How could the teacher gather evidence before and after implementation of the inquiry?

In your role as coach and/or mentor you will likely need to help teachers understand how to make connects between the following three processes (a) making meaning of documentation evidence to (b) planning for goals and (c) learning experiences for children. After reading chapter six, and the scenario below, respond to the discussion prompt:

Imagine that you are a coach who is supporting a teacher who is observing her students during small group activity time. The teacher records a lot of dialogue (words and actions) of the children arguing about “the rules” for putting away materials. You ask the teacher to identify a question of interest for both her and the children based on what she learned from her documentation. The question is, “What are the rules (procedures) in our classroom?” As her mentor, you want to begin her inquiry with “backwards planning.” The formula you present to the teacher is as follows:

1. a) The desired result for the children is to . . .
2. b) The observational evidence of the children shows . . .
3. c) Possible learning experiences could then be . . .

Together, you and the teacher decide to approach the inquiry the following way:

1. a) The desired result for the children is to . . . learn classroom rules.
2. b) The observational evidence of the children shows . . . confusion about routines and interest in figuring them out.
3. c) Possible learning experiences could then be . . . engaging in experiences that allow the child many ways to hear stories and repeat, describe, and act out a sequence of daily events used in the classroom community, making signs that remind children of the rules, etc.

In your group response address the questions below. Groups are encouraged to share thoughts and options for answering the questions, and use the Chapter 6 Appendix A Form, to support your explanations. Each group member must provide potential answers to at least two of the questions and must contribute to deciding on the response for all five questions. As in the previous weeks, one group member should post the groups final responses and include the name of the contributing

• How might you support this teacher in relating the goal to a professional value, standard, or competency?
• What are some ways to support how the teacher might be more effective in this area?
• How might you support this teacher from a strengths-based perspective?
• How could the teacher gather evidence before and after implementation of the inquiry?”Chapter 6 — Appendix

  Planning Form to Guide the Process of Connecting Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching

  Curriculum Goals and Plans, Assessment, and Teaching Strategies

  Coaches may want to use this form to document and guide their support of teachers in connecting curriculum goals, assessment, and teaching strategies. The form is too complex to give to a teacher to use alone. It may be used either with collaborative support to work through each section or as a tool for only the Coach to use, which will serve to guide the Coaching process.

  A teacher’s focus or goal may be related to a standard, competency, or other desired and appropriate child outcome. The form can be used with any curriculum approach and professional resource to guide goals, assessment, and teaching strategies. In the beginning, using a commonly available curriculum-based tool, such as Teaching Strategies GOLD (2010), will scaffold teacher learning by suggesting ways to link documented milestones to planning for learning experiences.

  I. Section One – Begin with the end in mind, and plan for preferred results. Write one phrase.

  My broad goal is to explore the developmental domain, subject area, or “big idea” of:

  Example: Promote social–emotional development or have warm, supportive relationships in a caring community of learners.

  My goal relates to a professional value, standard, or competency, or is influenced by this professional source or reference:

  Example of source: “Create a caring community of learners,” Developmentally Appropriate Practice in ECE Programs Serving Children Birth to 8 (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, pp. 16–17).

  A. Specific Teacher Objective	B. Specific Child(ren’s) Objective
  1. What will I (the teacher) eventually be able to do consistently? Examples: Promote a positive climate in my preschool classroom community, establish a classroom routine, facilitate problem solving between preschoolers, have guidance talks with individual children, etc. Source: Use a child guidance reference or classroom evaluation tool with specific teacher interaction suggestions, (e.g., Gartrell, 2011; Pianta et al, 2008) 2. What do I (the teacher) need to understand and be able to do to be more effective? Examples: Ways to . . . build supportive relationships by encouraging children with specific feedback; model respectful interactions by using culturally relevant greetings and social interactions; use proactive child guidance by clearly communicating expectations. 3. What am I especially wondering about, or what misunderstandings do have? Developmentally appropriate limits vs. punishment Preventing conflict by establishing classroom agreements vs. reacting to challenging behavior Importance of modeling positive behavior vs. talking to children about class rules Differences between expectations in school and in a child’s home	1. What will the child(ren) eventually be able to do? Examples: Problem-solve social conflicts with support from the teacher, follow a daily routine, ask for help, understand classroom rules, show empathy for others, etc. Source: Use social–emotional development milestones or other child standards or curriculum objectives, such as Head Start Child Outcomes or Teaching Strategies GOLD (2010). 2. What specific issues or content do the children need to learn? Examples: What rules are there in my classroom community, and why do we have them? How can I work with my classmates? What is a friend? 3. What skills do the children need to practice in their everyday interactions? Use verbs to describe what you hope to see or to discuss with the children. Examples: Children will be able to . . . Give examples of . . . how to share materials with their friends. Describe . . .how to play on the playground so that everyone is safe. Observe . . . the feelings that another person is Expressing, and react in a caring way. Compare and contrast . . . Draw . . . Play the roles . . . Examine the similarities and differences . . . .
  II. Section Two—Assessment Evidence: How will I document what I (the teacher) and the children already know? What do I already know about . . . ? What will I document, take anecdotal notes about, videotape, collect, etc.? What resources do I need in order to interpret the interactions that I describe or the information that I collect? How will I compare and contrast what happened before and after my planned changes?
  A. Teacher Evidence	B. Child(ren)’s Evidence
  BEFORE Examples: In previous interactions . . . I tried before . . . Another teacher suggested based on . . . I noticed . . . I videotaped myself . . . Another teacher observed me . . . My supervisor used a checklist of “best practices” and noted my strengths and areas for growth are . . .	BEFORE Examples: My summary of anecdotal notes on children’s behaviors, comments is . . . I have noticed . . . Checklists of participation indicated . . . Video and audio recordings show . . . The parents of this child have noticed . . . Another teacher gave me her notes about . . . Work samples of drawings show . . .
  AFTER Reflect on the teacher–child interactions in the areas of planned activities or planned changes to achieve both the teacher and child goals and objectives. What other evidence (e.g., work samples, observations, journals, pictures) will be used to demonstrate achievement of desired goals for both the teacher and child(ren)?
  Cite Sources used to interpret the meaning of the results after examining evidence. For example:
  Gartrell, D. (2011). A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Teaching Strategies (2010). Teaching Strategies GOLD. Washington DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc. Pianta, R., La Paro, K., & Hamre, B. (2008). Classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS) manual K–3. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
  III. Learning Experience: What strategies did I use in the past? How will I teach, facilitate, or alter the environment to support planned learning? What strategies and child experiences do I anticipate will happen? What are my alternative plans?
  A. Teacher Strategies	B. Child(ren)’s Experiences
  BEFORE: Describe one or more strategies that you plan to use? AFTER: What strategies were used? How did you demonstrate the desired understandings? How will reflection and self-assessment occur?	BEFORE: Describe what you anticipate the children doing. AFTER: Describe what happened. What other evidence (e.g., work samples, observations, journals, pictures) demonstrated achievements and other outcomes related to the desired goals?
  Learning Activities/Instructional Strategies: What learning experiences and instruction will enable the teacher and children to achieve the desired results? How will the design support the the teacher and children to . . .? (Use action words such as observe, attempt, practice, refine, listen, watch, question, take notes, answer, give a response, construct, examine, compare, classify, collaborate, connect, brainstorm, explain, argue, revise, and reflect.) Resources: What materials do you need? Final Reflection: How did you (the teacher) use what you knew about the children (assessment) to support and monitor their learning goal? Compare and contrast your teaching strategies used before this learning experience and after. Have you changed anything? What was especially effective that you want to continue? If you were to do this over, what would you do more of, or less of, or differently?
  Concepts based on: McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2004). Understanding by design: Professional development workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (p. 30).

  Alternate – Short Planning Form to Connect Goals, Evidence and Learning Experience Use this simplified form with a teacher just beginning to learn about planning.

  One: Teacher and Child Goals: What will we be able to do if we are successful?

  Teacher Goal: What will teacher eventually be able to do consistently?

  Child(ren’s) Goal: What will the child(ren) eventually be able to do?

  Two: Evidence: What will I observe, videotape, collect, etc.? What does it mean?

  Teacher Evidence BEFORE: In previous interactions or I tried before….	Child(ren’s) Evidence BEFORE: Brief summary of anecdotal notes, or what you noticed previously.
  AFTER: Reflect on the teacher-child interactions. I noticed that……

  Three: Learning Experience: What will happen? What did happen? Next steps are…

  Teacher Strategies BEFORE: Describe one or more strategies the teacher plans to use. AFTER: What strategies did you use? Next time I will…..

  Child(ren’s) Experiences BEFORE: Describe what you anticipate the child(ren) will do. AFTER: Describe what happened.”

  Child(ren’s) Experiences BEFORE: Describe what you anticipate the child(ren) will do. AFTER: Describe what happened.”