The Power of Teacher Rounds: A Guide for Facilitators, Principals, & Department Chairs / Edition 1

by Vivian B. Troen, Katherine C. Boles

Overview

The definitive, step-by-step guide for conducting teacher rounds!

With teacher rounds, educators benefit from the observant peer learning that’s common in other demanding fields. From practical strategies to ready-to-use templates, this invaluable book offers a complete toolkit for leading a thriving teacher rounds program. Readers will learn how to:

• Create positive, empowering teams that lift both instruction and student performance
• Link teacher rounds with Common Core implementation
• Develop rounds facilitation skills through vignettes, video clips, and group learning exercises
• Lead productive year-end program reviews
• Understand how principals and department chairs can best support the rounds program

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483349954
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	05/09/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	461,255
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

See Vivian and Katherine's Presenter Profile Here!

VIVIAN TROEN and KATHERINE C. BOLES

Considered authorities on the subjects of teacher education, teacher leadership, and professional development schools, Troen and Boles deliver workshops on Teacher Teams and Teacher Leadership, speak at conferences and seminars, and regularly consult to schools and school districts in the United States and internationally. As classroom teachers, they founded one of the nation’s first professional development schools to link colleges and public schools in partnerships for the preservice education of teachers as well as the ongoing professional development of veteran teachers.

They are the authors of Who’s Teaching Your Children: Why The Teacher Crisis is Worse Than You Think and What Can Be Done About It (Yale University Press, 2003) as well as numerous articles and book chapters on teachers and teaching. Most recently they have joined national leaders of professional organizations of educators, state education agencies and universities in the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium, convened by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to develop model national standards for teacher leadership.

Troen co-directs the Induction Partnership Initiative at Brandeis University, guiding schools in developing the capacity to support new teachers. She also leads school administrators in regularly scheduled online, networked seminars investigating a wide range of issues surrounding induction practices and professional development for new and experienced teachers.

See Katherine and Vivian's Presenter Profile Here!

VIVIAN TROEN and KATHERINE C. BOLES

Considered authorities on the subjects of teacher education, teacher leadership, and professional development schools, Troen and Boles deliver workshops on Teacher Teams and Teacher Leadership, speak at conferences and seminars, and regularly consult to schools and school districts in the United States and internationally. As classroom teachers, they founded one of the nation’s first professional development schools to link colleges and public schools in partnerships for the preservice education of teachers as well as the ongoing professional development of veteran teachers.

They are the authors of Who’s Teaching Your Children: Why The Teacher Crisis is Worse Than You Think and What Can Be Done About It (Yale University Press, 2003) as well as numerous articles and book chapters on teachers and teaching. Most recently they have joined national leaders of professional organizations of educators, state education agencies and universities in the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium, convened by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to develop model national standards for teacher leadership.

Boles is a Senior Lecturer on Education and Faculty Director of the Learning and Teaching Masters Degree Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received her doctorate from Harvard, and her courses examine the latest research on school reform, teacher education, teacher teams, and new forms of teacher leadership.

Table of Contents

Forward
Introduction
Getting from Then to Now
Implementing the Common Core State Standards
About this Book
Part I - Background
1. What is Rounds?
Rounds is a Unique Form of Professional Development
A Rounds Group in Action: A True-to-Life Story
Pre Rounds Meeting - Choosing a Compelling Problem of Practice
Preparing the Host Teacher
Observing the Host Teacher Teach
Debriefing the Observation
Committing to a Change of Practice
It's a Circular Path to Perfection
2. Why Do Rounds?
Rounds Creates a Framework for Critical Colleagueship
Rounds Facilities the Sharing for Successful Practice
Rounds Helps Develop a Shared Vision of Good Teaching
Rounds is Low-Cost, High-Impact Strategy for Implementing the Common Core State Standards
Rounds is Aligned With Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning
3. Who Does Rounds?
The Rounds Group
Challenges for the Group
The Rounds Facilitators
Challenges for Facilitators
Facilitator Study Groups
The Host Teacher
Preparation for the Observation
Following the Observation
Part II - Facilitators
4. How to Prepare for Rounds
Step 1: Lay Groundwork for Collaboration
Establish Norms
Learn How to Observe: Conduct A Rounds Observation Workshop
Step 2: Conduct the Introduction to Rounds Meeting
5. How to Implement Rounds
Step 1: Facilitator Prepares the Host Teacher
Supporting the Host Teacher in Preparing the Form
Using the Host Teacher Preparation Form
Don't Forget the Kids
Step 2: Rounds Group Observes the Host Teacher's Class
Step 3: Group Debriefs the Observation
Step 4: Group Conducts the Next Rounds Meeting
Developing a list of Common Criteria
Step 5: Teachers Share a Record of Practice
Examples of Commitments to Change and Records of Practice
6. Year-End Wrap-Up
Has the Work Improved Student Learning?
The Answer is Yes!
Video Case: Examining One Teacher's Change of Practice
Framing the Context
The Power of Teacher Rounds
End of Year Reflection
7. Case & Guides to Case Analysis
Using Cases to Facilitate Discussion of Issues Confronting Rounds Groups
How and When to Use Cases
Ideally
Alternatively
Part III - Principals & Department Chairs
8. Role of the Principal
Understand what Rounds Requires
Assess Teacher Talent
Choose the Best Candidates
Lay the Cultural Groundwork
Build on Firm Ground With Good Resources
Provide Ongoing Support
9. Rounds for Department Chairs: Improving High School Teacher Development & Supervision
Department Chairs Step Up
Pull the Lever
The Difference Between Department Chair Rounds and Faculty Rounds
How to Implement Department Chair Rounds
Build a Culture of Trust
Select your DCR Facilitator
Facilitator Frames Rounds
Prepare the Department Chair Host
Choose a Compelling Problem of Practice
Prepare for the Round
Follow the Protocol for Debriefing
Watch the Video
Practice our Post-Observation Conference End Game
Make an End Game Checklist
Part IV - Appendices
A. CCSS Speaking and Listening Standard 6-12
B. Glenda's Host Teacher Preparation Form
C. Glenda's Record of Practice
D. Observation Workshop: Learning to See, Unlearning to Judge
E. Example of a Problem Aligned to the Common Core State
F. Alex's Host Teacher Preperation Form
G. Alex's Student Slides
H: Alex's Student Email Response
References

Editorial Reviews

"What Vivian Troen and Kitty Boles have done in this book is…the use of rounds as a dedicated learning environment for teachers. This book provides the scaffolding and support that teachers can use, on their own, or in an organized fashion as part of more systemic strategy, to create the infrastructure necessary to bring collective learning deliberately and explicitly into the daily life of teachers. Troen and Boles stress in many places in this book the importance of rounds as a cultural-building practice. For me, this is the central contribution they make. Rounds is not simply a practice; it is a practice in the service of building a professional culture. "

Richard F. Elmore