I Taught Better, Now What (A)

A lot of educators share the following common concern with me, “I know I’m teaching better, how come my results aren’t better.”

There are three basic answers.   Here is the first and most critical reason.  If the teacher is not following an aligned scope and sequence with a significant degree of fidelity, the quality of delivered instruction is moot.  Teaching the right thing (the right content at the right time) is priority one.  The quality of delivered instruction is priority two.

Here is the punch in the gut to prideful teachers... All things being equal, poorly delivered, ALIGNED instruction is more effective than expertly delivered NON-ALIGNED instruction. 

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Why You Don't Co-Mingle Formative and Summative Observation Data

The teacher observer paradox... The fewer observations you do, the more you think you know.  The more observations you do, the more you know you don’t know.

Though the summative and formative observation processes have similarities, they are SEPARATE entities.

To co-mingle data for both formative and summative purposes actually means that EVERY visit is SUMMATIVE, no matter what we tell teachers.  Which means that the safest course of action for a teacher when an observer enters the room is to maintain the status quo.  Better to be boring and safe, than risk stretching one’s practice, failing and having that one 3-minute observation coming back to haunt you. 

Formative observations can inform and focus summative conferences. But the bottom line is, practice is practice, and game time is game time.  For those who still don’t get it, here’s a clarifying analogy. 

In Texas, schools are rated based on the STAAR test (summative).  Schools use assessments and benchmarks (formative) to gauge progress and adjust instruction throughout the year, to better succeed at the STAAR test. Not one school has its rating impacted by the first 6-week unit test of the year.  That obviously would be asinine.  As is counting informal, unannounced walk-thru’s towards a teacher’s evaluation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Coaching Is...

Recently, I spent a week in a school district meeting with principals to discuss progress on their performance plans for this year (a best practice). 

To a person, every principal would be tracking well... 

Actionable plan – Check. 

Staff Aware of plan – Check. 

Measurable targets and goals – Check. 

Initial training – Check. 

Monitoring progress – Check.

Individual coaching and support – Sound of crickets.

Instructional leaders, here is your coaching point.  Your staff will never meet its potential if you do not engage in the coaching process.  So, what does the coaching process look / sound like? In the vast majority of cases, COACHING is small, focused, quiet conversations delivered eyeball to eyeball.

Move past the group discussions and talk to your people, individually and often.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook