The Power of Video

I'm now 1 1/2 weeks into my maternity leave. Although I've spent the bulk of my time doing non-productive things like watching TV and checking Facebook (in addition to spending time with Lucy), I've also spent a small amount of time reading educational articles. One of the items I stumbled upon recently seemed to resonate with me, which is the power of video.

Jim Knight (the Instructional Coach guru out of the University of Kansas) did a webinar back in May on how videotaping yourself teaching can be a powerful tool. He said that we should periodically videotape ourselves because we do not have a clear picture of our practice and it is an easy tool to utilize.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I HATE watching myself on video. Many times it seems to be counterproductive for me, as I spend the length of the video noticing physical flaws and cringing at the sound of my voice. But...I do see the value of the experience.

I remember back when I was student teaching I had to video tape myself, and my student teaching co-hort would analyze my teaching. I really thought I did a great job with the lesson; the students seemed to understand the material, my timing was good, and I was able to answer the students' questions. It wasn't until I watched the video with my classmates that I noticed some key areas for improvement. Mainly, I saw that as I talked, I like to stand behind the podium and rock back and forth. I was highly embarrassed, and I wondered if the students also noticed this during the lesson. I learned a valuable lesson from the experience, though, and to this day I always make a concentrated effort to walk around the room when talking to students for an extended period of time.
Jim Knight says when you videotape yourself, you should watch the video twice. Identify an area of focus during the first viewing, and analyze the area of focus during the second viewing. From there, you can identify a goal and method of practice to make improvements in your teaching.

When I return from maternity leave, I plan to videotape myself  (with teacher permission, of course) in order to grow as an instructional coach. I'll even try to focus on my content and delivery, rather than the bags under my eyes from lack of sleep or those last ten pounds I still need to lose from having a baby.

If you are also interested in videotaping yourself teaching, Katie and I would be more than happy to assist with this process. We can videotape the lesson for you, sit down to analyze it with you afterwards, and set goals for future practice.

Tucked Away

It's feels a little weird spending my mornings tucked away in the Instructional Coach office (which is behind the learning lab room) instead of surrounded by students. I look forward to getting out and about more often and observing, modeling, and assisting teachers. However, I have been very busy these first few days. Some of the highlights:
-working with reading and writing data to produce spreadsheets for 8th grade ELA teachers
-troubleshooting technology issues for teachers and students
-arranging meeting times for new teachers and veterans to better serve students
-planning upcoming project help with math, science, and social studies teachers

Summary of "3 Ways to Keep the Learning Communities Focused on the Learning" (from Learning Forward)

As I am sitting on the couch with my not quite one-week-old daughter, I thought I would take a moment to do something adult-like and read a professional article. Hopefully my brain hasn't completely turned to mush, and I accurately summarize this article from Learning Forward on how to keep PLCs focused on learning.

It is important to remember the purpose of our PLCs as we begin this new school year. The reason our teams or departments gather together is to improve student learning. We may meet as a group (at least one time per week) to discuss student concerns, plan Tiger Time activities, co-plan, etc.; but if we are not building our skills and knowledge, then we are unable to improve the learning of the students.

In order to keep the focus of PLCs on professional growth and improved student learning, our teams and departments should follow these three essential elements: continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and accountability.

1) Continuous Improvement- Team members should strive to continuously improve so that students and professionals are effectively learning. To do this, we should follow this cycle:

1. Analyze educator, student, and school data to identify student learning needs.
2. Define educator professional learning goals based on student learning needs.
3. Select and implement evidence-based designs for professional learning to achieve professional learning goals.
4. Provide job-embedded coaching and other forms of assistance to support transfer of learning.
5. Inform ongoing improvement in teaching, leadership, and learning.
6. Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the professional learning.
7. Tap external assistance when necessary.

2) Collective Responsibility- We should build a culture of collective responsibility by sharing leadership roles and supporting each other in the learning process. To do this, we (as in teachers and administrators) must

• Build a shared commitment to the success of all students.
• Encourage all learning community members to share successes and challenges openly so they may benefit from the wisdom of the group.
• Make sure that all teachers experiencing a challenge know they are not facing that challenge alone.
• Establish opportunities for teachers and staff to regularly work and learn together toward a shared goal of ensuring a higher quality of instruction for students.
• Give teachers and staff time to learn and work together.
• Develop the ability of individuals to develop trust, take risks, and expose themselves to the vulnerability of open and honest feedback and growth.

3) Alignment and Accountability- Our PLCs need to be aligned with shared goals, and we should hold each other accountable to promote student and professional growth.

By following these three elements, our teams and departments will achieve the purpose of PLCs- improved student and adult learning. 

Stilwell's Instructional Coach Blog

Welcome to Stilwell Tiger's Eye. This blog will be used to communicate what Stilwell Instructional Coaches see and do. It will also be used to communicate new ideas and resources for the classroom. We hope to give insight as to what is happening in our classrooms and where we are headed.