Classroom Observation

Research (Hattie, 2012) indicates that student dialogue is a key way for teachers to ascertain in real time how students are processing information and making meaning. Further, student discourse has been shown to improve students' critical thinking and comprehension (Murphy et al., 2018). Creating classrooms that promote student discourse requires strong rituals and routines around discourse along with thoughtful planning that should consider questions such as: What content, question, artifact, phenomenon, enigma, observation, etc. am I going to have the students discussing and is it "rich" enough to warrant a robust discussion? Have I clearly established the expectations for discussion in my class? Have we practiced those expectations in a low-stakes way that is appropriate to my content and grade level? If the content, text, artifact, etc. is emotionally charged in any way, have I prepared the students for that and discussed how we will handle the inevitable emotions? Would a structure, framework, or protocol be helpful to me or the students as a scaffold for a productive discussion?

• This article (5-6 min read) provides a good overview of why oral classroom discourse is important and provides some steps on how it can be approached in the classroom.
• The video that is linked here shows a different way of approaching discourse. In this video, the presenter shows how discourse can be achieved through writing. While he demonstrates through a technology medium, his example could easily be applied to a low-tech paper and pencil example.
• This article from Ed Leadership digs into the idea of argument as a skill, one that needs to be explicitly taught in classrooms. The article gives educators specific examples of language and concepts like argument and evidence that we often use in classrooms without fully defining them for students. The article provides great practical strategies for providing students with clear guidelines for these often "murky" concepts.
• Finally, for teachers looking for a collection of strategies that they can use in the classroom, check out this link. Hover over the tile for the name of the strategy, when you click on it you will be provided with a brief overview of the strategy along with options for additional resources including video demonstrations.

Learning targets, learning objectives, and learning intentions are all used synonymously. Learning objectives are clear statements to students about what it is that they want them to learn as a result of a lesson or a series of lessons so that both the student and the teacher can easily assess where the student is along the trajectory of mastering that goal of learning (Hattie, 2012; Moss & Brookhart, 2012; Wiggins & McTighe, 2007). 

• If you are looking for some help in developing learning objectives, this resource from BC's School of Education may be beneficial.
• For our elementary teachers who may be new at experimenting with learning objectives, a place to start might be with the ARC Power Goals. Consider developing a system for making students' Power Goals more public. A few of your colleagues have already begun experimenting with this; it may be a good discussion topic for PLC. 

Depth of knowledge is way of thinking about how deeply students must understand what they are learning in order to be able to produce the desired outcomes in a particular task (Francis, 2017). The origins of Depth of Knowledge come from the turn of the century and was developed by Norman Webb. Webb presents four levels of knowledge: DOK1 - Knowledge Acquisition, DOK2 - Knowledge Application, DOK3 - Knowledge Analysis, DOK4 - Knowledge Augmentation

• For an in-depth dive into DOK, and how an understanding can be applied in the classroom, check out this ASCD article.
• For a quick resource to get you started with key verbs, prompts, and questions for each DOK level, see this resource here.

Differentiated instruction speaks to the work that teachers do to attend to the learning needs of students in the classroom (Tomlinson, 2017). At the heart of what we do in schools, lies the instructional core - a three-sided interaction between student, teacher, and curriculum. Differentiated Instruction focuses on the teacher's ability to make adjustments to their interactions with students, or students' interactions with the curriculum in order to best meet the learning needs of students in the classroom. 

• There are four major ways that Differentiation can occur: Content, Process, Product, and Learning Environment. To see a quick overview of these four, check out this graphic here.

As noted in the section above, what we do in schools is centered on the instructional core, which is the interaction between student, teacher, and curriculum. The instructional core is not effective if any one of these three pillars is weak; therefore, student-teacher relationships are a key element of the effective classroom. Frey et al. (2019) remind us that at the heart of all learning is a social and emotional relationship and that in order for students to engage in academic learning, we must tend to their relational needs. 

• Looking for a bit of inspiration and some grounding around the importance of the student-teacher relationship? Take 15 minutes to watch this TED Talk from Rita Pierson about the value of relationships.
• This section of the new observation form is grounded in a Model of relationships from the Search Institute. For an overview of the framework, click here. If you would like to learn more about this model, click here.