Collaborative Teaching

This Session

• Collaboration Matters

• Realities Teachers Face

• Analyzing Student Assessment Data

• Technology Supporting Collaboration

Technology is transforming the work of teachers. Teachers are expected to spontaneously work cooperatively, sometimes without formal training on how to work in groups. This session will address effective strategies for cooperative lesson planning and provide guidance on how to analyze student assessment data to make inferences about instructional practices.

College-and-Career Readiness Standards & Indicators

Ready!

Collaboration and Teamwork

Citizenship and Personal

Responsibility

Creativity and Innovation

Critical Thinking and

Problem-Solving

How can math teachers learn what they need to know?

“Most mathematics teachers work in relative isolation, with little support for innovation and few incentives to improve their practice. Yet much of teachers’ best learning occurs when they examine their teaching practices with colleagues. Research indicates that teachers are better able to help their students learn mathematics when they have opportunities to work together to improve their practice, time for personal reflection, and strong support from colleagues and other qualified professionals.”

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA

Move from “pockets of excellence” to “systems of excellence”

“Too many teachers of mathematics remain professionally isolated, without the benefits of collaborative structures and coaching, and with inadequate opportunities for professional development related to mathematics teaching and learning.”

Actions“Work collaboratively with colleagues to plan instruction, solve common challenges, and provide natural support as they take collective responsibility for student learning.”

Principles to Actions: Executive Summary. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Focal_Points/Principles_to_Action/PtAExecutiveSummary.pdf

Principles to Actions: (2014, page 100)

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Standard X, Professional Community:

Accomplished mathematics teachers continually collaborate with other teachers and education professionals…

Teachers promote the ideal that working collaboratively increases knowledge, reflection, and quality of practice and benefits the instructional program. Teachers seek to make their teaching an open community activity…. Decision making becomes a collaborative process rather than an isolated process.

Discuss Beliefs in PLCs

Realities: Teacher Time

• Collaboration with colleagues carries a time cost

• Teachers must support one another and be mindful that life happens

Mistake Aversion• Professional risk and

privacy norms must be considered when building communities of teachers

• Team mentality should prevail: our kids, not your kids or my kids

We (Teachers) Must Change Our Mindset Towards Collaborative Work

Everything is Cool… When You’re Part of a Team

1. Is group work fair?

2. Are teachers taught group dynamics in teacher prep?

3. Should teachers be expected to spontaneously cooperate?

Some Things We Do at My School• Department Socials

• PLC (Professional Learning Community) meetings are teacher led

• Cross-Observation

• Instructional Rounds

• Common Assessments

• Data Analysis

Are Our Assessments Meaningful?

Where Do Your Assessments Live?

3 Considerations with Student Assessment Data

• Does the test measure what it claims to measure? (valid)

• Will the test return consistent measures across multiple administrations? (reliable)

• How will I use the data I retrieve in meaningful ways? (applicable)

Comparing Exam Performance (using same exam): AP Stats Exam 1, Fall 2014 vs Fall 2013

Fall 2013 Exam 1 Performance

Fall 2014 Exam 1 Performance

Analyzing Student Work

• Takes the focus off the teacher and puts it back on the student

Analyzing Student Work

• Takes the focus off the teacher and puts it back on the student

Pre-Test Data

Post-Test Data

Collecting Student Data Immediately• ScanSnap Scanner

Free PD: Cross Observation & Instructional Rounds

• Go to another teacher’s classroom Observe their teaching.

• Only positive feedback NO corrective feedback – is allowed.

• Have a conversation afterwards Face to face or “positive blast”

Collaborative Lesson Planning & Assessment Planning

• Dropboxwww.dropbox.com

• Writing assessments and lessons together

• Analyzing the student data together

• Teacher driven, not administrator driven

Teaching Channel

Video Studyhttps://mathreasoninginventory.com/Home/VideoLibrary