Quality Pedagogy

Key Domain - Engaged Professional

The engaged professional puts students at the center of their collegial relationships and engages as a lifelong learner, to continuously expand their educational practice. The engaged professional is proactive, intrinsically motivated, reflective and contributes to a shared vision for the school community.

Connection to Dimension of Quality Teaching

2. Teacher as Engaged Professional

Professional Focus   

• Contribution to a Shared Vision - educators develop, enhance and share responsibility for all learners with a focus on continuous school improvement. Keeping students as their central focus, educators work with colleagues and leaders to engage in ongoing cycles of teacher inquiry and in evidence-informed conversations (Earl, 2009; Timperley, 2011).
  
  
• Collaborative learning with colleagues - professionals welcome learning opportunities that are collaborative in nature. Moving from classrooms with isolated practices, educators form collaborative relationships where they develop interdependence (Johnson, 2012) to foster shared responsibility and collective ownership (Hargreaves & Shirley, 2012) for student success.
  
  
• Reflective Practice for Growth - educators engage in ongoing reflection to enhance student learning and achievement and envision new ways to approach our practice (Dufour, 2004), shifting from professional development to professional learning (Timperley, 2011).

Reflective questions

• How is our practice contributing to the shared vision of our school community?
• How have we leveraged professional connections to enhance our learning?
• What have we learned from our students or colleagues that will influence our professional practice?
• What steps are we taking to expand our practice as a result of our reflection?

References

Dufour, R. (2004). The best staff development is in the workplace, not in a workshop. JSD, 52(2). p. 63-64. Retrieved from https://learningforward.org/docs/jsd-spring-2004/dufour252.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Earl, L. M. (2009). Leadership for Evidence-Informed Conversations. In Professional Learning Conversations: Challenges in Using Evidence for Improvement (pp. 43–52).

Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. L. (2012). The Global Fourth Way: The Quest for Educational Excellence. Corwin Press.

Johnson, S. M. (2012). Having It Both Ways: Building the Capacity of Individual Teachers and Their Schools. Harvard Educational Review, 82(1), 107–122.

Timperley, H. (2011). Realizing The Power Of Professional Learning. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Key Domain - Purposeful Assessment

Assessment is intentional in moving learning forward for students and educators, and informs the next steps in the learning cycle. In order to ensure the purpose of assessment is clear, we must know why, how, and when to embed assessment in the learning and instructional process, . Assessment is used in a strength-based manner, accessible to all different types of learners and pedagogically reflects a growth mindset and achievement-focused environment.

Connection to Dimension of Quality Teaching

3. Teacher as Expert in Pedagogical Knowledge

Professional Focus

• Assessment informs teaching and learning - Assessment clarifies, shares and provides understanding of learning intentions and criteria for success and involves classroom discussions, activities and learning tasks that elicit evidence of learning (Davies, 2007; Stiggins, 2006; Wiliam, 2011).
• Assessment is ongoing - Learning is cumulative, developmental and the most recent curricular achievement is what is significant and relevant (O’Connor, 2010).
• Students own their learning - Students are active participants in the process of assessment when educators craft meaningful learning opportunities that help students identify their needs and develop positive attitudes about learning (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001; (O’Connor, 2010). Educators and students contribute to designing activities to meet needs and evaluate the impact on student learning (Timperley, 2011).
• Descriptive feedback - Frequent and timely descriptive feedback that provides specific insights about how to improve learning is essential to student achievement and is directly linked to the Program of Studies (Davies, 2007; Wiliam, 2011),

Reflective questions

• What is the purpose of the assessment (for, as, of learning)?

• Is the assessment reliable and valid?

• How are the criteria for success clearly articulated with the student?

• How is the student actively involved in the assessment process?

• How does the descriptive feedback move learning forward?

References

Davies, A. (2007). Leading Towards Learning and Achievement: The Role of Quality Classroom Assessment. In Studies in Educational Leadership (pp. 159–182).

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. ASCD.

O’Connor, K. (2010). A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades. Prentice Hall.

Stiggins, R.J. (2006). An introduction to student-involved assessment for learning (5th ed.).

Boston, MA: Pearson.

Timperley (2011). Realizing The Power Of Professional Learning. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Solution Tree Press.

Key Domain - Intentional Planning

Intentional planning occurs when educators identify what students must learn in the curriculum, design meaningful learning experiences related to outcomes and reflect on the achievement of the outcomes to inform future instructional design. Consideration of the students, their learning goals and how best to meet their learning needs, in and beyond the classroom, are critical to the planning process.

Connection to Dimension of Quality Teaching

1. Teacher as Designer
2. Teacher as Expert in Pedagogical Knowledge

Professional Focus

• Teacher Knowledge of Curriculum and Subject Area - Teacher planning intentionally integrates content, knowledge and skills (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010) as outlined in Program of Studies.  The cyclical planning process requires an understanding of subject disciplines to make connections with the complexities of the real-world (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006; Chen & Hong, 2016)
• Planning Reflective of Students - Planning requires a deep awareness of how students learn, their interests, and potential areas for growth that guides targeted approaches to teaching and learning (Robinson, 2011; Marzano 2009).  Educators make meaningful connections for students to engage in the learning process.
• Design of Relevant Learning Experiences - Educators design connections to real world opportunities and contextualize learning that is enhanced through intentional incorporation of technology (Benade, 2015; Roblek, Meško, & Krapež, 2016).  Through varied learning experiences, educators integrate learning across disciplines and ensure multiple instructional pathways exist to engage learners.
• Thoughtful Classroom Design - Educators design flexible and functional learning spaces that reflect the purpose(s) of learning as well as the consideration of how students learn (Barrett, Zhang, Davies & Barrett, 2015; Robinson, 2011).  The classroom environment intentionally supports the diverse needs of students and is inclusive of all learners.

Reflective Questions

• How are the big ideas inherent in the Program of Studies addressed in the design of learning for students?

• How are the learning needs and interests of individual students addressed in the design of learning for students?

• Is the learning we’ve planned relevant for students and have we planned multiple ways for the students to acquire the content, knowledge, and skills?

• How does the design of the classroom support or interfere with the intended learning, as well as the way students learn best?

References

Barrett, P.S., Zhang, Y., Davies, F., & Barrett, L.C. (2015). Clever classrooms: Summary report of the HEAD project.

University of Salford, Manchester.

Benade, L. (2015). Teachers’ Critical Reflective Practice in the Context of Twenty-first Century Learning. Open Review of Educational Research, 2(1), 42–54.

Chen, B., & Hong, H.-Y. (2016). Schools as Knowledge-Building Organizations: Thirty Years of Design Research. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 266–288.

Marzano, R.J. (2009). Designing and teaching learning goals: Classroom strategies that work. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Robinson, V. (2011). Student-Centered Leadership. John Wiley & Sons.

Roblek, V., Meško, M., & Krapež, A. (2016). A Complex View of Industry 4.0. SAGE Open, 6(2), 215824401665398.

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2016). Knowledge Building. In The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 97–116).

Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom. ASCD.

Key Domain - Positive Classroom Culture

A positive classroom culture occurs when educators create diverse learning opportunities and build relationships that focus on the well being of the whole child. When educators build a positive classroom culture, we foster growth mindsets and a willingness to take chances and risks in learning.

Connection to Dimension of Quality Teaching

4. Teacher as Cultivator of Quality Learning Environments

Professional Focus

• Culturally Responsive Instruction - Educators welcome learning opportunities that provide culturally responsive instruction (Brown et al., 2018). Cultural instruction is focused not just within the classroom but on a global level that empowers students to be global citizens.

• Growth Mindset and Self-Regulation - Create an environment and culture where students can learn from mistakes and see failure as an opportunity to develop as a learner (Dweck, 2008; Lee et al., 2013; Masten, 2011).Through this process students learn how to self regulate and work through challenges which will help prepare students to be engaged lifelong learners.

• Student-Centred - Educators create learning opportunities that will put the students at the center. The role of the student shifts from a recipient of learning to a contributing member of the learning community recognizing their own strengths and learning styles (Brown et al., 2018). Students and educators work together to create a positive classroom culture.

• Collaborative Relationships - Educators focus on relationship development through collaboration to promote trust, safety, and confidence for the well-being of our students (Lee et al., 2013; Brown et al., 2018). Collaboration includes students, educators, parents, and community.

Reflective questions:

• How do we ensure that our classroom is culturally responsive?

• How can we foster environments that help students to self-regulate and engage in their own learning?

• How do learners contribute to the classroom community?

• What are some ways that we collaborate that promote trust, safety and confidence?

References:

Brown, B., Thomas, C., Delanoy, N. & Brandon, J. (2018). Quality teaching: A literature review for Northern Gateway Public Schools. Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education.

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House Digital, Inc.

Lee, J. H., Nam, S. K., Kim, A.-R., Kim, B., Lee, M. Y., & Lee, S. M. (2013). Resilience: A Meta-Analytic Approach. Journal of Counseling & Development, 91(3), 269–279.

Masten, A. S. (2011). Resilience in children threatened by extreme adversity: frameworks for research, practice, and translational synergy. Development and Psychopathology, 23(2), 493–506.

Key Domain - Responsive Instruction

Responsive instruction considers the needs of all learners so they can achieve success.  The teacher is flexible in the delivery of instruction and adapts to ensure student engagement and understanding, through the effective use of research-proven best practices.

Connection to Dimension of Quality Teaching

3. Teacher as Expert in Pedagogical Knowledge
4. Teacher as Cultivator of Quality Learning Environments

Professional Focus

• Respond to Differences - Educators respond to student differences by making instructional decisions that are relevant and meet the diverse needs of all learners (Ritchhart, Church, & Morrison, 2011; Tomlinson, 2014; McNary, Glasgow, & Hicks, 2005).

• Collaborate with Students to Differentiate - Educators collaborate with students to differentiate process, content, product and environment, based on interests, abilities and readiness of their learners (Tomlinson, 2014).  Through this process, students identify their own strengths, areas of need, and preferences to enhance their learning.

• Adjust Instruction - Educators continuously adjust instruction based on classroom formative practices (Stiggins, 2002), reflecting on student data and using it to inform instruction and interactions with students.
  
  
• Employ Research-Proven Practices - Educators employ research-proven best practice to increase student achievement (Dean, 2012; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2005), ensuring student engagement and understanding.

Reflective questions

• How have student differences informed and guided our instructional design?

• How have we involved students in identifying and using their strengths, preferences and learning needs?

• What types of data have we used to inform instruction and how has it been used?

• What research-proven practices do we strategically use to ensure engagement and understanding?

References

Brown, B., Thomas, C., Delanoy, N. & Brandon, J. (2018). Quality teaching: A literature review for Northern Gateway Public Schools. Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education.

Dean, C. B. (2012). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. ASCD.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2005). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Prentice Hall.

McNary, S., Glasgow, N., & Hicks, C. (2005). What Successful Teachers Do in Inclusive Classrooms: 60 Research-Based Teaching Strategies That Help Special Learners Succeed.

Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. John Wiley & Sons.

Stiggins, R. J. (2002). Assessment Crisis: The Absence of Assessment for Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 758–765.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition. ASCD.