What has become increasingly clear through research that probes more deeply into the inner workings of effective classrooms is that the teacher is the crucial factor in the classroom. In fact, study after study points to teacher expertise as the critical variable in effective reading instruction.
Gambrell, L. B., & Morrow, L. M. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. New York: Guilford Press.
Welcome back to part 3 of 5 in this series! As we continue to look at literacy leadership, I want to focus, this time, on how leaders can help to ensure that every child has a great teacher every year. Ultimately, that is the crux of it all. Teachers matter. A lot. Again...it’s not just me saying this. Research, including the quote above from Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, has shown this time and again with studies on how student achievement increases dramatically when they are in classrooms with great teachers. There is, quite frankly, no substitute for a good teacher.
Recently, I watched the movie Hidden Figures about mathematician Katherine Johnson and the other African-American women who were so critical in helping the American space program succeed. In the movie, there is a point where John Glenn is about to launch into orbit, but the new IBM computer that NASA purchased was giving numbers that didn’t match what everyone was expecting. At one point, John Glenn says, “Get the girl to check the numbers.” He also says that it’s hard for him to trust something that he can’t look in the eye. That is the trust our teachers need to be given, too.
In teaching, there are new computerized assessment programs, scripted instructional programs, and all manner of gadgets that we depend on to give us numbers on students or create profiles of students or to make decisions about students. The problem with that is that students are PEOPLE. When there is a people variable involved, then people have to be part of the equation. I can get a computer printout that shows a student is reading on beginner level and is considered to need tier 3 level of interventions (side note: tiers describe interventions….NOT students...soapbox for another day); however, is the computer able to consider that the student was up all night because his family got evicted from their apartment? No. A teacher can take that into consideration, though.
We simply can’t deny, minimize, or try to replace the impact of a teacher who can make good instructional decisions. In order to do that, though, teachers must have the tools, training, and practice in the thinking required for the level of instructional problem-solving that will have a lasting impact on students. So, here are three tips for building teachers capacity and expertise:
- Make time for learning.
- Lead the way.
- Coach them to their best.
Make time for learning.
If you are an educator, you are a learner. We would never expect a doctor to leave medical school and never learn anything new in the field. They would be irrelevant in months. The same is true for us. Learning has to be a priority. Campus and district leaders have a huge impact on whether learning is valued. It seems odd to think that learning might not be valued on a campus, but it happens more than we would like to admit. Numbers are valued, data is valued, growth plans, compliance, and engagement may be valued, but is learning? For teachers?
I’m not asking if there is a designated “PLC” time. More often than not, those are just meetings. Lesson plans are done, data is reviewed, frustrations are vented. That is necessary, I understand, but I’m talking about time dedicated to learning something new. PLCs are a fantastic vehicle for the kind of learning that I’m proposing IF they are intentionally planned and structured. I have had great success with PLCs in the past, but it takes a commitment to stay the course and some serious planning upfront.
Aside from PLCs, though, principals and leaders can use staff meetings, book studies, Google Classroom, school Twitter hashtags, blogs, learning portfolios, article studies, Pinterest, and so many other tools to promote and encourage learning. Focus on one or two initiatives or let teachers design their own learning networks. Provide designated times for groups to meet and various ways for teachers to share learning. Then, stick with it. Don’t let those learning times be usurped or pushed aside for more “important” things. Follow up on learning. Expect high levels of learning...students deserve it.
Lead the Way
It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway)...we lead by example, not words. We can talk about the importance of learning all day, but if I, as a leader, designate a time for PLCs then go to my office to finish work while they are going on….I’m not leading by example. I know that administrators have insanely stressful and busy jobs. I don’t want to discount that at all. Time is precious...and so are students.
One of the leaders that I most respect in this world and had the opportunity to learn from for many years once said that time is not the constant variable that everything else revolves around. I remember her talking to a group of district administrators and saying that students are the constant. Everything else must revolve around them...even time. That stuck with me through the years.
Time is malleable. Use it for things that matter. Be the lead learner. What are you reading? What are you blogging about? What Twitter chats are you involved in? What new tools have you been playing with? These are not things to just do on the side or when you have time. When teachers have administrators who talk about things they are learning, who try out lessons in classrooms, who write as a way to express learning….it makes a difference. It implies an expectation for learning without having to have a stated learning policy. It just becomes part of the school culture. If you want your school to be a place of learning, start learning.
Coach them to their best.
Coaching is a realm of professional development that is growing tremendously in education and other arenas. Why? Coaching truly offers the “in the moment”, job-embedded, personalized learning that helps us recognize factors that affect our decisions and helps us to develop tools for making better ones. Watch any NFL game on a Sunday, and you will see coaches for various players and groups of players. You have defensive line coaches, quarterback coaches, receiving coaches. They work with the players before, during, and after the game. They show them things to tweak in the moment and help them to reflect and refine their talent at every point along the way. Educators need the same thing. Our game is constantly changing.
Many schools and districts have instructional coaches, but there are still far too many that don’t. In those that do, it is often someone who was appointed to the position because he was an exemplary classroom teacher, and it is assumed that he would be a great coach. That can certainly be true, but coaching requires a completely different skill set. Being a great classroom teacher does not mean you will be a great coach. In many cases, these coaches are set up for failure because they receive little training, if any at all, on coaching skills. The same is true for administrators. With new appraisal guidelines and the emphasis on growth, it is imperative that administrators are also skilled coaches. That is not usually emphasized in administrative leadership programs or in subsequent training they receive. It may be necessary for administrators to get coaching in order to hone their skills, as well. Imagine the impact that would have on teachers’ willingness to receive feedback!
As you reflect on how you might prioritize learning on your campus or in your district, consider the following questions:
- When do teachers learn? How do they share their learning?
- What am I reading/studying?
- What are the teachers reading/studying? What are you reading/studying?
- What topics and types of training have been prioritized?
- What do staff meetings/PLCs look like?
- Who are the literacy leaders on campus?
I hope this was helpful, and I would love to hear ways that you are seeking to develop your craft or ways that you are encouraging learning on your campus or in your district.
See you next time for part 4!
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