EL5623 Developing Teachers Mod 4
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Feb 20, 2024
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Professional Development and Post-Conference Planning
Roxann Lozar
American College for Educators
EL5623: Developing Teachers
Dr. Bryce Solberg
December 10, 2023
Subject: Post-Conference Invitation and Professional Development Plan
Dear Kindergarten Math Teacher,
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to observe your recent Kindergarten Math lesson on 11/22/23. Your commitment to creating an engaging learning environment is commendable, and I am excited to discuss the observation findings and explore potential
avenues for growth together.
Post-Conference Details:
Date:
Monday, December 11, 2023
Time:
3:15pm
Platform:
virtual via google meets (calendar invite has been sent)
Cognitive Coaching Model:
We will be employing a cognitive coaching model during our post-conference
discussion. This approach is designed to facilitate self-directed learning and encourage reflective practices (Blackbyrn, 2023). It involves asking reflective questions to guide you through a thoughtful analysis of your teaching strategies, strengths, and areas for growth.
Overview of Discussion:
Our post-conference will focus on the following key aspects:
Observation Findings:
Highlighting your strengths in maintaining a balanced instructional approach and effectively communicating learning goals and expectations.
Identifying growth opportunities, specifically in encouraging students to use more mathematical language and increasing the frequency of higher-level questioning.
Potential Goals:
Encouraging students to actively utilize mathematical language in their responses.
Increasing the frequency of higher-level questioning to foster critical thinking.
Proposed Professional Development Plan:
Tailored strategies and resources to support the integration of mathematical language.
Techniques for incorporating higher-level questioning seamlessly into your lessons.
Collaborative Approach:
Our post-conference is envisioned as a collaborative effort to enhance your teaching practice. Your input and insights are invaluable in shaping the professional development plan to
align with your goals.
As you prepare for our discussion, I invite you to think over the following reflective questions. These questions aim to create a valuable dialogue that enhances the overall effectiveness of the evaluation process (Meador, 2019). 1.
How do you currently encourage the use of mathematical language in your classroom?
2.
Why do you believe encouraging mathematical language is important, and what specific strategies can enhance its integration?
3.
How would you describe your current approach to questioning, especially in terms of depth and complexity, and how comfortable do you feel with it?
4.
What goals do you have for incorporating more higher-level questioning, and what strategies could support you in achieving those goals?
I am eager to engage in this collaborative and growth-oriented discussion. Your dedication to student-
centered learning is evident, and I believe our conversation will provide valuable insights to further enrich your teaching practices.
Looking forward to our meeting.
Best regards,
Roxann Lozar, Principal
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Subject: Exploring Insights and Growth Opportunities: Post-Observation Conference Invitation
Dear 3
rd
Grade Main Idea Teacher, I trust this message finds you in good spirits. I want to convey my appreciation for the chance to witness your 3rd-grade Main Idea lesson on November 22, 2023. Your dedication to fostering a supportive learning environment is commendable.
As we look ahead to our post-conference discussion, I am thrilled to share that we will be harnessing the power of the Peer Coaching model. This collaborative framework emphasizes mutual support, non-
judgmental reflection, and joint problem-solving among colleagues (Steinberg, 2021). Through this partnership, you and a colleague will engage in reciprocal roles, taking turns as both coach and coachee. The focus will be on observing and providing constructive feedback centered around personalized goals for professional development and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Post-Observation Conference Details:
Date
: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Time:
8:15am
Platform:
via zoom, an invite with the meeting link has been sent
Agenda Overview:
Observation Findings:
We will delve into the strengths observed during the lesson, such as your clear communication of learning objectives and effective use of visual thinking strategies. Additionally, we will explore growth opportunities, including ways to enhance individualized support for students and promote higher-level thinking.
Potential Goal
s: During the post-conference, we will identify performance goals for future lessons. These goals will focus on refining teaching strategies to address individual student needs and encouraging higher-order thinking among students.
Professional Development Plan: The professional development plan, grounded in the peer coaching model, will involve refining your teaching strategies for individualized student support and fostering higher-order thinking. Through ongoing peer coaching sessions, you will work towards achieving these goals, fostering continuous improvement in instructional effectiveness.
In the spirit of collaboration, I believe that our post-conference discussions will provide valuable insights and contribute to your ongoing professional development. In preparation for our post conference, please
be prepared to discuss the following questions as you reflect on your practices:
1.
How do you currently perceive the impact of your clear communication of learning objectives and the effective use of visual thinking strategies on student engagement and understanding?
2.
In what specific ways do you envision enhancing individualized support for students, considering diverse learning needs, and how might this contribute to a more inclusive classroom environment?
3.
As we identify performance goals for future lessons, how do you see refining your teaching strategies to not only address individual student needs but also to encourage higher-order thinking, fostering a deeper level of understanding among your students?
4.
Reflecting on your teaching practices, how comfortable do you currently feel in promoting and eliciting higher-order thinking from your students, and what strategies might you explore to further strengthen this aspect of your teaching?
Your commitment to continuous improvement is evident, and I look forward to supporting you on this journey.
Best regards,
Roxann Lozar, Principal
Subject: Subject: Post-Observation Growth Discussion: Charting our Course with the GROW Model
Dear 4
th
Grade Math Teacher,
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for allowing me to observe your 4th-grade Math class on November 23, 2023. Your commitment to creating an engaging and collaborative learning environment is evident, and I gained valuable insights from the experience.
As we continue to work together to enhance instructional practices, I would like to schedule a post-
observation conference to delve into the details of the lesson further. For our discussion, I plan to use the GROW coaching model, a framework that focuses on Goal setting, Reality checking, Options exploring, and Wrap-up (Quenza, 2023). This model aims to guide our conversation towards actionable steps for your professional development.
Post-Observation Conference Details:
Date:
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time:
2:15pm
Platform:
virtually via Google Meets, calendar invite with meet link sent Agenda Overview:
We will discuss the strengths observed during the lesson, such as your adept use of engagement techniques and the establishment of effective classroom routines. Additionally, we will explore growth opportunities, including ways to provide more specific feedback to students and to enhance the communication of learning objectives.
Potential Goals: Based on our discussion, we will identify performance goals for future lessons. These goals will focus on providing more detailed feedback to students, elaborating on the effectiveness of their choices in problem-solving, and formulating and communicating clear learning objectives explicitly.
Professional Development Plan: The GROW Professional Development Plan aims to address identified growth opportunities by focusing on two key goals. Firstly, the plan centers on enhancing the specificity of feedback to students through a thorough evaluation of current methods, participation in relevant workshops, and the implementation of
a structured feedback framework emphasizing clarity and constructive guidance. Secondly, it aims to strengthen the communication of learning objectives by reflecting on existing practices, exploring diverse
techniques for conveying learning goals, and implementing varied explicit communication methods, with
a continual assessment of student understanding through formative assessments. Your thoughtful reflections of the following questions will serve as valuable insights during our discussion
and contribute to our collaborative exploration of your teaching practices (Christians & Christians, 2021).
Before our meeting, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions:
1.
How do you currently provide feedback to students, and where do you perceive opportunities for enhancing specificity?
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2.
In terms of communicating learning objectives, what practices do you find effective, and where do you see potential for improvement?
3.
When considering strategies to enhance feedback specificity, what alternatives do you believe could be beneficial for your teaching context?
4.
Reflecting on our discussions, what concrete steps or changes in practice are you willing to commit to implementing in your upcoming lessons, envisioning the impact on a more effective and engaging learning environment
?
Best regards,
Roxann Lozar, Principal
References
Blackbyrn, S. (2023, November 23). Cognitive Coaching [The Definitive Guide] - Coach Foundation. Coach Foundation
. https://coachfoundation.com/blog/cognitive-coaching/
Christians, K., & Christians, K. (2021, September 15). Are your teachers prepared for their Post-
Observation conference? | Network for Educator Effectiveness
. Network for Educator Effectiveness |. https://neeadvantage.com/blog/are-your-teachers-prepared-for-their-
post-observation-conference/
Meador, D. (2019, February 11). Asking questions can improve a teacher evaluation
. ThoughtCo.
https://www.thoughtco.com/asking-questions-can-improve-a-teacher-evaluation-
3194538
Quenza. (2023, October 26). Coaching Models in Education: A Path to Excellence - Quenza
. https://quenza.com/blog/knowledge-base/coaching-models-in-education/
Steinberg, B. (2021, December 20). The surprising power of peer coaching
. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/04/the-surprising-power-of-peer-coaching