Instructional Rounds in Education is intended to help education leaders and practitioners develop a shared understanding of what high-quality instruction looks like and what schools and districts need to do to support it. Walk into any school in America and you will see adults who care deeply about their students and are doing the best they can every day to help students learn. But you will also see a high degree of variability among classrooms--much higher than in most other industrialized countries. Today we are asking schools to do something they have never done before--educate all students to high levels--yet we don't know how to do that in every classroom for every child. Inspired by the medical-rounds model used by physicians, the authors have pioneered a new form of professional learning known as instructional rounds networks. Through this process, educators develop a shared practice of observing, discussing, and analyzing learning and teaching.
Presents a model for ensuring quality teaching that balances the necessity of research-based data with the equally vital need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students.
Instructional Rounds in Action is an invaluable guide for those involved in implementing instructional rounds as the foundation and framework for systemic improvement in schools. Over the past few years, districts across the United States, Canada, and Australia have begun implementing "instructional rounds," a set of ideas and practices for advancing systemic, district-wide improvement. But as they do so, practical and theoretical questions arise. Roberts offers a powerful analysis of how instructional rounds can work "on the ground." His book weaves together the voices of stakeholders at all levels--teachers, principals, and district personnel--and presents a number of protocols to support instructional rounds.
Because equity and instruction are inextricably bound Why are equity visits such a critical first step to increasing opportunity and access for our under-served students? Because they take instructional rounds to a new level, providing a powerful lens for investigating the intersections of equity and instruction. After all, how can we possibly deliver equitable learning experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for our students, without first pinpointing problems of practice? That’s where Equity Visits will prove absolutely indispensable to district and school administrators. It details how to combine a strong focus on instruction with explicit, intentional efforts to address systemic inequities. Inside you’ll find A range of data collection activities and tools to target central issues of equity in your school Clear guidelines on how to investigate the ways instructional practices, structures, and beliefs lead to inequitable educational experiences—and how these are often masked in the day-to-day life of schools and districts A frank discussion of how to make race and racism an explicit part of investigating and addressing educational inequities Voices of school and district leaders who have taken crucial first steps to become "equity warriors" Recommendations on how to develop policies, initiatives, and practices to confront those inequities Few dispute that instructional improvement must be a central focus of educational leadership, but for too long achieving educational equity has been absent from the conversation. Here is your opportunity to ensure equity occupy a central spot in data collection and analysis, and be explicitly discussed at all levels of your school or district organization. In short, essential reading and doing for all administrators!
A practical guide to instructional rounds for educators Isolation is a pervasive characteristic of life for a teacher in a modern school. Teachers meet in professional learning communities, attend trainings, and are even observed by administrators while they teach, but they rarely get the chance to see what other teachers do in the classroom. When the bell rings, they find themselves alone with their students. Instructional rounds can counter that isolation. The idea itself--centered around teachers observing and providing feedback on each others' teaching--is relatively simple, but as Vicki Wilson shows, the effects are profound: Observing educators pick up new ideas. Observed teachers experience a confidence boost. New school-wide instructional initiatives can be adopted more quickly. And broader school-improvement goals can be supported with concrete examples. Most important of all, instructional rounds rescue teachers from isolation by fostering a shared sense of mission and growing trust between fellow educators, who realize they have a team that supports and values them. Wilson's willingness to be honest about the process she implemented in her own school--the moments of doubt, the ups and downs, the mistakes and successes--transforms this practical book into something inspiring. "A powerhouse guide for all educators. Wilson fills a gap in the field with this brilliant, practical godsend of a book that can be implemented at your school starting right now." --Rick Jetter, PhD, author, keynote speaker, and cofounder of Pushing Boundaries "Lead with Instructional Rounds offers the what, why, and how to bring teachers within a building together to learn from one another in a safe and positive environment." --Connie Hamilton, author of Hacking Questions and curriculum director in Saranac Community Schools "In Lead with Instructional Rounds, Vicki Wilson eloquently shares her vast experiences and provides a blueprint for getting educators into each others' classrooms, all while being intentional and hyperfocused on high-quality instruction throughout the process." --Thomas C. Murray, author of Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime and director of innovation for Future Ready Schools
For many years, the authors have been fellow travelers on the journey to help educators improve their schools. Their first coauthored book focuses on district leadership, principal leadership, and team leadership and addresses how individual teachers can be most effective in leading students—by learning with colleagues how to implement the most promising pedagogy in their classrooms
The definitive, step-by-step guide for conducting teacher rounds! With teacher rounds, educators benefit from the observant peer learning that’s common in other demanding fields. From practical strategies to ready-to-use templates, this invaluable book offers a complete toolkit for leading a thriving teacher rounds program. Readers will learn how to: Create positive, empowering teams that lift both instruction and student performance Link teacher rounds with Common Core implementation Develop rounds facilitation skills through vignettes, video clips, and group learning exercises Lead productive year-end program reviews Understand how principals and department chairs can best support the rounds program
For sustained success, educators must commit to their own lifelong improvement. A clear correlation exists between level of focus on teacher professional development (PD) and student success. In this book, John Murray identifies the characteristics of effective professional learning, detailing eight strategies for planning, and executing, and evaluating PD programs. Content includes: The proven “backward” approach to articulating the goals of your PD program Descriptions of innovative and effective designs for professional learning such as Lesson Study and Instructional Rounds Powerful approaches to designing and implementing online PD
Teacher Rounds: Powerful peer-to-peer teacher professional development! Teachers can be leaders of their own ongoing learning—and their best professional development resources may be their own classrooms and colleagues. Applying the Teacher Rounds methodology, teachers learn with and from each other through classroom observations and inquiry and develop a trusted community of practice. Scholar-teacher Thomas Del Prete outlines every aspect of this practice-based approach to professional learning, including: Step-by-step guidance and tools for implementing Teacher Rounds Insights on creating a positive environment for honest feedback A wealth of examples from a high-performing school and across all grade levels and disciplines Based on a whole-hearted commitment to the art and science of teaching, this book helps teachers take classroom instruction to new levels of excellence. "Thoughtful and packed with insights, Teacher Rounds is a valuable addition to the growing literature on important initiatives to improve teaching and learning." —Vivian Troen, Katherine C. Boles, authors of The Power of Teacher Teams "Teacher Rounds is one of the best ways to get teachers out of their classrooms and into each other’s classrooms for their own learning and for school improvement. This book provides the theory and background of rounds as well as concrete examples of how a school can implement them." —Lois Easton, Educational Consultant and Author LBE Learning, Tucson, AZ "The protocol of Teacher Rounds has the potential to be a powerful tool for professional learning. The focused conversations that follow observation augment the learning for all involved." —Sue Elliott, Education Consultant Suechelt Consulting, Sechelt, BC
Leading for Literacy: What Every School Leader Needs to Knowis an inspiring and practical resource for all school leaders-teacher leaders, literacy coaches, school administrators, and district-level leaders. Filled with useful "look-for" tools for observing literacy teaching and reflecting upon the culture and systems of your school, Leading for Literacyhelps school leaders understand key principles of effective literacy teaching and create equitable communities of learning for all students. Leading for Literacyprovides guidance for creating a culture of collaborative professionalism, facilitating conversations about effective practice, and making high-impact decisions based on evidence and the values identified by the school team. An important resource for every school leader aiming to scale up excellence, Leading for Literacyhelps leaders create effective systems for improving the literacy outcomes of all students. With OVER 30 TOOLS to support your work, discover how to... Beginning of the book - 1. Harness the foundations of inspirational school leadership 2. Build effective teams that deliver high outcomes for all students 3. Create a common vision and shared values to create a healthy, collaborative school culture Middle of the book - 4. Implement evidence-based instructional practices 5. Observe and document student progress effectively 6. Teach English learners strategically 7. Design effective systems for intervention 8. Create high-quality book collections End of the book - 9. Harness responsibilities and opportunities as a school leader 10. Create new leadership opportunities 11. Nurture coaches and teacher leaders as important agents of change 12. Sustain and scale up systemic improvements in your district or school
