Think Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
Think Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
ReplyDeleteAn instructional round is when teachers collaborate with each other and learn from each other through those visits and visiting each others room to observe their teaching. We do quite a bit of collaboration during teacher inservice, but we don't go into other classrooms. I feel that is a great idea to be able to view others in their teaching environment. I feel that the last time I learned something from someone in my building was from the two teachers across the hall. One has helped me with some different planning and discipline and the other in her organization skills and planning. I would really like to branch outside of my school and visit another school's music teacher. I feel some teachers would resist this idea as they feel self-conscious or embarrassed, shy, etc. I know I do not like it when there is an adult in the room during my teaching. I get very self-conscious about my teaching and feel like I am/will be judged. I suppose if I would have faith in myself and tell myself it is about the students and not me that we would become more comfortable with the thought of being observed. Also using these moments as a learning process would help us out!
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds are experiences in which teachers share ideas through observations and discussions. It allows teachers to gain new ideas but also collaborate and work together on solutions or new ideas. I find that there are many teachers in my building doing amazing work!! Yet, I cannot see them as I am teaching at that same time. When we open our doors to observations and discussions we truly become one within the school.
Teachers are resistant to the process and it makes them vulnerable to others. Having someone coming and see what they are doing can be stressful or seen as a way of judging...or simply some teachers are just set in their ways.
If we made it part of our growth rubric and administration covered our classes to allow this opportunity, I think staff would be more open to the idea. We also need it to be presented a s a way to help the school grow and be our best.
An instructional round is when teachers collaborate and share ideas. This can be in a meeting or it can be as teachers observe in each other's classrooms. In my school we would have the opportunity to observe another teacher that taught the same subject as us. This allowed me to see another perspective on how instruction is delivered with the same material I have. I was able to see how the students responded to it and was able to take ideas away to then use in my classroom. I think as teachers we are constantly "trying or incorporating" new ways and ideas to instruct material and keep student engaged. This is a process that should never stop. I don't think we as teachers can ever be exposed or learn too many ways to try in our own classrooms, especially with different students every year that have different interests. I think it is important to have "your ways" but also be willing to adjust to your students needs and interests to make learning fun and engaging.
ReplyDeleteI think there are new teachers who might resist this just for the simple fact that it can be overwhelming in what concepts or ideas to incorporate and which ones to save for a later time. I can also see it where more seasoned teachers struggled with this idea because some of them are stuck in their ways and have the thinking that their ways have worked for X amount of years and so why change it now. I think the biggest way to ensure these barriers are removed is having administration use it as part of their walk throughs and observations ensuring all teachers are able to have time to do instructional rounds and have time for reflection. It would need to be part of their evaluation each year and having to incorporate and try something new each year. This doesn't mean the teacher needs to stick with whatever they tried, but I think there should be at least some type of an attempt to incorporate something new in each room and see what it could do!
An instructional round is a process where educators have the opportunity to learn from one another, observe one another’s classrooms and share insights about teaching and learning. The goal is to collaborate, exchange strategies, and gain new perspectives that can improve how we do things as educators, our instructional methods and how we understand students. It’s not just about watching and seeing, it’s about learning from each other and applying what works with students in our specific realm.
ReplyDeleteThis looks a little different for School Counselors, but the idea of course is still applicable. I feel like I am continually learning from my peers. On a daily basis we consult and collaborate with one another to do what is in the best interest of our students. We team weekly with our building level School Counselors and meet as a district counseling team monthly. This is an incredibly valuable opportunity and time for us to continually learn from one another. I would love to be able to expand this even further by visiting School Counselors in other schools to see their approaches and student responses.
Instructional rounds could improve School Counseling and learning at our school by creating opportunities for our team to see varied methods in action, discuss what’s effective, and bring new strategies back to our practices. They would also help foster a culture of collaboration, where School Counseling becomes less isolated and more about collective growth as a team.
Some School Counselors may resist instructional rounds because being observed can feel intimidating or make them self-conscious, especially in some of the more particularly confidential situations of personal nature. Others may be hesitant because they are set in their ways or worry about change in their practices. To overcome these barriers, administration could schedule dedicated time for rounds, cover classrooms during observations, and frame the process as a growth opportunity rather than an evaluation. Emphasizing that the focus is on student learning, not School Counselor performance, and encouraging reflection after each round can help build comfort and buy-in. Integrating these experiences into professional development ensures everyone has the chance to benefit and continually improve, keeping instruction fresh and responsive to our students’ needs.
An instructional round is a process in which staff members are visiting other classrooms for the purpose of collaborative learning, sharing of ideas, and observing another classroom. It is about learning what is working with students and learning how to apply that in your own fashion. This provides the ability to continually learn and be willing to adjust to the students.
ReplyDeleteI think some people resist this type of collaboration as they are set in their ways, feel as though they are being evaluated by another staff member, feel they may be judged by the observer, feel their plates are already filled with planning and grading or tasks that continue to be added to a day with nothing being taken away.
I think this collaborative effort can help everyone. Younger staff can learn from the veteran staff and vice versa. The leadership could set time for the collaborative time to occur. Maybe setting up a calendar at the beginning of the year with times to sign up for a visit and providing room coverage for the teachers. I think with this needs to be a processessing and reflection time also set aside with noting what strategy used was beneficial. I think it is important that grade level teachers get a chance to work and plan together, too. Often times people can feel isolated even when on a team so I think it is also important for teams to talk things through, too. If teachers are in need of renewal hours for their certificate, one could partner with a local college/university to offer credits.
Instructional rounds are a professional learning tool that connects teacher practice to student performance. This allows educators to learn from one another. Being a sub allows me to observe many teachers during a school week! This is my most favorite part. All teachers are so different in their own way, but yet all the same. I have the privilege to observe student engagement, classroom management, and instructional techniques in all different levels (elementary, middle, and high). How can they improve schools? It's a way to work together to improve student instruction. Why would some resist? Change can be a particularly difficult process. Some teachers may see it as a loss of control. Remove barriers by leaving wiggle room for teachers to make choices where they see needed. Teachers may fear the unknown. Barrier removal- create change options with clear, simple steps for easy adjustment. Teachers may also resist using the "this is the way I've always done it..." Remove barrier- provide evidence of improvements and maintain dignity by incorporating older methods with newer methods.
ReplyDeleteA instructional round is a process or tool where a teacher has the opportunity to learn from others. This can be done by other teachers visiting your classroom or allowing you to sit in your colleague classroom. This allows each one of us to gain new ideas and able to collaborate together new ways to instruct the curriculum and keep students engaged.
ReplyDeleteI started this job four years ago, I was hired to teach life skills not only to our gifted kids in our class but to others at our school. I have learned a lot from another teacher in the classroom, how to handle discipline with our gifted students.
This process of instructional round can be resisted by both, a new teacher entering the system or a seasoned teacher. The new teacher are fresh out of school and may think they have all the answers. The teacher that has been around the block my feel self-conscious and set in their ways, and may not want to change.
This process must be approached by all very carefully and understand that the feedback you are receiving are only suggestions and you need to pick out what will work for you to become that great teacher.
An instructional round, is a process where teacher(s) have the opportunity to learn from others. In my current district, we have the opportunity for teachers to go observe on their prep periods other teachers and/or if need be to take a half day and go observe a job a like on another campus. We just had a fabulous district wide Professional Developments where teachers had the opportunity to signup to present different topics at our PD day, teachers and administrators were able to sign-up for these teacher led presentations. This PD was highly effective as our teachers do tend to learn and be willing to learn strategies and tools from their peers along with being able to praise and promote all of our amazing teachers who provided sessions that were relevent and provided resources for all that attended. It was truly a motivating day for all involved, and I cannot share enough what a positive and effective PD day it was for all of our district.
ReplyDeleteI also feel it is important for grade level time be provided district wide, this gets our site level to expand to district wide which is important for pacing guides and instructional practices to be consistent district wide. It also allows collaboration amongst schools, to be able to provide and share resources, and the ability to increase relationships with job alikes outride of just there site to run ideas by, provide feedback etc.
Instructional rounds are when teachers have the opportunity to observe and collaborate with each other. A couple of years ago we had the opportunity to visit two different classrooms. I learned that a teacher in our district uses what she calls a daily 5 review. It is a quick review of what they had worked on the previous day. I believe we can all learn something new from each other. Since we only have one section of each grade I find myslef going to other grades to get ideas and to bounce ideas off of.
ReplyDeleteFor some teachers doing things differently may be threatening to them, because they have always done it one way. Change is hard. Just ask any teacher who gets a new curriculum! That is why collaboration is so important.
Think Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round?
ReplyDeleteWhere teachers/instructors collaborate with each other for learning purposes
Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building.
I'm new to the school and teaching 4/5th grade so I was always asking what can be done to help my students learn. I'm part of 4 "specials" teacher, so we would meet to discuss how we can make our transitions from one special to the next without too much chaos.
How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school?
I think instructional rounds are already built in with PDs as we often gather in groups to see how we are able to make things better for our students. Less formal rounds seems to be most effective in my opinion.
Why may some teachers resist this process?
We become afraid and don't want to be vulnerable. More simply, it can be a time issue as well.
How could such barriers be removed?
The leaders of the school or veteran teachers are key in making others feel like we're a team and those instructional rounds are vital for student success.
What is an instructional round?
ReplyDeleteAn instructional round is an opportunity for teachers to collaborate with each other. It my be at a staff meeting, or it may be through observations in each other's classroom.
How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school?
It provides more teacher interactions. It allows other teachers to watch you teach and then give you feedback about your instruction. It might also provide you, as a teacher, to go into other classrooms and watch others teach. The feedback and observing others teach, allows you to get ideas of things to try to help improve your instruction.
Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building.
I observed the 4th grade teacher in my building doing Reading Centers. I learned some strategies to try to help with transitions between the centers running more smoothly.
Why may some teachers resist this process?
This process my not be accepting of new or veteran teachers. The new teachers might feel intimidated by other teachers coming into their classroom and watching them teach. And veteran teachers may not think that the need others giving them ideas of how to teach.
How could such barriers be removed?
I think the school's administration and the teachers who have been there for years play a big part part to the success of instructional rounds. Each teacher needs to feel like they are part of a team. And that team works together to improve school-wide instruction. All of the teachers also need to know that they are not being judged. The process needs needs to build a culture of positive collaboration in a school.
Instructional rounds means teachers share ideas and learn from each other by visiting each other's classrooms. Collaboration is a big part of instructional rounds. These rounds give teachers an opportunity to discuss ideas and share what is working and how they can help each other for school-wide improvement. We have all been given the opportunity in our building to visit other classrooms. You can learn so much from each other. We also had the opportunity to visit our colony school which has multiple grade in one classroom. We had alot of great discussions about time managment from that visit. I think anytime you have the opportunity to learn from each other it can only benefit the kids. Everyone sees something different when they come into your classroom and we need to remember that they are not judging us, but there to make our school stronger.
ReplyDeleteI know some teachers did not like others coming into their classrooms and it may be because they had done the same thing for so many years and they didn't want to hear that there may be a better way to do something. To remove these barriers teachers need to be assured that these are not evaluations and no one is there to try and pick their teaching apart, but it is for growth of each teacher to be their best which in turn will make the school stronger.
An instructional round is when teachers collaborate and learn from one another by visiting each other’s classrooms to observe teaching practices and student learning. The goal is to share ideas, reflect on what is working well, and improve instruction through collaboration.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I learned something from another teacher in my building was by observing how they structured routines and transitions in their classroom. Seeing how they organized materials and guided students through activities gave me ideas that I could apply in my own classroom.
Instructional rounds could improve teaching and learning at my school by allowing teachers to share effective strategies, support each other, and learn new approaches. It helps build a stronger professional community where teachers feel comfortable learning from one another.
Some teachers may resist this process because they might feel nervous about being observed or worry about being judged. These barriers could be reduced by creating a culture of trust where instructional rounds are clearly focused on learning and collaboration rather than evaluation. When teachers understand that the goal is to support growth, they may feel more comfortable participating.
ReplyDeleteThink Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
An instructional round is when teachers are able to go around and observe other teachers in their classrooms. Teachers are able to see their colleagues teach and see new/different teaching strategies. We actually do this in my district. We can use our TLC members to cover our classes while we go out and observe a colleague teach. It has been effective as we are able to learn from each other.
I think this helps teachers see new/different teaching strategies in action. They can then talk with their colleague and ask questions to help improve their own teaching strategies. We have used instructional rounds to watch APL strategies in action. Our district had a 4 day professional development on APL and we are all required to implement various strategies into our teaching. We then did instructional rounds to observe these strategies and I felt it was effective. Not only did I see strategies in action, but I was also able to discuss with the teacher their point of view of the strategy. On the flip side, when I was observed, it made me more aware of my teaching and incorporation of APL.
Teacher may be resistant to instructional rounds because they may not feel comfortable being observed. It is an intimidating process and makes you feel vulnerable. Honestly, I think the more you observe and are observed the more comfortable it becomes. It just takes practice and also trust.
An instructional round is an opportunity for teachers to share ideas and techniques that they have found successful in their classrooms. It’s always beneficial to rely on the expertise of educators around you. Some teachers have ways of interacting with students that bring out the best in them. The key to these interactions is building relationships with the students. I’ve learned that humor is a great tool when dealing with many students. It lightens the mood and relaxes the students when they are dealing with difficult tasks or situations.
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ReplyDeleteThe school I'm teaching at started instructional rounds this year. But SPED staff did not get to participate. My instructional round is meeting with my co-teacher at lunchtime or planning period and to talk about behavior strategies with students that we share. I love visiting other classrooms, you can learn so much! I saw one teacher use a morning binder, the kids started it as a beginning activity, and it had pages that were laminated and they practiced writing their names, abc's, etc..... I took that idea and used in for 5 years in my kindergarten classrooms. As the kids advanced, I would change out the pages as our year advanced.
Why weren't SPED staff able to contribute? I think it is important that all educators get the opportunity to try the instruction rounds. We all can learn from someone. My school building doesn't do them, but after reading this chapter I would really like to start.
DeleteAn instructional round is where educators take part in sharing and correlating strategies that they believed to be a helpful tool for them in the past. This can be such a vital area to take part in as it can help others to reflect with each other and gain further insights in how to better manage our classroom environment. Some teachers may have certain and specific ways of doing things as they may push back newer strategies and halt on implementing themselves. These types of barriers can be removed by educating them as much as possible with data. Collecting the data to show others who may feel hesitant implementing new processes can help signify their strength and importance of why these new strategies and techniques are beneficial and successful.
ReplyDeleteAn Instructional Round is when teachers go into their co-workers classroom and observe and collaborate together to build their own personal skills in the classroom. This is a practice I wish many more schools would practice as well as my own school. When I taught in AZ I was an Instructional Coach and we did just this. We would hire a sub. for the struggling teacher and we would spend the day going through our strongest teachers classrooms and taking notes etc.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest things teachers will do when presented with change is pushback. Most teachers unfortunately resist change and are set in their ways. I think that would be the biggest struggle as I witnessed in in real time ten years ago. We would always revert back to growth mindset and practicing what we preach.
An instructional round is when teachers observe each other’s classrooms to learn new strategies and improve their teaching. It focuses on learning from one another and seeing what other educators are doing in their classrooms. The last time I learned something from a teacher in my building was when I observed my mentee and discovered a tool in the math curriculum that I didn’t know existed. It gave me ideas on how to use it during my daily lessons.
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds can improve teaching and learning at our school by giving teachers the opportunity to share ideas and grow together. It helps build a stronger team and keeps the focus on what is best for students. Some teachers may resist this process because they feel nervous about being observed or worry about being judged. It is important to build trust, clearly communicate that the purpose is growth, and create a positive, supportive environment where teachers feel comfortable learning from each other.
What is an instructional round? An instructional round is when teachers observe and learn from one another - via new teaching strategies/lessons/etc. Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. The last time I learned something from a teacher in my building is during an ELL lesson I learned how to easier connect pictures with words and how to teach it in a more understandable way in my music classes. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? We do have PLCs in our school and it has given us a common language along with same type of acedemic and behavioral expectations across the school. Why may some teachers resist this process? They may resist on how comfortable or uncomfortable they are with either the material or how they feel about going about teaching it to their class. How could such barriers be removed? I think co-teaching or providing an instructional coach to guide them are great ways to remove barriers!
ReplyDeleteAn instructional round is when a small group of teachers visits different classrooms to watch teaching and learning in action. The goal isn’t to judge or evaluate teachers, but to learn from each other and notice what helps students learn best. After visiting classrooms, the group talks about what they saw and looks for patterns or good ideas they can bring back to their own teaching.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I really learned something from another teacher in my building was when I watched a colleague run a history lesson using primary sources. Instead of just lecturing, students were working in groups, reading documents, and talking through what they meant. The students were way more engaged than usual, and it reminded me how powerful student discussion can be. I’ve tried to use more of that in my own classroom since then.
Instructional rounds could really help our school because teachers would be able to see different ways of teaching the same students. As a history teacher, I know I can get stuck in my own routine, so seeing how others explain content, run discussions, or check for understanding could give me new ideas. It would also help us all work more as a team instead of everyone just doing their own thing. Also, being a small school the middle school social sciences teacher is the only other teacher in my department, therefore, viewing other teachers with different topics would also give me an outside the box approach to teaching I never would see likely viewing other history teachers.
Some teachers might not like instructional rounds because they may feel uncomfortable being watched by other adults. They might worry they are being judged or criticized. Others might feel like it takes too much time.
To fix that, it’s important to make it clear that this is not about evaluating teachers, it’s about learning from each other. Starting small, keeping it friendly, and focusing on what works in the lesson, not on the teacher, can help build trust.
Think Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
ReplyDeleteAn instructional round is a structured process where teachers go and observe teaching and learning in other classrooms with a specific focus. The goal isn’t to evaluate or judge teachers, but it's to look for patterns, strategies, and student behaviors that can improve instruction across the school.
The last time I learned something from a teacher in my building was when I was going through the mentoring program in my district and I had to go observe and watch other teachers teach K-12 and any subject. What I learned from these observations was different ways to do check for understandings, different teaching methods such as how total physical response, and how to keep all students engaged while learning.
Instructional rounds could improve teaching and learning at my school by helping teachers see effective strategies in action rather than just hearing about them in meetings or professional developments. It can help build a culture where teachers learn from each other instead of working in isolation.
Some teachers may resist instructional rounds because they feel uncomfortable being observed, they worry they are being judged, fear criticism, or don't want change. Others may also feel that it takes time away from planning or teaching, which is something that my coworkers complain about a lot.
These barriers can be reduced by clearly communicating that the instructional rounds are non-evaluative, they focus on growth rather than performance, and it helps build trust among staff.
Instructional round = learning from others who are also teachers. This would allow for other teachers to come into your classroom to observe and also allow you to do the same. In order for this to effectively work, there has to be many things backed by all the teachers as well as administrators support. For one, time is a factor and would be a large barrier. Another barrier would be fear that the teacher is being judged. The tone and environment would have to be set that this is purely for sharing purposes and not meant to be feedback on teaching styles or an evaluation of the teacher. You would have to be comfortable for the entire process to work effectively. Early on in my career I did have an opportunity to do this with another teacher, I was able to observe how she implemented a discipline program and how it worked in her classroom. It was time well spent, my administration supported the idea, and therefore we all win. When teachers learn from each other it only strengthens the value of the education that our students will receive. Teachers would have to want to do this and see the benefits before it being implemented and for success to come. Depending on the crowd, it could be a hard sell. However, I can see that there would be benefits to be reaped if implemented appropriately.
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds are opportunities for teachers to come together and share ideas on specific topics. At our school, we call these roundtable discussions. We hold them biweekly, and teachers can choose whether or not to attend. Some participate based on the topic, while others attend simply to hear what their colleagues have to offer.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I learned something new from a teacher in my building was during our PLC learning time. All of the second-grade teachers met to discuss what was happening in each classroom and what strategies were or were not working. My class had been struggling with breaking down 1-1-1 doubling, so it was helpful to gain new ideas and strategies that had been successful in other classrooms. It worked!
Instructional rounds are especially effective when collaborating across grade levels and identifying any gaps that may exist. Roundtable discussions are also valuable because they provide differentiated ideas from teachers working with students at varying academic levels. This offers broader insight into student needs.
Some teachers may resist participating because it can feel intimidating to discuss what is happening in their own classrooms. No one wants to feel judged, even though everyone is ultimately working toward the same goal. Teachers want to feel proud of their ideas, but may worry about how others perceive their practices. Creating a comfortable environment is essential, but as educators and colleagues, we also need to be confident in our work and abilities. Others are often excited to learn from what we are doing. If something works well or is especially engaging for your students, share it. Don’t keep great ideas to yourself. The best way to remove barriers is to share ideas, learn from others, and give credit where it is due. As Hamish Brewer emphasizes, ownership, communication, and collaboration are key to success.
An instructional round is where teachers are able to learn from each other through shared ideas, collaboration, and observation. Through our weekly PLC meetings, I have learned so much from other teachers. The way they teach something and share it with us often sparks an idea for me to try.
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds could help teachers get ideas for things to try in their own classrooms. We learn so much from each other, and often, the teachers in our own buildings are doing great things with their students that we don't often get to see. Observing other teachers would benefit me as a teacher, but it would also benefit my students. It would allow me to see instructional strategies in action and how they work in a classroom like mine with similar students. Sometimes, we get good ideas from a book or from a PD session, but don't know how to put it into practice. Observing other teachers would help see those strategies.
I think one barrier is that teachers don't want to be observed. They may feel like they are being criticized or that something might go round. We take a lot of pride in our work and we do not want to feel like a failure to other teachers.
I think getting everyone on board is key. We have to set the rounds up in a way so everyone feels comfortable and that they are sharing the same vision. Making it a common practice would help alleviate some anxiety about it. As teachers, we need to be able to see it as a learning process to help everyone including our students.
Getting people on board is most definitely the key. When a group of people have that shared vision, they will do all the things necessary to be successful. This includes setting aside egos and fears about how you are as a teacher. You don't improve without working collaboratively.
DeleteThink Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds were an open door policy that Hamish Brewer implemented at his school that allowed teachers to go and observe other teachers to see what they are doing that is working or to help spark creativity for them to find solutions within their own classrooms. I spent much of last year learning from many of the different teachers at my school as it was my first year there. These lessons covered everything from content instruction (working with other 6th grade social studies teachers), behavior strategies (with my team of teachers), or even just time management things that worked for them. This could be beneficial as it could help things to be more uniform across each grade or even as students move up a grade, they will see similar procedures which makes for an easy transition.
Some teachers would not like this idea, as they might not like other teachers to come in and see how they are doing things. I think that this could be seen as a way for teachers to 'judge' what I am doing in my classroom. I think a great way to break that barrier down would be for each drop in a teacher does, they should send an email or write a note pointing out three things that they liked or thought were cool. It would help the visiting teacher to be looking for positives and could reinforce the teacher being visited that these strategies are working.
ReplyDeleteThink Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school? Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
Instructional rounds are the opportunity to go into your colleague's classroom to observe to either learn, take away teaching practices and/or give constructive feedback to your coworker.
I would say that when I was teaching, I would learn daily from other teachers on practices that I noticed to be successful. I would put a spin on that practice to make it more authentic to me but ultimately, I tried to emulate all of my coworkers in one way or another. Sometimes I would emulate their demeanor, teaching strategy or technique. I feel that you should work smarter not harder.
Instructional rounds can be super beneficial to teachers to go into a classroom and take note of what works and what doesn't. It is a great way to get creative juices flowing too. It may spark or challenge another teacher to either present as though they know someone is coming in and want to put their best foot forward or for the observer, they could try out something new or something similar to what they observed. Either way, I think this could be great for the kids! Some teachers; however, may not like participating in instructional rounds. They could be uncomfortable in front of their peers, they could not want to share their ideas, or they simply do not want to do any extra like participating and taking the time to talk through the observed time. These barriers could be removed as making this practice something that is common in the building and not necessarily mandatory but more the way the environment is. Making this a super positive interaction could also help with any barriers as well.
An instructional round is when teachers collaborate with each other and learn from each other through those visits and visiting each others room to observe their teaching. Over the years, paying attention to my co-workers has given me such rich opportunities to see their best practices and to try to put them into action in how I do things like classroom demeanor, relationships, learning strategies, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great way for teachers to pull together and share and improve to give students better learning/relationship opportunities. I can see that some teachers who have a "this has always worked for me" attitude might feel a bit defensive about others coming in because they feel they are being judged instead feeling it is a growth opportunity all around. I think the more instructional rounds that occur, the more comfortable everyone will be and the more they can learn from one another (the learning never should go only one way). This is an activity to strengthen everyone on the team.
I teach in a small school and even though we do not have multiple teachers in one discipline to do an instructional round with, we do share highs and lows during lunch, in-services, or professional development days. We share what works in our classroom since we share students and vent when things don't go right for feedback and suggestions. In a small school collaboration is keys to keeping things running smoothly and helping all the students succeed, whatever that may be for them. In the past, I have worked with some teachers who resist change, it is a challenge. I think one ingredient to making a great teacher is the willingness to change or evolve, whether you are a teacher with 20+ years experience or fresh from college, we need to be open and try new things to meet our students where they are at. One experience I will share that helped me in my classroom is a fellow social studies teacher from a neighboring school came and followed me for one day. It was great to have their fresh eyes, expeience, and suggestions. We have great discussions about lessons, classroom managments, projects, videos, and so forth. It was a great day for both of us to share and and learn from each other.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, through a new writing program across curriculums that we have initiated within our district, we have spent many hours of sharing ideas with one another-especially the ELA group. We are constantly learning from one another new ideas to try and what doesn't work. I think this will continue as this program grows and especially with the other non-ELA classrooms. It truly becomes a great learning community of educators within our district-teachers feeding off one another.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the resistance, it has happened. We just try to show what this program can do for our students. It is a change and we are all working to adjust, but just to be encouraging to those that resist.
Instructional rounds are a collaborative practice where educators visit classrooms to observe real-time teaching and learning, focusing strictly on specific instructional practices rather than individual teacher evaluations. Seeing a colleague structure a difficult problem-solving task and use targeted questioning to let students correct their own mistakes completely changed how I guide students through complex work. By breaking down professional isolation and fostering collaboration, regular rounds can help our school build a shared definition of effective teaching. While some teachers resist this process out of fear of judgment or critique, we can easily remove these barriers by keeping the focus entirely on student data and engagement rather than teacher performance, ensuring the process feels like a supportive tool for growth rather than an inspection.
ReplyDeleteInstructional rounds is a form of collaboration in which teachers observe other classrooms to learn from other teachers and to share ideas with one another.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I learn something new each time I go into a classroom. I find it educational each time I visit a different math teacher, that each of them have different philosophies, that work. Some are successful with lecture, others do group work, another one holds frequent study sessions. All are effective but do things differently.
All of our teachers have different philosophies, depending on experience, grade level, and subject matter. Instructional rounds could spark dialogue between teachers that may not happen between administrators and teachers because the evaluation piece is eliminated.
Some teachers can be pretty private, which can lead to the feeling of being judged. There would have to be complete trust and buy in with this idea.
The barriers get removed when there is "buy in" and complete trust in the process.
How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school?
ReplyDeleteEvery teacher at my school had a strength. It would be nice for us to see each other teach as maybe their strength is my weakness and it would help me grow as a teacher.
Why may some teachers resist this process?
Some teachers might feel nervous being observed. They might feel threatened and worry what other teachers will say about them.
How could such barriers be removed?
As a teacher I could step up and welcome others into my classroom. Maybe this would prompt others letting me into their classroom and others may become more comfortable with it.
ReplyDeleteThink Opportunity, Not Obligation: What is an instructional round? Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school?
Instructional rounds can look different for each teacher or each school. It's not only PLC meetings, staff meetings, but a simple conversation with another educator. I strive for these rounds! I want to learn more, try different things. I know I use to be a teacher who didn't want to have change or try new things, but the other I get the newer I want. As an art teacher I am always looking for new art projects. When we have our Inservice days that allow us to meet with alike teachers, we go to town and share new things or things we want to try. Not only in our classroom, but for the district and other staff members. We are working hard on building our Fine Arts program. So we have staff art shows over the year and summer for any staff to show off their art.
We also pilot new things in our elementary school. It really gives new opportunities for all educators and just new ideas. Its a win win for educators and students.
Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
I use to be one of those teachers. I am one who doesn't like change. I also feel like sometimes we already have so much on our plate. Feeling overwhelmed can be heavy, especially for new teachers. I have taught for 19yrs now and see new teachers quitting before they even make it to their 3rd year. There is a lot that doesn't affect me as an art teacher, but I do feel bad when more are handed over to the classroom teachers. It's a lot at times. Maybe to break these barriers, take something off their plates before adding. I know when new teachers come in out building they have a mentor teacher, but sometimes i am not sure if that is enough. They still fall behind and miss things at times. Give more time for teachers to step into more classrooms during the school year or visit other school districts. Over time I feel we as educators get more comfortable and open up to more rounds. It just takes time.
Instructional rounds are when educators learn from each other and piggy back off of others instruction. Educators go around to others rooms and see what they are using and doing. They can use strategies that they find inspiring and apply them to their classrooms. There are many times I have learned from other teachers in our building. I am a Title I teacher so I have to work closely with all K-5 teachers. I ask for strategies that they use when teaching a lesson. By using others ideas we open the door to new success and different ways on helping the students learn. Not everyone learns the same way, and some educators may have other ways to keep students engaged.
ReplyDeleteI feel that some teachers might resist this process, because they might be shy or don't want to sound like they aren't sure of themselves. I can definitely say that I was this way when I first started teaching. I have been teaching for ten years now, and I have improved in being involved with the other staff members and becoming more open to asking for help. Sometimes we get so busy in our own classrooms that we don't find the time to learn from others. To remove these barriers we can make sure when someone new comes into the school building we let them know that we care and are willing to help and make them feel comfortable. We are all in this together!
What is an instructional round?
ReplyDeleteAn instruction round is collaboration. It can show up in many different ways, including informal chats and formal PLC meetings.
Describe the last time you learned something from a teacher in your building. How could instructional rounds improve teaching and learning at your school?
I have learned many things from many teachers in my building but I think one that stands out to me is the use of an interactive notebook. While the other teacher and I started these at the same time, she was very helpful in bringing different ideas for ways we could use them in our classes.
Why may some teachers resist this process? How could such barriers be removed?
I think some teachers resist this due to a lack of confidence or don't want to appear as though they don't know what they are doing I think the barriers come down with continuity between the people that are working together. Once the understanding that others are not judging and that not sharing or asking is actually holding people back, true growth can occur.