Changing the Culture of
Classrooms, Buildings, and
Districts Through Classroom
Learning Labs
The Ripple Effect…………………..
Teresa McDougall and Dr. Dorothy VanderJagt
@tmcdicoach
@dvanderj
What are some elements of collaboration
you believe are needed for students to
achieve and thrive?
What are some elements of collaboration
you believe are needed for educators to
achieve and thrive?
Traditional form of Professional Development
Compared to Classroom Learning Labs
Classroom Learning Labs:
● Relationship is peer-peer
● Teacher reflects, chooses area for
professional growth,
● Focuses on student learning and
evidence of the learning
● Facilitator and colleagues follow up
with host and guest educators to coach
and collaborate
● CHOICE
Traditional Form:
● Relationship is expert-novice
● Expert/supervisor evaluates,
areas for discussion
● Focuses on teacher actions
● Generally one time session
The outcome of powerful conversations
regarding instructional practice results in
change and adjustment in teacher practice
resulting in increased student
achievement.
Schools with professional collaboration exhibit
relationships and behaviors that support quality work
and effective instruction, including the following:
● More complex problem-solving and extensive sharing of craft knowledge
● Stronger professional networks to share information
● Greater risk-taking and experimentation (because colleagues offer support
and feedback)
● A richer technical language shared by educators in the school that can
transmit professional knowledge quickly
● Increased job satisfaction and identification with the school
● More continuous and comprehensive attempts to improve the school,
when combined with school-level improvement efforts
(see Fullan and Hargreaves, 1991, for an excellent review)
Teachers and administrators spend time observing
each other, and they instruct each other in the craft
of teaching through formal and informal
demonstrations.
Collegial environments favor in-depth problem solving
and planning. Interactions among staff and
administrators foster more successful staff
development, ongoing refinement of instruction, and
improved teaching.
Schools with Strong Collegial Orientations
As Susan Johnson (1990) found in her
study of teachers and their work:
The teachers made it clear that continuing collegial
interaction benefits both them and their students. It
sustains them through difficult times. It deepens their
understanding of subject matter and pedagogy, supplies
them with novel approaches, and allows them to test
and compare practices. It encourages cooperative
approaches to school change. It promotes high
professional standards and a more coherent
instructional experience for children. (p. 178)
Key aspect of collaborative cultures
is the teachers' sense of efficacy
- "the extent to which a teacher believes that he or she
has the capacity to affect student learning"
(Ashton, Burr and Crocker, 1984, p. 29).
-Teachers with a high sense of efficacy believe that their
efforts and expertise will have more impact on student
learning than such external variables as parental
support, class size, student motivation, and student
socioeconomic background (Smylie, 1988; Rosenholtz, 1989).
In what ways do you have or support
collaboration in your classroom, building,
or district?
Structures and Activities That Support
Collaboration
When staff have more opportunities to
collaborate in activities that are
positive, self- directed, and important
to them, a culture of collaboration is
more likely to develop
(see Little, 1982; Fullan and Hargreaves, 1989).
Building Collaboration Across the
Building, District, and County
1. Reflective dialogue.
2. De-privatization of practice
3. Collective focus on student learning
4. Collaboration
5. Shared norms and values
Social and human resources to
enhance professional community
● Openness to improvement -- support for risk taking
● Trust and respect -- teachers honored for their expertise
● Cognitive skill base -- effective teaching based on expertise in the
knowledge and skills of teaching
● Supportive leadership -- focused on shared purpose, continuous
improvement, and collaboration
● Socialization -- The school culture must encourage positive behaviors
and discourage negative ones, in a daily process aimed at working
toward the school vision and mission.
The Goal of the CLL is to Develop More
Reflective Practitioners
“It is a well-accepted fact among educators that what a teacher
does in the classroom has a direct effect on student
achievement.”
(Nye, Konstantopoulos, & Hedges, 2004)
A number of researchers have reported results that support
professional development that “is situated in practice, is ongoing,
promotes collaborative inquiry and critical discourse, and is
focused on improving student learning.” (Mast & Ginsberg, 2010, p. 257)
(Ball & Cohen, 1999; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1999; Lyons &
LaBoskey, 2002)
“Effective professional development for teachers should help them
“explore the upsides and downsides of experience, making their
practice transparent and their knowledge public in the presence of
others.”
(Cheryl Craig and Margaret Olson 2002 p. 117)
What are some ways the professional
development you provide or have experienced,
encourages teachers to develop a habit of
thinking to be more reflective in their own
practices?
What is the Classroom Learning
Lab?
Professional Learning
created and provided
for Educators by
Educators that has a
ripple effect on
teaching and learning
What are the Adopted Protocols?
1. Pre-Lesson Coaching Conversation
2. CLL:
Pre Brief
Classroom Observation
DeBrief-Collaborative Conversations
3. Follow Up:
Coach or Facilitator follows up on the goals stated
by participants.
Developing the CLL
A teacher must have a general idea
of what constitutes
effective teaching.
Growing a teacher’s domain
knowledge so they know what strategies and
behaviors are generally effective in their areas of
expertise, while developing the practice to grow more
effective strategies to meet the needs of their
students.
Impact on the Classroom Culture
Abby’s Reflection on her own instruction and student learning.
“Increased Classroom or Student Dialogue”
“Questioning to get to students thinking”
“Use of Formative Assessments to make instructional
decisions”
“Beginning to become aware of some of the subtleties
going on the classroom”
“Use of multiple cooperative and collaborative strategies
and groupings.
The CLL has impacted my teaching and student
learning by helping me find the areas that I am
doing well in and those areas that I need to
improve.
Collaborating with other teachers has also given
me a wealth of ideas and knowledge. It also
fosters teachers to want to collaborate more,
which is an ideal way to grow in our profession.
Students are engaged and eager to learn.
(Michele Stutzky, Teacher, Grandville Public Schools)
Impact on the Classroom Culture
Impact on the Building Culture
● Increased interest in participation in learning from colleagues
● Meaningful conversation around instructional thinking that
probably wouldn't have happened
● Growing in our ability to provide high quality insight
● Building leadership capacity in the teaching ranks
● Helped our district align in a common area
● Brings value to the craft of teaching-seems we honor the
decisions/moves a teacher makes because there is a pre-brief and
debrief platform where they defend/justify their thinking
(Michelle Krynicki, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Godwin Heights 2015)
Theresa’s thoughts on the impact CLL has had on her building.
Impact on the Building Culture
We are seeing the CLL evolve. Unique collaborative learning models
reflecting the desires of our teachers are starting to develop. We have
noticed more teacher teams collaborating within schools (even some
outside of their own school in cross-grade teams) to improve instruction
in a variety of content areas. The collaborative spirit is growing.
(Michelle Becker, Instructional Coach, Forest Hills Public Schools 2015)
Impact on the County Culture
● Teachers focus on teaching and learning
○ Implementation of the standards
○ Innovative ideas
○ Inquiry
○ Implementation of new curriculum
○ Seeking feedback
○ Student evidence of learning
● Developing curriculum and resources
○ Cross collaboration
● Administrators share strengths and weaknesses
○ Their curriculum, student data, or needs of teachers-areas they
would like to develop
Impact on the County Culture
Cross districts and county Lines CLL
Cross district sharing of ideas and
resources
Collaboration on curriculum,
resources, instructional practices,
innovative ideas.
Teacher Reflections on the CLL Professional
Learning Experience
● “Being a member of the group has pushed me to grow as a
teacher. Also, it has pushed me to look more closely at the
Instructional Model. I have thought much more about why I do
what I do in the classroom. Getting ideas from other teachers
and being able to talk together is incredibly valuable.”
● “It pushes me to the next level of instruction. It encourages me
to take risks and be reflective on my teaching. I have taken a
piece of every members lesson and used it in my own
classroom.”
● “Thank you so much for this opportunity! I’m so
happy that I took a chance and said yes. :)”
Impact on Student Achievement
One Middle School teacher shared after participating in a
CLL where the host teacher modeled scaffolded questioning
in her class dialogue to get to student deeper thinking.
After a month of implementing more questioning and
providing students more opportunities to share thinking, he
noticed an increase in student test scores by 15%-20%.
In what ways do the CLL compare to
what you envision for your
colleagues?
What are you wondering about?
What questions might you have?
Resources for you to access
http://cllicoach.weebly.com/
@tmcdicoach
@dvanderj
The Literature
Reflecting on Teaching and Learning
● Peer mediation:
● Communities of practice (Wenger, 2014)
● Reflection-in-action (Schon, 1983)
● Progressive discourse (Wells, 2000)
● Peer coaching (Joyce & Showers, 2002)
● Expert mediation
● Responsive and directive coaching (Ippolito 2009)
● Student-centered coaching (Sweeney, 2011)
● Cognitive Coaching (Costa & Garmston, 2002)
● Video mediation
● Video clubs in Mathematics teacher noticings (Sherrin, 2011)
Research to Support Our Work
Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty years of
inquiry. The Reading Teacher, 49(3), 182-190.
DuFour, R. & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for
enhancing student achievement. Bllomington, IN: National Education Service.
Houk, L, (2010). Demonstrating teaching in a lab classroom. Educational Leadership, 67.
International Reading Association (2010). Standards for Reading Professionals. Retrieved March 26,
2013 from:
http://www.reading.org/General/CurrentResearch/Standards/ProfessionalStandards2010.aspx
Lacina, J. & Block, C.C. (2011). What matters most in distinguished literacy teacher education
programs? Journal of Literacy Research. 43(4), 319-351.
Marker, E. & D’Onfrio, A. (2010). A different kind of coaching: The professional preparation of
graduate level reading specialists combining video coaching with concurrent feedback. College
Reading Association Yearbook, 31, 95-112.
Sweeney, D. (2010). Student-centered coaching: A guide for K-8 principals and coaches.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction and understanding by
design: Connecting content and kids. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development:
Alexandria, VA.
Wenger, E. (c2007). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Communities of practice.
[http://www.ewenger.com/theory/. Accessed May 9, 2014.
Zhang & Miller in R. Goldman, R. Pea, B. Barron & S. Derry (Eds.) (2007). Video research in the
learning sciences. New York, NY: Routledge.
Building a Collaborative
Community through Classroom
Learning Labs
Teresa McDougall and Dr. Dorothy VanderJagt
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Kelly Kermode – Forest Hills Public Schools
Notas del editor
What are some forms of professional development you have found most beneficial?
There are many forms of the CLL, PLC, book study groups, lesson study, extension to professional development, experience how the shift in instruction looks and sounds, notice evidence of student learning. Every CLL takes on a different form of learning depending upon the educators bring to each session. The CLL and Instructional Rounds. have a lot of similarities, The goal of instructional rounds isn't to provide feedback to the teacher being observed, although this is an option if the observed teacher so desires. Rather, the primary purpose is for observing teachers to compare their own instructional practices with those of the teachers they observe. The chief benefit for both the CLL and Instructional Rounds resides in the discussion that takes place among observing teachers at the end of the observation as well as in subsequent self-reflection. CLL are organic and allow the educators to have choice and take away goals for themselves as well as the self reflection to their own practices.
As part of the systems view and structure, we encourage schools/districts to be focused in their CLL development and implementation. Many districts have identified their instructional model and best practices which have become the focus of their CLL.
Collegial relationships exist when teachers discuss problems and difficulties, share ideas and knowledge, exchange techniques and approaches, observe one another's work, and collaborate on instructional projects (Little, 1982; Rosenholtz, 1989; Smylie, 1988)
Little (1982) and Rosenholtz (1989) discovered key behaviors in schools with strong collegial orientations. In these schools, teachers value professional relationships, share ideas, and readily exchange new techniques.
Schools that foster collegiality often have organizational norms that overcome the uncertainties and isolation of teaching by supporting collegial dialogue, the exchange of ideas, debate over issues and techniques, and experimentation (Johnson, 1990). Teachers in these schools show a tendency to cooperate rather than compete, and they work in a "safe environment . . . free of criticism" (p. 170). Collegiality is nurtured, as honest debate and open disagreement combine with supportive, trusting relationships.
Third, collegiality is fostered when reference groups that support dialogue, growth, and experimentation are available to teachers (Johnson, 1990). While the entire staff of a small school could serve as a successful professional unit - supporting, encouraging, and debating - in larger schools reference groups are more likely to be grade-level teams, interdisciplinary units, or departments. When these groups support collaborative practice and professional dialogue, collegiality can grow.
Fourth, collegiality seems to wither or die when teachers are given insufficient time to engage in the kinds of joint tasks that build collegial relations and collaborative successes (Johnson, 1990). Teachers need time to meet, talk, think, and interact.
While most research points to the ways in which principals have provided leadership and support for improvement efforts (Deal and Peterson, 1990; Fullan, 1991), principals also can get in the way of collegiality and collaboration. Administrators can foster collegiality by promoting teacher leadership and encouraging teachers to exchange ideas and work together.
These teachers (1) believe that student learning can be influenced by effective teaching, (2) exhibit greater confidence in their own teaching abilities, (3) tend to persist longer, (4) provide greater academic focus in the classroom, and (5) use different types of feedback than teachers with a low sense of efficacy (Smylie, 1988; Rosenholtz, 1989).
Teachers with a high sense of efficacy are more likely to adopt new classroom behaviors (Rosenholtz, 1989; Smylie, 1988); have higher student achievement (Ashton, Burr, and Crocker, 1984); engage in rich and meaningful collaborative activities and collegial interactions; and persist in providing intensive instruction even with students most difficult to reach (Ashton et al, 1982; Gibson and Dembo, 1984). In urban schools, the teachers' sense of efficacy could support continued work to help all students learn.
Teachers who believe that they can affect their students' learning are more likely to ask for and receive technical assistance from colleagues (Little, 1982; Rosenholtz, 1989; Smylie, 1988). They seem more comfortable asking for and giving advice and sharing techniques that can be used by others, which increases the degree of collegiality and collaborative norms in the school. In short, the research suggests that these teachers are more likely to work to improve their practice (Guskey, 1988; Rosenholtz, 1989; Smylie, 1988).
Collaborative school cultures do not develop overnight, but are shaped by the ways principals, teachers, and key people reinforce and support underlying norms, values, beliefs, and assumptions.
Reflective dialogue: Members of the school community talk about their situations and the specific challenges they face. Together, they develop a set of shared norms, beliefs, and values that form a basis for action. Members of the community can use these discussions to critique themselves, as well as the institution within which they work.
De-privatization of practice: Teachers share, observe, and discuss each other's teaching methods and philosophies. By sharing practice "in public," teachers learn new ways to talk about what they do, and the discussions kindle new relationships between and among the participants.
Collective focus on student learning: Teachers are focused on student learning. They assume that all students can learn at reasonably high levels, and that teachers can help them, despite many obstacles that students may face outside school. This focus is not enforced by rules, but by mutually felt obligation among teachers.
Collaboration: A strong professional community encourages teachers to work together to develop shared understandings of students, curriculum, and instructional policy. Collaboration also results in the production of materials and activities that improve instruction, curriculum, and assessment for students, as well as new and different approaches to professional development for the teachers themselves.
Shared norms and values: Through their words and actions, teachers joined in a professional community affirm their common values concerning critical educational issues and in support of their collective focus on student learning.
Clearly teaching is a skill, and like any skill, it must be practiced. Just as athletes wanting to improve, must identify their personal strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and engaged in focused practice to meet those goals. Teachers must also examine their practices, set goals, engaged in focused practice and feedback to achieve their goals. This feedback must be grounded in an understanding of best instructional practices, how students learn, and in actual events or decisions the teacher has made. The goal is to build habits of reflective practices by each teacher through powerful collaborative conversations. Teacher reflection
All educators have a private view of teaching, depending on their own experience as students or parents, professional prepartion, their experience, and interactions with colleagues. The most valuable aspect of the CLL for teaching its not about the acquisition of skills, but what is derived from the professional conversations among educators about their practice. Teachers acquire ideas from one another in a non evaluative, non judgemental environment. Teaching is so complex that is is never done perfectly, we need a professional learning process that allows and provides for continued learning to develop our craft. Teachers need to believe change is needed and have choice to grow.
CLL have been developed and continues to evolve to facilitate teacher thinking to impact their own classroom instruction.
It is a job embedded for of professional learning. Educators learning along side of one another, where no one is the expert or novice. The set of protocols ensures a safe and collaborative culture.
When we start within any system, we introduce staff to a variety of CLL formats and possible protocols. Staff experience a CLL, and all come away stating these protocols are the framework to use to create the safe collaborative culture.
The role of the facilitator is a critical element to this structure. The highly skilled facilitator must set aside their experiences and ideas in order to unlock the group potential for self reflection and growth. It is the facilitator who guides the discussion around what instructional decisions impact student learning. Their role is to know when to reveal or prompt thinking forward. To ensure every voice is heard and honored.
Teachers are becoming more reflective practitioners- they compare what they experience through the CLL and discussions to their own instruction
They look for instructional moves that impact student learning- or look ofr evidence of student learning, then listen to the teacher explain their instructional decisions that may have contributed to the success of the learning.
It was and remains a collaborative process of developing a professional learning experience for educators by educators. Grandville-other districts to across the county. We spent a year in Grandville with the support of the Kent ISD staff to develop the CLL process. Every step was a learning experience. Teachers K-12 were getting into each other’s classrooms for the first time to talk about instruction.
The CLL develops a culture of Inquiry, teachers notice and wonder together, not offering “fix it” strategies, but rather comparing with they notice and experience through the CLL process to their own instruction-thus more immediate change.
We understand and appreciate the need for content specific CLL experiences, we have learned the larger impact of cross district professional learning. Teachers are finding affirmation and new ideas growing from their CLL experiences. Administrators and teachers are reaching across the district and regional lines to work collaboratively to grow the craft of teaching, develop curriculum resources, and to continue dialogue on student achievement.
We understand and appreciate the need for content specific CLL experiences, we have learned the larger impact of cross district professional learning. Teachers are finding affirmation and new ideas growing from their CLL experiences. Administrators and teachers are reaching across the district and regional lines to work collaboratively to grow the craft of teaching, develop curriculum resources, and to continue dialogue on student achievement.
In what ways have CLL opened doors for admin too. Building curriculum collaborative teams to work together to develop resources needed by students and teachers. Encouraging teachers to visit other districts to develop their own craft around an initiative or best instructional practices.
While it is challenging to measure the impact of instructional decisions on student achievement. We have observable and perception data. We have teacher self reflections, and student feedback. Guest teachers collect evidence of student learning while observing through capturing student thinking or work artifacts. This data helps the teacher to make instructional decisions.