How to Create a Culture of Support in Education

Tess Reiche-Johnson — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 11:01:35 +0000

Close to fifty percent of new teachers will quit within their first five years on the job. Let that sink in for a moment. It’s a catastrophe that needs to be addressed on multiple levels: in teacher education programs, in school districts by the administration, and amongst the communities of teachers in schools themselves. It’s a crisis of culture that needs to be changed. How to accomplish this is the question that no one has been able to accurately solve.

Every teacher leaving the field has a unique set of reasons for doing so, but of course there is a common thread. For some it’s income, for others it’s simply the challenge of the working conditions, but the most common underlying factor in the decision to quit lies within the lack of support. “Administrative support is the factor most consistently associated with teachers’ decisions to stay in or leave a school. Authors’ analysis found that teachers who find their administrators to be unsupportive are more than twice as likely to leave as those who feel well-supported,” according to a recent report from The Learning Policy Institute.

So how can we help schools support their new teachers? At Swivl, we think we have a solution. With our video observation program, Swivl makes it easy for both administrators and coaches to provide meaningful feedback to teachers on their own schedule. You no longer have to physically be present in a classroom to provide skilled guidance from an unbiased perspective. With Swivl, not only is it incredibly easy to use, but we alone make it possible to always see and hear both the teacher and students, creating a holistic view of the classroom. With a more meaningful level of constructive feedback and support given to teachers, a success loop is created. And for administrators, Swivl is here to provide you with all the support that you need to thrive.

Swivl also helps teachers support each other with the ability to share videos in our library on Swivl cloud. Teacher mentorship is a proven method for reducing attrition rates. A culture of collaboration requires continual feedback and sharing. Only Swivl makes the process of capturing and sharing classroom data so seamless that the impact on teacher's time and energy is minimal.

Many teachers who leave the profession also cite inadequate preparation as a major reason behind their decision. We can expedite teacher experience by providing unparalleled examples of what defines a “best practice” in our shareable video libraries. Peer-to-peer learning is priceless, and Swivl is an essential tool for fostering that practice. When teachers engage with our product an enduring relationship is forged.

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18 teacher self-reflection questions to drive deeper professional learning

Brian Lamb — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 01:53:04 +0000

Note: Pair these teacher self-reflection questions with Sessions, our two-step writing process to help educators set and reflect on goals. Try Sessions here (no login required).

A good set of teacher self-reflection questions are one of the simplest, yet most powerful tools for improving practice.

But one of the most common challenges when it comes to teacher self-reflection is getting started or figuring out exactly how to reflect. This big list of teacher self-reflection questions can lead to insights for any educator willing to take time to pause and reflect.

Teacher self-reflection questions for the end of a unit or school year

There’s no better time to reflect upon the school year or the new unit you taught than now—when it’s all over. To uncover the challenges and opportunities that you may have missed while in the moment, use these teacher self-reflection questions to help kickstart your thinking:

What content, topics, or skills did students improve at most during this time?
What content topics, or skills did students struggle with during this time?
When were students most focused, engaged, and energized during this time?
When were students most unfocused, disengaged, or lethargic during this time?
When did I as the teacher feel best during this time? Why?
When did I as a teacher not feel at my best during this time? Why?
How did seating or other organization of the classroom space have a positive impact on teaching or learning? How can I replicate that?
How did seating or other organization of the classroom space have a negative impact on teaching or learning? How can I improve that?
Did certain students or groups of students seem to excel? Why might that be?
Did certain students or groups of students require more support? Why might that be?
Which teaching and learning resources were most useful and effective for me?
What templates, materials or other resources I can save and re-use for next year to save myself time?
Overall, what went well, and how can I improve the chances of that happening again?
What didn’t work, and how will I approach it differently next year?
What were my biggest hurdles, and how did I overcome them?
What did I learn from my students during this time?
What’s the biggest lesson I learned this year?
What changes and new approaches to teaching will I implement in the new year?

Consider starting at the top of the list and writing as much or as little as you’d like about each question. When a specific question grabs your interest, feel free to stick with it and elaborate more. If other questions don’t inspire you to write much, feel free to move on quickly or skip them all together.

For best results, mix teacher self-reflection questions with classroom video

Now that you have a detailed list of teacher self-reflection questions to use, you may be deciding on your method of self-reflection.

Teacher self-reflection is personal, so there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. But here are some recommendations.

First, consider using classroom video to drive your self-reflection.

Video makes it easy to see the challenges and opportunities teachers encounter. On video, a teacher can see that a rowdy class remains standing when the bell rings and struggles to get on track. They can see that a distracted group is led by two students set on socializing. They can see that a student with his head down sits next to a classmate whose back is turned because they have a tense relationship.

Video provides evidence teachers can use to begin addressing challenges, either on their own, by collaborating with colleagues or through the support of a coach or administrator.

When teachers combine well-crafted teacher self-reflection questions with classroom video, the results are accelerated and expanded. Teachers will have realizations like:

When it’s necessary to slow down and allow students more time to grasp topics
When it’s beneficial to transition from sage on the stage to guide on the side
Where you can allocate more time in your lessons to address more difficult topics and answer student questions
Where holes in content and jumps in logic exist
Where you spend more of your time physically in the classroom whilst teaching

And more. Having the objective evidence of classroom video, along with thought-provoking teacher self-reflection questions, is a truly powerful combo for educator growth.

Turn reflection into a routine with Sessions

Even the best have room for improvement. The short time you spend engaging in reflection can open your eyes to teaching habits (good or bad) you never realized you had. You’ll see how students react to those habits, how their level of attention is altered, and how the changes you make to your behavior in the classroom changes their behavior. Throughout the process, you’ll also learn new techniques and ways of approaching instruction that are worth sharing with your peers.

To help make reflection part of your routine, consider Sessions. Sessions is a two-step writing process to help educators set and reflect on goals. As part of Teams by Swivl, users also have the option to add video to their reflections. But you can try reflecting with Sessions for free today with no login required.

The post 18 teacher self-reflection questions to drive deeper professional learning appeared first on Swivl.

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How to Create a Culture of Support in Education

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18 teacher self-reflection questions to drive deeper professional learning

Teacher self-reflection questions for the end of a unit or school year

For best results, mix teacher self-reflection questions with classroom video

Turn reflection into a routine with Sessions