Observation & Feedback: Probing to Identify the Problem

Summary

The transcript describes a professional development session focused on improving teaching methods through observation and feedback. A teacher, Asia, guides another teacher, Christie, to reflect on her lesson's objectives and teaching techniques by comparing her performance to a master teacher's video. The discussion aims to help Christie identify her strengths and weaknesses, encouraging her to internalize effective teaching strategies and apply them to her future lessons.

Takeaways

• 📚 The core of feedback is to coach teachers to improve student learning.
• 🔍 Students should focus on the objectives of a lesson during feedback meetings.
• 🎥 Using a video of a master teacher can help identify weaknesses in one's own teaching.
• 🤔 Targeted questions are used to focus the teacher on what they are observing in the video.
• 👥 Group discussions are encouraged to analyze and reflect on teaching methods.
• 📝 The teacher should be able to articulate their own action steps after watching the video.
• 🧠 The process of debriefing each item helps in identifying effective teaching components and personal weaknesses.
• 🗣️ Questions from peers during the discussion can enhance understanding and provoke thought.
• 🔄 Starting with the retail (details) and then moving to connections can be a powerful teaching approach.
• 📈 Comparing one's own teaching with the master teacher's can lead to actionable insights.
• 📋 Applying the learned actions directly into upcoming lessons ensures practical improvement.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the feedback meeting in the script?

The main focus of the feedback meeting is to help teachers improve student learning through observation and feedback.

Who is Carlos and what is his role in the script?

Carlos is not explicitly mentioned in the script, but it seems he might be a teacher or a facilitator who wants students to focus on making connections during feedback meetings.

What is the objective of Asia's lesson?

The objective of Asia's lesson is to help Christy identify her weaknesses through the use of a video of a master teacher.

How does Asia use the video of a master teacher to assist Christy?

Asia uses the video to highlight the master teacher's effective teaching components and to help Christy compare them with her own teaching.

What is the significance of Asia's targeted question before and after showing the video?

Asia's targeted questions are meant to focus Christy on what she's watching and to help her think critically about her own teaching practices.

What does Asia encourage Christy to do after watching the video?

Asia encourages Christy to debrief each item she has watched, to think about her teaching, and to identify the components of effective teaching.

How does Chidel contribute to the conversation in the script?

Chidel contributes by chiming in with questions that help Christy think about the story's details and to make connections that lead to a deeper understanding of the text.

What is the purpose of Asia summarizing Christy's observations?

Asia summarizes Christy's observations to help her articulate her own action steps and to develop an eye for effective teaching.

Why does Asia ask Christy to compare her teaching with the master teacher's?

Asia asks Christy to compare her teaching to help her identify her own weaknesses and to internalize the importance of effective teaching strategies.

How does Asia ensure that Christy applies the learning from the feedback meeting?

Asia ensures that Christy applies the learning by having her script out how the key actions might look in her upcoming lesson.

What is the final goal of the feedback meeting as described in the script?

The final goal is to move from discussing improvement to directly changing instruction, thus enhancing student learning.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Coaching for Student Learning

The paragraph discusses the importance of observation and feedback in coaching teachers to improve student learning. It focuses on a feedback meeting where Asia starts with a precise question about the lesson's objective. She uses a video of a master teacher to help Christie identify her weaknesses. The conversation is structured to make a clear focus on observation and to help Christie reflect on her teaching methods. The approach is interactive, with targeted questions to guide Christie's thinking and to help her identify effective teaching components and her own areas for improvement.

Keywords

💡Comprehension

Comprehension in the context of the video refers to the ability of students to understand and interpret what they are learning. It is a core element in teaching as it ensures that students are not just passively receiving information but actively engaging with it. The script mentions a comprehension conversation, which is a method used to enhance this understanding.

💡Feedback

Feedback is a critical process in teaching where teachers provide comments to students to help them improve their learning. In the script, feedback is discussed as a tool for coaching teachers to enhance student learning, indicating its dual role in both student and teacher development.

💡Coaching

Coaching, as used in the video script, refers to the guidance and support provided to teachers to improve their teaching methods. It is a form of professional development that focuses on practical skills and strategies to enhance student learning outcomes.

💡Observation

Observation is a method of assessing teaching practices by watching and analyzing how a teacher conducts a lesson. The script mentions observation as a part of the feedback process, where a teacher's lesson is observed to provide constructive feedback.

💡Master Teacher

A master teacher, as referenced in the script, is an experienced educator who serves as a role model for other teachers. The video clip of a master teacher is used to demonstrate effective teaching strategies and to help the teacher being coached identify areas for improvement.

💡Video Clip

A video clip in this context is a recording used as a teaching tool. The script describes how a video clip of a master teacher is used to provide a visual reference for the teacher being coached, allowing for a more concrete analysis of teaching methods.

💡Targeted Question

A targeted question is a specific inquiry designed to guide the focus of a discussion or lesson. In the script, Asia uses targeted questions to direct Christy's attention to particular aspects of her teaching that need improvement.

💡Debrief

Debriefing in the script refers to the process of reviewing and reflecting on an event or activity, such as a lesson. It is a moment for the teacher to think critically about what happened, identify strengths and weaknesses, and plan for future actions.

💡Effective Teaching

Effective teaching encompasses a set of strategies and practices that lead to successful student learning. The script discusses the identification of components of effective teaching and how teachers can develop an 'eye' for it through observation and feedback.

💡Internalize

To internalize in the context of the video means for a teacher to deeply understand and incorporate teaching strategies into their practice. The script suggests that coaching should lead to teachers internalizing the importance of certain teaching methods rather than just being told what to do.

💡Action Steps

Action steps are specific, actionable items that come from a plan or strategy. In the script, Asia helps Christy articulate her own action steps for improving her teaching, moving from discussion to direct application in her upcoming lesson.

Highlights

Students are guided to focus on the core objectives of a lesson during feedback sessions.

The use of video clips from master teachers helps identify weaknesses in teaching.

Asia's targeted question about the lesson's objective is a key part of the feedback process.

The video of a master teacher, Chidel, is used to demonstrate effective teaching strategies.

Asia emphasizes the importance of a clear focus in comprehension conversations.

Christe is encouraged to think critically about her teaching by analyzing the master teacher's video.

The feedback session includes a debriefing of each teaching item observed.

Asia's approach to feedback involves guiding Christe to identify effective teaching components.

Chidel's questioning techniques are analyzed to understand student engagement.

The feedback session aims to shift from discussion to direct application in teaching.

Christe is prompted to articulate her own action steps for improvement.

The feedback process concludes with Christe scripting out her upcoming lesson incorporating the feedback.

The feedback session is designed to move from theoretical discussion to practical application.

Asia's method of feedback is contrasted with Christe's initial approach to comprehension discussions.

The importance of starting with the retail aspect of a story in comprehension discussions is highlighted.

Asia summarizes Christe's observations and prompts a comparison with her own teaching.

The feedback process is intended to develop an eye for effective teaching.

Christe is encouraged to internalize the importance of the feedback rather than just being told what to do.

Transcripts

so let's switch gears a little bit and

talk about the comprehension

conversation for this book so tell me

about what you wanted students to focus

on when you brought them back for

discussion at its core observation and

feedback is about coaching teachers to

improve student learning Carlos goes

camping I wanted them to make a

connection in this feedback meeting Asia

starts her deep dive with a precise

question what was the objective of her

lesson once she has done that Asia uses

video of a master teacher who did the

same lesson that Christy had done

earlier watch how Asia uses this video

clip to help Christie identify her

weaknesses so I have a video of chidel

okay and she starts off the

comprehension conversation with a retail

okay so she has a very clear focus and I

want us to note what her focus is and

see if we can pull pull that out from

her conversation with the students but

additionally I want you to notice how

she begins that conversation with the

group as you notice before showing the

video and after showing the video Asia

asks a targeted question to focus

christe on what she's watching all right

let's come

together yeah she's flying away from

that cat but what did she do before she

flew away from the cat okay so we'll

stop her right there okay so what do you

what did you notice about the way chadel

opened up that that comprehension

conversation opened it up saying pretend

like I've never read this story so that

I open it up so that they had to include

all the details of the story as if she's

never read it Asia gives christe the

opportunity to debrief each item that

she has watched in this way christe is

doing the thinking increasing her

ability to identify the components of

effective teaching and to identify the

weaknesses in her own retelling it

shidel chimed in with questions as those

points were brought up so now thinking

about the all the moves that chidel made

there she said how do you think she felt

why do you think that what in the story

makes you think that so she used a lot

of the really generic step promps

exactly to get the student to that to

change her thinking from she was

surprised to scared which was the more

valid answer right um but also to make

connections to help her better

understand the text so now think about

that in comparison to the opening moves

for the comprehension discussion that we

that I saw today yes so in this

comprehension discussion I can start

with the retail instead of making them

separate um instead of coming right to

the connection I can start with the

retail and as the retail progresses as

you can see here Asia summarizes what

christe has seen and then asks her to

compare that to her own

teaching what's the power of this

approach christe is articulating her own

action steps and developing an eye for

Effective teaching Asia could have just

told Christie what to do but she

wouldn't have internalized why this is

so important in this final part Asia

makes sure that christe applies this by

putting the key actions right into her

upcoming lesson we have moved from

talking about Improvement to directly

changing instruction so let's actually

go into your plan and script out how how

this might look

okay