!

A Differentiated Student achievement will

Approach to
Teacher Learning
ASPIRING PRINCIPALS
PROGRAMME
Instructional Leadership
Session 5.s
Dr Mairette Newman
School of Education
UWI, Mona
mairette.newman@uwimona.edu.jm
not improve unless and
until we create schools
and districts where all
educators are learning
how to significantly
improve their skills as
teachers and as
instructional leaders.!
!
 Focus ques)ons
•  What do we mean by the term ‘differen2ated
supervision’?
•  Why differen2ate supervision?
•  How can we differen2ate supervision
prac2ces?

 At the heart of differen)ated supervision is
the recogni)on that for supervision to be
effec)ve it should sa)sfy two requirements
–  It should be shaped and tailored to meet
teachers’ individual needs, preferences and
stages of professional development.
–  It should provide teachers a range of
alterna)ves and choices about the kind of
supervision they receive such that they take
responsibility for their own learning
 Differen2ated Supervision
What does the term mean?

According to Re@g (2000) DS GlaIhorn (2004) states

•  “can take into account the “ I n a differen2ated system,
varying and idiosyncra2c teachers can choose, within
needs of each individual limits, whether they wish to
teacher when the receive clinical supervision,
work with a colleague in a
supervisor aIempts to
program of coopera2ve
provide meaningful and development, direct their
substan2ve professional own professional growth, or
development” have their teaching
monitored by an
administrator”
 Why differen)ate supervision?
•  Teachers are NOT all the same! The “Widget
Effect,” as described in a research report by the
New Teacher Project, is defined as the failure of
US schools to recognize that teacher
effec)veness is not the same from classroom to
classroom; teachers are not interchangeable
parts.
•  School leaders must recognize that teachers vary
greatly in their readiness levels, needs, concerns
skill sets, and in their confidence
 Responds to the
principles of adult
learning

Considers the
Recognises & socio-cultural
accommodates context in which
teachers’ various the teacher is
roles working

A
DIFFERENTIATED
APPROACH

Recognises
different stages Fosters
within teachers’ teachers’ career
life cycles stage
development

Helps teachers to
learn from life’s
transition events
How can we differen2ate?
 Peer to Peer Strategies
•  Clinical Supervision
Rely on •  Peer Coaching
•  Peer Consulta)on
Observa)on •  Lesson Study
•  Learning Walks

Ac)vi)es •  Collegial Development Groups

•  Professional Learning Communi)es
other than •  Self-Directed Teacher Growth
•  Ac)on Research
Observa)on
 Variety of possibili)es
•  Instruc)onal Coaching •  Check out The
•  Peer Coaching Australian Ins)tute for
•  Peer Consulta)on Teaching and School
Leadership (AITSL) to
•  Instruc)onal Rounds view videos of teachers
•  Lesson Study and principals talking
•  Learning Walks about how they
•  Videos of Prac)ce differen)ate supervision
and teacher
development at their
schools
 Learning from Peers?
Peer Coaching Peer Consulta)on
A voluntary confiden)al A school-based process in
process through which which teachers work in
competent professionals who consort with colleagues in a
are adequately trained share reciprocal way to provide one
their exper)se, learn to another with descrip)ve
incorporate new instruc)onal feedback and discussion about
strategies or methodologies observed teaching in order to
into their repertoire and enhance professional growth
search for answers to and organisa)onal
classroom-related ques)ons or development
concerns in a non-threatening (Acheson & Gall, 2003 p.96)
environment
(Nolan & Hoover, 2008, p.76)
 Models of Peer Coaching
Technical Collegial
•  Arises as follow-up to •  Teachers establish the focus of
country- wide curriculum, the observa)on
instruc)on or training •  Teachers self-select the area for
ini)a)ves inquiry and analysis as well as
•  Connected to professional method of collec)on
development workshops •  Partner collects the data
ini)ated by MoE, •  Is independent of outside
professional associa)ons or
funding agencies ini)a)ves and may extend
beyond observa)on
•  Observer uses mandated, •  Is self-directed and reflec)ve
standardised, training-
related checklist – teacher
has ligle ownership or input
into how data is collected
•  Is dependent on outside
ini)a)ves
 Why Peer Coaching?
•  Capitalises on the research base about
condi)ons that foster adult learning
•  Builds and affirms the knowledge skills,,
experiences and professionalism of teachers
•  Takes into account the teachers career
development cycle
•  Extends the role of the supervisor to the
teacher thereby releasing the principal to
deal with ‘special cases’
 Guidelines for implemen)ng and
sustaining a peer coaching programme
•  Acknowledge and go through all steps of the cycle
•  Focus on and invest in readiness training
•  Ensure principals provide support by working as part of
the team with teachers during training, and by
facilita)ng mee)ngs with and among coaches
•  Ensure that those involved commit to a minimum of
three observa)on-conference cycles
•  Build )me into teachers’ schedules for observa)ons
and conferences to take place
•  Assess the progamme’s effec)veness and refine
procedures if necessary