Raising your game The Improvement Loop

1. Raising your gameThe Improvement Loop Peter Richards

2. Data Analysis The Improvement Loop ClassroomObservation Action Feedback Evaluation Areas forDevelopment

3. What are the main objectives of giving lesson observation feedback? • Identifying and celebrating strengths • Building confidence • Enhancing understanding of effective teaching and learning and thus changing perspectives of teaching and effectiveness • Improving practice by changing certain aspects of classroom practice i.e. tweaking • Making change enduring and not a simply performance for the observation process - generating ownership. • The process should never disable but rather enable.

4. DVD exercise • Using the sheet provided record the positive and negative aspects of the feedback session your are about to observe.

5. Managing the Feedback Dialogue • When? Quality time (i) Ethos required to ensure effective dialogue? • Where? Professional environment – time, personal space, eye contact, posture, a do not disturb sign! • Distance (c24-48 hrs but no longer) needed for both observer and observed to reflect on the lesson and reach measured judgements

6. Managing the Feedback Dialogue • (ii) What are the key elements of an effective dialogue? • The person observed should be aware before the observation of the criteria against which their lesson was judged • Focus on classroom practice rather than personal attributes • Value the teacher's views of the lesson and explore them • Accentuate the strengths in order to reinforce positive behaviour

7. Managing the Feedback Dialogue • (ii) What are the key elements of an effective dialogue? • Be specific when describing teacher behaviour. This greatly enhances the formative value of the dialogue • Regularly check understanding • The praise / criticism ratio should, as far as possible, be 3:1. • Judgements must always be based on clear firm evidence. Intuition is not good enough

8. Managing the Feedback Dialogue • (ii) What are the key elements of an effective dialogue? • Moderate positive language is very important - i.e. there are no such things as weaknesses only areas for development! • Offer qualified alternatives where the need for development has been identified • Conclusions about progress should be based on the levels of achievement observed in the lesson.

9. Managing the Feedback Dialogue • (ii) What are the key elements of an effective dialogue? • No matter how unsatisfactory a lesson was, always confine yourself to a maximum of three development points - one or two should probably be the norm for most teachers • Summarise the salient points (strengths and areas for development) at the end of the dialogue. • In order to increase the longer-term impact of the dialogue, a written synopsis of the key points covered in the dialogue should always follow.

10. The Agenda for the Feedback Dialogue • 1. Pupil progress 2. Pupil response 3. Teaching 4. Areas for development

11. Areas for developmentshould: • Be a maximum of 3 • Include possible strategies - suggest but avoid becoming the solution! • Describe how progress will be monitored - another observation? • Include timescales

12. Dealing with Resistance • Don't meet it head on since this will only increase the resistance! • You cannot talk people out of how they are feeling • Help the resistance to blow itself out by exploring in depth the teacher's concerns. Allow the teacher to express them in full. • Only when the concerns have been thoroughly revealed, can the real issues be identified and responded to.

13. TASK 3 A. (Lesson observer) gives feedback to B ( teacher) and identifies action for improvement. B. comments on the quality of the feedback and actions suggested C. reviews the evidence and effectiveness of the feedback and identifies key learning points for the whole group

14. Raising Your Game:Improving Your Subject Area plr@pandjrichards.plus.com geoffbarton@mac.com www.geoffbarton.co.uk