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.