PROTOCOL FOR LOOKING AT STUDENT WORK

I. Facilitator Introduces Protocol

II. Teacher Presents Student Work

Teachers bring one piece of student work (in process). The teacher might choose the student work because:

• the student is struggling in class and with the assignment;
• the student needs to be challenged;
• the teacher is unsure how to move this student forward; and
• it represents the level of work in many of the teacher's classes.

Teacher introduces the assignment, the student work and concerns about the student's progress.

• Prompts for presentation:
  • I chose this piece of student work because...
  • This student's strengths are...
  • This student's challenges are...
  • The assignment was...

III. Rounds

• Facilitator asks participants to read the student work quietly.
• Facilitator asks rounds of questions (one question at a time) and takes notes on participants' responses.
• Presenting teacher also takes notes on participants' responses.

IV. Questions

The questions ask for positive comments. The entire process should be focused on what the student can do and what the teacher can do to help students improve. All negative comments are to be discouraged.

• What do you see? (Facilitator asks for comments to be descriptive only.)
• What can the student do? (Facilitator discourages comments about what the student can't do and asks for comments about what the student can do.)
• What is the student on the verge of learning?
• What are the implications for teaching? (Facilitator asks for comments to begin with "I wonder" or to be asked in question format.)

V. Teacher Reflects on Rounds

• Facilitator summarizes notes.
• Presenting teacher has a chance to reread his/her notes.
• Teacher reflects on the notes by responding to the prompt: "I've heard all of the feedback, and now I'm thinking..." (This feedback should be focused on how the teacher might change his/her instruction.)
• Participants (including presenting teacher) should commit to one strategy* they will try in their own classroom based on the collective feedback. Teachers should be prepared to reflect on the use of this strategy in the next meeting.

*The strategy might be a teaching strategy in a mini-lesson or one-on-one conference, etc.

VI. Reflection on Process

Participants share what they learned from the process and how their instruction might be informed.