Teaching Tip Tuesday–Observations & Evaluations

How to Get a “Highly Effective” rating during an Evaluation or Observation…

Next Monday (September 10^th) will be the first scheduled classroom observations from our MOSIG visitors.  The district and building administrators will also be more visible in our classrooms on a more regular basis each week. We want to show our best and show that we are proud to be a part of MSB!  How can you receive high marks as a highly effective teacher?

Here is a checklist of things to consider as you prepare for SIG & Administrative observations:

1.  Blackboard configuration—All of the following items need to be visibly posted: objectives, essential questions & skills (with DOK), Tier 2 Vocabulary, Do Now, Agenda, Exit Slip.  See my blog post from a couple of weeks ago for more information and examples.
   
2.  Do Now & Exit Slip/Wrap up:  Begin class with an anticipatory set or a formative assessment & end class with a short formative assessment.  Watch your time at the end of class and wrap up the learning.  (Other ideas: A-Z summary, parking lot, thumbs up/down, Shaping up review, TILT journal, 3-2-1…)
3.  High Yield Instructional Strategies—Marzano’s Strategies.  This month we are focusing on identifying similarities & differences, so that would be a great focus.  Think beyond the Venn and find ways for students to compare what they know with what they learned.  Use the cheat sheet I gave you during the PD day last Friday–> Cheat Sheet for Similarities & Differences Activities
4.  Active Engagement—Stay away from worksheets & long lectures.  Chunk your lesson. Use a variety of instructional and assessment strategies throughout the lesson.  Use dry erase boards, cooperative learning, anticipation guides (& Get Off the Fence,) smarboards/projectors, INSERT, Chalk Talk, Tea Party, Probable Passage, Give One Get One, graphic organizers, speeches, skits….Use new methods to get the students excited about and engaged in their learning.
5. Rigor—Move beyond recall (DOK 1) questions.  Require your students to apply what they learn and make inferences.  Students should be thinking critically about the material you are teaching.  DOK levels need to be 3 or 4.  See my old blog post about effective questioning strategies.
6. Data & Rubrics—Post meaningful data & rubrics with student work in your room.

 If you have any questions about any of the items on the checklist, do not hesitate to ask.  I will be happy to collaborate or give feedback on your lessons for Monday or any day.  I can model instruction/strategies.  If I mentioned any instructional activities you aren’t familiar with, check my blog (msbinstructionalcoach.wordpress.com).  I have information and directions for most of the instructional activities there.   Be proud to be a part of MSB and show off your best!  We can prove that MSB is a great school!

Teaching Tip Tuesday: Give One, Get One

GIVE ONE, GET ONE

 PURPOSE: Is a technique used to initiate physical movement to promote students to think divergently and to generate many ideas quickly.

 PROCEDURE: The teacher poses a question and asks the students to record two responses. The teacher then asks the students to stand up and move around the room to make connections with other students’ responses. Each time a student “connects” with a new student, he needs to give the student a different idea and get another idea in return (new ideas should be added to student’s original list). If both participants have the same ideas, they need to work together to generate a new idea. They then can continue their journey connecting with other students. The teacher provides the students with a goal for the number of different ideas to collect and a time limit within which they have to collect them. It is important that students are reminded to work with only one student at a time (before they move to another student). Students should not form small groups to collect ideas. The point of the strategy is for students to meet other students and to move from one person to another, sharing and revising ideas.

STEPS:

1. Teacher poses a question.

2. Students generate two ideas.

3. Teacher establishes a goal (number of ideas and a time limit – time to collect ideas).

4. Students stand up and “connect” with another student only to give an idea and get a new idea.

5. If they both have similar ideas, they need to brainstorm together to generate a new idea.

6. Students return to their seats (they can share ideas in small groups and try to generate two or three additional new ideas).

7. Teacher collects and records ideas to be examined and explored.

EXAMPLE: How is a leaf like a factory? Generate two ideas. Move around the room sharing ideas until you have given and collected six additional ideas in two minutes.