I woke up excited about coding. What does this say about me? I’m a happy doc student nerd? So be it. Now that I’ve read the Saldana coding chapter excerpt, I feel much more confident about coding my own data. I’ve recorded 4 post conferences thus far, and will transcribe those in order to examine them in detail, using the information I’ve learned in this reading as well as the Dana and Yendol-Hoppey book, The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Classroom Research (2014). Three of the conferences were audio recordings, and one a video. They were between 20 and 34 minutes each, so I will have a lot of data to review in these instances. I will also be adding my post conference notes, FEAPS observation tools, student feedback emails, comments after each conference, and a formal online feedback survey.
The coding article provided a wealth of information regarding different ways to code, what to prioritize, how one can analyze data, and how to go about organizing everything coherently. Coding for patterns, coding filters, categorizing, recoding, codes and themes, what gets coded, the mechanics of coding, coding collaboratively or solo, coding methods, and necessary personal attributes for coding are all explained. I found the section on coding and re-coding interesting, pondering how deep one could go into the process, breaking down the information, categorizing, recoding, finding themes, and coding again. I could see how an inquirer could swim in their work, living, eating, breathing and dreaming it, waking up excited about coding! I’m curious to see where my research examination takes me, and what surprises are in store. It’s an academic adventure. The most helpful portions were the examples provided after each explanation. This gave me a concrete sample to set as a framework for my own work. I found them very useful. In considering how I would like to begin coding my work, I was drawn to the idea of six pedagogical skills as outlined by Burns & Bendiali (2013, 2014), which I blogged about last week. These “pedagogical skills that contribute to a clinical pedagogy of supervision” are: noticing (which includes marking), ignoring, intervening, pointing, unpacking, and processing-for-action. Having read this article recently, I was in this mindset, and as I pondered how to best categorize and code my work, these sprang to mind as the perfect way to do so. I anticipate that my work will fall naturally into these categories, and this will help me organize and understand the research, finding themes, commonalities, and even differences. I’d also like to code in such a way as to understand who did the noticing, supervisor or intern, as well as who does the pointing, unpacking, and processing for action. I may organize this as simultaneous coding, but will need to ponder it further to decide it this is the correct approach. Frequency coding will play a role in this portion as well. One of the things mentioned here that I wish I had done was to code some as I create and record the data. This would have made it easier I think, but it’s a lesson I will carry into my next inquiry. Studying the Dana and Yendol-Hoppey text was insightful. I had read this book as an instructor teaching Level I interns last semester. It definitely did not hold the same depth of meaning as it does for me now re-reading it as a student doing my own inquiry. The text is easy to read and practical, taking into account the audience that it’s written for – busy teachers. I found the outline of how to proceed through each phase very helpful, as well as the chapter exercises with focused questions. Not only are these questions I can ask myself, but questions that I can use with my interns who are working hard on their own inquiries. The sample graphs in chapter 6 were also helpful, and something I will incorporate into my presentation at the inquiry conference. I’ve certainly used graphs before when teaching science and math, as well as in examining my own performance as an evaluator in relation to other peers. But this was a great reminder that this type of comparative graph can be used to visually represent data for the purposes of my inquiry. This assuages my need to include “scientific before and after” data when presenting my inquiry. This leads me to chapter 8 in the Yendol-Hoppey book, the topic of inquiry versus action research or teacher research. I was reassured. This was a misconception I held as well, that inquiry needs to be very data heavy, with “extensive number crunching and statistical analyses, white lab coats, experimental designs with a control and treatment group, and long hours in the library” (pg. 215) The experts say this is not true! I agree (although the final claim is questionable). Inquiry is about self-examination and how ultimately this affects students. My inquiry is based only on me, although the information may be transferable to others, if my work is of good quality. This is a part of my growth process, focusing and fostering it. Inquiry is a tool I can continue to use, and share with others. References: Burns, R. & Badailai, (under review). Unearthing the complexities of clinical pedagogy in supervision. Action in Teacher Education. Dana, N. F. & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2014). The reflective educator's guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press. Saldana, J. (2012). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.
1 Comment
I found the Burns & Badiali article, Unearthing the Complexities of Clinical Pedagogy in Supervision, (2013, 2014) very interesting. It included information which is relevant to my situation as a supervisor of pre-service teachers (PST). It focused on a case study of two novice supervisors who were also veteran teachers, just as I am. It discussed within this context six “pedagogical skills that contribute to a clinical pedagogy of supervision”. These are: noticing (which includes marking), ignoring, intervening, pointing, unpacking, and processing-for-action. The case studies were broken down into specifics, providing concrete examples and quotes from each. I found this helpful, and as I read, constantly compared my supervising skills to the women studied here. I asked myself often, which of these skills do I employ? What is the benefit or detriment of each? How can this information influence my interactions with my interns? One of my “aha” moments was in reading about written portions of the supervisor’s feedback being labeled directive and non-directive. Burns references Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon, 2010, saying “In supervisor-centered unpacking, the supervisor’s thoughts and rationale are prioritized over the teacher candidate’s and could be referred to as directive supervision.” Although I’m aware of these categories as used in conferencing with PSTs, I had not thought thoroughly about how this applies to written communications. One more area I need to focus on in my growth process! “In transformative learning theory, critical instances can be synonymous with cognitive dissonance or disorienting dilemmas” (Mezirow & Associates, 2000, as cited by Burns and Badiali, 2013, 2014). This stood out to me in thinking about critical instances in my own supervision, and in the interns’ experiences. The distinction is important in how I frame my thinking about what constitutes a critical instance. It doesn’t have to be life changing or create intellectual earthquakes, but can still be noteworthy. When interns talk through an issue in a post-conference, and discuss what was important to them, they are identifying their own critical instances. Some of these create dissonance for them, some smaller ripples. But they are important to me, because they are important to the PST. Since focusing more on a student lead conferencing style, I have learned a great deal about their priorities, and have been pleasantly surprised by their insights. We often agree on the areas that could be enhanced, but my surprise comes in their creativity in how to enhance their teaching and address specific areas of concern that they have identified. I think exploration of the “conceptual framework of clinical pedagogy” is an important idea, and one which enhances my own professional development, as well as establishing a research based background which can be referenced by all stakeholders in the area of supervision. Peer Coaching 1
1. PARTICIPANT -SELF My name is Denise Donahue. I am a partnership resource teacher working for Hillsborough County Schools serving at the University of South Florida. This is my first year as a PRT and supervisor for elementary education interns. My background consists of 20 years as a classroom teacher in grades K-6, all subjects, and 3 years as a peer evaluator for the district. My degrees are in Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education (ESE)/Gifted. I am certified in the areas of elementary education, ESE K-12, early childhood, and middle grades science (5-9). This is my first semester in the doctoral program at USF. 2. PARTICPANT-PEER COACH I observed Lakesia Dupree on Feb. 17th, 2015. Ms. Dupree spent 4 years in the classroom teaching 3rd grade, and 2 years as a math coach in grades K-5. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's of Arts in Teaching (MAT). This is her second semester in the doctoral program (full time student). She is studying Elementary Education with a Math Education Focus. This is her first year as a math coach for UTRPP (Urban Teacher Residency Preparation Program). 3. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE FOR WORKING WITH THIS PERSON I observed Ms. Dupree conduct a pre-conference as part of her coaching cycle. She spoke with a pre-service teacher in her final internship at a local title 1 Elementary school regarding her upcoming math lesson for a 2nd grade group of students. I worked with Ms. Dupree to gain insight into how a math coach for UTRPP (Urban Teacher Residency Preparation Program) conducted her coaching sessions. I offered my services to her in the form of data collection, specifically identifying what portion of her conversation and questioning focused on pedagogy and what portion focused on the math content. She was interested in examining the amount of time spent on each. I also shared my professional insights into the conferencing process as a whole, with a focus on her areas of strength. Ms. Dupree observed me on Feb. 19th during a post-conference with a level II intern, Maria. The intern had been observed by me in a 5th grade classroom setting at a local elementary school. The purpose of the post conference was to reflect upon the lesson observed, discuss the effectiveness, and discuss future goals. I asked Ms. Dupree to observe and gather data regarding my coaching style, particularly as to how it aligned or did not align with cognitive coaching. Additionally, I asked for feedback on my overall coaching skills. 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIENCE I recorded my evidence for Ms. Dupree on a T-chart, with designated headings for “math content” and “pedagogy” (See below). My information was evidence based and included quotes and times for particular comments and topic changes. The nature of the pre-conference was for the math coach and the intern to discuss her plans for an upcoming math lesson. I was able to sit and observe their interactions and conversation, while manually recording notes. My role was observational. Ms. Dupree observed my post-conference and collected data regarding the types of questions I asked, the feedback I provided, and how my coaching style aligned with the cognitive approach, as outline in Cognitive Coaching: A Foundation for Renaissance Schools (Costa & Garmston, 2002). My goal is to measure what my current style of conference coaching is, and move towards a less directive approach when beneficial to the pre-service teacher. Therefore, I wanted data on my current coaching style and how often I implement the newer strategies. Ms. Dupree’s data collection format was a three column note chart, with headings of “supervisor”, “intern” and “feedback”. She recorded specific quotes, topics and her ideas and interpretation (See below). Both conferences were recorded with the intern’s knowledge and permission. After each observation, Ms. Dupree and I met and debriefed, discussing the collected data and sharing ideas collaboratively. 5. REFLECTION ON THE EXPERIENCE I learned a great deal from this experience. Ms. Dupree conducted her conference using the nondirective approach, as described by Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon (2004). She asked guiding questions and probed the intern’s thinking. “How do you think that will go? How might they make a connection between what they do know and what they don’t know? Will you have enough data to group and assess students?” She did not provide answers for the intern, or share her own particular strategies. Instead, she allowed the pre-service teacher to arrive at her own conclusions based on the line of questioning. The intern did indeed eventually come up with some new strategies and ideas which she worked into her lesson plan, for the benefit of the students. This required patience on the part of the math coach, and a full hour of conversation. Ms. Dupree modeled how a conference can run which allows the PST to take full charge of modifying and adjusting a planned lesson, based on the questions of the coach. One of the most important ideas I took away from the feedback I received from Ms. Dupree on my post-conferencing style was limiting feedback which can influence the intern. Here is my reasoning. If the approach is to let the intern choose their own goals and ideas on how to implement these, then my positive affirmations need to be eliminated. In my mind, I was encouraging students by offering feedback. They are young, inexperienced, and looking for support. I am a nurturing person, and want to offer that support, through praise and positive comments. However, for some interns, this is not necessary and may unintentionally influence their decisions. They may be searching for what they think I want to hear, and will choose their words carefully to this end. If I want to avoid swaying them towards my opinions, and truly let them explore and discover their own solutions, then I need to refrain from overly exuberant responses. Another valuable piece of feedback I received was in how I began the conference, with an outline of expected topics, such as which students mastered the objective, what the evidence of this is, what were areas of strength and focus of the lesson, and what are your future goals. I always begin conferences with this outline, to guide students in what areas I expect them to address. As Ms. Dupree and I spoke after the conference, she suggested I might leave this off in future meetings, and allow the intern to decide on the direction of the conference and what topics will be discussed. This was a new idea for me. “Consider if the intern has something he/she would like to talk about that does not necessarily fit into the “flow” that has been established at the beginning. Is there a way to open the post conference through a more student centered approach?” I can use these discoveries in future conferences with interns who are capable and mature enough to manage their own reflections while serving as a support facilitator and not a directing supervisor. My area of growth is in the knowledge of where my current skills align with cognitive coaching and where I need to focus in the future to more closely align my actions with this type of approach when conferencing. The questions that arose for me are, how will my interns react to the lack of praise and encouragement during a post-conference now that they are used to receiving this? Will they take it as a vote of no confidence from me? Would it be best to explain to them up front that I will be trying a new approach and thus refraining from sharing my own personal ideas and strategies? Which of my interns are ready for this less direct approach, and which ones still need a more guided experience? How else can I measure my current conferencing style? How can I gauge the interns’ perceptions of the changes? How can I gauge the effectiveness of these new strategies? Name: L. Dupree Date: 2/17/15 1:35 Title: observation notes Math content pedagogy 1:42 intern references math goals within lesson 1:38 LD asks intern to choose her area of focus LD- Asks questions to narrow the focus LD -Gets info. on student background 1:46 “Is this their first exposure to line plots?” -LD 1:41 “What would be your goals for your students?" 1:47 Is there a way in your thinking that you might Incorporate if they haven’t had exposure yet? –LD 1:49 “How do you think that will go? How 1:51 LD references possible gap in math knowledge might they make a connection between For students regarding line plot. Seeks intern what they do know, with what they don’t? Input on how to address this possible gap. Is there some kind of activity where you LD provides reinforcement and feedback. could launch the lesson where they might have to compare?” 1:56 LD asks if intern will have enough data to group and assess student learning 1:57 LD asks what type of questions intern will ask, referencing content 1:58 LD probes. “Do you think this is some- thing they will naturally get or…” “How can you get them to really dig in and interpret, to really get them to take more ownership of that creation in the beginning? Just kind of getting you to shift, putting it back on them, so you can facilitate with them to say what’s going on and how they feel about line plots?” 2:00- LD asks about interns plan to gather 2:05 line plot and tally chart discussion -LD Evidence, providing scenarios, create Discussions. Provides think time. 2:13 discusses vocabulary 2:02 Asks about situating new info. 2:06 asks about students who struggle 2:08 asks for questions to solidify thinking 2:10 LD offers support as coach LD- preps intern to be prepared for misconceptions and a back up plan 2:16 details, questioning, explanation, Assessment, data collection Random notes: straight to business Many conversation points are a mix of pedagogy and math content Post Conference Feedback: Supervising Teaching II Observation Assignment Supervisor Intern Feedback Opens the conference with a layout of how the post conference will flow (13 sec.) Consider if the intern has something he/she would like to talk about that does not necessarily fit into the “flow” that has been established at the beginning. Is there a way to open the post conference through a more student centered approach? Possible Opening: As you reflect upon your lesson, what did you discover about ______________( i.e. your teaching or student learning? Supervisor offered the intern the opportunity to start where she would like and go on from there (based on the outline of the post conference given by the supervisor) Intern given the opportunity to speak and talk about her feelings about the lesson (student made a list)
Supervisor validates the intern’s comments about her confidence (“I could see that.”) What evidence could you provide that supports that your confidence has improved? Intern talks about her voice and how the students can pick up on her voice Supervisor makes suggestion that the student can “smell the fear.” Continuing to reflect on the lesson and talked about all the different components of the lesson (assessments, play dough, reading, ect)…expressed her concern about being able to control the students/classroom management Supervisor Intern Feedback Follows up with a question to elaborate on intern’s feelings “How did you feel about that looking back now?” Thought that supervisor was referring to assessment. Clarified that she meant to reflect on classroom management. Student reflected that she felt that she did good with that. Provided evidence:
Responded with feelings about the intern’s performance “I was cheering inside for you when I heard you do that.” Provides additional feedback by informing intern that it makes a big difference when providing expectations to the students. Put it back on the student in question form:
Referenced specific evidence within the lesson about how her expectations helped set the stage for the students’ improved behavior Supervisor Intern Feedback Intern moves the conversation to talk about student learning and the use of specific science vocabulary. Refers specifically to student data Responds with “wow” (supervisor’s feelings)
Felt that she gave chances for students to give feedback. (for her students to ask questions?) Student responded that she doesn’t know why she had forgotten to do that many times before. Supervisor provides a possible rationale for why. (caught up in the moment)
Supervisor Intern Feedback Supervisor revoices intern’s feelings in question form, ”So what I think that I you felt good….” Intern agreed Moved on to an unexpected question in her lesson about the blue moon; intern admitted that she wasn’t prepared for that and suggested that she should have looked at deeper content Confirms intern’s feelings, “You never know what they are going to ask. And it’s good to be prepared.” Asked about a specific teacher move by the intern, “in the video, you stated you would have to check into that.” Intern admits that she didn’t know the answer to the student and that she didn’t want to teach them anything wrong Supervisor confirms that was a correct move Questioned if he intern had a chance to follow up Intern did and explained how she followed up and researched the answer for the students How could you have made that moment more student centered You helped to focus the intern on how she could involve her students in finding the answers their own questions instead of giving the answer Intern suggests a few ideas Elaborated more on the suggestion (students could report to their classmates their findings) Supervisor Intern Feedback Intern expressed that she did not want the students to get behind in their science content because they were moving into a new topic Asked the intern what she would do if she had her own classroom You helped to assist the intern to think of how to apply the strategy in the future even though she may not have been able to in her current placement. Provided feelings about what intern was saying about making more time for the students to explore the topic in her own classroom (“I love that”) Suggested an idea for how the students could share questions that they had (i.e a mailbox) Provided feelings “I like you mailbox idea.” “That’s kind of cute” “Oh my goodness, that is so cute” “That’s cool.” Provided suggestions about the parking lot and asked the intern share idea during seminar. Discussed the challenges of the students watching the video and having to fill out a worksheet at the same time (students were forgetting to fill out the paper). Intern talked about a possible solution (pause the video) You allowed student to talk her way through to a possible solution Intern reflected on second block (not observed); played the video twice so that the students Questioned intern about the effectiveness of playing the video twice Intern reflected and expressed what she wishes had gone differently with 1st block You helped the student to reflect on how to build strategies that she could use in future lessons with the 1st block Supported what intern had stated about implementing different things with 2nd block after teaching the lesson during 1st block Supervisor Intern Feedback Missing components of lesson (real world) only could think of one thing Brought it back to student centered learning “What could you be asking them?” Helped to focus the intern back on her students and their learning Student was trying to think of questions that she could have asked students Suggested that she could think of that when she is in her own classroom and incorporated discussion about the Super Moon that happened recently. Asked intern if she had discussed it with her students Intern talked about missed opportunity and how it could be a resource that she could have used with her students Provided suggestions and feedback about students making connections and how powerful it is for students to make their own connections. Pointed out that we learn best by making our own connections Intern agreed Differentiation was an issue; expressed that it was difficult and identified that as a struggle; talked about areas that she grew in (assessment); she attributed it to science lessons So where are you at with that now? Asked her to reflect on differentiation (no matter the amount) Allowed the intern to think more deeply about the lesson for evidence. Intern began to list a possible strategy and then stated that she didn’t know what else to do. Thinking of differentiation as pulling groups Supervisor Intern Feedback Student again expressed her concern with classroom management and how she was afraid to implement the small group model (differentiation); giving reasons why it works in math but not science Will the intern feel comfortable implementing differentiation strategies if she has concerns about classroom management? Asked for suggestions from supervisor Possible question: What strategies that you have successfully used with math groups that you think that you could try with your science groups? Provides feedback and ask questions about instructional planning class? You are allowing the intern to think about what knowledge she currently has on differentiation before giving suggestions. Provides suggestions and provides feedback “you’re on the right track…” and gives intern some different perspectives to think about when differentiating (shows DI book) Intern thanks supervisor and writes down the name of the book Suggests implementation plan (i.e. start slow, put one thing into place) gives feedback on personal feelings “I liked it.” Ask intern if there was anything else and then responds with, “Let’s talk about student progress” Intern asks, “exactly what do you want to know?” asks for further clarity on what the supervisor was looking for Referred to student learning and talked about how she though that they did (referred to their assessments as learning) Supervisor Intern Feedback Also talked about confusions (and referred to coloring how the students colored in the moon. Stated that they technically were right, and that she knew what they meant) which appeared to be a misconception but she later goes on to talk about how she addressed it with her students Allowed the student to talk through their thinking and their students’ thinking and how she addressed the misconception Stated that it was pretty engaging. Provided the suggestion that the CT could have brought in the flashlight. Possible question, “Instead of telling the students about the flashlight, is there a way that you could have made the connection more real world (or interactive) for the students?” To help push the intern to think of more student centered/problem based learning scenarios for her lessons Confirmed the interns actions that it was good that she addressed the misconception and not allowed the students to go home with the misconception in their minds Talked about observational notes (and gave general feedback, good, this other group got it when using the play dough) Talked about how she will know that students were not focused (it would be reflected in their assessment) Asked the intern what she was going to do with the information Provides an opportunity for the intern to synthesize the findings from the student evidence. Also provides her with opportunity to decide where to go next. Supervisor Intern Feedback Also talked about confusions (and referred to coloring how the students colored in the moon. Stated that they technically were right, and that she knew what they meant) which appeared to be a misconception but she later goes on to talk about how she addressed it with her students Allowed the student to talk through their thinking and their students’ thinking and how she addressed the misconception Stated that it was pretty engaging. Provided the suggestion that the CT could have brought in the flashlight. Possible question, “Instead of telling the students about the flashlight, is there a way that you could have made the connection more real world (or interactive) for the students?” To help push the intern to think of more student centered/problem based learning scenarios for her lessons Confirmed the interns actions that it was good that she addressed the misconception and not allowed the students to go home with the misconception in their minds Talked about observational notes (and gave general feedback, good, this other group got it when using the play dough) Talked about how she will know that students were not focused (it would be reflected in their assessment) Asked the intern what she was going to do with the information Provides an opportunity for the intern to synthesize the findings from the student evidence. Also provides her with opportunity to decide where to go next. Talked about how she used the data (to address misconceptions same day) Supervisor Intern Feedback “That’s nice, get that immediate feedback.” Possible question:
Allows student to set goal or set what she want to focus on for the next observation. Possible question:
Goes on to talk about wanting students to give feedback and not wanting her to be talking all the time Starting to discuss a different area that she would like to work on maybe at another time (amount of student talk during lesson vs. teacher talk during lesson) Talks about where the support can come from (i.e. instructional planning course) Gives intern places to look for potential ideas that she would like to try out (puts the ownership back on her to add to her knowledge base of differentiation) Sketches out a possible plan for the next time (we can discuss in preconference, we will collect that data for you, we will discuss that in our post conference specifically Possible Question:
Gave feedback on how you think the post conference went Supervisor Intern Feedback
Giving the intern an opportunity to provide feedback on how the video assisted with reflection She recorded both lessons and intern was reflective about what she saw Encouraged intern to give herself credit for what she did that was good Discussed uploading video Reflective Blog EDH 7326 Week 10
Reading the Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon text, I felt a sense of relief. Relief to know that I haven’t been supervising and coaching “wrong”, but that there is a name and a reason for what I have been doing. The authors describe four approaches to supervision: directive control, directive informational, collaborative, and nondirective. It is stressed that each of these has a place in the world of supervision, depending on the background, experience, and other attributes of the teacher. Those with less developed skills may need a more directive approach, while those with stronger backgrounds and abilities may benefit from one of the more teacher-lead approaches. The task of selecting which approach or approaches to use is one that takes practice and expertise on the part of the coach. Each of these approaches has 10 steps. These are listening, clarifying, encouraging, reflecting, presenting, problem solving, negotiating, directing, standardizing, and reinforcing. The level of responsibility by the teacher and the supervisor varies with each. This is referred to as the “sequence of directive informational behaviors” (Glickman, Gordon, Ross-Gordon, 2004). I found that what I was doing intuitively fits into the framework of mainly directive control, directive informational, and collaborative. Until recently I had not practiced the nondirective style of coaching, but this is something I am working on, as I can see the benefits. Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon stress that the goal for supervisors should be to work nondirectively with teachers when possible, and to guide them towards this at the pace they are able to move forward. Something else I took away from this reading was the way that the researchers measured their results. I have been pondering the best way to measure pre-service teachers’ attitudes and aptitudes for my inquiry, and this provided some useful ideas, such as those in the reflective exercises. For example, Chapter 10 looks at “How do teachers respond to the supervisor’s efforts to use nondirective behaviors? Does the supervisor use overt nondirective behaviors such as clarifying, encouraging, and reflecting while at the same time influencing through subtle comments or nonverbal behaviors?” Arrendondo & Rucinski take a more sophisticated approach to measuring cognitive development among mentors and mentees in their article, Using Structured Interactions in Conferences and Journals to Promote Cognitive Development Among Mentors and Mentees (1998). Their tools included Schommer’s Epistemological Questionnaire, dialogue/journal response patterns, constant comparison, and the Defining Issue Test (DIT). I continue to wonder how else I can measure the results of my inquiry study, and what types of questions I could be asking myself and my pre-service teachers, and what types of tools I might add to my toolkit. I also found a connection to the concerns expressed by supervisors when considering the nondirective approach, such as what to do about teachers who do not show the competency necessary for this approach to work successfully, and what if the teacher wants direct advice from the supervisor? I would have a difficult time telling an inquiring teacher that I won’t answer her questions, especially if that were a pre-service teacher. I realize not all PSTs are ready for this type of teacher lead conferencing, but that is has a valuable place in the formal observation cycle for many. It’s mentioned that the directive approach can not only be ineffective if the teacher is not developmentally ready, but can actually be harmful. The worse post-conference I ever had was with a veteran inservice teacher. She was in her final year of teaching and ready to retire. Without knowing the label for what I was trying to do, I had asked the teacher for ideas on how she could address some of the issues we had identified in her formal observation lesson. She thought a few minutes and said she could think of nothing. I asked her in a different way, and then again waited for her input. After a few tries, she became very agitated, and had a verbal outburst which was less than pleasant, becoming confrontational. The conference fell apart quickly, and we had to end it early. Knowing what I know now about the varying approaches that one can take, and how to determine which is the best to use for an individual teacher, I think I could have made that experience much better for myself as well as the teacher. Mediating pedagogical innovation via reflective practice: a comparison of pre-service and in-service teachers’ experiences
By: East, Martin. Reflective Practice 2014-12-11 The purpose of this article is to examine the effectiveness of reflective practice for both pre- service teachers and in service teachers regarding attitude and aptitude for implementing a new instructional method. Research questions include: How does reflective practice impact teacher thinking about implementing a learner centered model of instruction? Does reflective practice impact pre service teachers the same as in-service teachers? Does metacognitive reflection lead to change in pedagogy? The methodology includes both quantitative and qualitative studies. Teachers were asked to write their reflective thoughts in journals. The beginning and ending entries were examined and analyzed for themes and frequency of comments regarding the advantages and disadvantages of a new curriculum plan. Findings support these ideas.
Although this research was conducted at a secondary level, the implication for the benefits of teacher self-reflection is clear. Teachers who engaged in the reflective journaling had greater “buy in” to implement the innovative teaching method. The implication for my inquiry is the impact of reflective practice by pre-service teachers in the process of professional growth and the ability to be open to new ideas regarding teaching and learning. The article supports that reflective practice does support an openness to new pedagogy which may not have previously been included in the teacher’s mindset. Key Themes/Big Ideas: Reflective practice, pre-service teachers, learner centered model, task based language teaching (TBLT) Leshem, S. (2014). How do teacher mentors perceive their role, does it matter? Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 42(3), 261-274. Print. The purpose of this study was to examine self-perceptions of mentors, comparing those who had received professional development to those who had not. The research questions included: How do mentors perceive their role? How does professional development affect these self-perceptions? How does the perception differ among mentors? The methodology was described as an “inductive interpretative paradigm” (Bogdan & Biklen, 2003). Mentors were given an open ended questionnaire and interviewed. Findings include:
The implications of this study point out that professional development opportunities and formal trainings can have a positive impact on the confidence and skill level of a mentor. I relate this to my current experience as a mentor, performing my role before receiving specific training and now after. This training has changed the way I mentor PSTs in many ways. The author states that mentors who engaged in PD went through a “(re)formation process”. I can attest to that! The PD I am engaged in has changed the way I mentor entirely, and like the mentors in this study, includes a greater focus on the interpersonal relationship between myself, the pre-service teacher, and the collaborating teacher. Key Themes/Big Ideas Mentors, mentors’ perceptions, teacher education, professional development, professional identity Promoting collaborative practice and reciprocity in initial teacher education: realizing a ‘dialogic space’ through video capture analysis By: Youens, Bernadette, Lindsey Smethem, and Stefanie Sullivan. Journal of Education for Teaching 2014-12-15 The purpose of this article is to examine the benefits of utilizing videotaped lessons in the preparation of pre-service teachers. There is a focus on not only the effectiveness of videotaping as part of the collaborative process, but on how allowing the intern teacher to select portions of the video to view with the mentor and collaborating teacher (CT), and to plan and lead the conference, affects the power base and perceived hierarchy between these three roles. Some examination occurs of the relationship between the sponsoring university and the hosting public school, and the traditional disconnect between what the intern learns in one which can differ from what is learned in the other. Research questions include: What is the potential for video capture to enhance a pre-service teacher’s development? Does this disrupt the traditional hierarchy of the intern, CT, mentor relationship? How can this process connect what is learned at the university level to the practicum experience? How does leading the conference change the dynamic of the group interaction and effect PST learning? The design method of this study was to set up a conference opportunity in which the intern selected a portion of their videotaped lesson to share with their mentor and CT, and took the lead in analyzing the lesson. Comments from this conference were then analyzed, as well as what resources were prepared by the interns for these meetings, their written work, and evaluation questionnaires for each participant. The researchers found that the intern experiences indeed resulted in changes, such as a greater connection between university courses and practicum experiences, which they call “bridging the theory-learning divide”. Additionally, a change in the role of power between the intern, mentor and CT was noted. A more balanced collaboration occurred, with each member of the team contributing their own perspective, referred to as an “interactive triadic dialogue”. The implications of this study were of note to my inquiry, in that when interns took the lead in the preparation and implementation of the post-conference, the results were positive. Student teachers showed ownership of the process and product, made leaps in their intellectual and professional growth, and became more a part of the process – doing, not being done to. Their role was more active than passive, and thus more effective. Key terms: teacher preparation, partnerships, video capture, student teachers Medwell, Jane, and Wray, David. 2014. Pre-service teachers undertaking classroom research: Developing reflection and enquiry skills Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 40(1), 65-77. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of reflection and research on interns in a teacher preparation program of study. Pre-service teachers (PSTs) were asked to engage in research regarding teaching handwriting, and then to collaborate and reflect upon their research. The research questions posed were: Can research conducted by a PST create a link between learned theories and applied practices? What is the role of research in teacher preparation? What impact does collaborative research have on the development of a pre-service teacher? “What kinds of reflective learning would be found in student teachers’ reflections about the research processes in which they were involved? How did these student teachers view their development as researchers and teachers during the research process?” The methods used in this study included having intern teachers examine baseline data regarding student handwriting, identify those who might benefit from intervention, create and implement an intervention program, monitor the program daily, and conduct a final assessment. The interns met weekly and these meetings were videotaped. These video recordings as well as written data were examined by the researchers. A content analysis was conducted to examine the PSTs level of personal and professional development. The findings of the study were that teacher inquiry and original research were beneficial to the development of pre-service teachers, and in the opinion of the authors, should be incorporated into teacher education programs consistently. The implications of this research connect to my inquiry. As part of my study of effective post-conferencing strategies, I examine having PSTs identify an area of research and inquiry they would like to engage in to further their own professional growth. Students are asked to identify a student of concern, their area of need, to collect baseline data, design and implement an intervention, and then measure the success of this intervention. This correlates directly with the actions of the PSTs in this study, which indicated a direct benefit from the self-designed research. Keywords: pre-service teachers, reflective practice, student teachers Ponte, E., & Twomey, S. (2014). Veteran teachers mentoring in training: Negotiating issues of power, vulnerability and professional development. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 40(1), 20-33. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and experiences of intern mentors. The authors studied a small sample of mentor teachers, using what they call a ‘coding and fracturing’ method of data analysis. Qualitative survey analysis was conducted. Five mentors were given open-ended surveys over a period of four years, with data examined for patterns. The research questions asked were: What moved you to become a mentor teacher for the program and apply for the intern mentor position? Thus far, has the mentoring experience met your expectations and goals? What are some of the positive aspects of the mentoring experience? What are some of the challenges of the mentoring experience? How do you think the mentoring has affected your own professional development? How do you think the mentoring might ultimately affect the professional development at your school? Findings showed a growth in the professional development of mentors after being exposed to new ways of teaching as they observed their interns, as well as the opportunity to observe teachers in other classrooms. Mentors also felt they benefited from their interactions with university staff, and that their experiences could be brought back to benefit the faculty at their own school sites. My connection to this study is in the examination of the mentors in their role as a coach and supervisor. My inquiry requires me to do the same, in order to examine my current practices and motivations. The study found that mentors felt their experiences were overall rewarding but full of challenges, with which I completely agree. Keywords/Big ideas: mentor teacher, mentoring, professional development Xu, Y., & Patmor, G. (2012). Fostering Leadership Skills in Pre-Service Teachers. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 24(2), 252-256. The purpose of this article is to share the importance of developing leadership skills in pre-service teachers for the eventual betterment of their schools. The focus is on ethical reasoning, encouraging differing perspective taking, and analyzing real world leadership cases. The authors provide examples of specific strategies for including this type of preparation in a university setting, and stress the importance and potential positive impact this training can have for pre-service teachers once they begin working in the schools. Research questions include: How can a teacher acquire the skills to meet leadership standards? How can a teacher become a teacher leader? What strategies should be taught to develop effective teacher leaders? What is the role of teacher leadership training in pre-service teacher preparation? The authors share their experiences with teacher leadership instruction, and how they have implemented it into related coursework. No original study was conducted. The findings are that preparing pre-service teachers in the skills of leadership within the schools is a worthwhile endeavor and should be included as a standard in all PST training programs. Instructors are encouraged to use the examples provided. An implication which can be related to my inquiry is the emphasis on the positive impact creating teacher leaders can have on the teacher’s school. In having students engage in inquiry as part of the formal observation cycle, particularly in the pre and post conferences, they can develop their skills of self-evaluation and evaluation of real world problems. Additionally, analyzing the components which contribute to effective teacher preparation is a common theme of my inquiry and this article. Keywords/big ideas: teacher preparation, teacher leadership, pre-service teachers, professional development, teacher empowerment Evidence of mentor learning and development: an analysis of New Zealand mentor/mentee professional conversations By: Langdon, Frances J. Professional Development in Education 2013-12-15 The purpose of this article was to emphasize the importance of the role of a mentor in teacher preparation programs, and to analyze a sample of mentor/mentee conversations. Specifically, the authors were looking at what mentors learned about themselves through the process, did mentor/mentee conversations align with mentor goals, and an examination of the data gained from the studied group. The research questions included were: “Is there a shift in mentor learning and development? How do conversations compare with the intended goals of mentors? How do professional development opportunities reflect in mentoring practice? How do the relative proportions of themes that arise in the first and final mentor–mentee learning conversations, as determined by the researchers, compare with the intended goals and the self-analysis of the mentors? What evidence of mentor learning and development can be identified within professional mentor–mentee conversations, and is this evidence substantiated by researcher analysis, within associated mentoring documents and through focus group interviews? ” The methodology plan was to gather information over two years regarding conversations between a mentor and mentee, self-reflection by the mentor, affective support examination, intended conferencing goals outlined, and integration of theory and practice details. The authors refer to this as a “national induction and mentoring study”. An examination of the mentors’ gains and growth was undertaken, and a breakdown conducted of these gains as correlated to the individual mentors. Findings of the study showed that gains or “shifts” were made by all mentors in the course of serving in their role as a mentor, and through participating in professional development regarding engaging PSTs in reflection based conferencing. Some of these shifts were greater than others, which the authors attributed to the amount of time and energy the mentor put into analyzing the conversations. It was noted that differences were observed between the planned goals of the mentor and the actual conversation which occurred during conferencing. Implications from this study correlate directly to my inquiry. I am interested in self-reflecting and analyzing my own methods of conversing with interns, specifically in the context of formal conferences. I am aware of my shift in how I conduct these conversations, as a direct result of my professional development in this area. I am interested in examining this growth, and how it has affected the pre-service teachers I assist. Keywords/big ideas: mentor, learning, conversations, development |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2016
Categories
All
|