In-School Opportunities and Long Term Support

Research has clearly shown that one-shot teacher training sessions have limited long-range impact on instructional practices. Effective professional development requires an ongoing commitment by a district and teachers so that support can be offered as learning is applied in an instructional setting. Without this support, change is often temporary or ineffective. In-school support allows teachers to gradually implement learning, building ample opportunities throughout the school year to revisit, discuss, question, and modify learning over time.

Several options are available for in-school support, depending on the number of days available to the district. Mary Howard offers this support only as an extension of previous professional development so that a foundation is in place prior to this experience.

Grade Level Meeting
(offered after a minimum of one or more seminar days)

This option is often preferable when there is limited availability of substitute teachers as subs can rotate between grade levels throughout the day so that small groups can meet individually with Mary Howard. The focus of these sessions is to address specific grade level concerns in an informal setting. Meetings are generally individual grade levels, although groups can be combined if time is limited (K - 2, 3 - 5 or K - 1, 2 - 3, 4 - 6). Depending on the number of days scheduled, each group meets for one to three hours to pose specific concerns. Teachers are asked to generate these concerns, generally delivered to the hotel the evening before Mary arrives so that questions can be organized and categorized in some way. Using this design, each session takes on a life of its own as Mary responds to the specific concerns raised by each group. It is recommended that time is then set aside for an all-school meeting at the end of the sessions if possible (sixty to ninety minutes) to revisit the group discussions as a whole and reflect on common issues.

In-Classroom Observation
(offered after a minimum of two or more seminar days)

Many schools find that classroom visits can enhance this process. In this design, Mary rotates between classrooms to observe instruction in progress. Teachers are encouraged to present a lesson reflecting an area of concern so feedback can be offered in these specific areas. Participating teachers are asked to complete a single page form describing the lesson goals and objectives as well as a specific focus that each teacher desires to change or enhance in the future. Mary notes areas of strengths as well as suggestions during the observation to share during debriefing. It is recommended that ten to fifteen minutes is scheduled to meet before the observation so the teacher can address specific concerns twenty to thirty minutes for the lesson and fifteen minutes after the lesson to debrief on a one-to-one basis. The purpose of this experience is to help teachers more closely inspect and fine tune teaching, reinforce effective practice and make suggestions to encourage reflection. By providing a "window" on teaching to more cautiously examine current instructional practices, teachers are able to gradually and flexibly align current teaching with best practice. An optional after school session may be scheduled to review general observations with participating teachers as a small group (sixty to ninety minutes).

In-Classroom Demonstration
(offered after a minimum of five or more seminar days)

The goal of an in-classroom demonstration is to provide a model for the learning generated through previous seminars by Mary Howard. This option is only available after the staff has worked with Mary previously for five or more days so that a framework is in place to better understand best practice. These seminar experiences will then set the stage for the hands-on learning provided through the demonstration. An in-classroom demonstration is an opportunity for teachers to work individually with Mary in a classroom setting by using a modeled experience as a springboard to change.

It is important to emphasize that this is designed to be a powerful rather than passive process. The purpose of this exposure is not the traditional "dog and pony show" in which teachers merely sit back and observe.  The focus is to make each teacher an active part of the process by giving them specific responsibility as an active participant in the experience. Because critical components of effective teaching can best be demonstrated in a small group setting, lessons are always small group shared or guided reading/writing experiences.  The teacher is asked to design the basic lesson by identifying students taking part in the lesson as well as the text selection and a general description of the instructional goals for this group of students and this specific text. Teachers are asked to think cautiously about the students and text they have selected, putting a great deal of thought into good teacher decision-making. This information is recorded on a brief form, allowing the teacher to think through the process as well as to give Mary a general overview of the teacher's goals and objectives. Given this lesson overview, Mary will review the goals and make modifications accordingly based on the purpose the teacher has established.

Generally a fifty to sixty minute session is needed per teacher (ten to fifteen minutes before the lesson to discuss the plan, set goals and establish guidelines as well as to direct the teacher's attention to specific aspects of the lesson; twenty to thirty minutes for the instruction; and fifteen minutes to debrief following the lesson). Teachers are asked to sit side-by-side with Mary during the lesson to participate actively in the process as appropriate rather than passively sit on the sidelines. The teacher is also encouraged to become involved in a variety of ways by using the lesson as an opportunity to respond.

During debriefing, the lesson is revisited with specific suggestions made for future consideration. Part of this discussion will be to analyze the decisions the teacher made prior to the lesson such as the student and text selection as well as to recommend alternate texts or variations in grouping. The goal is not just to address the lesson itself, but the decision-making that will have an impact on the success or failure of that lesson. Mary will also explain why certain choices or changes were made in the lesson itself, including what may have been a better choice in the future. In other words, each aspect of the lesson will be scrutinized and analyzed so that the teacher can use this as a framework for his or her own teaching in the future. Subsequent visits may then be scheduled to provide ongoing support, generally in the form of additional seminars, continued in-school modeling and observation or a combination of these. Districts are offered great flexibility in making these decisions, with every effort made to accommodate individual needs and goals.