Reflections for Each Domain
Domain 1: Planning and Preparing
During Peer Coaching, two areas that were observed which needed improvement in Domain 1 were Designing Coherent Instruction and Designing Student Assessments.
Designing Coherent Instruction: It was noted by my peer that in one lesson, I lacked a “big picture look” at how prior knowledge directly impacted where the current lesson would be moving content-wise. He expressed to me that giving students this connecting big picture made access to prior knowledge more successful in his lessons. To address this issue, I focused at the beginning of class to allow students to make connections to previous lessons by outlining what was already taught to what the current lesson would cover.
Designing Student Assessments: With regards to meeting instructional goals, my peer observed that I lacked making connections to prior lessons when attempting to meet instructional goals in the current lesson. In creating solid connections to my instructional goals, he noted students would see content more clearly leading to increased student achievement on assessments. After this observation, I worked to incorporate review of prior lesson terms when introducing new terms to show the connections between them.
Designing Coherent Instruction: It was noted by my peer that in one lesson, I lacked a “big picture look” at how prior knowledge directly impacted where the current lesson would be moving content-wise. He expressed to me that giving students this connecting big picture made access to prior knowledge more successful in his lessons. To address this issue, I focused at the beginning of class to allow students to make connections to previous lessons by outlining what was already taught to what the current lesson would cover.
Designing Student Assessments: With regards to meeting instructional goals, my peer observed that I lacked making connections to prior lessons when attempting to meet instructional goals in the current lesson. In creating solid connections to my instructional goals, he noted students would see content more clearly leading to increased student achievement on assessments. After this observation, I worked to incorporate review of prior lesson terms when introducing new terms to show the connections between them.
Domain 2: Classroom Environment
As a result of peer observation, I focused on two areas in Domain 2 for improvement: Establishing a Culture for Learning and Managing Student Behavior.
Establishing a Culture for Learning: During my first observation, my peer noted that I did not provide students time or space to practice pre-writing for a discussion board assignment. He noted that he found students were more confident in discussion board responses when they could make notes on the board. After this, I applied this to students completing Punnett Squares. I started with a small group activity, where students worked together to complete a Punnett Square together and identified the offspring phenotypes and genotypes. Later in the lesson, I had students work in their own rooms on a Punnett Square task. Both activities provided students space to work on the board.
Managing Student Behavior: My peer discussed with me the lack of teacher feedback during lessons where students were being asked to respond to discussion board prompts. While I provided a good review of content the students would see on the prompt, I did not support students during writing time. He stated he sees marked improvement in student writing when he provided feedback during the writing session. After this review, I made sure to move to activity breakout rooms and provide immediate feedback to students when they completed work on the board. Students responded well to the support given during these sessions.
Establishing a Culture for Learning: During my first observation, my peer noted that I did not provide students time or space to practice pre-writing for a discussion board assignment. He noted that he found students were more confident in discussion board responses when they could make notes on the board. After this, I applied this to students completing Punnett Squares. I started with a small group activity, where students worked together to complete a Punnett Square together and identified the offspring phenotypes and genotypes. Later in the lesson, I had students work in their own rooms on a Punnett Square task. Both activities provided students space to work on the board.
Managing Student Behavior: My peer discussed with me the lack of teacher feedback during lessons where students were being asked to respond to discussion board prompts. While I provided a good review of content the students would see on the prompt, I did not support students during writing time. He stated he sees marked improvement in student writing when he provided feedback during the writing session. After this review, I made sure to move to activity breakout rooms and provide immediate feedback to students when they completed work on the board. Students responded well to the support given during these sessions.
Domain 3: Instruction
My peer coaching led to the examination of two areas from Domain 3 for improvement: Communicating with Students and Engaging Students in Learning.
Communicating with Students: Keeping in mind his use, my peer noted he did not observe frequent use of the chat announcement function to communicate with students for engagement or transitions during my lesson. He stated this helps him keep students on task and provides a visual to clearly show times of transitions between activities or desired engagement from the students. Based upon my observations of his lessons, I realized there was a difference in the use of the chat announcement function in my class. He often used short, two or three-word, attention grabbing chat announcements during his sessions. I applied this technique and found it helpful in keeping student engagement on task with the lesson.
Engaging Students in Learning: An area many cyber teachers find challenging is student engagement in breakout room activities – often having only one of three students using chat and/or microphone options to communicate during activities. My peer and I discussed this issue at length to brainstorm ideas to increase student use of chat and microphone during group work. I created an activity where the directions slide clearly stated the expectation that students were to use both chat and microphone during the activity. On the activity slide in the room, students were asked to put a RED X on the chat and microphone icons when they had individually used each tool to communicate with their group. I found this increased student use of the chat and microphone to about 50%.
Communicating with Students: Keeping in mind his use, my peer noted he did not observe frequent use of the chat announcement function to communicate with students for engagement or transitions during my lesson. He stated this helps him keep students on task and provides a visual to clearly show times of transitions between activities or desired engagement from the students. Based upon my observations of his lessons, I realized there was a difference in the use of the chat announcement function in my class. He often used short, two or three-word, attention grabbing chat announcements during his sessions. I applied this technique and found it helpful in keeping student engagement on task with the lesson.
Engaging Students in Learning: An area many cyber teachers find challenging is student engagement in breakout room activities – often having only one of three students using chat and/or microphone options to communicate during activities. My peer and I discussed this issue at length to brainstorm ideas to increase student use of chat and microphone during group work. I created an activity where the directions slide clearly stated the expectation that students were to use both chat and microphone during the activity. On the activity slide in the room, students were asked to put a RED X on the chat and microphone icons when they had individually used each tool to communicate with their group. I found this increased student use of the chat and microphone to about 50%.
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
My peer made the following observations of me over the course of the school year with regards to Domain 4. The areas he noted were in Participating in a Professional Community and Showing Professionalism.
Participating in a Professional Community: At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, the 7th Grade Science Department did not have an assigned member for leadership for the team. As the first month passed, the Professional Learning Community meetings were often organized and led by me. The Curriculum Coordinator communicate with the whole team, but often emailed follow up questions for the team to discuss and/or review to me. I established and maintained a shared Google Drive folder for lessons, labs, discussion boards and other instructional strategies. I willingly shared my lessons with any team member who asked for access. I unofficially served as a department chair for the remainder of the year.
Showing Professionalism: Prior to this school year, another team member consistently inquired to school administration regarding students with excessive unexcused absences and/or technical issues. This year, being on a different team, I advocated for these students by first attempting to contact the student/family to determine the issue for absence. If that was unsuccessful, or I didn’t see a significant change in attendance, I initiated emails which included all teachers, family coaches, school administration, truancy coordinators and/or guidance counselors. I would consistently follow through with my concerns by renewing my email and requesting assistance in reaching the student/family.
Participating in a Professional Community: At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, the 7th Grade Science Department did not have an assigned member for leadership for the team. As the first month passed, the Professional Learning Community meetings were often organized and led by me. The Curriculum Coordinator communicate with the whole team, but often emailed follow up questions for the team to discuss and/or review to me. I established and maintained a shared Google Drive folder for lessons, labs, discussion boards and other instructional strategies. I willingly shared my lessons with any team member who asked for access. I unofficially served as a department chair for the remainder of the year.
Showing Professionalism: Prior to this school year, another team member consistently inquired to school administration regarding students with excessive unexcused absences and/or technical issues. This year, being on a different team, I advocated for these students by first attempting to contact the student/family to determine the issue for absence. If that was unsuccessful, or I didn’t see a significant change in attendance, I initiated emails which included all teachers, family coaches, school administration, truancy coordinators and/or guidance counselors. I would consistently follow through with my concerns by renewing my email and requesting assistance in reaching the student/family.
Photo by Tammy Barger,
Benezette, PA
Benezette, PA
Review of My Peer Coaching Experience
I was fortunate to connect with my peer early in the school year to decide to work cooperatively together on lessons and complete the peer coaching project. We both had similar goals for the year: increasing student academic outcomes, developing missing concepts in the curriculum, and utilizing student centered objectives in daily lessons. We met each week to focus on these goals and develop instructional strategies to support the goals.
To determine if we met the goals, we used varying tools of measure. For the first goal: to increase student learning outcomes, we made sure we covered the content to prepare students for each unit common assessment. After the common assessments were completed, we met to review the data and discuss how our lesson objectives and instructional strategies supported or hindered students being successful on the common assessment. We critically examined concepts frequently missed by students and made notes about how to address these areas next year.
When we created the common assessments at the beginning of the school year, we realized that not all state standards were being taught in our curriculum. During our weekly meetings, as those areas of curriculum were seen to “fit” in the curriculum, we discussed how we could incorporate the concepts into the lessons. We added an osmosis lab with discussion board assessment and a What’s Sprouting Lab with discussion board assessment. We found a series of virtual labs and developed a means to have students conduct those labs and submit data and/or analysis for them. We used these labs at the end of quarters 3 and 4. Now, that those labs have been “piloted,” we feel confident we can incorporate them into the curriculum where the content actually takes place in the course.
The most challenging goal, and one on which I feel I need to continue to work is utilizing student-centered objectives in daily lessons. I spent five years in the foundations classroom and this year I was learning how to give the students more freedom in their learning. I have been able to improve the use of escape rooms. Students enjoy the challenge of successfully “escaping” from the content. I discovered late in the year that when my students pick their own group, they are more engaged in activities. I will start using this sooner and more frequently next year.
My peer helped me see teaching from a different perspective. The “critical criticism” he provided allowed me enrich my teaching. Working collaboratively on lessons was a perfect fit for the peer coaching experience. Our lessons were similar, however, during observations, we could see how the other interpreted and delivered the lesson differently. I think having the opportunity to see how “someone else does it” can open your eyes to a new way of teaching!
To determine if we met the goals, we used varying tools of measure. For the first goal: to increase student learning outcomes, we made sure we covered the content to prepare students for each unit common assessment. After the common assessments were completed, we met to review the data and discuss how our lesson objectives and instructional strategies supported or hindered students being successful on the common assessment. We critically examined concepts frequently missed by students and made notes about how to address these areas next year.
When we created the common assessments at the beginning of the school year, we realized that not all state standards were being taught in our curriculum. During our weekly meetings, as those areas of curriculum were seen to “fit” in the curriculum, we discussed how we could incorporate the concepts into the lessons. We added an osmosis lab with discussion board assessment and a What’s Sprouting Lab with discussion board assessment. We found a series of virtual labs and developed a means to have students conduct those labs and submit data and/or analysis for them. We used these labs at the end of quarters 3 and 4. Now, that those labs have been “piloted,” we feel confident we can incorporate them into the curriculum where the content actually takes place in the course.
The most challenging goal, and one on which I feel I need to continue to work is utilizing student-centered objectives in daily lessons. I spent five years in the foundations classroom and this year I was learning how to give the students more freedom in their learning. I have been able to improve the use of escape rooms. Students enjoy the challenge of successfully “escaping” from the content. I discovered late in the year that when my students pick their own group, they are more engaged in activities. I will start using this sooner and more frequently next year.
My peer helped me see teaching from a different perspective. The “critical criticism” he provided allowed me enrich my teaching. Working collaboratively on lessons was a perfect fit for the peer coaching experience. Our lessons were similar, however, during observations, we could see how the other interpreted and delivered the lesson differently. I think having the opportunity to see how “someone else does it” can open your eyes to a new way of teaching!
Photo by Tammy Barger,
Benezette, PA
Benezette, PA