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"instructional strategies"

ClassQuiz: A Free Tool Supporting High-Effect Size Instructional Strategies

by Miguel Guhlin April 20, 2023

written by Miguel Guhlin

Educators are buzzing around a new Kahoot and Quizziz-like tool available at no cost. This quiz website offers a host of features, the most important being that it doesn’t collect data. If you’ve used other quiz tools, you know data is collected about you and your students for their own use. ClassQuiz asserts that, unlike these other quiz tools, it doesn’t send information to third parties.

Let’s take a closer look at ClassQuiz to see what it can do. You will also see how it aligns with evidence-based instructional strategies as well as see new research updates about those strategies.

Git ClassQuiz

Unlike it’s commercial, closed-source competitors, ClassQuiz offers a GitHub website. That means that you could, if you chose, set up ClassQuiz internally in your own server farm. The benefit? You would have sensitive data under organizational control. This is like hosting your own WordPress or Moodle installation.

What Is ClassQuiz?

ClassQuiz works in a simple way. It allows you to take three primary actions:

Create a quiz that allows the insertion of pictures/images
Explore and find quizzes others have created
Import quizzes from Kahoot! that you can then edit in ClassQuiz

As you might imagine, this import option gives you access to the content in a more established tool. Once the quiz has been set up, students select responses, view results, and see a leaderboard.

What Security Safeguards Does ClassQuiz Offer?

ClassQuiz boasts of the following features that safeguard student data:

No tracking
Self-hosting
Cost-free
Multilingual
Dark mode
Save quizzes
Save quiz results
Community-driven

Hot to Get a ClassQuiz Account

Getting an account is easy. Click on the Register button at the top left of the screen, then fill in your desired information, as shown below:

You will need to confirm your email address via an email in your inbox. Using your school district or organization email? Be sure to allow emails from classquiz@mawoka.eu.

Once you have a registered account, you can log in and get access to options that include create, import, results, settings, explore, and search.

How to Import a Kahoot!

You can import a Kahoot! by selecting Import, then pasting the link (a.k.a. URL) to a Kahoot! quiz into the box. To keep it simple, I found a Technology and Robots with Star Wars quiz on Kahoot. Note that I did not create the Kahoot! quiz, but I was still able to import it into ClassQuiz.

Here’s what the import process looks like in ClassQuiz:

And once complete, the imported quiz appears in ClassQuiz ready to be edited, if needed:

Two Strategies to Use with Digital Quiz Tools

Tools like Kahoot, Quizziz, and ClassQuiz offer educators access to digital quiz tools. Each of these tools can be useful for teachers and students. That’s because, when used in alignment with research, they can impact student achievement. How? Through the use of high-effect size instructional strategies.

Did You Know?

“When repetition leads to long-term memories, there are physical changes in the brain. Brain memories disappear very quickly unless they are repeated. Our brains are made up of billions of nerve cells or neurons, all connected together. We form memories when some of these pathways become strengthened by being repeatedly used. (Source: Mike Bell, The Fundamentals of Teaching)

Two powerful strategies can inform our use of quiz tools, like ClassQuiz. Those include:

Rehearsal (d=0.73). This is a high-effect size strategy that accelerates student learning. It refers to mental techniques designed to help us remember information.
- It includes memorizing information through repetition. It can involve repeating information upon seeing a visual cue (like images or flashcards).
- What’s more, team competition as a rehearsal strategy works. That is, the teacher asks questions requiring rehearsed information. Students answer on their own to gain points for their team. (Learn more!)
Retrieval Practice (d=0.46) is often referred to as Practice Testing.
- It is a way to support long-term information retention. It also assists learners in increasing access to the “to-be-remembered” information (source).
- This strategy can strengthen learning. It does so when the teacher or student draws out information through a variety of approaches. The information is “pulled out” of students’ brains when they are prompted to retrieve it. Example approaches include flashcards and low-stakes quizzes.

With these two strategies in mind, you can approach the use of ClassQuiz to see how effective it is.

If the rehearsal strategy relies on repetition through the viewing of visual cues, how does ClassQuiz work? You can create flashcards in ClassQuiz that feature images. Then, students can select responses to match.

Retrieval practice (or practice testing) relies on students retrieving information from their minds on cue. Low-stakes quizzes, entry/exit cards (a.k.a. bell ringers) work well in ClassQuiz.

Shocking Research Update

A new study published in “Psychological Science in the Public Interest“ provides evidence that these strategies are ineffective:

Re-reading
Highlighting
Mnemonics

Pretty shocking, no? If those strategies are ineffective, what strategies are MOST effective?

Practice testing (d=0.46). This is defined as self-testing or taking practice tests on to-be-learned material (a.k.a. retrieval practice).
Spaced vs Mass Practice (d=0.65). Implementing a schedule of practice that spreads out study activities over time (a.k.a. distributed practice).
Interleaved practice (d=0.44). Implementing a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems. Or, relies on a schedule of study that mixes different kinds of material within a single study session (source).

Whenever you see these three strategies, think of this diagram:

Created by author as adapted from a workshop presentation

Leverage ClassQuiz for Effective Learning

Don’t be afraid to leverage ClassQuiz. It can enhance student use of effective learning strategies. This includes strategies like retrieval practice and rehearsal. Teaching students to engage in distributed and interleaved practice amplifies strategies’ effect. It can ensure long-term information retention beyond re-reading and highlighting.

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author, ClassQuiz

April 20, 2023 6 comments

Good Teaching

Blending High-Effect Instructional Strategies with the 5E Model

by Miguel Guhlin February 24, 2021

written by Miguel Guhlin

Challenging circumstances aside, many educators continue to develop engaging lessons today. But how those lessons get delivered, facilitated, and assessed has changed for some. As I’ve shared before, the 5E Model remains a popular model to guide these instructional efforts. In this blog entry, let’s see how the model works with those teaching strategies that result in the highest achievement.

How does the 5E Model and high-effect size instructional strategies fit together?

Before answering that question, it is worth reflecting on the language of the 5E Model. It is also worth considering another question, “How do we use what we know of evidence-based strategies and when to use them to enhance the 5E Model?”

The Right Strategy and Learning Phase

Before looking at strategies, we first have to figure out when is it appropriate to use a particular strategy. Consider this point adapted for readability from Hattie, Fisher, and Frey:

What and when are important when it comes to instruction that has an impact on learning. Approaches that aid surface-level learning do not work as well for deep learning….

Match the right approach with the correct phase of learning.” Adapted from Source: Hattie, Fisher, and Frey (Visible Learning for Mathematics, 2017)

These phases of learning include surface, deep, and transfer learning. Here’s one way of understanding these strategies:

Surface learning strategies: Content focused
Deep learning strategies: Relationship in and among contents
Transfer learning strategies: Transfer of newly acquired skills to new situations or tasks

If you’re not already familiar with learning strategies, you might want to take one of our online, self-paced courses on them. The Strategies That Work, Part 2: Surface Learning Strategies course is based on Hattie’s work and designed to help you select the best instructional strategies for each lesson. You can learn more about it (and Part 1) at TCEA.org’s Courses page.

Juxtaposing Strategies with 5E

The 5E Model often presents as an inquiry-based model. Inquiry-based teaching, according to the Visible Learning Meta X database, has an effect size of 0.46 and is described thusly:

Inquiry-based teaching is an educational practice where students assume a role. That role involves behaving as scientists or philosophers. They generate questions and seek to develop answers through the accumulation of evidence. This could include asking questions and solving problems. It often includes procedures such as small-scale investigations and practical projects (adapted from VisibleLearningMetaX).

I marvel that the 5E Model, as an inquiry-based teaching and learning strategy, has an effect size of 0.46. I have to ask myself, “How could we use the 5E Model to better effect?” One approach might involve relying on surface learning strategies (SLSs) that would introduce students to concepts. The use of Direct Instruction (d=0.59) and flipped learning could serve as two other strategies. Or we could rely on the jigsaw method (d=1.20). But what if I wanted the whole of student learning to fit inside of the 5E model?

Is it possible to align the right instructional strategy with the learning phase in the 5E model? That is, what strategy would work best with ENGAGE? Would it be a surface learning strategy or deep learning? To figure this out, let’s look at the 5E Model a bit more.

The 5E Model with the Right Strategy

One of the challenges is figuring out how to blend the right learning phase, strategy, and 5E stage. In this Google Slides document, I try to explain it better.

View in Google Slides | Get a copy | Learn How to Make a Copy

As you consider embracing the 5E Model, rely on strategies that match the phase of learning. A great follow-up blog entry you may want to review is The 5E Model vs Explicit Instruction. And you can also learn more about surface, deep, and transfer learning strategies in the Coaching for Results series.

Feature Image Source

Image by author.

February 24, 2021 0 comment

Good Teaching

High-Effect-Size Instructional Strategies and Digital Tools

by Miguel Guhlin May 20, 2020

written by Miguel Guhlin

Did you see School Library Journals blog entry from February 11, 2020? Titled, 18 Tech Tools for Content Creation, Coding, VR, Audio, and Video, it offers a list of digital tools. While this is, no doubt, a fantastic list, it may send the message that all we’re doing in ed tech is gathering tools. Imagine that neighbor, who when you walk into their garage, has every tool imaginable. Each is shiny, pretty, and seldom used. That sends a message, right?

The message is that collecting digital tools, a dime a dozen now, is our sole purpose in educational technology. We all have digital tools in search of instructional activities. The question is, How could we do this better?

high-effect-size

Did You Know?

Only one of the SLJ’s tools, Microsoft Immersive Reader, has earned a research-based design product certification. The certification is new from ISTE’s EdSurge’s Digital Promise program. How are the digital tools you select for use in the classroom aligned to research?

Lesson Construction

Ready to drop a few digital tools and apps into your lesson and spice things up a bit? Before you do, however, consider whether “sprinkling” tools into popular lessons will actually add value to the learning or distract from our ultimate goal.

How Can You Tell If Digital Tools Add Value?

Does the technology we add to a lesson add value or subtract from it? One way to focus curriculum and instruction teams as they are planning lessons is to ask some questions:

Are the lesson plan components reflecting high-effect-size (HES) instructional strategies?
Are you focused on activities that are cool or evidence-based strategies that work?
Do all lesson plans incorporate the teacher clarity goals strategy? How are those communicated to students?
Which specific digital tool is proven to work best with a specific HES instructional strategy?

In my Coaching for Results series, I explore how to better answer these questions using high-effect-size instructional strategies.

Lesson Plan Components

Need an example? Let’s take a look at what is typically found in a lesson plan:

Grade
Subject
Topic
Description
TEKS
Technology TEKS
4Cs
Resources (linked in G Suite EDU Drive document)
Device Type (e.g. Laptop, Chromebook)
Suggested Apps

As you can see from the list, there’s something missing, right? Let’s explore this in the context of a web-based lesson plan example.

high-effect-size

Sample Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 3rd grade

Subject: Language Arts

Topic: Understanding and Analyzing Text

Description: Students will use Google Drawing to create a book snap. Teachers can ask students various questions or use analysis tools in the snap. iPad users can use Book Creator or the simple drawing tool on iPad. They will do that after taking a picture of their book selection.

LA TEK: Figure 19: (A) establish purposes for reading selected texts based upon own or others’ desired outcome to enhance comprehension; (B) ask literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions of text; (C) monitor and adjust comprehension (e.g., using background knowledge, creating sensory images, re-reading a portion aloud, generating questions); (D) make inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding; (E) summarize information in text, maintaining meaning and logical order; (F) make connections (e.g. thematic links, author analysis) between literary and informational texts with similar ideas and provide textual evidence

Technology TEK: (1)Creativity and innovation (A) create original products using a variety of resources; (B) analyze trends and forecast possibilities, developing steps for the creation of an innovative process or product; and (C) use virtual environments to explore systems and issues. (2) Communication and collaboration (A) draft, edit, and publish products in different media individually and collaboratively; (B) use font attributes, color, white space, and graphics to ensure that products are appropriate for multiple communication media, including monitor display, web, and print; (C) collaborate effectively through personal learning communities and social environments; (D) select and use appropriate collaboration tools; (E) evaluate the product for relevance to the assignment or task; and (F) perform basic software application functions, including opening applications and creating, modifying, printing, and saving files.

4Cs: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity

Resources: How to make booksnaps, Book Creator

Device Type: Laptop, Chromebook, IPAD

Let’s review this lesson in light of the questions asked earlier.

Focus on High-Effect-Size Instructional Strategies

1. Are the lesson plan components reflecting high-effect-size instructional strategies?

In the example, there is no high-effect-size instructional strategy recommended or evident. The purpose of the LA TEKS reference is to enhance comprehension. The suggested activity is a book snap. A book snap allows for a digital representation of text excerpted from a book or text. In other words, it is a way for students to summarize (0.74 effect size) a book. Visible Learning Meta X defines summarizing as relevant to reading comprehension.

Summarization can include any of the following behaviors:

Deleting unnecessary material
Getting rid of material that is repetitive
Substituting a subordinate term for a list of items or actions
Selecting a topic sentence
Constructing a topic if one is only suggested by the text

In a book snap, you focus on selecting sentences, then you bring the characters alive or share an opinion. Depending on the type of book snap, you can also engage in metacognition (0.58 effect size):

Meta-cognition is thinking about thinking. It includes methods used to help students understand the way they learn.

As you can see, having students make a book snap with Google Drawings implies a lot. But we miss the boat if we don’t address the high-effect-size strategy. Worse, this TA:TEKS connection could be more specific. Reference the TA:TEKS connection, but list the specific actions. That is, inserting images, cropping, using digital camera, font choice, and selecting text.

How could we change the description of this lesson? Change it in a way that better reflects the high-effect size instructional strategies.

A video tutorial of how to create a book snap:

Are you focused on activities that are cool or evidence-based strategies that work?

“Book snaps are cool because they are a way to express creativity through a book. You can share how you think about a character or part of a story,” says one student in this video. (That’s a great video to watch to learn how to make book snaps, by the way.)

How long does it take to make a book snap? Would the Reciprocal Teaching (0.84) strategy work better than summarization with book snaps? If yes, why not use that approach, even if there is no technology involved?

Teacher Clarity and Digital Tools

Do all lesson plans incorporate the teacher clarity goals strategy? How are those communicated to students?

How would you craft the Teacher Clarity learning outcomes? One way is shown below:

Today we will select sentences that best summarize a key concept in the text
So we can learn to identify important parts of the text and get rid of parts that are extra or repetitive
We will know we have it when we are able to briefly explain a text in a few sentences.

You may need to ask whether this lesson is surface, deep, or transfer learning oriented. Summarization and metacognition are surface learning. When you’re putting together a lesson, how could you specify the learning goal? That is, the intended goal of surface, deep, and/or transfer learning?

Which specific digital tool is proven to work best with a HES instructional strategy?

Although the HES instructional strategy is absent, the digital tool is Google Drawing. Google Slides would also work. There are many digital tools possible, but focusing on one is best practice.

The message isn’t to avoid book snaps. It’s to be intentional and up front about strategies that work. That is, explain which high-effect-size instructional strategy you are using and how that digital tool fits in. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of chasing activities that are fun, cool, and use technology for technology’s sake. Avoid quoting entire swaths of TEKS and TA:TEKS. Instead, explain in brief what you are teaching and students are learning.

May 20, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Connect Instructional Strategies with Tech

by Miguel Guhlin May 12, 2020

written by Miguel Guhlin

Wonder what technologies you can blend into high-effect-size instructional strategies? In this blog entry, I revisit the revised Strategies That Work app that you can use on your mobile device. It also works in your desktop’s or laptop’s web browser. Read the “Coaching for Results” series, yet? If so, you know how to match instructional strategies with technology. You can make those strategies relevant to how children learn today with technology.

Get app online at https://tceastrategies.glideapp.io

Strategies That Work

In the Strategies That Work app, I shared several important instructional strategies. The app makes it easy to find information about each one. A recent update now includes a list of suggested technologies for each strategy. Find it online at https://tceastrategies.glideapp.io

If you’d rather not work with an app on your device, there’s another option.

Access Strategies via a Google Doc

In this Google Doc, you will find a list of strategies that you might want to use in your classroom. Matched to each is the latest description and effect size from the Visible Learning Meta X database. You will also find a column with a list of technologies that teachers and students may use. The purpose of the technology list is to complement and expand what you may know about using them.

Access chart online at http://ly.tcea.org/mst

Let’s take a quick look at two examples. We’ll explore how a single technology and single instructional strategy work together. The strategies and matching technology are in four categories, including the ones I referenced in my “Coaching for Results” series.

Example #1: Summarization (d=0.74)

Although it lacks the punch of a strategy that accelerates three or more years of student growth, summarization is a critical one to know and use. The Visible Learning MetaX database defines summarization in this way:

The ability to summarize a text is often taken as a marker of reading comprehension. Many scholars have advocated explicit summarization training for students who struggle with comprehension. This can include deleting unnecessary material or materials that is redundant. It can involve substituting a subordinate term for a list of items or actions. Or, the summarizer may select a topic sentence or constructing a topic sentence if one is implicit in the text.

When asking students to summarize, we can have them engage in any one of the following activities:

Traditional paper-and-pencil activities
Verbal activities as part of reciprocal teaching strategies
Recording some form of multimedia

Several technologies lend themselves to the use of summarization. While there are some obvious connection, one key component of summarization involves annotation. Digital annotation of websites and digital documents can prove quite useful.

Some typical tools for annotation appear below:

Each tool has much to offer within its sphere of influence for annotation purposes. Digital documents (e.g. PDFs, Google Docs, Microsoft Word) offer many opportunities for student-led annotations. Even tools like Amazon’s Kindle eReader app have made annotation easy, and exporting those into other documents straightforward.

“Hypothesis is my literary Facebook. When I’m reading I sometimes wonder, does anyone actually understand this? Am I crazy? With this brilliant tool I know I’m not alone,” says Shannon Griffiths, Student, Plymouth State University.

Give Hypothes.is a try with a team of professional learners. You can add it to your Chrome browser since it has an extension.

Example #2: Mnemonics (d=0.80)

While not my first go-to strategy to use, I can see why mnemonics is an under-estimated teaching technique. Mnemonic instruction works for students with learning problems, including learning disabilities (LD) or mild intellectual disability (MID) (source). The Visible Learning Meta X database defines mnemonics in this way:

A practice by which students learn a significant amount of information for long-term recall by memory. There are five classes of mnemonics: linguistic, spatial, visual, physical, and verbal.

These five classes may be expanded in the following way, as adapted from Lubin and Polloway (2016):

Linguistic: Pegword and keyword methods form this approach. They associate a new idea with familiar words and/or phrases to help remember the item.
Spatial: This uses the loci, spatial grouping, and finger methods. Each connects a new concept to a familiar place, pattern, or finger. This aids in memorization of the material.
Visual: These rely on pictures or visualizations that create an association to the target concept (e.g., symbolics, pictographics).
Physical: This approach makes use of the body parts to aid in remembrance. Do this via movement or physical sensation.
Verbal: This method uses meaning and stories to help students remember. Some approaches may rely on grouping, semantic organization, and story-telling or narrative chains.

How do you go about storing information for long-term memory recall? You use a mnemonic. While it’s easy to create a linguistic mnemonic focused on keywords, others may be as much fun.

Image Source: Visual Mnemonic Examples

To make linguistic mnemonic (e.g. keywords) creation easier, consider the use of tools (some may be inappropriate for younger students) such as:

To make pegword mnemonics, you need an app or paint software. This comes standard on many computers, not to mention is available as part of Google and Microsoft Office Suites. One can imagine students creating pegword mnemonics using an iOS app like Doodle Buddy.

Image Source: IRIS | Pegword Method

Connecting Conclusions

As you can see, the more you know about an instructional strategy, the easier it is to use technology as a part of it. Applying them in the classroom will involve drawing a connection. The connection must be made between learning outcomes and how the tech will be used.

May 12, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Five Culturally-Responsive Instructional Strategies

by Diana Benner October 15, 2018

written by Diana Benner

We all know that no single teaching approach will engage all students at once, but implementing a culturally-responsive instructional strategy will help you connect to your more diverse students with distinct backgrounds. So what does it mean to be a culturally-responsive teacher? Being culturally responsive means you can relate to people not only from your own culture, but to that of others as well. It’s more than just knowing the backgrounds of your students. It’s about using that knowledge to incorporate teaching strategies that will engage all students in your classroom, even those with different backgrounds.

Below are a few instructional strategies to help you become a more culturally-responsive teacher.

1 – Get to Know Your Students

One strategy to create a more culturally-responsive classroom is getting to know your students. The more you know about your students, the better. Icebreakers are one way to accomplish this. See Classroom Icebreakers and Even More Classroom Icebreakers for activities you can incorporate in your classroom. Other ideas include interest surveys or questionnaires about learning styles. By showing genuine interest in what matters to your students, you are building trust and creating a place where all students feel comfortable.

2 – Incorporate Real-World Learning Scenarios

Another strategy to use is incorporating real-world learning scenarios in your classroom. By creating activities that present problems that students can relate to, you’re linking to student interests and allowing them the opportunity to use their own cultural awareness to solve the problem. Take a look at Collaborative Projects in PBL to get ideas on how to create real-world problem scenarios.

3 – Use Learning Stations

All students respond differently to different types of content due to preference, learning style, and/or culture. With learning stations, you can provide a variety of materials that are differentiated for students. Each station should use a unique method of instructing students so that students have a choice in which station they would prefer to visit. If culturally diverse students can make connections with the content, they will be more engaged.

4 – Include Games in Lessons

Another way to differentiate content and delivery is to include games in your lessons. Gamifying learning is a good way to motivate students of all cultures. Students love earning badges or trying to be the top scorer. Setting goals or specific tasks and offering rewards can inspire students and give them what they need. In addition, it gives your entire class a chance to have a little fun.

5 – Bring in Guest Speakers

Inviting diverse speakers to speak to your students and share their knowledge is another strategy for creating a culturally-responsive classroom. Students may be more engaged and motivated if they share a culture with the guest speaker. In addition, technology makes it easier than ever to bring speakers into your classroom. It is very easy to set up a Google Hangout or Mystery Skype to connect with others.

Be a Culturally-Responsive Teacher

We live in a multicultural world; therefore implementing culturally responsive teaching strategies is becoming more necessary to create a successful learning environment where all students can learn. Consistency is key to being a more culturally-responsive teacher. Try using all or some of the instructional strategies listed above to ensure that you are meeting the needs of all your students.

October 15, 2018 2 comments

Professional Learning

Video-Powered PD: Three Concrete Strategies to Improve Instructional Practices

by Guest Blogger February 7, 2018

written by Guest Blogger

Video coaching is a powerful, collaborative, and accessible process. It helps teachers truly reflect and improve upon their instructional practices, and takes professional learning to the next level.

For educators looking to design and implement a plan for using video coaching, the new book “Evidence of Practice: Playbook for Video-Powered Professional Learning” offers concrete guidance for recording and sharing classroom video. The book includes 12 essential video coaching strategies with detailed implementation guides—three of which are summarized below—that enrich the professional development process for teachers.

Classroom Tour

In Classroom Tour, teachers capture and upload a short video of their classroom and the systems in place. Teachers can highlight various aspects of their classroom environment in the video, such as the overall layout and aesthetics or how various learning spaces are organized.

Classroom Tours provide valuable insight into the thinking underlying the classroom structure. Using these videos, peers and coaches can provide teachers with immediate feedback and exchange ideas and suggestions.

Classroom Tours are a gentle, productive way to get teachers started with the video observation process and comfortable using the technology required to capture, upload, and share video. For this reason, they are recommended as one of the first video learning experiences to plan with teachers. Tours can also provide important context for coaches or peers who cannot visit the classroom in person, but will be supporting the teacher throughout the year.

Video Observation

video-powered pd Video Observation moves traditional classroom observation to a virtual context. Teachers capture and share classroom footage and then work independently or with peers to improve their instructional practices.

With Video Observation, the teacher and observer can see and analyze all or part of a lesson from the same perspective. They also have the ability to pause the video to think or rewind it to take a second look at a certain part of a lesson. Compared to an in-person observation, Video Observation affords more opportunities for teachers to actively participate in their own improvement. It also helps those who support teacher development to more quickly differentiate their follow-up support.

Longer-Range Reflection

This strategy involves teachers reviewing and comparing video of their instruction and related commentary over a period of time. This enables them to identify what they have learned, how they have grown, and what has contributed to that development.

Having an online archive of these videos gives teachers a rich library of evidence to choose from and examine. This evidence is important in helping teachers—whether new or seasoned—determine progress and identify lessons learned.

Administrators and coaches should choose which strategy or strategies to use based on their organization’s overall goals for teacher professional learning, as well as their teachers’ readiness for sharing and viewing videos with others. Being strategic and purpose-driven in choosing which strategies to implement will help teachers reap the full benefits of video-driven professional learning.

Interested to learn more about video-powered PD? Read this post Q & A with Jim Knight on the TechNotes Blog.

Adam Geller is the founder and CEO of Edthena, a video coaching platform for teacher development. A former classroom teacher, he is also the author of “Evidence of Practice: Playbook for Video-Powered Professional Learning,” which helps school leaders make and implement a plan for how to best use video-powered professional learning with teacher.

February 7, 2018 0 comment

Wrapping Up the Year - Instructional Coach

End of Year Instructional Coaching

Wrapping Up the Year as an Instructional Coach

by Diana Benner May 17, 2024

written by Diana Benner

As the school year draws to a close, instructional coaches play a crucial role in supporting teachers, celebrating successes, and preparing for the year ahead. Let’s explore some end-of-year activities for instructional coaches to effectively wrap things up and set the stage for a successful transition into the next school year.

Reflect on Progress and Achievements

Take time to reflect on the progress and achievements you made throughout the school year. Think about the impact of your coaching efforts on teacher practice and student learning. Reflecting on your successes and challenges can help inform your future coaching priorities and strategies.

Gather Feedback

Seek feedback from teachers to assess the effectiveness of your coaching initiatives. Conduct end-of-year surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather insights and identify areas for improvement. This feedback will provide valuable insights and help guide your future coaching efforts.

Image of sample survey questions that instructional coaches can ask teachers. — Screenshot by Diana Benner of Sample Survey Questions from **Kenny McKee, NWEA**

Organize End-of-Year Meetings with Teachers

Schedule end-of-year meetings with teachers to review progress towards goals, celebrate successes, and discuss plans for continued growth and development. Set agendas, review data, and collaboratively set goals for the upcoming school year. End-of-year meetings provide an opportunity to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the next year.

Meet with Administrators

Collaborate with administrators to review your coaching initiatives. Schedule meetings to discuss coaching outcomes, share insights, solicit feedback, and align priorities for the upcoming year. This will ensure that your coaching efforts are aligned with the school’s goals and priorities.

Celebrate Successes

Celebrate the successes and milestones achieved by the teachers you have supported throughout the year. Recognize and acknowledge their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments. Whether it’s a small gesture of appreciation or a larger celebration, taking time to celebrate achievements fosters a positive and supportive school culture.

Prepare for Next Year

With some extra time, you can get a head start on preparations for the upcoming school year. Design a professional development schedule and plan topics based on current needs. Think about how you will support new teachers next year. In addition, create templates, like monthly newsletter templates, and have those ready to go for the upcoming school year. This proactive planning will ensure that you hit the ground running when teachers return.

Plan for Professional Development

Reflect on your own professional development needs and plan for ongoing learning opportunities, either during the summer or next school year. Explore relevant workshops, conferences, or courses to enhance your coaching skills and knowledge. Investing in professional development ensures that you continue to grow and evolve as an instructional coach.

Rest and Recharge

Finally, take time to rest and recharge during the summer break. Prioritize self-care and well-being to ensure that you return to the next school year feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Spend time outdoors, practice mindfulness, or pursue hobbies and interests that bring you joy and fulfillment.

As instructional coaches, wrapping up the school year involves reflection, celebration, and preparation for the year ahead. By engaging in these end-of-year activities, instructional coaches can effectively close out the school year and lay the groundwork for continued growth and success in the upcoming academic year. Here’s to a productive and rewarding end-of-year period for instructional coaches everywhere!

May 17, 2024 0 comment

Image showcasing students, an educator, and an educational leader engaging in self-reflection, each in their respective educational environments, symbolizing personal and educational growth.

Good Teaching Leadership Social-Emotional Learning

Self-Reflection Strategies for Students, Teachers, and Leaders

by Dr. Bruce Ellis December 26, 2023

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better,” is widely attributed to Maya Angelou. What a great thought as we near the end of this year and take time to reflect on its many facets. Through self-reflection, we can have those “aha moments” leading us to make improvements. Self-reflection is great for students, educators, and leaders. In the classroom, students can benefit by gaining greater critical thinking and deeper understanding. Educators who routinely practice self-reflection will experience improved instructional practice and well-being. And leaders who practice self-reflection should notice positive results in self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

But, is self-reflection something mystical? Do I need to sit with my legs crossed and hum? Exactly how do I do this “self-reflect” thing effectively? I’m glad you asked. Here are some tips depending on your role.

Self-Reflection for Students

Regardless of what subject or grade level you teach, your students can benefit from self-reflecting. They can reflect on their work individually or through group work. Thinking about our thinking, metacognition, can be a powerful way to deepen and extend the learning that is possible. Before an actual lesson, let your students know that after the lesson and practice time, you will give them a chance to think about their learning. You might even share these questions ahead of time with them:

What part of today’s lesson was most challenging for you, and why?
What are three things you did well today and one thing you could improve?
What is one specific goal you can set for the next class based on today’s learning?
What is one thing that could be changed about today’s lesson to help you learn better?
How does what we learned today relate to your own experiences or interests?

Give students adequate wait time and allow them to jot down their thoughts before sharing with a partner or their group. If your students are new to self-reflection, you might give them all the questions but ask them to share just one response.

Self-Reflection for Educators

As an educator, it is important to reflect on our teaching to make improvements. Sometimes, we might ask a coworker we trust to observe a lesson and give us feedback. But being observed can feel intimidating, or we might not want to impose on our peers’ time. Here are some questions you ask yourself to encourage self-reflection. They could also be asked as part of a faculty meeting to foster sharing and collaborative improvement:

Reflecting on your recent lesson, what aspects were most thoroughly planned, and how did that impact the lesson’s execution?
What teaching strategies did you use, and how effective were they in engaging students?
Can you share a moment from a recent lesson where you felt a strong connection with your students? What led to that moment?
How did you assess student engagement during the lesson, and what adjustments did you make in response?
Think of a student who seemed disengaged. What might you try differently next time to better involve them?
What was the most challenging part of your recent lesson, and how did you address it?
Looking back, what would you do differently in your last lesson, and why?
How will you incorporate new teaching methods or technologies into your upcoming lessons?

If doing this in a faculty meeting setting, give plenty of wait time and allow teachers to respond to the question they feel most comfortable with. If you do this individually, consider journaling your responses in a notebook every few weeks. This will give you a clearer picture and hopefully lead to more “aha moments.”

Self-Reflection for Leaders

As a leader, there are many experiences you can reflect on to become more self-aware and improve your leadership skills. In addition to self-reflection, encourage honest feedback from colleagues, mentors, and team members. Be open to hearing both positive and negative feedback and avoid becoming defensive. Actively listen to understand their perspectives and identify areas for improvement.

Internally, pay attention to your emotions in different situations, particularly challenging ones. Identify your triggers and how you typically react. Reflect on whether your reactions are helpful or hindering your leadership effectiveness. Clarify your core values and how they guide your leadership decisions. Consider your motivations for leading and how they align with your values. Reflect on whether your actions are consistent with your values and beliefs. Think about how your words, actions, and behaviors affect others. Evaluate whether you inspire, motivate, and empower your team or create a negative work environment.

To make the most growth as you self-reflect, consider scheduling an ongoing block of time on your calendar at bi-weekly or monthly intervals where you take time to reflect and contemplate how things are going and ways to improve. Here are some questions you might consider asking yourself:

Reflect on a recent decision you made. What was your thought process, and how did you involve your team?
How do you communicate expectations and feedback to your team? Does this take into account their needs or styles of communication?
What strategies do you use to ensure you’re approachable and open to your team’s ideas and concerns?
How do you assess the dynamics within your team, and what steps do you take to foster a positive and collaborative environment?
How do you balance the need to assert your authority with the need to be empathetic to your team’s perspectives?
Reflect on a significant problem you recently solved. What was your approach, and what would you do differently in hindsight?
How do you involve your team in the decision-making process, and how do you handle disagreements?
What steps do you take to ensure your team understands and feels connected to the broader goals of the organization?
How do you seek and respond to feedback about your leadership?

So, as we embrace the power of self-reflection, let’s remember it’s not just a periodic exercise but a continuous journey toward personal and professional growth. Whether you’re a student mastering critical thinking, an educator enhancing teaching methods, or a leader honing emotional intelligence, self-reflection is your compass. It guides you through the complexities of your role, helping you to recognize both your strengths and areas needing improvement. Consider these reflective questions as opportunities to go deeper into your experiences, to learn, and to enhance what you are already doing. As this year draws to a close, begin a habit of self-reflection to know better so that you can do better.

December 26, 2023 2 comments

Office supplies on a yellow background with the words analyze, goal, success, strategy, and teamwork spread throughout the image.

Instructional Coaching

Why Some Teachers Resist Instructional Coaching

by Diana Benner September 8, 2023

written by Diana Benner

Instructional coaching is a professional development approach that involves one-on-one or small-group support for teachers. It is designed to help teachers improve their instructional practices and enhance student learning. There are many benefits of instructional coaching, yet some teachers resist it. Let’s find out some reasons why that might be.

Fear of Judgment

One of the main reasons that teachers resist instructional coaching is the fear of being judged. Teaching is a deeply personal profession, and teachers may worry that coaching might expose their weaknesses or criticize their teaching style. Having their competence questioned can prevent teachers from opening up to the coaching process. To overcome this hurdle, it is essential to establish a safe and respectful coaching environment where teachers understand that the focus is on growth and improvement rather than evaluation.

Direct quote from the text on a dark green background.

Change Is Hard

Change can be scary. Some teachers may be opposed to anything that they see as changing their status quo. Many teachers spend years refining their instructional strategies. Therefore, the thought of changing their methods can be hard. It is important for coaches to be patient and understanding and to help teachers see that coaching can be a positive force for change.

Misunderstanding the Role of a Coach

If teachers do not have a clear understanding of what instructional coaching is or how the role works, they may be hesitant to participate. Therefore, it is important for coaches to take the time to explain the coaching process and to answer any questions that teachers may have. It is also important for coaches and administrators to clearly define the role of coaches to staff.

Lack of Trust

Building trust takes time. A teacher might resist coaching if they are unsure about the coach’s intentions or don’t trust them. Therefore, it’s vital that coaches build trust among teachers. Instructional coaches should encourage open and transparent communication. This will help with building positive relationships with teachers and help bridge any trust gaps.

Time Constraints

Teachers have a lot of responsibilities. They must plan lessons, grade, manage student behavior, attend meetings, and much more. Therefore, adding instructional coaching sessions can feel like just another time-consuming thing they have to do. This can be overwhelming for teachers. Consequently, to help ease this concern, teachers’ time commitments need to be respected. Coaching sessions should be focused, purposeful, and flexible enough to fit into the teacher’s schedule.

Past Negative Experiences

A teacher’s past experiences with instructional coaching can shape their willingness to participate. If they have had a negative experience before, they might be reluctant to go down that path again. It is important for coaches to be aware of this possibility and to work hard to build trust with the teacher. Ask teachers about their past experiences and reassure them of your shared goals.

Pride

Many teachers pride themselves on their expertise and years of experience. Some teachers may feel like they do not need coaching because they are already good teachers. This can be a challenge for coaches, who need to find ways to convince teachers that they can still learn and grow.

Instructional coaching provides many opportunities for teachers to grow professionally. Therefore, understanding the reasons behind their resistance is crucial for fostering a culture of collaboration. By addressing the resistance, instructional coaches can create an environment that promotes teachers’ acceptance. Remember, the objective is always to empower teachers and create a supportive space for continuous improvement and student success.

September 8, 2023 0 comment

Instructional Coaching

Five Ways to Empower Educators through Instructional Coaching

by John Moran & Stacy Pattenaude June 16, 2023

written by John Moran & Stacy Pattenaude

Have you heard the statement that educators are 99% likely to transfer to practice when professional development elements are combined with instructional coaching (Joyce and Showers, 2002)? In our experience in Northside ISD Academic Technology, we have found that coaching makes an impact on student outcomes, and more importantly, builds teacher efficacy. Let’s take a look at five ways coaches can empower educators.

1. Coaching as a Partner

Instructional coaching provides a powerful formula for improving teacher efficacy. An effective instructional coach will develop a strong partnership with educators. This partnership provides a safe environment for teachers to engage in goal-setting, learning, and reflection. Many times, professional learning can be overwhelming for teachers for a number of reasons including competing priorities and lack of time. However, instructional coaches can walk side by side with teachers throughout the learning process in real-time to support iterations of growth. Here in Northside, we utilize Connecthub.io to track and monitor teachers’ progress and our own efficacy as trusted partners. Connecthub.io offers a forever-free (basic) account with half the features available and a pro account that offers additional data insights.

2. Goal Setting

Through effective communication and shared collaborative experiences, coaches can support teachers in breaking down large goals into smaller ones, creating more attainable and accessible targets, thereby increasing teacher confidence to encourage responsible risk-taking. This coaching formula of “goal + partnership = teacher success” becomes a recurring process that educators are intentionally engaged in and excited about. At the same time, they feel competent to invent future improvements in their classroom.

Our coaches rely on Jim Knight’s “Impact Cycle” and Growth Coaching International’s “Growth” model. We have found both models to be successful in partnering with teachers to make an impact. Both use questioning to help teachers identify their currency reality and set a meaningful teacher or student-centered goal. In the art of coaching, coaches are aware of and can apply various methods to help teachers set and reach goals.

The Identify Questions – Impact Cycle Checklist

With 1 being “What’s going on” and 10 being “This is the best job I’ve ever done,” how would you rank this year’s teaching thus far?
What has pleased you about this year?
What would have to change to move what you’re doing in class closer to a 10?
What would your students be doing differently if your class was a 10?
Tell me more about what that would look like?
How could we measure that change?
Do you want that to be your goal?
If you could hit that goal, would it really matter to you?
What teaching strategy can you use to hit your goal?
What are your next steps?

A purple graphic listing the Identify Questions from the Impact Cycle of instructional coaching from the article. — **Click here for the PDF.**

Growth Coaching Questions

(Goals) – What do you want to achieve?
(Reality) – What is happening now?
(Options) – What could you do?
(Will) – What will you do?
(Tactics) – How and when will you do it?
(Habits) – How will you sustain your success?

3. Coaching with Differentiated Support

Time and time again we have seen successes in classrooms when coaches deliver individualized and differentiated teacher support. It is important to recognize that no two coaching cycles are the same, even when it involves the same teacher and coach partnership. Just as no two journeys are the same, the path to reaching differing goals is as unique as the goals themselves. The only thing that remains is the partnership between teachers and coaches. During the process, it is critical to provide opportunities to identify progress every step along the way. Each coach tailors resources not only for the teacher they are collaborating with but also for their own personal “coaching craft.” These guide posts allow teachers to look back on where they started and celebrate progress while adjusting goals as needed.

4. Providing Engaging Experiences

To facilitate learning, instructional coaches need to guide teachers through a variety of engaging experiences in order to meet their unique goals. Sometimes the process involves observing master teachers, co-teaching, planning support, and discussing strategies and tools that promote efficiency. However, we use the motto “All Roads Lead to Coaching,” so we also try to engage and excite teachers with a variety of approaches!

Here are just a few great examples of engaging experiences:

Mini-conference: Teacher Panels at our Innovation and Digital Learning Conference
Twitter #edchat: #NISDedchat
Podcast Episode: NISD Innovates with Matt Miller
Collaborative Book Studies: Engaging with authors like Stacey Roshan and “Tech with Heart”

5. Reflection for Teachers and Coaches

Possibly the most important part of the coaching process is the celebration of goal completion. Crossing the finish line fills teachers’ emotional buckets, provides a sense of pride and accomplishment, and opens the door for new growth opportunities. An additional way we intentionally have teachers reflect is through the completion of a form at the end of each cycle. This provides them with an opportunity to articulate their learning and, many times, allows a coach to begin conversations around next steps. Alongside teacher reflection, is the reflection of the coach.

In our department, we utilize:

Connecthub for data collection and coaching logs
A feedback system that includes collecting qualitative feedback on the coaching process

Using data from Connecthub and a feedback survey, we are able to reflect on our own process. This year, we refined our teacher feedback survey to ask questions in a Google form about the coaching process, the benefits, disadvantages, challenges, and unexpected opportunities. From both of these systems, we are able to reflect on the coaching process and articulate a story of impact.

In a teacher’s own words, “This experience has been amazing! I was able to take risks and try new things in my classroom that would help to benefit every learner in my classroom. I had the opportunity to step outside of the box and teach my students in a way that made learning fun and engaging with the help of my coach. My coach always made time to come back so we would have more time and would always follow up to ensure I met my goals!” This is what every coach wants teachers to experience.

June 16, 2023 2 comments

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