Powerful Teaching and Learning into Practice

Overview: A focus on student learning, achievement and effective instructional strategy

Designed around research in effective leadership and effective practices for raising student achievement, the PTL Instructional Leadership Training focuses on developing leader's capacity in three research-based interventions that effectively improve instruction:

• Coaching classroom practice and provide effective feedback to improve instruction
• Structuring and modeling a collaborative adult learning environment that moves teacher training to the classroom
• Creating an environment where teachers learn from each other, and shifts ownership of student achievement to teachers

Administrators and instructional leaders will receive training and support materials that they can utilize with staff to ensure a focus on student learning, student achievement and effective instructional strategies.

Introduction to Powerful Teaching and Learning: Foundations in Instructional Leadership and Systemic Implementation (2 Days)

During the introductory session, leaders become grounded in seven research based effective instructional practices and learn to use the Effective Practices Framework to develop awareness of those practices. Participants will gain fundamental knowledge, skills and understanding critical for leaders working with teachers to improve instruction and raise student achievement. The tool supports leaders in responding to each teacher's developmental and contextual needs and promote the ongoing examination of instructional practice through self reflection and observation. Leaders will learn how to utilize coaching skills to in one-on-one conversations to promote reflection and empower teachers to improve their practice.

• Learn the research behind the effective instructional strategies used in schools who are successfully raising student achievement
• Learn to use research-based observation tools aligned with the seven essential instructional strategies that focus on best instructional practices for ensuring all students achieve at high levels. They will learn to use a common framework aligned to these practices with staff to focus on instruction that makes a difference for students.
• Leaders will learn to use a common tool to provide clear targets and a common language for teachers, reflect on classroom practice, set goals and to establish clear action plans for instruction based on what will be most impactful for students in the classroom.

Bridging the Implementation Gap: Research-Proven Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know and Imlement to Move Teachers from Knowledge to Effective Application

Application is everything. Even the best strategies will fail if teachers are not provided with an effective, supported means for applying what they know. This session explores what we have learned over the past three years as we have helped teachers bridge this application gap to truly transform their teaching practice. Leaders will learn how to model practices and create structures and support systems that ensure teachers will move from awareness to classroom application.

In addition, participants will master principles of adult learning and strategies to help bring teachers together for meaningful and responsive learning including how to incorporate these practices into every staff meeting and staff development activity to effectively model and maintain clear focus on the goal of excellence in instruction.

During this session participants will:

• Discover how adult human development intersects with improving teaching and learning.
• Review the research behind these key strategies for translating knowledge into action.
• Learn the Five Essential Components of Adult Learning
• Explore strategies for creating sustainable practices.
• Collaborate in small groups to develop a plan to use these new insights to begin transforming instruction right away

Monitoring and Supporting Teachers Through Effective Walk Throughs and Feedback Processes

This component provides and outlines tools and processes for collecting classroom observation data in relation to research-based best practices through classroom walkthroughs. Participants will also learn how to use this data with teachers to improve instructional practice.

• Strategies for conducting effective walk throughs targeted on student learning utilizing a common research-based framework for effective instruction.
• Providing effective feedback on student learning and classroom instruction including knowing when and how to provide positive feedback and developmental feedback.
• How to work with teachers using formative and summative assessment to guide instruction.
• How to distinguish between evidence and opinion and how to help teachers understand the difference when looking for evidence of student learning.
• Skills for responding to each teachers individual developmental and contextual needs and for promoting the ongoing examination of classroom practice.