Change is the only thing that is constant to the point that this statement has been overused time and again. But if there was one thing that has not see a significant change in the course of centuries, it would be the educational system. There is a dire need to evolve the methods of teaching just as how society and culture has evolved.
Just as it is important that the students learn, so is it with the teachers. Instructional School rounds is not a means to evaluate the instructors but a venue for them to discuss techniques, principles and their unique ways of instruction. This can be a school to district wide activity participated by many educators. This idea was taken from the method of medical rounds where doctors discuss the condition of patients among other medical professionals.
This is how this works. An group of three to five instructors go inside the class of another teacher to observe and take down notes. What they write depend on standard questions that answer the different aspects of class instruction. They do not grade or use a rubric for against their observations and they are merely just stating what they see.
For each round or cycle, there is one concern that is being examined. This gives the observers and the one being observed a main focus to address. Some of the questions are framed after the parts and steps of how a student learns. The basic steps of teaching involves the introduction of a lesson, the ways a teacher gives out modules to make sure the knowledge is retained and then evaluation.
Individually, instructors are in the perfect avenue for introspection with regards to their methods. The observing panel are also able to evaluate and compare themselves with their colleagues in a systematic way that avoids any conflict among each other. Different processes of learning are being observed such as introduction to new topics, how well the class digests it, testing and knowledge evaluation. The group is then lead to discuss what they have seen as good and bad points.
The concept is basically made up of questions that encourage self reflection when in discussion with other educators. While this is usually at a scale limited within the school, there are some that have made it a district wide activity. This gives a broader sense and a bigger pot of knowledge that teachers can get from. They are allowing professionals from the same field to essentially help them get better at what they do. There then is a shared accountability for the effectiveness of learning is across the community.
This makes tracking the progress of students more quantifiable. Statistics and number can be gathered from the rounds and may prove useful in identifying what causes schools to perform excellently or otherwise. Once the data is gathered interpretations are more accurate. The numbers never lie.
The needs in terms of facilities and equipment can also be clearly seen especially in cross school rounds. This becomes easier to identify since there are other people from a different environment that gets to observe the same institution in a foreign perspective. This also assures that there is shared responsibility of the learning quality in one community.
There is always only one concern that is being tackled in every round. This prevents the risk of giving out wrong solutions to the right problems. Doing this may lead to a backlash that would significantly affect learners.
Just as it is important that the students learn, so is it with the teachers. Instructional School rounds is not a means to evaluate the instructors but a venue for them to discuss techniques, principles and their unique ways of instruction. This can be a school to district wide activity participated by many educators. This idea was taken from the method of medical rounds where doctors discuss the condition of patients among other medical professionals.
This is how this works. An group of three to five instructors go inside the class of another teacher to observe and take down notes. What they write depend on standard questions that answer the different aspects of class instruction. They do not grade or use a rubric for against their observations and they are merely just stating what they see.
For each round or cycle, there is one concern that is being examined. This gives the observers and the one being observed a main focus to address. Some of the questions are framed after the parts and steps of how a student learns. The basic steps of teaching involves the introduction of a lesson, the ways a teacher gives out modules to make sure the knowledge is retained and then evaluation.
Individually, instructors are in the perfect avenue for introspection with regards to their methods. The observing panel are also able to evaluate and compare themselves with their colleagues in a systematic way that avoids any conflict among each other. Different processes of learning are being observed such as introduction to new topics, how well the class digests it, testing and knowledge evaluation. The group is then lead to discuss what they have seen as good and bad points.
The concept is basically made up of questions that encourage self reflection when in discussion with other educators. While this is usually at a scale limited within the school, there are some that have made it a district wide activity. This gives a broader sense and a bigger pot of knowledge that teachers can get from. They are allowing professionals from the same field to essentially help them get better at what they do. There then is a shared accountability for the effectiveness of learning is across the community.
This makes tracking the progress of students more quantifiable. Statistics and number can be gathered from the rounds and may prove useful in identifying what causes schools to perform excellently or otherwise. Once the data is gathered interpretations are more accurate. The numbers never lie.
The needs in terms of facilities and equipment can also be clearly seen especially in cross school rounds. This becomes easier to identify since there are other people from a different environment that gets to observe the same institution in a foreign perspective. This also assures that there is shared responsibility of the learning quality in one community.
There is always only one concern that is being tackled in every round. This prevents the risk of giving out wrong solutions to the right problems. Doing this may lead to a backlash that would significantly affect learners.
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To enhance teachers' pedagogical skills, it is imperative to implement instructional school rounds. To use these valuable tools, just read more about them at http://www.instructionalrounds.com.
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