The unfortunate drawback of this practice is that we literally build our own world, and rarely venture out of it. We don’t have any comparison for our methods and we miss out on important opportunities for growth. So many of us also miss out on learning from other rock star teachers at our own school site.
So, I am standing for the idea that part of our professional development should include time for visits to other teachers’ classrooms, observing lesson delivery and student-teacher interactions. We make comparisons and pick up techniques we might not otherwise see in action. Teaching bloggers like Dave Cormier call this idea “The Community as Curriculum” and “Open Learning.” And it’s a valuable component in teacher growth.
The Community as Curriculum and Rhizomatic Learning
I have posted a couple of times about rhizomatic learning, where adult learners access the social aspect of acquiring information and skills in a non-linear and unanticipated way. Rhizomatic Learning recognizes that education is not designed around content, but is instead a social process in which we learn with and from each other (Cormier 2010). The social process also has a non-linear, serendipitous quality. Developing a practice of collaborating with teaching colleagues by sharing best practices and visiting classrooms is a key component to this type of learning, and opens up many possibilities for teachers to strengthen their own subject knowledge as well as observe successful student-teacher interactions.
The Benefits of Instructional Rounds
Reciprocal observation and debriefing is a popular subject addressed by Robert Marzano using the term “Instructional Rounds”, which recommends developing an ongoing practice of observation and discussion between teaching professionals about methods and best practices. He outlines a non-judgemental way to put this into practice to promote comfort and understanding in a teaching environment. Educators report that this is a very valuable process. Marzano writes, “The chief benefit of this approach resides in the discussion that takes place among observing teachers at the end of the observation as well as in subsequent self-reflection.” (Marzano, 2011)
Practical Applications
So what does this collaboration look like? Who initiates it? Administrators or teachers? We know that when teachers set in motion a method for improvement, it is far more successful because the buy-in is there. Some easy ways to begin to access professional development from our colleagues include:
- Invite people into your classroom– maybe you’d like someone to see the results of a class project, view presentations or discuss lessons. Feedback can be collaborative, and it doesn’t have to make us nervous. We are not being evaluated; we just want to share our process with each other. This type of collaboration can take your lessons to new heights as you deconstruct the learning in your classroom with a valued colleague. At the Latin School of Chicago, we engaged in ‘Critical Friends’ groups and this analytic process still has an impact on how I look at lessons almost 15 years later.
- Ask to visit other classrooms– Have you heard of a teacher conducting really cool experiments or trying inquiry-based learning? Do you hear students getting ready for other class projects? Support what your students are doing, as well as your co-workers, by visiting their other classes. Just talking through a new idea or approach with another educator can be one of the most valuable forms of PD we experience as educators.
- Film your own lesson and watch later– invite colleagues to view your filmed lesson when they have time, and ask for feedback, or just take a moment and watch your own interactions with students. There is nothing like seeing yourself teach and getting a birds-eye view of student responses and engagement. The use of video in teacher learning and training is about to change education. Upcoming apps like EdSpace.live will be a game changer in the way we learn and visit other classrooms. I am on pins and needles waiting for this to launch.
Open Learning with our teaching and learning community can be much more informal and beneficial than the current PD model. Teachers get a chance to genuinely collaborate and advocate for improvement. We have to challenge our notions of professional teaching relationships and be willing to open our doors with an open mind toward feedback. And we have to be secure enough to have our thinking and practice challenged. It’s always helpful to our teaching practice to see others in action.
Holly Clark is the Co-Author of The Google Infused Classroom follow Holly on Twitter or Instagram or FB Group.