Instructional Reflection Points

Every Monday, I send a "Weekly Update" to my teachers.  Two months ago, I started to include "Reflection" points in an attempt to provoke personal reflection for our teachers in regards to instruction, classroom environment, and content.  I believe these reflection points are crucial for school administrators to reflect upon when completing Walk-Through's, Observations, and engaging in meaningful dialogue with teachers.

This list will be updated weekly, with the most recent reflection point at the top:


Are we modeling the same focus and determination for success we expect from our students?

Are students able to reflect on their work and determine if their products have met expected standards or goals?

Do we incorporate student feedback to enhance the classroom environment?

Are we providing successful intervention plans for students with academic and behavioral needs?

Do we provide models of effective communication for our students?

Do you maximize instructional time or simply fill instructional time?

Are students willing to take risks in your class and persist in difficult assignments?

Do we modify our lesson plans and instruction in response to the needs of our students?

The strongest lesson plan is to be a good example and role model for our students.  Are we?

Do you use collaborative learning teams to achieve learning goals?

Are we implementing strategies that move students from simple content to complex?  From "remembering" to critical thinking and problem solving?

If attendance was not required, would your students still want to attend your class?  Would they simply be able to "get the info" from someone else?

Last update: 5/20/13

Thanks for reading!

CS



The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.