(Back to Table of Contents). Coordination with Mentor Teachers. Low. Medium. High. Pre-Planning. Low. Medium. High. Time
Instructional Rounds
I.
Instructional Rounds Protocol
II.
Observation Form
Note to users: This protocol was originally designed to be used with pre-service teachers who are completing their field practicum (i.e. student teaching). However, the activities described here could easily be adapted for use with in-service teachers in professional learning communities. The term “TCs” is used repeatedly in these documents and refers to teacher candidates, or student teachers.
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Instructional Rounds Protocol (Back to Table of Contents)
Coordination with Mentor Teachers Low Medium High
Low
Time in Higher Education Classroom 15-30 minutes
Pre-Planning Medium
High
Time in K-12 Classroom 15-30 minutes
Lesson Outcomes What type of thinking or reflection is this protocol designed to get teacher candidates to do?
This protocol allows teacher candidates to learn best practices from exemplary teachers in a supportive and non-evaluative environment and to benefit from the ideas of others - including their course instructor and fellow TCs. Instructor Preparation What up-front preparation will the instructor need to do to prepare for this protocol?
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Determine the focus of the observation (this could be an instructional strategy, TAP indicator, etc.) Find strong teachers who can model the observation focus in their classrooms. Communicate with the teachers to determine which teacher behaviors or competencies will be modeled (For example, in an upcoming lesson during which he/she will be observed during instructional rounds, the classroom teacher will make it a point to demonstrate high-quality academic feedback). Coordinate logistics: determine the date(s), time(s) and duration of visits. Create groups of 5 or fewer TCs. Create guiding questions or materials that may aid TCs’ observations. Steps What is the procedure for completing this protocol?
1. Background: Instructor uses class time to build background knowledge for the focus of the observation. 2. Guidelines: Instructor creates guidelines for the activity, emphasizing the non-evaluative nature of the observation. 3. Observation: TCs observe mentor teachers and take notes only on the focus area. (The instructor may provide guiding questions or points of focus for the observation. See the addendum for an example.) The observation may be 15 – 30 minutes and is determined by the focus of the observation. Attached is a sample observation form. 4. Repeat: Depending on the number of classroom teachers the instructor has coordinated with, TCs may “rotate” to different classrooms to observe different teachers. 5. Debrief: TCs debrief the observation. This discussion should focus on specific teacher and student actions and outcomes. TCs should also take note of similarities or differences between what they noted and what their classmates or instructor noted. 6. Individual Reflection: After the discussion, TCs should specifically reflect on how their new learning will impact their own teaching. Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved • SanfordInspire.org
*NOTE: If TCs rotate to multiple classrooms, they may observe different mentors for different things or the same thing. For example, TCs might observe how two different mentors give academic feedback, or how one gives academic feedback and how the other designs aligned activities and materials. Reflection What will teacher candidates be prompted to think about upon the completion of the protocol? What questions will they consider?
• • • • •
What are the similarities and differences between how you _____________ and how (observed teacher) does _______________? What changes, if any, would you make to the way you ________________? What are your takeaways from this observation when you think about your own teaching and your own classroom? What questions do you still have about __________________? What challenges might you still have regarding _________________?
*Blanks may be filled with the observation focus. Setting Students Up for Success What challenges does this protocol present? How could it go wrong? What can the instructor do to address possible obstacles before implementation?
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Because instructors may not be able to observe all the mentor teachers with their TCs, they must develop a strong relationship with the mentor teachers and know their strengths before planning instructional rounds. Instructors will likely need to coordinate with more than one mentor teacher for each instructional round group and determine the best combination of TCs for each observation. Instructors may want to find several mentor teachers with the same strength so all the TCs can observe for the same skill or competency, or they may decide to have each TC group observe something different. The course instructor must communicate with the classroom teachers who will be visited before instructional rounds take place – both to confirm which competency they will demonstrate during the lesson and to confirm that they are willing to be observed. Implementation How should the protocol be implemented within the structure of the class?
This protocol may be used after a series of class sessions on a certain topic or within a class, sandwiched by background information with a debrief after the observation. Ideally, students will have had time to practice the observation focus in their own classrooms prior to the observation. Additional Resources Access these to learn more about this protocol
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: “The Art & Science of Teaching/Making the Most of Instructional Rounds” http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Making-the-Most-ofInstructional-Rounds.aspx
Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved • SanfordInspire.org
Instructional Rounds Observation Form (Back to Table of Contents)
Observer:
Teacher Observed:
Date/Time:
Observation Focus
Teacher Actions
Student Actions
What is the teacher saying and doing? Describer using specific words and actions.
What are the students saying and doing? Describe using specific words and actions.
Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved • SanfordInspire.org
