Professional Competencies Case Studies: Facilitator's Guide

Professional Competencies Case Studies: Facilitator’s Guide

I.

Important Information for Instructors a. Definitions of the professional competencies b. Origins of the competencies c. Connections to student learning and achievement d. Common misconceptions e. Examples and illustrations of common misconceptions f. Connections to InTASC

II.

Suggestions for Implementation a. Discussion facilitation tips b. Hot spots c. Suggestions for integration d. Remediation and enrichment

Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved  SanfordInspire.org

I.

Important information for instructors (back to top) a. Definitions of professional competencies Competency Suspending Judgment

Definition

 Identifying when you may be unfairly judging someone (based on your own biases, assumptions, etc.)

 Pausing to ensure an objective and productive read on the situation  Recognizing when you don’t have complete information about a person or situation, and seeking to learn more before making a judgment or deciding on a course of action

 Metaphor: Stoplight – pausing (“braking”) to ensure that your read on the situation is fair and objective

Asset-Based Thinking

 Consciously seeking out the positive aspects of a person or situation and building on strengths even if they might not be immediately apparent  Metaphor: Magnifying glass – looking closely and carefully to the strengths or attributes in a person or situation

Locus of Control

 Focusing attention on what is within your own ability to control and affect  Taking responsibility for student learning outcomes and identifying the actions needed to help reach them  Using mistakes and challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow as a professional; persevering in the face of obstacles  Metaphor: Lasso – aiming your focus toward the things that are within your control to affect

Interpersonal Awareness

 Recognizing the limits of your own perspective and seeking to understand the viewpoints of others  The ability to recognize how your words, actions, and professional dress affect others’ perceptions of you  Consciously seeking out your own “blind spots” when facing a challenging situation:  How you are coming across to another person (vs. how they are coming across to you)  How you are contributing to a problem (vs. how someone else is) o Your impact on others (vs. other people’s impact on you) o What other people might be up against (vs. what you are up against)  Metaphor: Mirror – looking at yourself to consider how your own words and actions might be perceived, and how you may be contributing to a problematic situation


b. Origins of professional competencies (back to top) The professional competencies were originally called the “diversity competencies,” and have been part of Teach for America’s teacher preparation curriculum for several years. The diversity competencies were created through a massive internal study wherein the organization interviewed thousands of TFA teachers and other stakeholders - including principals, non-TFA teachers, and parents. The study was designed to identify the mindsets and dispositions that helped their most successful teachers navigate common challenges associated with being a novice teacher. The trends that they identified from this study were codified as the diversity competencies. The Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College has adopted the diversity competencies and labeled them as the “professional competencies”.

c. Connections to student learning and achievement (back to top) Some teachers erroneously assume that the only words and actions that affect their students are whatever the teacher says and does while he or she is in the classroom. The mindsets and attitudes with which a teacher approaches colleagues, administrators, and other school personnel may have a profound impact on student learning. More generally, the decisions that a teacher makes outside the classroom have consequences for teaching and learning inside the classroom. A graphical representation of the concept – which we term the Teacher Impact Model – looks like this:

Teacher’s underlying knowledge, skills, and mindsets Example: Based upon an early interaction or impression, a teacher candidate makes an unfair judgment about his or her mentor teacher’s level of commitment or competence (mindset)

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Teacher’s actions

Others’ actions

Based on this mindset, the teacher candidate discounts a potentially valuable piece of feedback that the mentor gives him or her about how to improve an upcoming lesson.

The teacher candidate’s students do not respond favorably when the lesson is taught. The mentor is hurt or upset that her feedback was ignored.

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Outcomes

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The teacher candidate’s students do not learn as much as they might have. The mentor teacher is more reluctant to offer feedback in the future.

d. Common misconceptions (back to top) It is not uncommon for some novice teachers to misunderstand or misinterpret these competencies, especially when they are in the early stages of learning about them. One common misunderstanding is for novice teachers to conceive of the professional competencies as “magic interpersonal skills” that can be used to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do. This runs contrary to the very purpose for which they were created. In fact, the professional competencies are ways of thinking and being that allow teachers to engage with challenges in productive ways and to ultimately take the course of action that is best for students. A proficient use of these competencies is deeply connected to an authentic care and concern for others – students, parents, colleagues, and all of the other stakeholders who are part of the culture of a school. Listed below are some common misunderstandings and misconceptions associated with each individual competency, as well as some ideas about how to address this misconception, should it arise.


e. Examples and illustrations of common misconceptions (back to top) Competency

Common Misconceptions

Suspending Judgment

 Some people misinterpret suspending judgment as “never making a judgment” or as a relativistic mindset where “everything is okay,” and nothing is bad.

 Obviously, teachers need to make professional judgments in their practice. The key word here is suspend. It is not uncommon for teachers to hastily arrive at highly negative judgments that are based on internalized biases or stereotypes about which they might not be fully aware. “Suspending” judgment means to mentally pause before forming strong conclusions to ensure that one’s interpretation of the person or situation is as objective as possible. It also means recognizing that we almost never have complete information about all of the factors affecting a challenging situation, and that fairness dictates that we seek to understand these before making strong judgments. In this way, suspending judgment is connected to respect and humility.  A visual metaphor for suspending judgment would be a yellow light at a stoplight: just like drivers apply the brakes to avoid an accident, good teachers “apply the brakes” and reflect before making a serious decision or judgment.  Example: A teacher is concerned because one of her students rarely completes his homework. The teacher calls the parent’s cell phone to discuss the situation, but the first few calls are not returned. At this point, the teacher might be tempted to make some judgments about the parents’ fitness or commitment to their child’s education (i.e. “This parent obviously doesn’t care, otherwise he or she would call me back”). Suspending judgment would NOT mean saying (or thinking) “Oh well. They never called back. I’m sure they’re still great parents, though.” It WOULD mean recognizing that there are several explanations for why the parents might not have returned the calls (i.e. work obligations, illness, and other concerns), and that it is now incumbent upon the teacher to find other ways to get in touch with them.

Asset-Based Thinking

 Using asset-based thinking does not mean “looking at the world through rose- colored glasses,” or trying to invent attributes when they do not exist. It also does not mean adopting a naïve mentality and pretending things are great when they are not. Rather, the asset-based thinking competency acknowledges that when aspects of a person or situation are challenging or problematic, it is easy to overlook the strengths they bring to the table. In reality, almost every person that we encounter in our work as teachers has strengths that can help us serve our students better. They might have, for example, an experience or perspective that gives us insight that we might not possess. In addition, sometimes things that we perceive as problematic might actually be assets in disguise. For example, a parent that frequently emails her child’s teacher to ask about progress in class might initially strike the teacher as overly-involved or at worst, annoying. Thinking in an asset-based way, however, one can see that such a parent is heavily invested in her child’s education, and ensuring that they are receiving the instruction they need.

 An appropriate metaphor for asset-based thinking might be that of a magnifying glass. Even in challenging situations, it’s possible to locate strengths if we look closely.


Locus of Control

Interpersonal Awareness

 One of the most common misinterpretations of the locus of control competency is also one of the most well-intentioned. Some zealous teachers believe that having a strong locus of control means taking on as many different responsibilities as possible, even when it might not be prudent to do so. For example, a high school English teacher, upon learning that one of her students is failing his math class, might decide to begin personally tutoring him in math at lunch every day. While this might show lots of initiative and responsibility- taking on the teacher’s part, it also might not be the most efficient or effective way to address the problem. The metaphor here is the lasso: persevering in taking on the things that are within one’s control while judiciously discerning which things are not (like a moving train)  A misuse of locus of control might also occur if it closely follows a severe judgment that the teacher is making. For example, after a negative interaction with a parent a teacher might make some heavy judgments about the parent’s commitment or competence, and decide that it would be fruitless to build a relationship with him or her. The teacher might then mistakenly attempt to exercise her “locus of control” by ignoring the parent entirely and focusing all communication about the student with the student him or herself. Such an example would be a massive distortion of the spirit in which the competency is intended.  Teachers with a weak locus of control tend to myopically focus on things that are out of their immediate control, and then use these factors as a way to justify why they are not going to expend additional effort to help ameliorate a problem. An example of this might be sentiments along the lines of “I can’t expect to turn in his homework because he has no one at home to help him.” There are things that a teacher can do in a situation like this, but they might not occur to the teacher because he or she is so obsessively focused on things they have no direct control over.  More than anything, locus of control has to do with thinking about what is within one’s own power to do to positively affect a situation. It means resisting the temptation to externalize blame for a problem and absolving oneself of responsibility for trying to help solve it. It means asking oneself the questions “What can I do?” and “If I do this, what are the positive and negative consequences that could result?  Interpersonal awareness is not the same thing as being friendly, or being socially approachable. It is also not the same thing as being likable, although people with strong interpersonal awareness generally are. Rather, people with strong interpersonal awareness actively seek to understand perspectives other than their own. They understand that their own perspectives are limited by their experiences, their biases, and their “blind spots.” In this context, “blind spots” refer to the factors affecting a person or situation that we might be partially or wholly unaware of. In times of challenge or conflict (especially with another person) we have the tendency to myopically focus on how other people and things are affecting us. We tend to ignore questions like: o How am I coming across to others? o How might I be contributing to this problem? o What challenges might this other person (or people) be up against?  The interpersonal awareness competency is built upon a foundation of empathy. Not sympathy, which involves “feeling bad” or taking pity on someone, but empathy – earnestly trying to see a situation from someone else’s perspective. Teachers with strong interpersonal awareness fundamentally understand that seeking to understand other people’s perspectives is essential to developing viable solutions to problems and cultivating healthy professional relationships. They are also willing to “look in the mirror” to examine how they might be contributing to a problematic situation.


f.

Connection to InTASC (back to top)

By playing through the game and working through the supporting materials, students engage with the following InTASC standards InTASC 9(b) The teacher engages in meaningful and appropriate professional learning experiences aligned with his/her own needs and the needs of the learners, school, and system. 9(d) The teacher actively seeks professional, community, and technological resources, within and outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and problem-solving. 9(g) The teacher understands and knows how to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze and reflect on his/her practice and to plan for adaptations/adjustments. 9(l) The teacher takes responsibility for student learning and uses ongoing analysis and reflection to improve planning and practice. 9(n) The teacher sees him/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice. 9(o) The teacher understands the expectations of the profession including codes of ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and policy. 10(b) The teacher works with other school professionals to plan and jointly facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of learners. 10(f) The teacher engages in professional learning, contributes to the knowledge and skill of others, and works collaboratively to advance professional practice. 10(n) The teacher knows how to work with other adults and has developed skills in collaborative interaction appropriate for both face-to-face and virtual contexts. 10(r) The teacher takes initiative to grow and develop with colleagues through interactions that enhance practice and support student learning. 10(t) The teacher embraces the challenge of continuous improvement and change.

II.

Suggestions for Implementation (back to top) a. Discussion Facilitation Tips (for debrief conversations)

 Decide in advance which questions you want to discuss as a whole class, and which ones you want to have students talk about in groups or pairs.  If you decide to have students discuss a question in groups or pairs, it is not always necessary to have everyone come back to re-discuss the question as a whole group. To keep the discussion moving, it might be good to move on to the next question.  If students want to keep discussing a particular question or idea but you need to move on, provide some means for revisiting that topic at a later time (i.e. parking lot, discussion board). Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved  SanfordInspire.org

b. “Hot Spots” (back to top) “Hot Spots” are interesting-but-not-fully-relevant topics that can take students away from the focus of the session and possibly derail the conversation you’re trying to have. As the students progress through the case study, you might find them getting hung up on details that are inessential to the case study’s purpose: exploring the professional competencies. Examples include:  Lack of time for co-planning with grade level teams  Language acquisition vs. disability  Frustrations about the stigmas of Disability eligibility testing and stigmas associated with students who have been found to be Eligible  Other. Truly, any topic that forces the focus and discussion to stray from analyzes the case studies through the lenses of the professional competencies, should be tabled and discussed at a later time. Applying the professional competencies can be difficult for many without the distractions of these various “hot spots” that pop up with such realistic case studies.

c. Suggestions for integration (back to top) In order for the professional competencies to become a recursive part of students’ thinking, as well as a tool to reflect and act on challenging situations, it is essential that they engage in ongoing dialogue about them. If the professional competencies are never mentioned again after this session, they will be quickly forgotten. Thus, the professional competencies should become part of the students’ educational vocabulary, and they should be invoked in future sessions and conversations. Some suggestions for ways to integrate these competencies on an ongoing basis for the remainder of the semester are listed below:  For each of the remaining weeks of the course, at the end of class give students the following “homework”: In the next two weeks before we meet, think about ways that you can use (pick one professional competency) at your school site or elsewhere in your professional program. Come to class ready to share an experience in which you used (or could have used) that competency. o Suspending judgment o Asset-based thinking o Locus of control o Interpersonal awareness Then, begin the following class with a “do now” discussion where students are prompted to share an experience from the previous two weeks where they engaged with that competency.  Students will be prompted to do a comprehensive reflection on the professional competencies in the last class meeting of the semester.  In future class meetings – as well as one-on-one interactions with students – encourage them to use these competencies as a way to frame and reflect upon challenging situations. Ask them questions that cause them to engage with the competencies and push their thinking. o Examples:  If you were to suspend judgment here, how might you interpret this person’s actions?  Using interpersonal awareness, how might your actions be contributing to this situation? How might your words and actions be perceived by others?  Thinking about this in an asset-based way, what are some strengths that this person brings to the table?  Even though this situation is challenging, what are some things that are within your control?

d. Remediation and enrichment (back to top) If a student struggles to understand either the meaning or the application of a given competency, one strategy that is really helpful is to share a personal experience from your own teaching where that competency came into play. It could be Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved  SanfordInspire.org

helpful for the student to hear about situation that you struggled with, where engaging one or more of these competencies helped lead to a positive outcome. Conversely, it might be even more instructive for a student to hear about a situation in which you did not navigate a challenge as skillfully as you could have, and engaging one or more of these competencies would have helped.
