The most successful teachers, those making the most substantive growth with their students, routinely engage in collaborative learning communities. It is a no-nonsense approach for better teaching that is devoid of all “bling” and practiced among teachers fully committed to making changes to improve student achievement.
In this model borrowed from successful industries, educators look at how their teaching impacts the learning of a precise, predetermined curricular goal. These team sessions are regular, formal, and targeted to a narrow topic as opposed to discussions of broad educational issues. Most often the meetings are brief, limited to a fast-paced twenty to thirty minutes.
The meetings always focus on the analysis of ongoing, short-range assessment results to provide the basis for determining the worth of a lesson or instructional strategy. Then, teachers’ collective ideas for improvement become the source for instructional adjustments that are implemented, then followed by assessment again. It is a simple cycle that relies heavily on formative evaluation and internal expertise--very basic.
Rena Hawkins, Literacy Coach in the Liberty Public Schools in Missouri, uses a collaborative professional learning community model with her colleagues. In the fall, they began concentrating on spelling to improve students’ writing fluency. By identifying, then helping students master the high-use writing words, they knew that their students would write more and write with greater ease. Their Sitton Spelling program was designed to accomplish this, yet teachers concluded that first they needed guidance to ensure the best use of the Cloze Story Word Test, the formative component of their Sitton materials that serves to identify the words students need to learn.
They began with a conference call with the author. Clarification of the process for administering the cloze test most effectively was one outcome of the author-educator discussion. Teachers began implementing the test procedure using Rebecca Sitton’s suggestions, then meeting to discuss outcomes.
Next, students’ cloze test results were analyzed. Focus turned to ensuring that the words the test identified as words not yet mastered became the centerpiece of teachers’ instruction. The author provided input for ideas to teach the words, yet more ideas came to the fore through regular team discussions. The goal was to employ activities for mastering the high-use words that provided the best results. Teacher expertise determined this through lesson trials, feedback to the group, and refinement gathered during the ongoing team meetings.
Rena’s teachers learned to improve their effectiveness and reach their goals together. Models like this are occurring across the country to improve every aspect of instruction for Sitton Spelling, as well as instruction across the curriculum. Results can be achieved anywhere. It is as simple as it sounds—collective effort is indeed a powerful force for school improvement!
To arrange a complimentary conference call with author Rebecca Sitton, and your professional learning community, please call 888-WE-SPELL (888-937-7355) or email sittonspelling@epsbooks.com.