Pub. 5 2015-2016 Issue 1

15 is a very quality-oriented rubric; I am looking for evidence of effectiveness.) I type notes or take a photograph of what I see and provide feedback, not criticism. I can highlight, underline, even draw a picture freehand in this app. It’s an amazing tool! I do not see all of the items in every observation, but I typically see many of them. Each principal, of course, can create his/her own rubric of what is important to observe. Possible Observational Rubric Categories: 1. Clear Content Objectives: Clear, purposeful content objectives are crucial to effective classroom instruc- tion. We use the following 4-step formula - Students Will Be Able To: (SWBAT) __________________ (Bloom’s verb), about ______________ (content), by _________________________ (learning or reading strategy) in_____________________ (social conditions or time constraints.) For example, SWBAT compare (Bloom’s verb) two characters’ important personality traits from Charlotte’s Web (content) by writing one descriptive paragraph for each character (strategy) individually (social condition.) Teachers need to have clear objectives written and explained to students. This is the first step to teaching higher levels of knowledge. The more complex the Bloom’s verb, the more complex the task and the deeper the knowledge gained. Simple. 2. Clear Classroom Management. I want to know if stu- dents know what they are supposed to be doing? How do they know? What are the procedures for turning in assignments? What are expectations for group work? Is there group work? What do students do to demonstrate their knowledge? Etc. 3. Strategy Instruction. This is crucial for me. I am a firm believer in scaffolded, explicit, strategy instruction. I have spent professional development days modeling for teachers how to explicitly teach students research-based reading strategies that transfer across all domains of content. I want teachers teaching students the name of these strategies (declarative knowledge), when to use these strategies (conditional knowledge) and how to use these strategies to become expert readers (procedural knowledge). Strategy instruction empowers all learners and my expectation is very high that students will know and own this knowledge at all grade levels this year. 4. Engagement Principles. These are the intrinsic motiva- tions that empower students to be more intrinsically motivated to learn. My goal is to teach teachers how to teach their students how to LOVE learning (like a cookie!) they have to LOVE IT or they will not be willing to do the hard work that it takes to be an expert, lifelong learner. These principles include: mastery goals, real-world interactions, reading strategy instruction, autonomy (choice and accountability), relevance, inter- esting texts, challenge, collaboration (students working together for a common goal), and building concepts. 5. Writing — Formative assessment. I want teachers to know every day what their students know. How can they tell if they are always waiting for someone to raise their hand? Are those the only students who demonstrate their knowledge? What about the students who do not raise their hands? How do you know what they are thinking? I am adamant about having students write all the time about everything. Post-it notes, graphic organizers, journal notes—something—that shows what they know or are thinking. Writing is a reflection of what we think. If students do not need to produce evidence of their thinking on a daily basis then how does a teacher know they are thinking? In my experience, students learn when they are required to think and engagement increases when students provide evidence of their thinking and teachers respond with appropriate instruction to take this thinking to the next level. 6. Relevant student activities. Do you know what your students are actually doing all day? This is personal to me. My own children go to school every day. I ask them, “what did you learn at school today?” and too often they can’t remember or don’t know. UGGHHHH!! Many activities teachers do with their students are fun. Some are boring. Many are not relevant. I focus on making sure that what teachers ask students to spend their precious time in school doing is valuable and relevant to being a lifelong learner. If the activity is fun and meaningless, I challenge teachers to make it relevant. If it is boring and relevant, I challenge the teachers to make it more challenging. This ties in directly to having clear content objectives. If they are clear, then I can usually find effective evidence for this box. 7. Evidence of Student Learning. This box ties in with #5. What is the actually evidence I can see that students are learning? I look for this every day. Every class. Every teacher. 8. Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI): This is for content time with science or social studies. This is a research-based framework that I helped develop in graduate school that integrates all of the above rubric categories into the content areas. For more informa- tion you can read my book. Concept-oriented reading instruction (CORI): Engaging classrooms; lifelong learners (2003). NY:Guilford Press. CONTINUED ON PAGE16

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