I am sure that some of you are familiar with Danielson's Framework for Teaching. Our district is adopting this model after having piloted it for three years on teacher incentives.
As I supported a friend in his endeavor to become an FFT facilitator, we sat and worked on the next phase of his presentation.....evaluating themselves!!
What I like about the eight domains our district chose from the FFT (as there are many), is that they focus on the various working parts of a successful classroom.
Planning and preparation, lesson coherence, classroom culture, rigor through questioning techniques, differentiation, communication with families and reflection are all integral parts.
I am not sure how it works in some districts, but what I have noticed is that some teachers feel a sense of entitlement based on the length of time they have been teaching. Because of the changing dynamic of the students we serve, we must rise to the occasion and continue to be lifelong learners ourselves. Average and subpar teachers can no longer hide behind unions and tenures. They are just as expendable as everyone else. So sharpen your tools regularly!!
This new observation using the FFT is at its least uncomfortable...and at its most... downright scary. This model supports student-designed learning. The onus is on students, they are making choices in their learning and teachers are facilitating and coaching. This is the hardest part. To relinquish control to students and allow them to make mistakes.....reflect on them.....learn from them.....
It also requires a fair bit of technology usage. Establishing and maintaing a web presence, reaching out to students, community members and families via email or social media and infusing it into both our formative and summative assessments is exciting for me!
I was off-cycle last year and I look forward to this system.......
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