Northern Rocks 2014
What do great teachers do? How do we help them do it? ‘A research-‐engaged learning community’
Tom Sherrington
@headguruteacher
What makes a great teacher? • they are relentless in pursuit of excellence and their language with students is infused with this sense of urgency and drive: • there is no argument about expected standards of behaviour. They achieve this in different ways – some=mes through the gravitas of maturity and experience; some=mes through amazing warm, interpersonal interac=ons with every child • they have the ability to explain complex concepts in ways that make sense; they ask good ques=ons and give really good feedback; however it is done, students feel that they are learning; they know where they stand and feel confident about the process
Great Lessons: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Probing Rigour Challenge Differentiation Journeys Explaining Agility Awe Possibilities Joy
The Progressive-‐Tradi9onal Pedagogy Tree Symbiosis and tension But not either/or
Research vs The Basics
Culture + Systems
“Crea=ng the condi=ons for great teachers to thrive” Purpose Challenge Autonomy Growth RecogniJon Care
Shared values and language
EvaluaJve culture + Intelligent accountability
Professional Culture • Intelligent Performance Review . Rigour without F.E.A.R. • Focus on inputs as well as outcomes; engagement with CPD is a boRom-‐line • CPD is tailored and self-‐directed to greatest extent possible, given a teacher’s context. • CPD for mastery vs CPD for innovaJon • CPD is individual and collecJve • CPD includes: behaviour, subject knowledge, assessment knowledge and pedagogy
A Research-‐Engaged Learning Community #1 Engaging WITH research • Reading Research -‐ blogs, books, journals, examiners’ reports • Sharing the Learning from the Reading of Research -‐ the pedagogy champions, the bloggers, the myth-‐busters, the challengers
Research-‐Engaged Learning Community #2 Engaging IN research • Masters, CamSTAR • KEGS T&L Workshops: 6 key sessions across the year – Key QuesJon – Evidence CollecJon – EvaluaJon: qualitaJve; quanJtaJve – Conclusions – DisseminaJon : The marketplace; Learning Lessons
• Improving behaviour using IRIS as a tool for self-‐reflecJon. Here a couple of teachers used IRIS videos of their lessons to evaluate their skills in relaJon to behaviour management, idenJfying their verbal and physical mannerisms as key factors – more than their use of the formal sancJons systems. Very interesJng work eg: “It’s about HOW you consciously develop a postural, gestural repertoire which can have a mulJplier effect on instrucJons and intervenJons” • Introducing 1:1 interviews as part of teaching AS Biology units. A group of biology teachers had explored the value of conducJng individual interviews with students as a built-‐in part of the teaching process. It was obviously Jme intensive but they found that it has some very posiJve gains in terms of gehng to know students and sehng standards
NTEN Peer Review Framework • • • • • •
Leadership and Culture Focus on Learning and Pedagogy EvaluaJon of Impact Support and Challenge Processes, Systems and Resourcing Research, InnovaJon and Evidence
Summary • Get the basics right – keep the rest in perspecJve • Create a culture of intelligent accountability and self-‐evaluaJon • Develop the culture and systems for engagement WITH and IN research • Make tailored CPD the key driver of improvement at individual and team level