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Taylor Dietmeier
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taylor.L.dietmeier@gmail.com
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Today’s Enduring Questions:
• Why are we teachers and what do we want for our students?
• Who are we in the classroom?
• How can we be successful educators?
• What is missing from the curriculum, and what can we do about it?

Setting Intentions
Personal Inquiry Question Intention for the Day










Personal Inquiry Question – A Reflection Intention for the Day – A Reflection

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 Session 1: Why are we teachers and what do we want for our students?

Do Now – A “Do Now” is when everyone comes in the room at the beginning of a lesson and writes a response to
something. It might be a personal question or it might be a review from a previous lesson. Below right a response
to the question “Why are you a teacher?”. When finished, summarize your thoughts and be ready to share.

Why are you a teacher? How did you get here? Who or what inspires you?











Write a sentence summary of your above response to share with the group.

Group Activity 1: In your group, delegate three roles (a time-keeper, a recorder, and a presenter). Then discuss
and write at least 3 objectives of teaching below. The presenter should be prepared to share with the whole group.

1.


2.


3.


4.

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Group Activity 2: Now in your group, take two objectives and reflect on your school’s progress. The recorder
should write down any and all necessary information and the presenter should be prepared to share.

Objective What are we doing What do we need to How do we improve

well? improve? it?

Supplementary Reading: On your own, read through the following article and interact with the text. Put a !
next to anything that is new and interesting. Put a ? next to anything that you do not understand. Finally,
underline any key ideas or concepts.

Champion Teachers are teachers who reflect on their Questions that teachers ask when doing critical
practice by asking themselves, “What am I doing reflection include, but are not limited to:
well? What do I need to improve? How do I improve
it?” They are teachers who are constantly looking to • What style of teaching am I using, and is it
improve their teaching practice to create a more effective?
equitable, interesting, and academic classroom. • How do I know if my students have achieved
There are several techniques in which teachers use the objective?
to reflect on their teaching. Here are a few • What types of questions am I asking? Is my
strategies: classroom rigorous?
• Are there any students who I don’t call on or
• Peer Observation: Two or more teachers interact with? Why?
observe one another’s classrooms to see • What am I doing about classroom
different styles and strategies. management and behavior?
• Post-Observation: After a peer observation,
teachers meet with one another to discuss The most amazing thing about Champion Teachers is
challenges and areas of excellence. that they are humble. They are not afraid to admit
• Video/Audio Recording: When a teacher that they are not perfect. They put their reflection
records him/herself for evaluation. into practice by trying new things and actively
• Self-Assessment: A teacher uses a checklist seeking to better their instruction for the benefit and
or rubric to assess personal teaching. success of the students in their classroom.

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Everybody Writes: Everybody writes is a technique to get everyone writing and responding to either an activity
or a reading. After reading the article about Champion Teachers, write your response to the following question:

Consider the above article. Are you currently a reflective teacher? What techniques do you
use to reflect on your practice?











What else do you think Champion Teachers do? Come up with at least three things that you
believe are characteristics of a Champion Teacher.















Set a SMART (Specific, Meaningful, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goal for 2018. How are you
going to be a champion teacher? Consider one of the techniques mentioned above.

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 Session 2: Who are we in the classroom?

Warm/Strict

Pair Share: This is a technique that teachers use to get 100% participation. Each student should turn to his/her
neighbor and discuss or write. In this case, discuss with your partner and write down words associated with warm
and strict. Be ready to share with the group!

Words associated with WARM Words associated with STRICT

Notes for Warm/Strict:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Exit Ticket: This technique allows teachers to assess (Check for Understanding) students on their understanding
of the session. In a classroom, it is the “ticket” out of the class.

What is one area of warm/strict that you do well and one that you would like to improve? How will you
improve?

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 Normalize Error

Everybody Writes

Write about a time when you made a mistake. How did you overcome it?

Rules for Normalize Error: Fill in the blanks

1. Don’t say ______________ or ______________.

2. Don’t quickly correct students or make __________________ for mistakes.

3. __________________________ students’ work of correction and effort.

Techniques to Hold Students Accountable: Take notes as necessary

o No Opt Out

o Right is Right

o Format Matters

Role Play: Role playing is an excellent activity in any classroom. You can give situations to your students or have
them come up with the scenarios themselves!

With your neighbor, discuss the importance of normalizing error. Create a situation where a
student made a mistake and role-play how you would respond using Normalize Error.

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 Facilitate Learning through Learner-Centered Instruction

Learner-Centered Instruction…

Engages all types of learners

E Emphasizes critical-thinking skills and collaboration

Encourages student responsibility, reflection, and self-expression

Connect the Box: Draw a line from the class activity to the appropriate box on the right. Ask yourself, is this
activity teacher-centered or learner-centered?

Oral Notes –
New information that is given to
students verbally, without writing
on the board

Calling on Volunteers –
Calling on students who are raising
their hands

Learner-Centered
Pair Share –
Turn to your neighbor and discuss… Activity

Everybody Writes –
Give a question or problem for
every student to answer individually

Graphic Organizers–
Teacher-Centered
All students write notes in a visual
and practical format (e.g. Venn Activity
diagram)

Lecture –
Teacher stands at the front and
talks

Group Work –
Students work together to solve a
particular real-world problem or
discuss a controversial topic

Group Activity Graphic Organizer: In your groups, discuss the differences between teacher-centered and
learner-centered instruction and complete the table below.

Category Teacher-Centered Learner-Centered

What do the students do
during the lesson?




How is new information
presented?




When are the students
assessed?




How and when is the lesson
prepared?

Complete the Following:

• In the boxes above, underline the techniques that you use in your classroom or when
planning for your lesson. Do you tend to practice more teacher-centered techniques or
learner-centered techniques? Why?


• Based on your personal assessment from above, what steps can you or your school do to
focus more on the learner and achieve your overall objective of teaching?

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 Session 3: How can we be successful educators?

Hook

Do Now: According to the dictionary, a hook is something that is curved or bent at an angle and is used for
catching something and holding onto it. How are a teacher and a hook similar? Discuss this with your neighbor.

Notes for Hooks:

Type of Hook Example Idea for My Class

Compare two seemingly

different objects


Picture or video analysis


Prop

Application: Create a hook for one of your upcoming lessons and share it with your neighbor.

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 Double Plan

Title: Time:

Lesson: Level/Class: Materials:

Lesson Objective: (Students will be able to…) What will the students be able to do by the end of the lesson? Make sure it is
measurable, observable, manageable (time sensitive) and meaningful.

Time: Instructional Sequence: Instructor: Students:

Motivation/Hook: An activity that

draws students in and excites them.
Should take 3-5 minutes and could
be a dance, demonstration, prop,
challenging question, real world
example, etc.

Presentation: Teacher gives new

information to the students through
notes, power point, demonstration
or instruction. This section should be
no more than 15-20 min of a 40 min
class.

Guided Practice: Teacher shows

students how to use information,
asking for student contribution along
the way.

Practice/Application: Students use

the information themselves by
completing a series of exercises
consisting of lower and higher level
comprehension.

Check for Understanding: Teachers

check for understanding with an exit
slip, homework assignment, or
another technique.

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 Check for Understanding

Defining the Problem What is Checking for Understanding?

It was the day after the Form 2’s first CAT of the Perhaps the best way to define checking for
year, and a new teacher (we will call her Teacher understanding is to first determine what it is not.
Ann) walked into my classroom with tears in her Many lecturers use prompts like “Any questions?”,
eyes. “I don’t understand,” she said. “Everyone “Does that make sense?”, “Do you understand?”
failed. How did this happen? I taught them Most learners will sit quietly, thus the lecturer does
everything that was covered on the exam.” not know whether the students are confused,
embarrassed, or fully understand to the point of
Teacher Ann isn’t the only teacher who has had this boredom.
same distress across her face when results are
released. As teachers at my school began to have Additionally, most students do not know if they
the same response to failed exams, I noticed they understand or not. They sometimes think they
were also starting to blame the students for not understand when they really do not. I often hear
trying hard enough and for not revising. students say, “I thought I understood everything,
but I completely failed the exam.”
Although it might be true that students weren’t
putting their best effort into revising, I am Asking for understanding is not the same as
convinced that we, as teachers, first need to dig checking for understanding. Checking for
deep into ourselves to discover what we didn’t do understanding is the process where teachers
well and what we can do to improve. continually verify that students are learning what is
being taught while it is being taught, not months
One of the questions that I ask myself when I am
later on an exam. The purpose of checking for
surprised by students performing poorly is, why am
understanding is to provide immediate student
I shocked? Shouldn’t I be the first to know if my
feedback and to modify instruction if students are
students are not understanding the content? When not understanding.
my only response is, “But I taught them
everything!” then I know that I have a problem. Conclusion
Simply teaching content (or transferring Research shows that students who have teachers
information from one head to another) is not who ask multiple questions throughout a lesson
achieving an objective. Objectives always start and involve all the students in the response to
with “The student will be able to…” That means those questions achieve higher scores. Checking
that the student should be able to do a given for Understanding allows the teacher to make
measurable task, and the teacher should be able to instructional decisions during the lesson, informing
see it in action. They should check for him/her to speed up, slow down, or re-teach. The
understanding during and at the end of every research also shows that waiting for the results
lesson to verify that the objective has been met. from an exam is too late to modify instruction, but
This information helps the teacher determine checking for understanding makes sure students
whether to slow down, repeat content using a are not practicing and repeating mistakes.
different method, or move on to another topic.

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Formative Vs. Summative Assessments Notes: Complete the table below.

Formative Assessments Summative Assessments

To measure student competency or
Purpose
mastery


When
Ongoing throughout the unit
administered


How students To gauge progress toward course- or grade-

use results level goals and benchmarks


To check for understanding and provide How teachers

additional instruction or intervention use results

Check for Understanding List: Read the table below and put a star next to any that you think you could use in
your classroom. Be ready to share one specific topic and idea that you could use in your classroom this term.

Venn Diagram Picture Collage Levels of Questions Letter

Create (and answer) four Explain ______ in a
or more questions that letter to a friend.
To compare and contrast – increase in difficulty: e.g.
the middle section is for Cut out and/or draw What is..? How..? Explain
shared characteristics pictures about a topic why..? What if..?
Flow Chart Foldable Facts Acrostic Poem Skit/Drama
Long or short
In all directions Create and perform a
Never ends skit or drama about
To demonstrate a process, Write definitions and facts Extremely straight the reading or idea.
steps, cause-and-effect, or on papers that fold open A poem that describes a
series of events for easy quizzing word or term
Concept/Bubble Map Word Drawing Song Lyrics Colour Cards

Create a song that Red: Stop, I need help

Topic explains or helps Green: Keep going, I
memorize a term or idea understand
To show relationships A drawing of a word to Yellow: I’m a little
between different parts of visually display the term or confused
information idea
T Chart Cartoon/Comic Facebook or Twitter Exit Slip
Summary
Ask all the students a
A one or two-sentence question or two about
summary in words with a the lesson and collect
To show differences A funny picture with a picture or drawing it before class ends.
between two things caption to show an idea

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 Session 4: What is missing from the curriculum and what can we do about it?

Venn Diagram: In the circles below, list some challenges that students with deafness face in Kenya. On the left,
list the challenges that only boys face. On the right, list challenges that only girls face. In the middle, write the
challenges that both genders face.

Boys Girls

Evaluate: In the circles, put a * next to any of the above challenges that you or your school is helping to eliminate
or improve (i.e. education for the deaf). Circle any challenges that you believe you and/or your school could or
should eliminate or improve (i.e. HIV/AIDS in deaf communities).

Brainstorm: In the space below, dream big – no financial or time restrictions. What can you or your school do?

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 Evaluation of Professional Development

Date ________________________

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

This training was
practical, and I will use
the new ideas in my
classroom
This was my first time
learning about these
concepts/ideas
The activities helped
deepen my
understanding of the
concepts
I would recommend
this training to other
teachers

a) Which activities were most helpful and why?

b) What techniques will you implement in your classroom?

c) Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

d) Comments/Questions?

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