NPQSL Event 3
Leading Teaching
Session
One Welcome, programme, process check-in and review
‘
A bad curriculum well taught is invariably a better experience for students than a good curriculum badly taught: pedagogy trumps curriculum. Or more precisely, pedagogy is curriculum, because what matters is how things are taught, rather than what is taught.’
Dylan Wiliam
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Event programme
Session Time Timings Activity 8:30 Registration and refreshments
Session one 9:00 30 minutes Welcome, introductions and review
Session two 9:30 35 minutes SWOT discussion
Session three 10:05 65 minutes Teaching 11:10 15 minutes Break
Session four 11:25 65 minutes Curriculum and assessment 12:30–13:20 50 minutes Lunch
Session five 13:20 60 minutes Additional and special educational needs and disabilities 14:20 15 minutes Break
Session six 14.35 70 minutes Implementation planning and presentations
Session seven 15:45 35 minutes
Review online content outlines, including practice activities and formative assessment task choices
Refine and review leadership development record to review and refine target areas for development
Session eight 16:20 10 minutes Next steps 16:30 Close
Event aims and outcomes
To review prior learning from ‘Leading culture and ethos’ course
To gain a deeper understanding of the research and tools in the content areas teaching, curriculum and assessment and additional and special educational needs
To apply the research and tools to a participants own practice
To work collaboratively to identify common trends in practice and key actions to implement to improve practice
Leadership learning and practice
Use leadership development record review cycle 2, reflective task and formative assessment task feedback as a prompt to focus individual feedback:
In which areas and for which statements has your understanding developed the most?
How have you applied your understanding and what impact has it had on:
a) your leadership?
b) school practice?
What behaviours have you demonstrated?
What areas do you need to continue to work on and develop? How will you address these?
Use Resource 3 to make notes against these headings.
Session Two Leading teaching Analysis of practice
Leading Teaching
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
CurriculumTeaching and Assessment
Content area focus themes
Teaching Instruction Metacognition
Curriculum and assessment
Misconceptions
Feedback
Additional and special educational needs
Special educational needs
Use of teaching assistants
Group task
Using the pre-event SWOT task, in groups discuss each persons outcomes from the task.
As a group:
identify common trends and themes emerging from the discussion.
share examples of best practice within the group.
identify key priority areas which are common to the group and where these fit within the three content areas and focus themes where applicable.
Session Three Teaching
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Session statements
2.11. Regular purposeful practice of what has previously been taught can help consolidate material and help pupils remember what they have learned.
2.14. Effective teachers introduce new material in steps, explicitly linking new ideas to what has been previously studied and learned.
2.15. Modelling helps pupils understand new processes and ideas; good models make abstract ideas concrete and accessible.
2.16. Guides, scaffolds and worked examples can help pupils apply new ideas, but should be gradually removed as pupil expertise increases.
2.17. Explicitly teaching pupils metacognitive strategies linked to subject knowledge, including how to plan, monitor and evaluate, supports independence and academic success.
2.18. Questioning is an essential tool for teachers; questions can be used for many purposes, including to check pupils’ prior knowledge, assess understanding and break down problems.
Principles of Instruction –Rosenshine
‘The most effective teachers ensured that their students efficiently acquired, rehearsed, and connected background knowledge by providing a good deal of instructional support. They provided this support by teaching new material in manageable amounts, modelling, guiding student practice, helping students when they made errors and providing for sufficient practice and review’
Principles of Instruction, B. Rosenshine
Group task
For the principle(s) of instruction you have been allocated summarise on one side of flip chart paper, the main findings under the headings: research findings in the classroom
10 minutes
Group task
As a group review each of the principles of instruction using the gallery
Which of these principles would support the development of the areas you identified during the SWOT analysis task? Why would you choose these? What strategies would you adopt to improve the identified areas?
Record the answers to these questions on resource 4
Metacognition
‘Self-regulated learners are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and can motivate themselves to engage in, and improve, their learning.
At the heart of this is metacognition.
Metacognition is about the ways learners monitor and purposefully direct their learning.
By metacognitive strategies, we mean the strategies we use to monitor or control our cognition, such as checking that our memorisation technique was accurate or selecting the most appropriate cognitive strategy for the task we are undertaking.’
EEF 2021 Metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report
School audit tool
In pairs in your groups review the audit tool, resource 5.
Identify the main three areas of development needed in your schools.
Share your findings with the other pair in your group.
What are the main three areas for development you would focus on?
Why?
What actions/strategies would you put into place to develop this practice?
Session Four Curriculum and assessment
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Session statements
3.6. Anticipating common misconceptions within particular subjects is also an important aspect of curricular knowledge; working closely with colleagues to develop an understanding of likely misconceptions is valuable.
3.17. High-quality feedback can be written or verbal; it is likely to be accurate and clear, encourage further effort, and provide specific guidance on how to improve.
3.18. Over time, feedback should support pupils to monitor and regulate their own learning. Support colleagues to design a carefully sequenced, broad and coherent curricula, including by:
3.b. Identifying examples of common misconceptions pupils may develop and promoting strategies for identifying and correcting misconceptions.
Support colleagues to provide high-quality feedback, including by:
3.j. Sharing examples of best practice in feedback that are likely to increase its effectiveness, (e.g. by sharing model work with pupils, and highlighting important details).
Misconceptions
In groups discuss the questions in relation to your subject and context.
Is there appropriate support in place in your school to enable teachers to develop their understanding of common misconceptions?
Is assessment used to identify misconceptions and is this information then used to plan future lessons according to pupil need?
Are tasks designed to address pupil misconceptions – including the use of examples and nonexamples where appropriate?
Are misconceptions addressed ‘head on’ through teacher-led and peer-to-peer discussion?
Is care taken to ensure that the language and examples used in the classroom are not likely to lead to future pupil misconceptions?
EEF Minimising misconceptions audit and discussion tool
Task 1
Group task
As a group use your subject focus and resources 6 and 7 (blank template) to
Research common misconceptions
Explore why these misconceptions persist
Address the misconceptions
Consider possible future issues
Tasks- plan these to address misconceptions
15 minutes
Task 2
Feedback
‘Effective feedback is often essential to acquiring new knowledge and skills. Good feedback is:
specific and clear
focused on the task rather than the student; and
explanatory and focused improvement rather than merely verifying performance’
Deans for Impact (2015), The Science of Learning
Principles of feedback
‘Schools should focus on the principles which underpin good feedback rather than the way in which it is delivered.
Wider research shows that feedback can be one of the most powerful levers teachers have to improve learning. [the report] highlights the importance of moving beyond choosing between feedback methods, such as written or verbal, towards a renewed focus on the principles of effective feedback
These key principles form the first three recommendations of the report and provide the central messages that run throughout the guidance. They state that teachers should:
1. lay the foundations for effective feedback, with high-quality initial teaching that includes careful formative assessment;
2. deliver appropriately timed feedback, which focuses on moving learning forward; and
3. plan for how pupils will receive and use feedback using strategies to ensure that pupils will act on the feedback offered.’
EEF June 2021 Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning
Task
Read resource 8 (table 1) and resource 9 (table 2)
What are the implications for practice in your schools?
How do you follow the principles outlined on slide 27?
How does feedback support self-regulation?
How can feedback be improved?
What strategies would you employ?
Discuss as a group and agree the top three strategies you would employ and why
15 minutes
Task 3
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Session statements
5.4. Adapting teaching in a responsive way, including by providing targeted support to pupils who are struggling, is likely to increase pupil success.
5.5. Pupils are likely to learn at different rates and to require different levels and types of support from teachers to succeed.
5.6. Seeking to understand pupils’ differences, including their different levels of prior knowledge and potential barriers to learning, is an essential part of teaching.
5.7. Adaptive teaching is less likely to be valuable if it causes the teacher to artificially create distinct tasks for different groups of pupils or to set lower expectations for particular pupils.
Ensure all pupils experience success, including by:
5.b. Ensuring interventions and support from teaching assistants and other professionals are targeted and never used as a replacement for high-quality teaching.
Additional and special educational needs
The EEF guidance Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools “draws on the best available evidence regarding supporting pupils with SEND in mainstream schools”. The authors used the results of a literature review and consultation with a range of stakeholders to develop 5 recommendations:
Create a positive and supportive environment for all pupils without exception
Build an ongoing, holistic understanding of your pupils and their needs
Ensure all pupils have access to high quality teaching
Complement high quality teaching with carefully selected small-group and one-to-one interventions
Work effectively with teaching assistants
Additional and special educational needs
Using resources 10 and 11 discuss how to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and achieve high-quality teaching.
Individually discuss the practice in your schools, using the questions on resource 10 to support your discussions
Focus on recommendations 3 and 4.
As a group what are the key strategies you would implement and why?
20 minutes
Making best use of teaching assistants
‘Research suggests that rethinking the role of TAs is much more likely to be successful if senior leaders coordinate action, given their responsibility for managing change at school level and making decisions on staff employment and deployment.’
Making best use of teaching assistants guidance report EEF November 2021
Key findings from research
The typical deployment and use of TAs, under everyday conditions, is not leading to improvements in academic outcomes
There is mixed evidence to support the view that TA support has a positive impact on ‘soft’ outcomes. Some evidence suggests TA support may increase dependency
TAs help ease workload and stress, reduce classroom disruption and allow teachers more time to teach
TAs spend the majority of their time in an informal instructional role supporting pupils with most need
Support from TAs tends to be more focussed on task completion and less concerned with developing understanding
TAs are not adequately prepared for their role in classrooms and have little time for liaison with teachers Making best use of teaching assistants guidance report EEF November 2021
Group task
Using resource 12 work through the audit tool in pairs which covers the seven recommendations made by the EEF on ‘making best use of teaching assistants’
Identify the three main areas for improving the use of teaching assistants in your settings.
Share these with the others in your group and give your rationale for your choice.
15 minutes in pairs, 10 minutes shared discussion
Session Six Implementation and presentation
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Session statements
8.4. Effective implementation begins by accurately diagnosing the problem and making evidence-informed decisions on what to implement. Make the right choices on what to implement by:
8.d. Identifying a specific area for improvement using a robust diagnostic process, focusing on the problem that needs solving, rather than starting with a solution.
8.f. Examining current approaches, how they need to change and the support required to do so.
8.g. Adopting new approaches based on evidence of what has (and has not) worked before, using both internal and external evidence (e.g. pupil outcome data and research-based guidance).
Implementation
Using the information from the previous sessions develop an implementation plan to address the areas for development you identified in the first session
You will need to address the following points:
identify problems or issues to be addressed
identify solutions
set out your rationale for any solutions you propose
determine a strategy for implementing your proposals
You will present your plan to another group. Use no more than 2 sides of flip chart paper
10 minutes presentation, 5 minutes questions
Presentation task
Groups present for 10 minutes to a peer group
5 minutes questions
Reflection
As a group reflect on what you have learned from the day.
How will what you have learned be applied in your own settings?
What further research will you undertake and in what areas? What behaviours have you demonstrated during the day?
Agree your top three take aways as a group.
Session Seven
Review of learning, pathway for online study, practice activities and formative assessment tasks
Today’s learning narrative
Teaching Feedback/ review
Curriculum and assessment
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Review learning/ feed forward Implementation
Review and preview
Individually consider what your focus and target statement areas for learning will be for the ‘Leading teaching’ online course. Which practice activities and formative assessment task will you need to complete?
15 minutes
Use your leadership development record cycle 3 and the information in your participant packs Resource 14 – online course summary
Leading Teaching practice activities Formative assessment task options
Peer coaching conversation
In pairs (7 minutes each) have a coaching conversation about your proposed pathway.
Outline your rationale for choosing the module units to be studied, practice activity and formative assessment task.
Partner to challenge rationale, seek clarification and support confirmation and/or realignment of study and practice pathway targets.
Session Eight
Next steps
Gradebook check
Canvas \ log in \ Grades \ Assignment Group
1. Log in to Canvas
2. Go to ‘Grades’ and select ‘Assignment Group’
3. Check that you have completed the tasks at the top of the gradebook (tick or 1 in score column)
4. Scroll down until you reach today’s date and check that all tasks to that point have a tick or 1 next to them
5. If there are any incomplete/missing, make a note of them and prioritise for completion after the event
Evaluation
Next steps
review your pathway choices (content for online course, practice activities and formative assessment task) with your in-school sponsor
complete the online course ‘Leading teaching’, three practice activities and one reflective task
complete your formative assessment task
upload the response to the formative assessment task and your review of the leadership development record to your performance coach by the date specified on Canvas
confirm performance coaching appointments.
Office hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)
