Taking a closer look at walk-through data, 3a Communicating with Students --Waukesha North HS

As part of our school improvement plan, I wanted to provide information regarding our classroom walk-through data collection efforts for the 1st quarter of the school year.

During classroom walkthroughs  at Waukesha North High School we are collecting evidence from  2e Organizing Physical Space, 3a  Communicating with Students, 3b Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques, 3c Engaging Students in Learning, and 3d Using Assessment in Instruction.

For this month, I am highlighting Domain 3a, Communicating with Students.  Below is a report out from the first two months of the school year.

The information in the bar graph below provides how our practices are moving towards proficient ("3") and distinguished ("4") levels in the classrooms in Domain 3a at Waukesha North High School.

Classroom throughs October/November 2013 Data:  

Amount of Observations:  148

First 20 minutes of class:  36%

20-40 Minute Mark:  43%

Last 20 minutes of Class:  21%

Classroom walk-through data, Waukesha North HS -October/November 2013

3a:  Communicating with Students

3a:  Communicating with students rubric

I would like to spend some time this post  breaking down 3a, Communicating with Students.  The critical elements of component 3a are:

• Expectations for Learning

• Directions and Procedures

• Explanations of Content

• Use of Oral and Written Language

What are observable actions of a level 3 or 4 classroom, 3a Communicating with Students?

• The goals for learning clearly are communicated to students (learning targets and I can statements)
• This purpose is made clear, and students understand what they are expected to do during a lesson
• When explaining content, teachers use vivid language and imaginative metaphors, connecting explanations to students' interests beyond school
• The teachers states, "By the end of this lesson you are all going to be able to factor different types on polynomials."
• The clarity of lesson purpose is clear (learning targets posted and referenced before, during, and at the conclusion of the lesson)
• The instructors requests the following, "Who would like to explain this idea to us?" 
• Clear directions and procedures specific to the lesson activities are provided
• Students engage with the learning activity/task, indicating that they understand what to do
• The teacher uses a Venn diagram to illustrate the distinctions between two topics (i.e. republic and a democracy)
• The teacher says, "Here's a spot where some students have had some challenges, be sure to read it carefully."

What are your strategies for communicating effectively with students? Please log-in to share a comment.