy sharing with my close colleagues, after hours, at a local watering hole. It seems that in my life, for better or worse, I usually adopt a pluralistic philosophy. In completing the tools in Appendix A and on pages 92 -93, it affirms my stance that no one philosophy dominates my supervisory/educational platform. Different viewpoints are more applicable with some circumstances than others. In other words, sometimes a more directive based approach would be appropriate if efficiency and alignment is necessary for the collective whole. Other times a more collaborative approach would be appropriate if outcomes are most aligned with the individual stakeholders rather than the collective whole.
Chapter 1: Supervision for Successful Schools Summary of key ideas from the team: •Teacher leaders to help with peer instruction •Professional respect •Building capacity within school and building • Supervision bonds individual needs and organizational goals • “The glue is the process by which some person or group of persons is responsible for providing a link between individual needs and organizational goals so that individual within the school can work in harmony toward their vision of what the school should be.” pg 9
Chapter 1: Supervision for Successful Schools Summary of key ideas from the team: •Teacher leaders to help with peer instruction •Professional respect •Building capacity within school and building • Supervision bonds individual needs and organizational goals • “The glue is the process by which some person or group of persons is responsible for providing a link between individual needs and organizational goals so that individual within the school can work in harmony toward their vision of what the school should be.” pg 9
Ch. 5 Takeaways: After reading through chapter 5 I am beginning to see just how much our personal education philosophies will shape the buildings we serve. While the chapter started off discussing instructional goals, effective teaching, and expert teachers, so much of those terms are defined by what beliefs you have towards education. The fascinating piece is, how many different beliefs could lead to a solid education? I think the answer is quite a few. This begs the question, with how many books are published about the best ways to run schools, is there an educational philosophy that leads to the ultimate school system? Or is the ultimate school a fallacy in itself? As I start to develop my own personal philosophies I look forward to our future conversations where we can identify gaps in my beliefs.
I am convinced that collective supervision is a key component to have an effective school environment where all students feel safe and welcomed. Pg. 12 states: The ultimate goal of communal leadership is for every teacher in the school to become both a teacher leader and part of the school's communal leadership. --I love this but part of me struggles with the idea that every teacher. I am challenged to convince every teacher in a building to see themselves as leaders. How do we tackle this issue? Ramon
Group 2 - Chapter 2 Key Highlights: The Norm: Why Traditional Schools Are as They Are.
ReplyDeleteWe discussed:
* Tpep adoption has helped to WA State with minimizing disparities described. WA State is heading in the right directions.
* Some district this is not the case – Ex: BA without instructional training to “instruct” (inadequate induction process for beginning teachers)
* School culture in the larger culture of community – community pressures and perceptions
* Isolation, insufficient support of new teachers, career pathways are limited – becoming increasingly more challenging.
* Need for effective induction and then look at gradual release for process.
* Lack of dialog on instruction – use framework and vision for teaching and learning.
* PLC – doing the real work to work through instruction challenges. * Consider frequency and ensure authentic discussions on instruction (use data). Think about essential standards.
* Where do districts want to invest?
Kathi- thank you for capturing this!
DeleteAs I read this chapter, I realize that many schools and districts in Washington are making forward movement away from these "norms", but I also can't help but think ahead to a situation in which I am assigned a principalship in a building where the described "norms" in this chapter are my school's current reality.
I truly believe that operating as a true PLC is the key to moving away from many of the aforementioned norms in traditional schools. In addition, if an induction plan is not already in place, a strong new teacher induction plan, and mindful teaching assignments for our new teachers is key. However, if I am fortunate enough to be in a building that has moved away from these traditional school norms, then I want to be sure to capitalize on the progress they have made and keep that forward momentum going so our students can continue to grow and flourish.
Kathy did an EXCELLENT job of collecting the key ideas of Chapter 2. Something I would offer to consider that is my impression (so please take with a grain of salt) is that the authors in identifying what traditional schools "are as they are" make some assumptions and generalizations that reveal their particular bent. I don't mind that slant because I think I agree with most of what they are saying, but it is worth noting that interspersed with the impressive collection of research they cite around the very real issues of isolation psychologial dilemma and frustration, the limited pathways available to teachers, inadequate induction, and inequity is a generalization about schools not being places where teachers talk about instruction, are not involved in instructional decisions and they share a lack of technical expertise. I do not believe that is the 'norm' in most schools in our state partly because of how we elected to revise our teacher evaluation system. While there certainly are pockets of toxic cultures and blaming the victim, I do believe that adopting an instructional framework and changing how teachers are evaluated has done a lot of good towards increase dialogue and technical expertise around instruction.
ReplyDeleteOne area that I do agree is still lacking is the reliance on restricted, teacher-centered instructional materials and methods. I'd love for us to dialogue more about the impact these can have on teachers intrinsic motivation as discussed in chapter 2 of Ginsberg's work.
This is Katie by the way, and I meant "Kathi" - my apologies!
DeleteHa, ha, I read it and thought what did I do a great job on??
DeleteChapter 5: Reflections on Educational Beliefs, Teaching, and Supervision
ReplyDeleteBig idea: "Whether or not they are conscious of it, teachers' and supervisors' educational philosophies have a significant impact on instruction and instructional improvement efforts." (page 84)
The chapter begins with an impressive list of qualities that expert and culturally responsive teachers possess. While there is not one single way to deliver effective instruction, research has proven that there are certain qualities that can be identified and worked towards. As supervisors, we need to be clear on our own educational platform and page 85 has a list of questions to help us think about our beliefs. Page 86 and 87 have questions directed to our beliefs on supervision; and page 95 has questions to help us reflect on any cultural biases or assumptions we may be harboring.
This chapter also contains 3 descriptions of supervisory philosophies: essentialism, experimentalism and existentialism. We will likely take a blend of multiple philosophies and beliefs into our own future practice as supervisors.
Thanks for submitting our groups work! You rock!
DeleteSince the summaries above were terrific, I am going to focus on three things that I see linked together. First, in chapter 2 one of the reasons it mentions for why traditional schools are the way they are is that there is usually inadequate induction of beginning teachers (pg 25). This connects to Chapter 3, in which it talks about Shared Leadership...(pg 34). First, for shared leadership to happen, there needs to be teacher leaders. If you're in schools that have high turnover and constantly adding inexperienced or new teachers, you don't 80% experienced teachers (3 or more years experience) to make up traditional teacher leadership teams. Secondly, administrators seem reluctant in schools to share leadership with inexperienced teachers. This seems to a tough cycle to break- poor teacher inductions, teachers quit before moving to teacher leaders, admin. doesn't share leadership because too few experienced teachers, which leaders to poor teacher induction... Professional development is mentioned (pg 36) as critical for developing shared leadership, collaborative work and collegiality which would break this cycle if done effectively.
ReplyDeleteFinally, looking at Chapter 5 and looking at Supervisory Beliefs (pg 92 & 93), I have found that I am a collaborative supervisor who looks at a classroom as a problem solving adventure, but it seems many teachers I have worked with wanted me to be more of a directive informational supervisor which gave them alternatives to choose from when they need helped. I suspect many of my colleagues preferred the directive informational supervisor because they need to solve problems quickly and move on. Also, they don’t have the professional development to solve the problem efficiently and if it goes poorly, they could blame the supervisor.
I'd agree that sometimes, as a teacher, I'd be looking for a straightforward answer (directive) from leadership to guide my decision making. Especially if my need or question stemmed from schoolwide systems of operation. However, I certainly enjoyed the collaborative nature of day to day leadership which allowed me to implement my best pedagogy with guidance and support. On page 81 Glickman says that searching for a single instructional model, effective in all situations, is futile. So too with supervisory models in my opinion. Deploy a well balanced repertoire of beliefs and philosophies in order to create ONE that is truly personalized and your own.
DeleteI'd agree that sometimes, as a teacher, I'd be looking for a straightforward answer (directive) from leadership to guide my decision making. Especially if my need or question stemmed from schoolwide systems of operation. However, I certainly enjoyed the collaborative nature of day to day leadership which allowed me to implement my best pedagogy with guidance and support. On page 81 Glickman says that searching for a single instructional model, effective in all situations, is futile. So too with supervisory models in my opinion. Deploy a well balanced repertoire of beliefs and philosophies in order to create ONE that is truly personalized and your own.
DeleteKey takeaways from Ch. 3 (which strongly reiterates much of the reading/discussion/learning from last year):
ReplyDeleteThe dynamic school is energizing, and has the capacity for continuous improvement to meet the needs of students.
Characteristics:
•Shared leadership, shared decision making, builds capacity of stakeholders.
•Teachers see themselves as part of a common cause (vision), part of a larger enterprise to educate students.
•PD is focused on the school’s vision, is collaborative, is embedded and ongoing.
•Has a positive learning climate, safe environment, moral tone, strong relationships, a sense of empowerment.
•Authentic curriculum, instruction, and assessment – comprehensive curriculum that subsumes and goes beyond external mandates. Embraces higher-order thinking, deep knowledge, and conversation.
•Embraces democratic ideals of inclusion, integration, internalization, and inquiry.
•Cultural responsiveness is integrated across the curriculum.
•Partnerships and networks (both within and beyond the school) underpin and support the work.
Chapter 3 is entitled, “The Dynamic School.” In this chapter, Glickman highlights components in direct contrast to the traditional school attributes described in chapter 2. Glickman provides a brief synopsis on each subtitle: Shared Leadership, Collegiality, and Collaboration; A Cause Beyond Oneself; Professional Development; Positive Learning Climate; Authentic Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; Democracy; Inquiry; Cultural Responsiveness; Partnerships and Networks. Each of these 9 subsections could be full chapters, if not books, unto themselves. Glickman merely acknowledges each component as being a necessary part of the dynamic whole.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 somewhat echoes themes brought up in Chapter 3. Many of the core components of the dynamic school manifest themselves in Glickman’s bulleted list describing expert teachers on pages 82-83. Delving into the various philosophies of education is a pastime I usually enjoy sharing with my close colleagues, after hours, at a local watering hole. It seems that in my life, for better or worse, I usually adopt a pluralistic philosophy. In completing the tools in Appendix A and on pages 92 -93, it affirms my stance that no one philosophy dominates my supervisory/educational platform. Different viewpoints are more applicable with some circumstances than others. In other words, sometimes a more directive based approach would be appropriate if efficiency and alignment is necessary for the collective whole. Other times a more collaborative approach would be appropriate if outcomes are most aligned with the individual stakeholders rather than the collective whole.
Chapter 1: Supervision for Successful Schools
ReplyDeleteSummary of key ideas from the team:
•Teacher leaders to help with peer instruction
•Professional respect
•Building capacity within school and building
• Supervision bonds individual needs and organizational goals
• “The glue is the process by which some person or group of persons is responsible for providing a link between individual needs and organizational goals so that individual within the school can work in harmony toward their vision of what the school should be.” pg 9
Chapter 1: Supervision for Successful Schools
ReplyDeleteSummary of key ideas from the team:
•Teacher leaders to help with peer instruction
•Professional respect
•Building capacity within school and building
• Supervision bonds individual needs and organizational goals
• “The glue is the process by which some person or group of persons is responsible for providing a link between individual needs and organizational goals so that individual within the school can work in harmony toward their vision of what the school should be.” pg 9
Ch. 5 Takeaways:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through chapter 5 I am beginning to see just how much our personal education philosophies will shape the buildings we serve. While the chapter started off discussing instructional goals, effective teaching, and expert teachers, so much of those terms are defined by what beliefs you have towards education. The fascinating piece is, how many different beliefs could lead to a solid education? I think the answer is quite a few. This begs the question, with how many books are published about the best ways to run schools, is there an educational philosophy that leads to the ultimate school system? Or is the ultimate school a fallacy in itself? As I start to develop my own personal philosophies I look forward to our future conversations where we can identify gaps in my beliefs.
I am convinced that collective supervision is a key component to have an effective school environment where all students feel safe and welcomed. Pg. 12 states: The ultimate goal of communal leadership is for every teacher in the school to become both a teacher leader and part of the school's communal leadership. --I love this but part of me struggles with the idea that every teacher. I am challenged to convince every teacher in a building to see themselves as leaders. How do we tackle this issue? Ramon
ReplyDelete