The Breakfast Club – #BFC530 – is a 15 minute, 1 question Twitter chat every weekday. We chat in 4 timezones Mon-Fri – 5:30am Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific Times. The mission of BFC is to empower participants to make a difference in education by engaging in consistent reflective practice in a supportive community that inspires and challenges one another.
I think we can best "test" teacher effectiveness by asking students if they feel they understand content and then through evaluation of students content creation. #bfc530
I think the first question to answer there is effectiveness in what? Effectiveness to get kids to pass tests? Effectiveness in inspiring kids to make a difference? Effectiveness in supporting the whole child? What do we want kids to do? #bfc530
Ask a HS grad five years after getting the diploma: who influenced you the most and why.
Beyond observation, these former students are products of Ts effectiveness.
#bfc530
I’m not teacher effectiveness is as quantifiable as we’d like it to be. If we insist on measuring, the measure should be as broad as possible, including things like student/parent/peer surveys. Just using test data is wrong. #bfc530
#bfc530 Speaking directly to people is always a good idea. How about asking #teachers to reflect on how they think they are doing? This could be in person or in writing.
If you are observed 4 times throughout the year and get 5 walkthroughs, that's like 1% of your actual teaching time. I don't know the answer but we can start there. #bfc530
I’m not teacher effectiveness is as quantifiable as we’d like it to be. If we insist on measuring, the measure should be as broad as possible, including things like observations and student/parent/peer surveys. Just using test data is wrong. #bfc530
Through monthly observations/sit downs, student interviews, a pretest in August for skills to be mastered and a post test in May for those same skills, and effectively use pineapple charts for peer review. #bfc530
Observation - authentic, frequent, with the goal of providing feedback and not simply checking off a list. Admin should see enough to know what it is like to be a student in the teacher's class. #bfc530
I think certain things need to be weighed more than others in Danielson. It is treated like each component is on an even plane but that cant possibly be true. #bfc530
I’m not sure teacher effectiveness is as quantifiable as we’d like it to be. If we insist on measuring, the measure should be as broad as possible, including things like observations and student/parent/peer surveys. Just using test data is wrong. #bfc530
I think the first question to answer there is effectiveness in what? Effectiveness to get kids to pass tests? Effectiveness in inspiring kids to make a difference? Effectiveness in supporting the whole child? What do we want kids to do? #bfc530
Do the students love coming to school? Are they engaged in learning? Are they happy? Do they feel school is a safe place? If yes, then the teacher is effective....I think sometimes it’s that simple. #bfc530
Me too! We were looking over summer camp options and there’s a five day “Mount Achievemore” climbing camp at a state park that my daughter will go to and my husband and I are very jealous! We want an adult version 😉 #bfc530
Observation-- announced and unannounced, conversation, student reflections, Ts' personal reflections on working towards their personal goals... #bfc530
Yep! And one that no one seems to have a good answer for making it almost impossible for people to “hit the mark”. It’s a constantly moving target that makes it frustrating and often at odds with our own motivations. #bfc530
Ask a HS grad five years after getting the diploma: who influenced you the most and why.
Beyond observation, these former students are products of Ts effectiveness.
#bfc530
I'm not too proud to beg for my teachers and students. If you have a dollar or two to spare #bfc530 crew and wouldn't mind donating to our ELA Literacy room, I'd be forever grateful (already so for this wonderful #PLN)
https://t.co/oHUBdoWMX2
ABSOLUTELY important to look at the data! However, that needs to be A part, not THE part. Also have to make sure the data is actually useful. Sometimes we get data that really isn't all that helpful.#bfc530
The question of what’s “effective” teaching depends on our values. Imagine if “effective teaching” were defined as practices that help students explore what matters to them, willingly struggle to do hard work, and treat each other with kindness and respect? #bfc530
The question of what’s “effective” teaching depends on our values. Imagine if “effective teaching” were defined as practices that help students explore what matters to them, willingly struggle to do hard work, and treat each other with kindness and respect? #bfc530
What aspect of effectiveness is being tested ... for all intents and purposes, by definition, I am ineffective, but I get results and kids buy into my message. #bfc530
Off to a Sportsnmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium with students!
Terrific way to spend a Friday!
And our Homecoming dance is tonight!
Enjoy your weekend!
#bfc530
Never, ever use student performance as a measure of teacher effectiveness. If we do, we will simply encourage Ts to teach to the test, turning them into the exact type of teacher we don't want them to be. #bfc530
Off to a Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium with students.
Terrific way to spend a Friday!
And our Homecoming dance is tonight!
Enjoy your weekend!
#bfc530
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Define the data you are looking at. Snapshot for entire class at one point of time, or data from one student collected throughout the year? Big difference. #bfc530
And the historical inequities in funding and segregation and a lack of access to resources. How many schools don’t have a library or computers that work or have almost 40 kids in a classroom designed for maybe 25? And so much more! #bfc530
the problem is we are defining "effective" teaching by short term goals ... a test score at the end of year NOT based on the difference we made. #bfc530
When a parent comes in during conferences and shares w/me discussions they are having w/their child about topics we talk about in my class, I know Im being effective #bfc530
Not always in HS. I hear things like "they challenge me..."
"they make the subject interesting or fun..."
They also know who cares about them....
#bfc530
I find “favorite teacher” to be misleading. They like teachers who give them candy and no homework, and who show lots of movies and let them goof around in class. I’d prefer to know which classes they bring their whole self and best self to. What are those teachers doing?
Oh I know. But people often forget that the historic inequities fuel the present day ones. The school I was describing are ones that I see all the time. And everyone is working really hard under some tough situations. #bfc530
And I don’t know. That’s why I keep asking “effectiveness in what”? Making sure kids have what they need to survive? Helping kids have a plan after graduation? Higher SAT scores? Learning “math”? #bfc530
Oh I know. But people often forget that the historic inequities fuel the present day ones. The school I was describing are ones that I see all the time. And everyone is working really hard under some tough situations. #bfc530
We can't and therein lies the problem. What works for one group will not work for others. ... and worse we do not want to acknowledge these inequalities. #bfc530
I was guiding kids in their career assessment on Wednesday ... getting them thinking about what they want to be when they grow up ... most didn't know what their zip code was. #bfc530 What are we working toward?
Evaluating an effective T is not a science. We could write a book. I look for relationships in the classroom, esp at the MS level. Do u love dealing w/MS kids? Do they like being in ur class? Not very scientific I'm afraid #bfc530
I agree with you. Everyone you ask has a different opinion. And every level from teachers to admin to legislators to parents to community weigh in but there is no consensus across stakeholders. And we all should care about getting there. #bfc530
It’s tough. How do you help build the basics and get students ready for the adult life at the same time? How do you build social emotional health at the same time you are teaching high schoolers to read? We have much work to do! #bfc530
