Lynn Johnston

Criterion number eight is: Exhibiting collaborative and collegial practices focused on improving instructional practice and student learning. 

The teacher participates collaboratively in the educational community to improve instruction, advance the knowledge and practice of teaching as a profession, and ultimately impact student learning.  Consider what you do at the school, district, state, and national levels.  Write an article for WAFLT’s Forum, PNCFL’s Lingo, or the Language Educator for ACTFL.  Topics could include a review of a conference, workshop, book or movie.  Teaching tips are always welcome.  Do action research and write about it!

Do presentations at state and regional conferences.  Chair a committee or be a presider for a workshop for a state or regional conference.  Become a board member.  Join your AAT, AATF, AATSP, etc.

Start a book group!  Try Teach Like a Pirate  by Dave Burgess or Do I really have to teach reading? by Cris Tovani.  Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jenson is what we are currently reading at my school.  The Keys Series from ACTFL would also be good books to read, discuss, and share ideas.

To score a four on this criterion the teacher volunteers to participate in school events and district projects making a substantial contribution, and assuming a leadership role in at least one aspect of school or district life.

Work vertically with other colleagues in PLC’s  to establish goals, to develop and implement common high quality measures, and to monitor growth and achievement during the year.  Watch ACTFL webinars together and discuss.

Posters and cards to promote World Language Study from Amazon.com.

How do you exhibit collaborative and collegial practices focused on improving instructional practice and student learning?  Share your ideas here! 

Criterion number six is: Using multiple student data elements to modify instruction and improve student learning. 

The teacher uses multiple data elements (both formative and summative) to plan, inform, and adjust instruction and evaluate student learning. The teacher uses multiple sources of growth or achievement data from at least two points in time to show evidence of high growth for all or nearly all students.  Assessment is fully integrated into instruction though extensive use of formative assessment techniques.

Almost any assessment instrument can be used for formative or summative purposes, it is how the results are used that determines whether it is formative or summative.  If there is still time for the student to take action and improve learning it is formative assessment.  My favorite analogy is when a cook tastes the food it’s formative assessment and when the guests taste the food it’s summative assessment.

My Favorite No!

Pose a question, have students answer on index cards.

Sort the cards into yes and no piles.

Look at the ones that are wrong and pick out one one to analyze “Your Favorite No”.

Rewrite the problem so students can’t identify the handwriting or to whom the card belongs.

Start with having kids identify what is right about the problem, what do I like about it?

Then focus of what is incorrect and how to improve it.

According to John Dewey, “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”  Students need opportunities for self-assessment and reflection. This can be down with practice tests, dictations, or other immediate feedback learning activities like the box game, white boards, sentence strips, search and lift or other manipulatives, and exit slips.

Students help develop rubrics with success criteria.  Rubistar.com is a free site to develop rubrics. This can help students to monitor their own understanding. Encourage students to provide very specific descriptive feedback to each other.  See this in action in the video Autin’s butterfly .

Learners can use Youtube to fill in the gaps in their own learning.  There is boy who was trying to learn how to start a fire with a bow string.  He knew he was doing it wrong so he posted his attempt on Youtube and asked for feed back. Ninty-six people responded, providing very specific feedback like he was using the wrong wood, his foot was on the wrong side, he needed to tighten the string.  I used Youtube to teach myself how to build this blog.  Step by step, every time I needed to know how to add the next element I would consult Youtube. This made me wonder…can my students bridge the gaps in their learning with Youtube on their own?

They can if they are taught how! Anything we can teach ourselves, we can teach someone else how to do.  Student portfolios, digital lockers, or learning logs can help track student’s growth and what gaps need to be filled in.   Distinguished teachers establish appropriate student growth goals in collaboration with students and parents and identify data to monitor, adjust, and evaluate achievement of goals.

Check out my post on Core Practice #6 for more feedback ideas and here is a list with descriptions.The Formative Assessment Techniques ensure 100.  Here are some formative assessment resources from Amazon.com.   How do you use student data to improve instruction?  Please comment here!

Criterion number five is: Fostering and managing a safe, positive learning environment.

The teacher fosters and manages a safe and inclusive learning environment that takes into account: physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being.

This can best be done by examining your routines and procedures.  Check out some of my ideas in this article Using Routines to Maximize Language Acquisition.  Instructional time is maximized because of efficient classroom routines and procedures.  To score a four, students should contribute to the management of instructional groups and transitions and the handling of materials and supplies. In addition, opening and closing routines are well understood and may be initiated by students.

Other routines to consider: turning in papers, getting make up work, what do you do when you are done?

I like this idea I found on Pinterest.  Thinking about making this in French and Spanish.

Use several methods to form groups so that no student feels left out. Seating charts, partner maps, index cards or other randomization devices help mix it up and manage behavior.  Change groups and partners often so that all students have an opportunity to work together and get to know each other.  Check out the No Yell Bell at Amazon.com for easily regaining attention.

Discipline with dignity.  Management of behavior is subtle and preventative. I like to carry a clipboard and note behavior and productivity on my seating charts.  As soon as they see me pick up my clipboard and start walking around they become more engaged.  Most the time I don’t even need to write anything down, I call this The Clipboard Stroll.

Check out assigning classroom jobs for students from Ben Slavic’s website.  How do you foster and manage a safe learning environment?  Add your ideas here please!

Criterion number four is: Providing clear and intentional focus on subject matter content and curriculum. 

The teacher uses content area knowledge, learning standards, appropriate pedagogy, and resources to design and deliver curricula and instruction to impact student learning.  The distinguished world language teacher demonstrates content area knowledge and connects to other disciplines. Our connection standard has always supported connections to other disciplines. We can support the Common Core State Standards by providing students with more experiences with informational text while modeling and practicing reading strategies.  Have students cite text evidence to back up their inferences and opinions. Compare and Contrast. Reinforce the writing process, especially expository and argumentative writing. Use graphs, math, and story problems.  Check out my common core posts for more ideas on how world language teachers can connect to Common Core State Standards.

ACTFL is in the process of establishing collaborative teams of world language educators from across the United States in a project focused on developing learners’ literacy skills. The development of the Languages and Literacy Collaboration Center (LLCC) will provide educators access to a multitude of resources including: webinars, mentoring, a virtual resource portal, and online discussions.  Educators will be able to collaborate around strategies to reinforce and strengthen learners’ literacy skills.

With this increased focus on literacy skills, the distinguished teacher seizes the opportunity to make connections to cognates and root words. Find opportunities to extend students’ vocabulary in their first language.  I like to point out root word connections to students for example mort meaning death in French is used as mortal, immortal, mortuary, mortician, and even morgage (death grip) extending their vocabulary and root word knowledge in English. Whenever possible, use metaphors and analogies to bring content to life, or even to practice vocabulary.  Have students make analogies with new vocabulary.

El brazo: El codo – La pierna:__?___(La rodilla)

La main: Le Bras- Le pied:___?___  (La jambe)

The teacher displays extensive knowledge of resources, not only through the school and district but also professional organizations and universities and on the internet, for classroom use, for the expansion of his or her own knowledge, and for students.  Create a classroom library of children’s books, scholastic magazines, books on tape. Create a list of ebooks, websites, and apps for student use and encourage exploration of these sites for autonomous acquisition. What are your favorite resources?  How do you provide clear and intentional focus on subject matter content and curriculum?  Please share your resources and ideas here!

Criterion number three is: Recognizing individual student learning needs and developing strategies to address those needs. 

The teacher acquires and uses specific knowledge about students’ cultural, individual, intellectual, and social development and uses that knowledge to adjust their practice by employing strategies that advance student learning. To score a four on the Danielson rubric it states “Teacher actively seeks knowledge of students’ levels of development and their backgrounds, cultures, skills, language proficiency, interests, and special needs from a variety of sources. This information is acquired for individual students.”

This criterion is usually non observable and will probably be discussed in the pre and/or post conference. Consider evidence like sub folders, IEPs, and on-line grading programs like Skyward. Make sure to update sub folders with medical and learning needs periodically.  Document discussions with teachers, counselors, and other professionals.

Gather evidence that you are actively seeking knowledge of students’ backgrounds from a variety of sources. Consider giving interest surveys at the beginning of the year to get to know student backgrounds and interests. There are several ready-made interest surveys available from TPRS practitioners on line.

Personalization is key to engaging students. In my class we have a student greeter each day.  After the greeting the greeter answers questions about themselves in the target language.  This allows us to build on spontaneous events and student interests and get to know the class members better while practicing follow up questions. It states in the frameworks “The teacher seizes an opportunity to enhance learning, building on a spontaneous event or student interests, or successfully adjusts and differentiates instruction to address individual student misunderstandings.”

One way to keep students engaged is to provide them with choice in assignments and assessments. Choice boards are one way to provide students with structured choices. A menu type activity also gives kids some choices.  Learning centers are another way to provide choice and individualization.  Check out the station ideas at The Creative Language Classroom. 

Keep a list of help professionals. Some evaluation tools state that the teacher can cite others in the school and beyond who s/he has contacted for assistance in reaching some students.  Document conversations with others around students of concern, or any student. Consider offering a study club before or after school.  Study club allows for extra time and extra opportunities for retakes. It also helps connect with students and discover things about them that I would not learn in class. The distinguished teacher persists in seeking effective approaches for students who need help, using an extensive repertoire of instructional strategies and soliciting additional resources from the school or community.

In addition, criterion three requires teachers to establish appropriate student growth goals for subgroups of students not reaching full potential in collaboration with students, parents, and other school staff.  The goals identify multiple, high-quality sources of data to monitor, adjust, and evaluate achievement of goals. Multiple sources of growth or achievement data from at least two points in time show evidence of high growth for all or nearly all students. I have students do a 5 minute timed write on the first day of school.  They write in the target language or list any words they know in the target language or write about themselves in English if they don’t know any of the language yet.  They write again at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year and evaluate their growth.