Strategic Conversations: Differentiating Support for Teachers

1. Strategic Conversations: Differentiating Support for Teachers

2. Session Goals • Explore the impact of both will and skill on teacher effectiveness • Examine four types of conversation approaches to support teacher learning • Engage in discussion around scenarios to connect will and skill with types of conversations

3. Will and Skill • Will: Teacher’s motivation and resolve to do what is best on behalf of students. Directly related to beliefs about children, about teaching, about how children learn, and about school itself. • Skill: Both pedagogical and content area knowledge. Combination of both knowing subject and knowing how to help others learn the subject.

4. Will and Skill

5. Strategies for Working with the Four Teacher Types • With table members, generate strategies for working with one of the types of teachers. • Chart strategies. • Share out.

6. Conversation Approaches • Reflecting • Facilitating • Coaching • Directing • Turn and Talk: What is the goal of each?

7. Conversation Approaches • Reflecting—Make Connections • Facilitating—Make Commitments • Coaching—Make Corrections • Directing—Make Changes

8. Conversations Approaches • Read “Leadership Strategies forthe Four Types of Teachers.” • Consider scenarios: What type of conversation(s) would you host? With what focus?

9. Ms. Hart You just walked out of Ms. Hart’s fifth grade class after doing an observation. Ms. Hart spent the first 14 minutes of class taking attendance and collecting homework. The students talked through the warm-up that had little to do with the posted objective. Most students were off task during the lesson activity—Ms. Hart plowed through the lesson, occasionally warning students that she would give them lunch detention if they didn’t get their act together.

10. Mr. Lars A parent has called to report that Mr. Lars, the AP chemistry teacher, has not conducted one lab the entire year—and it’s February! Students will face the AP exam in just three months. Without doing any labs, they are significantly behind. Mr. Lars is a fairly new teacher in his first year teaching AP chemistry. Enthusiastic and well-liked by colleagues and students, he has worked hard to learn the curriculum and eagerly attended the provided professional development.

11. Ms. Smith Your principal shared the low math scores on the last state test and asked you to share math strategies at the next faculty meeting. You spent hours researching best practices and preparing a presentation. During the last part of the meeting, teachers worked in small groups to develop plans to raise math scores. Ms. Smith read a magazine through the presentation and then reluctantly joined a group, contributing little to the discussion. Her students’ scores are well below the school average.

12. Reflecting How did this session support your goal(s) for your own personal leadership?

13. Before Leaving • Complete “Gots and Needs.” • Tomorrow’s reading assignment“I think, therefore I am resistant to change.” (in binder) • Tidy your area See you tomorrow! • Elementary Science Room 2207 • Secondary Science Room 2205 • Mathematics Rooms 2303–2305