Survey of Instructional Strategies Reflection

Program Standard 10

This quarter I had the opportunity to develop my skills as a teacher leader by reviewing effective teaching strategies and giving feedback to my peers. Two texts were used: Visible Learning by Hattie and Classroom Instruction that Works by Hubbell, Pitler, Dean, and Stone. Each of these texts walked through a lesson from start to finish.

First, we reviewed objectives. This emphasized the importance of using standards to create clear learning objectives for students, as well as the importance of communicating those objectives to students. This was a good reminder for me as my school redesigns our curriculum. I worked with my department to develop standards and articulate what we hope our students accomplish, and I was able to use these guidelines.

Next, we looked at the flow of the lesson and the tools that are available. From collaborative learning, to the use of advance organizers, these chapters were a great reminder of the importance of scaffolding and organization. I noticed that I used a lot more of these techniques than I thought, I saw places in my lessons where my students could benefit from additional instruction or graphic organizers.

My favorite part of this quarter, however, was the information on feedback. Both texts emphasized the importance of formative feedback, and this topic resonated with me. I have always given a ton of feedback to my students on large assignments like essays and tests, but these chapters reinforced the need for more smaller opportunities for feedback. Written feedback is greater than number scores in improving student learning. This information inspired my final project, a professional development presentation on electronic applications for feedback to my social sciences department colleagues. I have enjoyed experimenting with these apps in my classroom, and it was nice to be able to share my learning with my department.

In addition to improving my individual practice, each unit I gave feedback to my peers by commenting on videoed lessons. This gave me the opportunity to see different teaching styles and subjects and to practice giving targeted, action-able feedback. The feedback I received has allowed me to be more critical of my teaching in the moment. For example, I now hear myself as I say, "right" or "okay" to check in with students, and I intentionally pause an extra second.

Overall, I have been inspired this quarter to be more reflective as I plan and execute my lessons. I have used exit tickets more than ever with my freshmen classes, and I have given my juniors more opportunities for work with feedback and no grade. This has allowed me to be more responsive to my students' needs and for my students to extend and deepen their learning.

References

Dean, C.B., Hubbell, E.R., Pitler, H., & Stone, B.J. (2012). Classroom instruction that works. Denver, CO: McRel.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers. New York, NY: Routledge.

Meredith, T. (2015, May 15). Starting student feedback loops. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/starting-student-feedback-loops-taylor-meredith.

Rauhala, J. (2015, April 30). Personalizing engagement: Checking in before they check out. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/personalizing-engagement-with-check-ins-johanna-rauhala. 

Schaaf, R. (2015, March 23). Snapshots of understanding? 10 smart tools for digital exit slips. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/technology/smart-tools-for-digital-exit-slips/.