Using Feedback and Reflection

The professional development we have described in the last five blogs has been  proven over decades to impact student learning. From the first year of collaborating in Project CLEAR, we have learned many lessons that will guide us to more impactful instruction moving forward. A strong theoretical base is the foundation of the project. At the heart of the work is highly effective instructional practices (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, Gardner, 2017).

Feedback and reflection are both powerful tools found in effective Professional Development and are critical components of adult learning theory (Knowles, 1984). These happen during mentoring and coaching but are not limited to these spaces. While feedback and reflection are two distinct practices, they work together to help teachers move thoughtfully toward the expert visions of practice that they may have learned about or seen modeled during the professional development session. Often, however, opportunities for teachers to think about, get input on, and make changes to their practice by providing intentional time for feedback and/or reflection are expected to occur on a teacher’s own time.

In Project CLEAR, teachers and coaches engage in multiple opportunities for educators to receive feedback in a program targeting children’s language and literacy development. The virtual coursework includes videos of model lessons and opportunities to plan lessons and practice skills in small groups and teachers’ own classrooms. Teachers participate in two and one-half hours of this coursework per week throughout the school year. They also receive supplemental resources and professional books on early language and literacy skills and are encouraged to monitor children’s language and literacy progress using a standardized tool. In addition, educators participate in four to six in-person visits from the coach who first observes teachers’ practice and then facilitates reflective follow-up and provides both positive and constructive feedback.

In effective coaching programs (Costa, Garmston, Hayes, & Ellison, 2015), the practices of generating feedback and supporting reflection include opportunities to share both positive and constructive reactions to authentic instances of teacher practice, such as lesson plans, demonstration lessons, or videos of instruction. In Project CLEAR, these activities are frequently undertaken in the context of a coaching session or a weekly class facilitated by an expert. In a few cases, feedback is shared among teachers in cluster visits. In each of these settings, effective professional development programs leverage feedback and opportunities for reflection to create richer environments for teacher learning.

We work in both English and Spanish in the Project CLEAR coaching model. We invite you to visit a class and watch both the teaching and the coaching in action. Classes are offered in-person and virtually across the state. Further information about Project CLEAR can be found at (www.sdcoe.net/project-clear). Training is available for coaches and teachers who work in English and/or Spanish languages.

References:

Costa, A., and Garmston, R, Hayes, C., and Ellison, J. (2015). Cognitive coaching: Developing self-directed leaders and learners. Christopher- Gordon. Publishers.

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.

Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.