Numeracy Co-Teaching: Improving Student Learning Through Reflective Instruction July 2007

1. Numeracy Co-Teaching: Improving Student Learning Through Reflective InstructionJuly 2007

2. Sharing and Sampling • How are you facilitating professional development in your district? • Reflect on professional development in your district. • Chat with your table / partner. • Put each strategy or concept on a separate piece of paper (provided). Indicate content area on response. • Represent your strategy so others can understand your thinking.

3. What is Co-Teaching? • professional learning strategy that connects teachers with: • different knowledge • skills • talents • shared responsibility for designing, implementing, and monitoring student learning. • informal, collaborative instructional professional learning structure • focuses on the components of a curriculum program for one class of students on a regular basis. • “I gained reassurance that this is a learning process – I don’t need to be perfect – in fact it’s better if I’m not.” - Participant

4. Purpose of Co-Teaching • improve instruction and understanding of students’ thinking and learning during a lesson through: • shared observation, • interview, • analysis of student work • teachers view teaching as collaborative problem solving: • with the goal of improving student learning and student achievement through reflective instruction

5. Our Co-Teaching Implementation • Two districts with similar concerns: • Combined grades & teaching math through problem solving • Different stages of readiness: • HPCDSB: • CIL-M (2005 / 2006) & Co-Teaching (2006 / 2007) • LKDSB • Co-Teaching (2006 / 2007) • Bansho studied as a high yield instructional strategy. • The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat personnel and publications provide support.

6. Timeline

7. New Learning Leads to Discomfort What discomfort accompanied the introduction of the book? Video Clip: introducing the book.mov

8. New Learning Leads to Discomfort There needs to be trust build as this process begins. Video Clip: coteaching2 building trust.mov

9. Timeline • Session #1: Introduction Session (½ day) • Build interpersonal relations • Define study goals • Establish group norms

10. Timeline • Session #2: Study Session (1 day) • Develop knowledge of co-teaching • Begin to understand bansho, a high yield strategy to teach mathematics through problem solving • Participate in small group co-teaching sessions • Establish co-teaching partners and begin initial planning

11. Timeline • Co-Teaching #1: In First Paired Classroom (½ day) • Lesson preview with the host teacher and co-teachers discussing: • Learning goal • Predicting student mathematical responses • Discuss a plan for co-teacher interaction

12. Video Clip: lesson 2 sharing lesson problem.mov

13. Timeline • Using the pre-conference questions discuss the problem and anticipated student responses. • Pre-Conference: • Meet in the morning before the lesson to discuss the lesson that will be taught and the focus. • Discuss the following prompts: • What is the learning goal(s) of this math lesson? • What is the lesson problem? • How did you introduce the lesson? Activate their prior knowledge? • What mathematics are you expecting students to show as they solve the lesson problem?

14. Timeline • Co-Teaching #1: In First Paired Classroom (½ day) • Lesson implementation • Carry out lesson plans • Teachers monitor and observe student learning • Teachers collaboratively problem solve the lesson and make adjustments based on observations • Video clips: • lesson 3 coteaching stoping and clarifying.mov • students working together.mov • lesson 5 creating the bansho.mov

15. Timeline • Co-Teaching #1: In First Paired Classroom (½ day) • Lesson debriefing • Co-teacher revisit learning goal • Use observations to reflection on successes and future improvements based on the evidence of student’s learning • Video Clip: coteaching1 benefits of problem solving and coteaching.mov

16. Timeline • Session #3: Study Session (1 day) • Sharing learning from initial co-teaching • Revisit study goals and extend understanding of bansho • Participate in small group co-teaching sessions • Within co-teaching partners plan next co-teaching session “I appreciate that I am part of the process rather than being told what to do.” - Participant

17. Timeline • Co-Teaching #2: In Second Classroom (½ day) • Lesson preview with the host teacher and co-teachers discussing: • Learning goal • Predicting student mathematical responses • Discuss a plan for co-teacher interaction • Lesson implementation • Carry out lesson plans • Teachers monitor and observe student learning • Teachers collaboratively problem solve the lesson and make adjustments based on observations • Lesson debriefing • Co-teacher revisit learning goal • Use observations to reflection on successes and future improvements based on the evidence of student’s learning

18. Timeline • Session #4: Study Session and Wrap Up • Sharing learning from second co-teaching • Consolidate understanding of co-teaching as professional learning • Participate in small group co-teaching sessions • Reflect on learning goals and next steps “I value the honesty of everyone involved and the respectful way people treat others ideas.”

19. Is it important to ‘do the math’? Should teachers attempt to solve a problem multiple ways before showing the students?

20. Was I Adequately Trained For Co-Teaching? Comfort level of teachers before and after the experience.

21. School Based Co-Teaching? How many co-teaching partners are there outside of this formal project? 27 3

22. Co-Teaching Project Feedback Chart

23. Co-Teaching benefits • reducing the student-teacher ratio so: • more eyes to see student work • more ears to hear their thinking. • teachers in sharing their expertise to: • improve a lesson as it is happening. • develop strategies for watching and listening to students • use formative assessment today • honour informal knowledge from the classroom • identify student understanding and readiness to monitor the assessment criteria • Students benefit from an improved learning experience developed during the lesson by two adults to working together, with a shared commitment to make the lesson more precise.

24. ModelShareGuideIndependent ModelShareGuideIndependent ModelShareGuideIndependent Implementation In Context: Gradual Release of Responsibility Previously:Whole group collaborative teaching sessions. Try strategies in own classroom and report back to the collaborative team. Currently: Split group modeling of co-teaching and problems solving strategies Share co-teaching sessions with different schools, class, & teachers. Co-teaching with a colleague between sessions. Apply strategies in own classroom after co-teaching session before next whole group meeting.

25. Next Steps “The Power of the Few” • Who to select? • Connectors • Hubs • Link knowledge with population • Mavens • Pedagogy • Invest time • Build lessons • Salespeople • Soft influence • Imitated by others • Gladwell’s Tipping Point

26. Reflecting On Our First Bansho Based on what you’ve learned today, how is co-teaching a successful strategy for promoting job embedded professional learning for teachers? How could co-teaching affect job embedded professional development in your schools?

27. “the power of a marker”. Take the math out of the notebook and put it out there to share. (digest-understand)

28. The students dictate pace & direction of the lesson, teachers need to be prepared for the possible journeys they take.

29. Questions / Comments / ConcernsContact Info:Vince Trocchi, HPCDSBvince_trocchi@hpcdsb.edu.on.caBen Hazzard, LKDSBhazzarbe@lkdsb.net