Talk about teaching! : leading professional conversations / Charlotte Danielson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Danielson, Charlotte.

Contributor:

ebrary, Inc.

James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Teaching.

Professional education.

Educational leadership.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xv, 138 pages)

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, CA : Corwin Press, a Joint publication with the National Staff Development Council, [2009]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Ongoing informal dialogue between school leaders and educators is the foundation for improved classroom instruction, increased learner achievement, and more formal discussions about education. This breakthrough work from renowned educator Charlotte Danielson helps school leaders understand the value of reflective professional conversations in promoting a positive environment of inquiry, support, and teacher professional development. Organized around the "big ideas" of successful teaching, this guidebook

Explains the critical function of informal professional conversations in ongoing teacher learning

Explores the interaction of power and leadership in schools

Outlines the conversation skills that school leaders need to initiate and engage in successful conversations

Includes mental maps, sample topics, and conversation activities

Talk About Teaching! is an invaluable resource for educational leaders looking to utilize one of the most powerful approaches to successful teacher learning and growth.

Contents:

1 Why Professional Conversation? 1

The Imperative for Improvement in Teaching 2

The Nature of Teacher Learning 3

Promoting Professional Learning Through Conversation 5

Assumptions Underlying Professional Conversations 6

The Demands of Teaching 7

The Contextual Nature of Teaching 8

The Role of Feedback 9

Summary 11

2 Power and Leadership in Schools 13

Overview 13

The Reality of Power 15

Leadership in a Professional Organization 17

Exhibiting Professional Competence 18

Establishing Trust 19

Reconciling Power and Leadership 21

Creating the Vision: Establishing the Big Ideas 21

Purposing 22

Creating and Sustaining a Learning Organization 23

Using Positional Authority to Promote Good Teaching 24

Serving as Coach 26

Summary 26

3 The Big Ideas That Shape Professional Conversations 27

What Constitutes Important Learning? 29

Necessary Skills and Knowledge 29

The Description of Content 31

What Causes Learning? 33

How Are Students Motivated? 36

What Is Intelligence, and How Do Students' Views Influence Their Actions? 40

The Merging of All These Ideas 42

Summary 43

4 The Topics for Conversations 45

Power, Leadership, and the Big Ideas 46

Clarity of Purpose 49

Rigorous Learning Tasks and Assignments 50

High Levels of Energy and Student Engagement 54

A Safe and Challenging Environment 56

Smooth Organization and Management 60

Routines Should Be Created With Student Participation 61

Routines Must Be Taught 62

Implementation of School or District Initiatives 63

Summary 64

5 Conversation Skills 65

Setting the Tone for Conversation 65

Linguistic Skills 66

Establishing Rapport 67

Using Positive Presuppositions 68

Inviting and Sustaining Thinking 68

Probing 70

Paraphrasing 70

Summary 72

6 Informal Professional Conversations 73

Purpose 74

Settings for Professional Conversations 75

Nontenured Teacher and a Nonsupervisory Colleague, Such as an Instructional Coach 75

Nontenured Teacher and a Supervisor 76

Tenured Teacher and a Nonsupervisory Colleague, Such as an Instructional Coach 77

Tenured Teacher and a Supervisor 78

Procedure 78

The Observation 79

The Conversation 80

Summary 83

7 Implementation Issues 85

Finding Time for Conversation 85

Communicating the Purpose 86

Establishing Trust 87

Creating a Safe Environment 88

Acting With Consistency 89

Maintaining Confidentiality 89

Demonstrating Commitment to Learning 90

Indicating Vulnerability 91

Forging Understanding and Consensus on the Big Ideas 92

What Constitutes Important Learning? 93

What Causes Learning? 94

How Are Students Motivated? 95

What Is Intelligence, and How Do Students' Views Influence Their Actions? 96

Elaborating the Topics for Conversation 97

Summary 98

8 Conversation Activities for Implementation 99

Establishing the Foundation 100

Communicating the Purpose 101

Conversation Activity 1: Establishing the Contributors to Student Learning 101

Conversation Activity 2: The Principal's Role in Promoting Good Teaching 103

Establishing Trust 104

Conversation Activity 1: Identifying an Environment of Poor Levels of Trust 105

Conversation Activity 2: Creating and Enhancing a Trusting Environment 107

Conversation Activity 3: Creating an Action Plan for Trust 109

The Big Ideas: Considering High-Level Learning 111

Conversation Activity 1: Reflecting on One's Own Recent Learning 111

Conversation Activity 2: Thinking About the Changing World 112

Conversation Activity 3: Ensuring Important Learning 114

How Do People Learn? 115

Conversation Activity 1: Summarizing Observations From Personal Experience 116

Conversation Activity 2: Reflecting on One's Own Learning 117

Worthwhile Learning Experiences 119

Conversation Activity 1: Reflecting on the Characteristics of Children's Learning 119

Human Motivation 121

Conversation Activity 1: Considering Adult Motivation 121

Conversation Activity 2: Considering Student Motivation 124

Topics for Conversation 126

Discussion Questions 1 Through 6: Considering the Topics for Conversation 127

Summary 129.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 131-133) and index.

Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. Available via World Wide Web.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

ISBN:

1452207127

9781452207124

Publisher Number:

99953904702

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.