| Description |
1 online resource (xx, 181 pages) : illustrations |
| Contents |
Foreword / Deborah Meier -- Preface : Lessons learned from experience. A "new" take in school improvement ; Central theme ; Organization of the book ; What makes this book distinctive -- 1. What are common practices in schools?. What we found in classrooms ; Truths hidden in plain view ; Transforming accountability ; New direction ; Are there "best practices" in teaching? ; Bringing best practices to scale ; Are some practices better than others? ; The poverty of prescribing best practices -- 2. What distinguishes quality teaching?. Three classrooms, three practitioners ; A simple truth hidden in plain view ; Disjointed teaching ; Why teachers are frustrated ; What is quality teaching? ; Observing high-quality teaching ; Instructional systems ; The road less traveled -- 3. How do we learn about the quality of our teaching?. How to make the case for an emphasis on teacher quality ; Three leadership requirements ; Defining quality teaching ; How to engage school personnel in devising a vision of quality instruction ; Some rudiments of quality teaching ; The importance of curriculum coherence ; Learning from students ; The current state of teaching in your school ; How to evaluate the quality of teaching in your school -- 4. What should induction and mentoring look like?. Basic components of a teacher mentor program ; Facing critical junctures together ; Planning for new teachers' success -- 5. What should professional development look like?. What we know about professional development ; The disregarded truths of professional development ; The components of a professional learning culture ; Building blocks of professional learning ; Leading professional learning communities -- 6. How can teacher evaluation become more meaningful?. "Drive-by" teacher evaluation ; "Absentee landords" ; Lists and rubrics abound -- 7. How can we sustain a culture of exceptional instruction?. Ten actions to sustain high-quality teaching ; Systems in place ; Sanctity of the classroom ; Envisioning quality teaching ; Right people in right places ; Balanced leadership ; Clear and timely communication ; Standards for professional conduct ; Collaboration ; Reflection and continuous improvement ; Ongoing professional dialogues -- 8. How do we face our leadership challenges?. Suppressing distraction ; Building principal's knowledge ; Building trust ; Influencing resistant teachers ; Coping with the pace ; Final thoughts -- Resources. A : How can you spot a really good teacher? ; B : Framework for observing classes ; C : Student forum questions ; D : Teacher interview questions |
| Summary |
Saying "teaching matters most" is easy, and seems obvious. Making it the top priority for school leaders and staff is not so easy--in fact, it's messy. If we want to change how students write, compute, and think, then teachers must change how they teach. They must transform the old "assign-and-assess" model into engaging, compassionate, coherent, and rigorous instruction. The authors show school leaders how to make this happen amidst myriad distractions, initiatives, and interruptions. The authors provide helpful guidance on issues such as hiring, induction, professional development, mentoring, and teacher evaluation. Each chapter offers specific action steps toward building the blueprint for improvement. Also included are frameworks for completing instructional audits in schools, and probes, instruments, and protocols for measuring and tracking the quality of instruction. Leaders will find excellent guidance for spearheading and sustaining a focused and aligned effort to improve the quality of teaching to impact all learners. --Publisher description |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Teachers -- In-service training.
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School improvement programs.
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EDUCATION -- Essays.
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EDUCATION -- Organizations & Institutions.
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EDUCATION -- Reference.
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School improvement programs.
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Teachers -- In-service training.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| Author |
Jones, Alan C
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Aronoff, Gail A
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| ISBN |
9781452269771 |
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9781452283883 |
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1452283885 |
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1452269777 |
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1299396305 |
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9781299396302 |
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9781483387666 |
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1483387666 |
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