| The following strategies and instructional practices | | | | progress and to monitor mastery of skill content. |
| are designed for every classroom and school. | | | | Create a series of questioning strategies to check |
| Implement 8 key recommendations and improve | | | | for student understanding in a group setting. |
| the quality of instruction at your school. | | | | #5: Department wide focus on common standard |
| #1: Meaningful lesson plans | | | | Issue: Standards overlap and share common |
| Issue: Administrators often focus on the type of | | | | elements. Different grade level and/or subject |
| plan and if a teacher has handled in their lessons. | | | | teams may find it challenging to select common |
| Countless hours are spent trying to collect lesson | | | | standards to implement as a department. |
| plans. Administrators usually do not have the time | | | | Solution: Have department or grade level teachers' |
| to critique them. It tends to be a pointless | | | | select one standard, discuss the instructional |
| activity. | | | | strategies that support the standard, and how the |
| Solution: Rather than struggle over the type of | | | | strategy is used in the classroom. Share student |
| lesson plan a teacher uses, create a template to | | | | work at meeting. |
| highlight critical components of a lesson plan. | | | | #6: School wide focus on one common practice |
| Decide components that must be included in the | | | | Issue: The best professional development for |
| plan such as preview and review, vocabulary | | | | teachers is to learn from each other and to have |
| building, assessment tools, unpacking standards. | | | | learning take place during the work day. However, |
| #2: Realistic instructional and pacing guides | | | | it is difficult to find and model activities that are |
| Issue: Teachers feel they are unable to spend | | | | common to all. |
| more time on certain standards because of | | | | Solution: Go through an inquiry process to |
| deadlines to complete units. We are driven by the | | | | determine what standard to focus on. |
| calendar and learning can take a back seat. | | | | Departments can decide the activities. For |
| However, at the same time, we need a structure | | | | example, you can select literacy (writing samples, |
| that will guide us. | | | | reading comprehension strategies) and integrate |
| Solution: Departments should meet to determine | | | | common standards and curriculum in content |
| pacing guides for the semester and year, based | | | | areas. Develop a forum for teachers to share |
| on the school calendar and key essential | | | | best practices. |
| standards. It is better to learn fewer concepts | | | | #7: Support for different learning styles and levels |
| with a deeper level of understanding than to | | | | Issue: It is difficult to include student opportunities |
| introduce many strands with little or no | | | | that accommodate the diversity of all students |
| comprehension of the content. | | | | (the struggling and the advanced student.) |
| #3: High leverage strategies | | | | Solution: Establish extended activities in and out of |
| Issue: Ask yourself a few guiding questions. What | | | | the classroom. Technology is a great avenue for |
| instructional strategies are necessary for mastery | | | | students who need and want to work |
| of a content skill? What strategies are high level | | | | independently, at their own pace, and in an |
| strategies? Do not assume that staff will know | | | | interactive setting. |
| what strategies are best to build a particular skill. | | | | #8: Collaborative classroom walkthroughs |
| Solution: Have department and grade level | | | | Issue: Observations can be obtrusive and |
| teachers collaboratively determine a list of high | | | | intimidating. The task is to provide feedback that |
| leverage strategies to use with certain standards | | | | is helpful and meaningful. Determine what is the |
| and skills. Create a user friendly template that can | | | | reason for the visit. The teacher and |
| be adapted and easily interpreted. | | | | administrator should be able to easily |
| #4: Check for student understanding | | | | communicate the intent of the visit beforehand. |
| Issue: It is difficult to find ways to continuously | | | | Solution: Walkthroughs are not observations. |
| monitor student understanding. When dealing with | | | | Focused and collaborative classroom visits can be |
| diverse students with varying learning styles and | | | | a productive activity. Ask teachers for input . It is |
| levels, it is critical for teachers to check for | | | | best to decide a department or school wide focus |
| understanding and adjust lesson plans. | | | | for the walkthroughs. When the process is fair, it |
| Solution: Use daily assessments to review student | | | | will not be met with skepticism. |