Beverage winners for this week are DeeDee and Sarah M! We really appreciate the comments you posted to our blog.
This week’s Danielson focus is component 2b: Establishing a Culture of Learning
A “culture for learning” refers to the atmosphere in the classroom that reflects the importance of the work undertaken by both students and teacher. It describes the norms that govern interactions among individuals about the activities and assignments, the look of the classroom, and the general tone of the class. A classroom with a strong culture for learning is characterized by high cognitive energy, by a sense that what is happening there is important, and that it is essential to get it right. There are high expectations for all students, and the classroom is a place where the teacher and students value learning and hard work.
The elements of component 2b are:
- Importance of the content and of learning
In a classroom with a strong culture for learning, teachers convey the education value of what the students are learning.
- Expectations for learning and achievement
In classrooms with robus cultures for learning, all students receive the message that although the work is challenging, they are capable of achieving it if they are prepared to work hard. A manifestation of teachers’ expectations for high student achievement is their insistence on the use of precise language by students.
- Student pride in work
When students are convinced of their capabilities, they are willing to devote energy to the task at hand, and they take pride in their accomplishments. This pride is reflected in their interactions with classmates and with the teacher.
In a proficient classroom:
The classroom culture is a place where learning is valued by all; high expectations for both learning and hard work are the norm for most students. Students understand their role as learners and consistently expend effort to learn. Classroom interactions support learning, hard work and the precise use of language.
What might this look like?
-The teacher communicates the importance of the content and the conviction that with hard work all student can master the material.-The teacher demonstrates a high regard for students’ abilities.
-The teacher conveys an expectation of high levels of student effort.-Students expend good effort to complete work of high quality.
-The teacher insists on precise use of language by students.
In a distinguished classroom:
The classroom culture is a cognitively busy place, characterized by a shared belief in the importance of learning. The teacher conveys high expectations for learning for all students and insists on hard work; students assume responsibility for high quality by initiating improvements, making revisions, adding detail and/or assisting peers in their precise use of language.
What might this look like?
-The teacher communicates passion for the subject.
-The teacher conveys the satisfaction that accompanies a deep
understanding of complex comment.
-Students indicate through their questions and comments a desire to
understand the content.
-Students assist their classmates in understanding the content.
-Students take initiative in improving the quality of their work.
-Students correct one another in their use of language.
Thoughts about your practice:
What expectations do you hold for specific students?
How do you convey high expectations for all through personalized learning experiences?
How do you guide students to produce high quality evidence of learning?
What beliefs about learning are conveyed in words and actions from you as well
as your students?
The majority of the content of this post comes from "Framework for Teaching" from Teachscape.
Resources for Deepening Understanding of 2b:
Opening Minds by Peter Johnston
This week’s comment question: As we spend our conference time setting goals for students, how have you engaged students to reflect on their own progress and work towards those goals?
We worked together to brainstorm some ideas for what we liked about school, what we can work on, and an area where we need help from a teacher/adult. It was a learning moment for me when we were brainstorming that my students need to be guided through the reflection process. They have never done it before and it is a step-by-step process with the youngers. I was surprised to see after the guidance on reflecting how honest my students were which was awesome! I can only see conference and goal setting becoming a stronger focus in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI have worked hard this year to help students understand my expectations by showing them rubrics for classroom assessments prior to beginning the task. We review the rubric, which is written in student friendly language. We discuss the expectation of proficient. We also assess some of the samples that I create. This has helped students to reflect on their own work and also to improve the quality of their work!
ReplyDeleteWe love the new Pensieve conferring tool in Level 1! I've been using the conferring tool with students as we discuss their goals and their progress. They notice how important it is to reflect on their progress and keep track of how they're doing and what their next steps are as we use the tool together and continue to revisit their goals.
ReplyDeleteWe have spent time reflecting on our progress this year so far. The kids have thought about what they are proud of as well as a goal they would like to work on for the rest of trimester 1.
ReplyDeleteWe also reflect daily on how well we are following Tribes agreements as well as how well we are meeting learning targets. This has helped us really improve as a community of learners!