Reflection Piece:  Clinical Supervision and Presentation; Mini-Observations

Project Description

These were both individual projects.  For the clinical supervision project, I had to conduct a complete clinical observation cycle with a colleague—a pre-observation conference, classroom observation, and post-observation conference.  I then wrote an eight-page paper detailing each phase of the observation cycle, and a critique of my own performance—my communication with the teacher, my tone and body language, the appropriateness and specificity of the language I used, the usefulness of my feedback.  I also presented to the class a video of excerpts from the observed lesson and the post-observation conference, with my commentary.  For the Mini-Observation paper, I conducted three mini-observations, using Kim Marshall’s observation model, of two teachers.  For each, I debriefed and gave feedback after each observation. 

I found my colleagues to be very cooperative, which greatly facilitated the completion of these projects.  Both are department leaders: one is a lead teacher at my school, so she has experience in observing teachers and giving feedback on instruction, and offered me tips on what has worked well for her in the past; the other is the chair of the math department, who is also versed in giving informal feedback to teachers.  The greatest problems I encountered were in the use of the technology to edit and format the video clips to make for smooth presentation to our EDL 704 class.  Again, my colleagues who have had more experience in video editing offered support, as did other friends.

Describe: ELCC Standards Addressed and Personal Competency

This assignment is aligned to the ELCC standards 2.1-2.4, which address school culture, an effective instructional program, the application of best practices to student learning, and the design of professional growth plans.

Standard 2.1 states that school leadership candidates demonstrate the knowledge and ability to “promote [a] positive school culture.”  Supporting teachers through purposeful and detailed feedback based on observation promotes teacher growth.  The clinical observation cycle that the first project required had me observe the classroom instruction of a colleague and then give feedback to her based on a rubric designed to promote teacher effectiveness.  I also had to consider various observation tools and determine which one I thought most useful in giving constructive criticism.  The mini-observation project had me offer brief, but timely, feedback that the teacher could act upon immediately.  Effective feedback allows for improved instruction and school programs.

The second standard addressed by this project, 2.2, has leaders “provide [an] effective instructional program.”  The rubrics I chose to use for the clinical cycle (Danielson) is a research-based framework that facilitates a nuanced evaluation of teacher instructional practices and gives teachers detailed descriptions of four levels of performance, thus allowing teachers at all levels of experience and performance to find specific ways to improve their practice.  Marshall’s mini-observation protocols likewise provide a structure for frequent feedback.  Using such rubrics for teacher evaluation school-wide will strengthen the instructional program.

Standard 2.3 asserts that school leaders “apply best practices to student learning.”  The foci of my clinical observation were Danielson’s Competencies 3b, “Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques, and 3c, “Student Engagement in Learning.”  I gave the teacher I observed feedback that incorporated best practices that Danielson identifies in this instructional domain.  Best practices have the teacher employ higher-order questioning to challenge students cognitively, and promote student-led questioning and discussion.  To promote student engagement, the teacher designs learning activities that engage virtually all students intellectually in challenging content, with suitable scaffolding by the teacher.  In my feedback, I suggested ways the teacher could keep all groups of students engaged in the learning activity, which would also increase student-to-student learning interaction.

The final ECLL standard aligned to this assignment is 2.4, the “design [of] comprehensive professional growth plans.”  With the knowledge gained during my observation, I conferenced with the teachers to devise a plan for teacher improvement, in this case a plan to extend her questioning techniques to incorporate higher-order questioning and to promote greater student-led questioning and discussion.  The plan included school-wide PD, and referenced questioning support found in our school’s Staff Handbook.

Appraise and Transform

These supervision projects, I feel, demonstrate my knowledge of the teacher supervision process and my abilities to give teachers structured feedback designed to improve their practice.   I used several observation tools and methods in this course, and had to consider which tool best helped me support teachers with detailed feedback with specific suggestions for improvement.  I also found a useful tool to help me prepare for the post-observation conference (shared with me by my principal).  In the process of conducting this observation cycle, I did come to the conclusion that I need to find better tools to use while observing in the classroom.  My low-inference notes were sufficient for this particular task, but moving forward I would want a wider range of options to structure my observation of teaching and learning.  In the context of my overall leadership skills, I feel instructional supervision is one of my weaker areas.  I need to spend more time in the classroom, and practice giving meaningful feedback to teachers.