Synopses & Reviews
The Transparent Teacher
Why do so many education fads come and go without making a lasting impact on student learning? In The Transparent Teacher, Trent E. Kaufman and Emily Dolci Grimm describe how the culture of isolation that teachers face in schools stymies improvement. Teachers need more open collaboration, the authors argue, to meaningfully practice and refine their instruction.
This practical, comprehensive book outlines the authors' unique model of Teacher-Driven Observation (TDO), which helps teachers take charge of their own growth, effectiveness, and overall job satisfaction using classroom data collected by peers. Written for teachers and administrators alike, the book includes examples, tips, and a case study of a school that leveraged TDO to produce impressive improvement in instruction and growth in student outcomes.
Praise for The Transparent Teacher
"Kaufman and Grimm offer a roadmap for crossing long-established teaching boundaries and provide the steps and examples necessary to make it happenthey've thought of everything. As teachers read this book, they'll be motivated to implement TDO right away. I want to grab a colleague and participate in this practice myself now!"
Cindi Rigsbee, 2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year; author, Finding Mrs. Warnecke: The Difference Teachers Make
"Everyone seems to have a voice in teacher observations today but teachers. This book offers a solution for principals seeking a more meaningful way to leverage observations as a valued and authentic opportunity for teachers' professional learning, dialogue, and development."
Dr. Fred DePrez, 2012 Arizona Principal of the Year; principal, Hamilton High School, Chandler, Arizona
"This book helps teachers become the empowered professionals they deserve to be. In moving PD from the conference room to the classroom, these authors are elevating us all to the status of learner."
Sarah Brown Wessling, 2010 National Teacher of the Year
Synopsis
A new paradigm for teachers to open their classrooms and cultivate deep professional learningTeaching is an isolating profession. Most educators receive minimal feedback on their craft, typically limited to one or two short visits from the administrator each year. While some schools do encourage their teachers to observe peers, the usual protocol is for new teachers to watch the veteran, exemplary educators, but those less experienced educators could benefit immensely from having peers observe them in action.
Teacher-Driven Observation is unique in that it places the observed teacher as leader of the work, the one who identifies a personal area for development, engages her colleagues in the collection of classroom data, and utilizes the data collected to inform her ongoing instruction.
- Offers a new model for collecting data to inform and improve individual instruction
- Includes a step-by-step process for implementing Teacher-Driven Observations
- Contains a comprehensive case study that clearly demonstrates the value of the Teacher-Driven Observation model
This book outlines and illustrates a step-by-step process for breaking down professional isolation and cultivating opportunities for meaningful learning through the Teacher-Driven Observation process.
About the Author
Trent E. Kaufman, Ed.D., is a principal at Education Direction, a firm focused on improving student outcomes through professional development, school transformation, and strategic planning for states, districts, and individual schools (www.EdDirection.com).
Emily Dolci Grimm is a principal at Education Direction. She has helped hundreds of schools and districts improve student outcomes by implementing the principles found in The Transparent Teacher.
Table of Contents
About the Authors v
Acknowledgments vii
Foreword xi
Introduction 1
PART ONE PREPARING
1 Teacher-Driven Observation for Professional Learning 11
2 Preparing for Teacher-Driven Observation 25
PART TWO IMPLEMENTING
3 The Preobservation Meeting 41
4 The Observation 59
5 The Postobservation Debriefing 75
PART THREE SUSTAINING
6 Figuring Out the Logistics 93
7 For Principals: How to Implement and Sustain Teacher-Driven Observation 107
8 Teacher-Driven Observation in Action 125
Epilogue: Professional Learning Communities and Teacher-Driven Observation 143
Chapter Summaries and Study Questions 149
Notes 157
Index 159