INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Career & Technical Education Leadership Development Program

 Conducting Helping Conferences  Techniques in the Clinical Supervision of Teachers  Supervising Career and Technical Education Personnel  Helping Conferences in Micro-Supervision Le

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIACareer & Technical Education Leadership Development Program

Competency Guide Sheet Name: Date:

administration

The career and technical leader who can provide this assistance via good helping conferences, leaving instructors with the feeling that their interests are taken seriously with the help they really need, will enjoy managing a school where high morale exists All staff members must perceive that the career and technical education leader is offering bona fide help for them to grow professionally This genuine help is the

cornerstone of Competency 774

A question perceptive educators seem to ask is, "what techniques should be employed

by career and technical education supervisors and administrators to inform their staff ofbehaviors that might be improved?" Should the leaders tell the staff (direct assistance) how to improve their performance, or should they assist the staff (indirect assistance) indetermining for themselves what to improve?

Uncertainty surrounding this situation can be overcome by examination of the goal of a good helping conference, i.e., to facilitate maximum growth through processes which free individual potential A good helping conference is designed around a model of supervision that is interactive rather than directive, democratic rather than authoritarian,teacher-centered rather than supervisor-centered, and helping rather than dominating (Acheson and Gall, 1980)

By assisting staff to develop the skill of self-evaluation to improve performance, the leader, through the helping conference enhances the potential for continued

professional growth This learning guide is designed to help optimize the staff's

potential for continued professional growth Specifically, it is designed to assist you in helping staff explore ways for improving their performance

GUIDE SHEET STRUCTURE AND USE

This learning guide contains an introduction and six sequential learning experiences Overviews, which precede each learning experience, contain the objective for that experience and a brief description of what the learning experience involves

OBJECTIVES

Terminal Objective: While working in an actual leadership situation, conduct helping conference with faculty/staff members Your performance will be assessed by your resource person using the "Leadership Performance Assessment Form,"

(Learning Experience VI)

Enabling Objectives

1 After completing the required reading, demonstrate knowledge of the

rational for and the procedure followed in conducting helping conferences

as prescribed by the clinical supervision (Learning Experience I)

2 After completing the required reading, demonstrate knowledge of the

distinction between direct and indirect styles of supervision (Learning II)

3 Given a videotaped performance of a career and technical education

leader conducting helping conferences, critique the performance of the leader (Learning Experience III)

4 Given case studies describing the efforts of career and technical

education leaders assisting instructors to improve their teaching skills, critique the performance or stated views of the leaders (Learning Experience IV)

5 Given an example of an instructor's performance (written product)

develop a plan for conducting a helping conference based upon your evaluation of the instructor's performance (Learning Experience V)PREREQUISITES

To complete this module, you must have competence in evaluating instructor's process and product teaching performances If you do not have competence in this area, meet with your Resource Person to begin developing, at the mastery level, competency 622,

"Evaluate Process and Product Teaching Performances."

A list of outside resources that supplement those contained within the module follows Check with your Resource Person to (1) determine the availability and the location of these resources, (2) locate additional resources specific to your situation, and (3) get assistance in setting up activities with peers or observations of skilled career and

technical education leaders

Learning Experience I

Optional

If additional information is needed to complete this competency, please select an Internet site that addresses one of the following topics Include the link as the final item on your documentation list Include a copy of page one of the site with your completed compe-tency

 Conducting Helping Conferences

 Techniques in the Clinical Supervision of Teachers

 Supervising Career and Technical Education Personnel

 Helping Conferences in Micro-Supervision

Learning Experience II

Optional

If additional information is needed to complete this competency, please select an Internet site that addresses one of the following topics Include the link as the final item on your documentation list Include a copy of page one of the site with your completed

competency

 Micro-Counseling

 Conducting Helping Conferences

 Techniques in the Clinical Supervision of Teachers

Learning Experience III

Required

REFERENCE: A videotape of a helping conference which you can view for the purpose

of critiquing the career and technical education leader's performance You will also need a videotape recording system

Optional

A Field Resource Person at IUP's Center for Career and Technical Personnel

Preparation whom you can observe conducting a helping conference.

Learning Experience IV

No outside resources

Learning Experience V

Optional

A Field Resource Person at IUP's Center for Career and Technical Personnel

Preparation with whom you can discuss planning and whose plan for conducting a helping conference you can review

Learning Experience VI

Required

1 An actual leadership situation in which you can conduct helping

conferences

2 Instructors with whom you can conduct helping conferences

3 A resource person to assess your competence in conducting a helping

conference

4 A videotape recording system to record your conference for assessment

purposes

SELECTED TERMS

Career and Technical Education Leader refers to a member of a school's

administrative team A career and technical education leader could be synonymous with a career and technical education director, a career and technical education

supervisor, or a career and technical education curriculum specialist Unless indicated otherwise, the term refers to all three

Leadership Intern refers to the individual enrolled in IUP's Leadership Development Program, pursuing competencies for certification purposes

Institution refers to a secondary (or post-secondary) educational agency Except where otherwise specified, this generic term is used to refer to secondary high schools, area vocational-technical schools, career and technology centers, and secondary comprehensive career and technical education schools

Resource Person refers to the professional educator directly responsible for guiding and helping you plan and carry out your professional development program These individuals are IUP's Field Resource Person (FRP) and your in-house School

Leadership Resource Person (SLRP) Acting as your official university advisor,

reviewer of key competencies, and the third member of your resource team is a Senior Teacher Educator (STE)

Instructor refers to either an instructor in a career and technical education school or teacher in a comprehensive school who daily interacts with students In this learning guide, both instructor and teacher are equally used and are often interchanged since in certain passages "teacher" seems to fit comfortably while in others "instructor" appears

to be the expression of choice

 Conducting Helping Conferences

 Techniques in the Clinical Supervision of Teachers

 Supervising Career and Technical Education Personnel

 Helping Conferences in Micro-Supervision

The Helping Conference

Rationale

With an ominous shrinking resource base from which to operate and a continual

demand from the public for increased accountability, schools are faced with the

challenge of demonstrating improved educational "productivity" via creative

administrative management and supervisory techniques The schools are being put on notice, in effect, to use your resourcefulness and initiatives because the purse strings are being pulled tighter and tighter by the public In fact, current national political

thinking seems to be leaning in the direction of offering subsidies to parents of children attending parochial and private schools to exert pressure on public schools to be more responsive to the needs of the community

While at the same time as being faced with this challenge, school administrators have been beset with contractual issues with their staffs Gone are the days when the

supervision of teachers is viewed as dominance versus subservience relationship Teachers are more sophisticated and organized today than to simply bow their heads insubmission when issued an administrative fiat Witness the number of negotiation efforts and strikes nationally dealing with personnel issues Supervisors and

administrators find it difficult and counterproductive to issue "commands" unilaterally

to their staffs and honestly expect a conscientious effort to obey them! The supervisionbenchmark today has become participative as opposed to autocratic; e.g., the staff must be given the opportunity to become involved with those pedagogical and

management decisions closely affecting their professional careers

The helping conference is one way of providing this opportunity By demonstrating a genuine attitude of assistance to individual instructors and a willingness to go that extra mile, supervising staff via the helping conference, the participative style of leadership is exemplified

Briefly stated, the helping conference is a prearranged, thoroughly planned meeting between an instructor and supervisor for the purpose of moving the instructor toward self-satisfaction and self-actualization; i.e., full professional development With

successful helping conferences, it becomes the responsibility of the supervisor to conduct them in such a way that instructors are placed at ease and both their personal and professional needs are being addressed Additionally, the effective supervisor must help the instructors gain the confidence needed to eventually accept full

responsibility for their personal and professional development The ideal goal toward which to strive becomes developing a staff of "intentional" instructors

An examination of the clinical supervision model will provide you with a conceptual framework of the role of helping conferences and this style of supervision

The clinical model is one that is based on close relationships between a supervisor and his/her instructors; it is instructor-centered, democratic and interactive With the clinicalstyle of supervision, a series of meetings or conferences are jointly planned and

executed by both the supervisor and individual instructors Each meeting is centered entirely on the instructor's needs either real or imagined with the purpose of each meeting or conference being specifically to address those needs

The word "clinical" does not in any way connote illness either physical or mental It is meant to suggest a face-to-face relationship between a teacher and supervisor

focusing on the teacher's behavior in the classroom with prearranged pedagogical needs discussed and remedied in a personal, private, and confidential meeting; i.e., in

a "clinical setting."

Briefly, the process is initiated by having a planning conference where the instructor expresses a need, concern, or aspiration Here the supervisor carefully focuses on these perceptions so that both have a clear picture of what is being communicated At the same time, the perceptions are put in terms facilitating observation and/or

measurement During the planning session, both jointly explore new techniques and ideas that the instructor might employ to address these perceptions The planning conference is followed by an observation session to collect some data for later

discussion The data might originate from assessment forms contained in learning modules, notes taken by the supervisor and/or instructor during class/shop activities, observation of a videotape, or the results of survey instruments and questionnaires Career and technical education supervisors need to provide instructors with indicators

of performance, based on direct or indirect observation Such data will supply these indicators

The final phase of the clinical supervision model requires the teacher and supervisor to participate in a feedback conference Here the teacher is provided without

qualification the data collected Jointly, the supervisor and instructor review the data and arrive at the instructor recognizing weaknesses and seeking ways to remedy them

Getting instructors to this stage of intentionally requires a skilled and trained supervisor utilizing specific helping techniques.

As the instructor and supervisor review the data, the feedback conference will end with

or transform into another planning conference with instructor and supervisor

cooperatively deciding to collect additional data for new techniques or preparing a improvement plan The clinical cycle thus begins again

self-It should have become apparent to you by now that the meetings or conferences within the clinical supervision model are the competency you are developing in this learning guide conduct helping conferences Up to this point you have been looking at this style of supervision from a wide perspective Let's step closer and examine the

specifics of helping conferences; i.e., planning and feedback conferences

Planning Helping Conferences

The Planning Conference

Clinical supervision requires that teacher and supervisor attack problems together and rests on the conviction that instruction can be improved by direct feedback to a teacher

on aspects of his or her teaching that are of concern to the that teacher (as opposed to items on an evaluation form or items that are pet concerns of the supervisor only) (Reaves, 1976)

The planning conference, then, becomes a very important ingredient for the tone of the remaining helping conferences The reception given the supervisor on the feedback conference will depend in large part on how well he/she employs a helping and caring attitude during this planning conference

The initial planning conference may require more time and "drawing out" than

subsequent conferences since instructors may be intimidated, uncertain, or suspect of the supervisor's motive Keeping in mind that most instructors are visited "officially" by the administration at most twice per year (and that visit is for the mandated evaluation which is placed in the personnel file), the supervisor must move carefully and

deliberately to establish rapport and display a genuine attitude of help To facilitate thisatmosphere, it is suggested that on first attempts of this style of leadership teachers be used who are cooperative and exhibit a desire to improve Good helping conferences require practice, and it is only logical that this practice be done with instructors who will help you help them Once you have proven yourself and the word has spread that you are really interested in the instructors' professional welfare, others should more readily accept your offer of help

All other things being equal, there are two types of instructors you will be helping: those that are unsure of their needs or are reluctant to expose them; and those that areable to identify their needs and are willing to express them Once the needs are

identified, however, the helping techniques will be similar for both

The planning conference should take place away from distractions, preferably in the instructor's classroom or shop when students are not there The least likely place is in the supervisor's office with the instructor across that big barrier the desk! In the shop

or classroom, sit side-by-side and remain as open-minded as possible (indirect and attending behaviors will be discussed in Learning Experience II, page 45) You should

be prepared with some opening statement to relieve any tension and establish rapport

Do your best to "research" your conferee to impress them with your interest: review their personnel folder to find children's names, spouse's names, hobbies,

colleges/schools attended, credits earned Search your memory to find an event

dealing with the conferee such as the condition of the school, recent legislation, aspects

of their classroom or shop, last year's holiday party, or perhaps the closing of school last June Carefully identify anything that would facilitate a friendly, warm opening remark Spend only a few minutes on this friendly conversation and get right into the heart of the conference, zeroing in on a specific need and mutually deciding on a

course of action to address it

The following steps to conduct the planning conference, somewhat modified, are taken from Acheson and Gall, (1980):

Right from the outset, following your opening remarks, it is best to inform the instructor why you are there Come right out and tell him or her that you really want to help them grow professionally and improve their teaching Something like, "we're meeting today because none of us is so perfect that we don't need help I want to help you in any way

I can with your teaching skills, curriculum development, professional problems,

whatever; but to help you, you must be as honest and open as possible with me."

You might simply ask how he/she might like to improve, but this may not prove to be too effective It is probably better and more effective to talk them through concerns The teacher who can express concerns and needs will also be able to express ways of addressing them Some simple, open-ended question (one requiring a response other than yes or no) will get the instructor to open up, such as "how has your teaching been lately," or "what is your favorite lesson why" or "if I were to ask you what the research shows are the top three teaching characteristics related to student achievement, what would you say," or "our goal is to help you to be the best possible teacher; are there any aspects of your teaching you would like us to take a look at?" Whatever you

choose, remember it is the instructor's concerns not yours Some may appear silly or trivial, but do not attempt to judge any attempt to impose your values on the instructor will in all likelihood throw up a formidable barrier If you do your job properly,

subsequent conferences will uncover more and more needs and you can skillfully "lead"the instructor to address only the substantial ones

Step Two : Translate the teacher's concerns into observable behavior

Most likely, your probing questions will result in needs that are stated somewhat

abstractly:

"I'm afraid I'm too tough in class"

"I want my students to learn"

"You know, sometimes I feel dull and unenthusiastic with my students"

"Some of my students belong in a cage!"

"Well, today for example I asked my students some questions about yesterday's

demonstrations and all I got was stares"

Your task is to translate such comments into more concrete and observable terms:

"Let's look at a hypothetical teacher you believe is not tough in class What is it

you believe he/she does or does not do?"

"Do you know what the characteristics of an enthusiastic teacher are? Let's see

if we can list them."

"Can you explain what you mean by reaching problem students?"

"What type of questions were you asking the class?"

By redirecting or rephrasing the instructor's comments in this way, abstract comments will become concrete providing specific referents for observation and measurement

Once you have assisted the teacher in clearly expressing him/herself, you have

established a common ground for clear communication You both know what to look for and are able examine it Now you need to jointly prepare a strategy to address the need Let's take a look at two examples

The first situation might be a new teacher you have discreetly observed to be strugglingduring her first year During the planning conference you can expect this new teacher toexpress concerns in a general manner such as, "where do I stand?" Or "how adequate

am I?" After a few minutes of "thinking aloud" with her, you both realize that in her effort to please everybody her students, administration, and colleagues she is

directing her energy into many areas She seems to have indicated that her students don't show the same interest in her shop as they did earlier in the year You recognize

a problem to be her lack of enthusiasm in class and suggest, "Let's see if we can list some characteristics of a teacher who has student interest in her shop (i.e.,

enthusiastic teaching behaviors) We'll write this list on a 3 X 5 index card You can prop it on your desk and as you teach you can refer to it regularly Practice these behaviors for a week or two to see if there are any changes in your students' attitude Then I'll come in to gauge the reaction of your students By the way, to see yourself as the students see you, video tape one or two segments of your teaching Spend some time looking and listening to yourself, comparing your behavior to the list on the index

card If you're like me, you'll be surprised how different you really are! Maybe we can both look at a tape."

The second situation could be an older, more experienced teacher who admits

hesitantly that he feels he is the problem with the considerable decrease in enrollment

in his shop He has the feeling that unless he does something soon, he may be "riffed!"

"What," he asks, "can be done?" He seems to be open to any suggestion So as in theexample above, you think aloud, skillfully getting him to isolate the problem It's not long before he has written on a piece of paper six or seven reasons why the students are not enrolling in his shop Among them include, (a) he relies almost completely on lecturing to his students, and (b) he has no idea how his past graduates are doing or where they are employed

You could, for example, select the first and ask what other ways there are for "teaching"other than lecture (such as, presentation with PowerPoint, etc.) Or, you could suggest

a student follow-up survey for the second as one effort to be more responsive to the needs of his students

If you present yourself properly and exhibit a helping demeanor, the instructors will be willing to look beyond this first meeting This is an excellent time to assist them in setting one or two goals to be addressed prior to the next semester, with an additional two or three for the following semester Long range might be to attend workshops, enroll in college courses, and engage in a comprehensive reading program to help solve a personal/professional need, or volunteer for a faculty committee It's helpful to assign a start and completion date for each goal on the plan Whatever form it takes, just preparing even a rudimentary plan will help to focus on needs and their solutions

It also gives you the opportunity to dovetail their goals with the school's goals

Once the immediate goal(s) has been set, it is easy to decide on a mutual time and date to observe the instructor It's important that you assist the instructor to select a suitable lesson to compliment the goal, what the objective of the lesson will be, and briefly what you can expect to see It is also important that the instructor has the say when and what class you will observe since there may be a class or lesson he/she would prefer to remain unobserved

If teachers know when you will be observing, it gives them the opportunity to be at their best, to focus on the need(s) discussed, and to avoid the anxiety of realizing you will not "pop in" unannounced

The instructor has expressed a need and you have shown you are willing to help in

addressing that need What does the instructor want you to look at in class (the

students, student-teacher interaction, method of teaching?) and how will you be

recording the data? You could suggest using a videotape recording so that in case of questions, events/perceptions can be immediately reviewed, or you might actually record the number and kind of questions asked to the students are two examples Excellent instruments to use that assess a wide variety of teacher performances are thePDE or CTE forms from the Center

Keep in mind that the instructor will be attempting improvement from his/her

perceptions of what happens in the classroom/shop and may coincide with or sharply differ from what actually occurs An instrument or procedure that collects specific data will provide an objective check on reality and assist in focusing on the behaviors

needing attention Therefore, the data to collect and the instrument or procedure to use becomes an important part of the planning process (see page 18 for additional details)

Step Seven: Clarify the instructional context in which the data will be recorded

Avoiding confusion during the observation and subsequent feedback conference is facilitated by not asking the instructor to look at too many aspects of his/her teaching at one time Focus on only one, at most two aspects for each clinical cycle Too many details will only overwhelm your efforts Remember, also, you simply do not have the time, resources, or energy to assist every teacher with every need! Your ultimate goal

is to gradually wean each instructor of your help In so doing, they will be identifying needs themselves, selecting techniques to help them improve, and self-evaluating their performance; that is, they will intentionally grow professionally

To clarify the context means to have a clear picture of what to expect when you walk into the classroom/shop or view a videotape recording Not knowing may affect how you perceive certain actions/activities of the instructor or students The following

questions may explain what this "clarification" process is:

"What is this lesson about that I'll be observing?"

"What do you expect the student to learn in this lesson?"

"What strategy will you be using?"

"Is there anything I should be aware of as you teach this lesson?"

A final detail needing attention is to briefly but completely record the essence of the planning conference Contact your instructor for a sample Helping Conference Log used both by IUP's career and technical education teacher certification and leadership development programs

The top section provides a place to record what took place during the planning

conference A very satisfactory procedure to complete this section is to ask the

conferee to write, in four or five sentences, what he/she believes took place In this way, you are forcing the conferee to summarize and at the same time you will be able

to determine just how they perceived the details of the conference

The middle section is obvious; the bottom section highlights what will happen prior to and during the feedback conference As above, a satisfactory way to complete this section is to have the conferee write in the objectives established It may "firm up" his/her mind as to what is expected and agreed to

Observation and Data Collecting Techniques

Recall that step three directed you to identify procedures for improving instruction and step six directed you to select an instrument When an instructor expresses a need and you attempt to talk his/her through a possible solution, you may ask yourself, "how will I help him/her with this one," or, "how do I select an instrument?!"

The following is not an exhaustive treatment of observation and data collection

techniques, but it should serve to stimulate your creative thinking in applying an

innovative solution to a problem

Perhaps the best device to use in observing events in the classroom/shop is the

videotape The unique advantage of the VCR is that events can be played back time and time again and is very non-selective; i.e., it records whatever it sees! Suppose for example, you and the instructor had agreed to have a look at the kinds and quality of questions asked to students during class During the observation session you might take notes on the cognitive level of questions, his/her skill in redirecting questions, asking probing questions, and the like (see the following page for a discussion of these skills) Perhaps during all this, your may have observed an excess of multiple

questions (asking several questions in a row causing student confusion as which to respond to) Without a video recording during the feedback conference, you could only discuss the events hoping the weakness impresses the instructor If, however, the instructor can actually see and hear him/herself asking multiple questions, the impact ismuch greater Additionally suppose the instructor disbelieved your claim of multiple questions the proof rests with the video recording, it cannot be denied! Instructors should be encouraged to use regularly VCRs in class Through the VCR, the instructor can perfect a technique through self-evaluation before submitting it for a conference

Now let's look at some specific observation and data collection techniques Acheson and Gall (1980) have categorized them into four distinct groups: (1) selective verbatim,(2) records based on seating charts, (3) wide-lens, and (4) checklists and timeline coding With some modification, each of the fourteen techniques listed within the four categories can be used to collect data for the feedback conference; however, space does not permit an explanation of all of them A close examination of four should serve

to stimulate further investigation into the remaining techniques Three teacher

questions, teacher feedback, and enthusiasm are instructional while the remaining one, curriculum revision, is curricular

Teacher Questions

Think for a minute how often a question is asked in class A study of fifty years ago found that teachers asked an unbelievable 400 questions in a single day! Recent research has supported such findings today; one study listed 348 questions asked Teachers at all levels, from primary grades through college, have been termed

"professional question makers" (Aschner, 1961) All this suggests that if a teacher and supervisor can observe only a single aspect of classroom interaction, they might well beadvised to focus on the teacher's question-asking behavior (Acheson and Gall, 1980, p.91) As part of the selective verbatim category, questioning behavior can be observed and analyzed from a variety of perspectives: (a) high(er) versus low level cognitive questions, (b) narrow versus broad, (c) redirection, (d) probing, and (e) multiple

or two broad questions might have done as well

(c) Redirection A way of eliciting a variety of ideas for students to consider and

to increase student participation is the cognitive level, with a short pause to permit it to

"sink in." The instructor already has a student in mind to answer and calls on him/her After the student responds, the instructor may clarify the answer and offer suitable praise for the effort, then say something like, "that's one way of looking at the problem, class how do you see it .Alex?"

(d) Probing Questions If a student seems to struggle with a question or is

“circling the target," the instructor can skillfully offer a series of questions designed to prompt the answer The guided discovery technique uses a series of probing questionsthat get more and more specific, leading the student to respond with the answer the instructor wants.

(e) Multiple Questions Often a teacher concentrates so intently on a point that when he/she attempts to ask a question, it becomes instead a series of questions all requiring different answers It's as though the teacher's mind wants to reverse itself while simultaneously pursuing the thought from a different perspective As mentioned above, this weakness in questioning behavior leads to uncertainty of student

responses Multiple questions are a manifestation of teachers "minds working faster than their words" or "thinking out loud."

Imagine a student's uncertainty or frustration when asked all at the same time, "Linda, what is wrong with this letter? .does the style fit the content? .would you give it to the boss for her signature?" Then the instructor pauses as though expecting one answer to fit all three questions Which question should she answer? Which will

receive approval from the instructor?

The method of collecting data for all of the above skills might be to write down or

tabulate the number of times multiple questions were asked, record actual low and highcognitive level questions, record the probing questions, and so forth It is important to note, however, that observation and analysis of all five methods of questioning will require two or three conference cycles Obviously, it should not have been agreed upon during the planning session to observe and analyze all five of these areas Such detail will be too much for one observation session

The analysis of the data could consist of a discussion like this " .at this point you asked Alan a very high order cognitive question; why?" (For some concepts, higher order are more effective than low order questions.) or, "did you feel you were getting anywhere with Alice when you asked her these series of questions? How might you have rephrased them?" or "Let's count the number of questions you asked Tammy at one time If you were Tammy, which would you answer first?"

If the conferee seems to need additional help with his or her questioning skills, you could refer him/her arrange to have him/her observe a fellow teacher you know

possesses good questioning behavior Then, follow-up with these suggestions at the next planning conference

Teacher Feedback

In career and technical education, students are constantly learning new skills and need some indication of how correctly or well they are doing Without such feedback,

students may simply acquire bad habits, or worse, develop the skill incorrectly

Feedback data can be obtained from a variety of perspectives including:

(a) Amount: Simply the frequency of the feedback Is there any?

(b) Variety: Feedback is often in the form of simply acknowledging students' ideas; however, the repertoire could be expanded to more effectively go beyond mere acknowledgment by,

(1) Modifying the idea(2) Applying the idea to the next step or similar idea(3) Comparing the idea with other ideas

(4) Summarizing what was said

(c) Feedback specificity clearly expresses the teacher's pleasure (or

displeasure) with a student's words or actions A common expression of teacher

feedback is the trite, "nice work, John." Such an expression does provide

reinforcement However, the seasoned teacher knows that feedback such as: "really good workmanship on this project John, the food mixer seems to work properly, no dirtyfinger smudges on the casing, and you obviously took your time reassembling it," is much better than "terrific repair job, John." Another bland expression is "uh-huh." It conveys a mixed signal to the student Does it mean to the student that Mr Smith accepts my answer but it is not earthshaking, or does it mean he heard what I said but really wants another answer? Consider the clarity of, "OK Sherri, I can understand whyyou said that, but I think you missed an important point Let me repeat the question."

As in the questioning behavior data collection and analysis, teacher feedback behavior over a twenty to thirty minute or longer time span could be tabulated or recorded by the observer for discussion during the feedback conference

The following tally form could expedite the data collection process and free you to moreintensely observe

Instructor: Ruth Heisey

Idea

Apply Idea

Compare Idea

Summarize Idea

The use of a videotaped lesson would greatly expedite the observation and data

collection process using this TPAF The form could be duplicated with one copy given

to the instructor and the other to the supervisor Each could independently analyze the behavior based on the criteria on the TPAF while viewing the videotaped recording, then "compare notes" during the feedback conference The unique feature of the module is that it contains information sheets, self-check activities, and model answers

in case the instructor wants to be better informed on the feedback behavior

It is important to keep in mind as you view the tape and/or use the variety of

instruments to concentrate only on the feedback behaviors Undoubtedly, you'll spot other behaviors needing attention and, unless they are potentially detrimental to the class they are best left for latter conferences You will probably be able to guide the instructor to discover these weaknesses him/herself and agree to some action during subsequent planning conferences Also, remain objective by restricting your data to theinstrument selected Don't inject extraneous data into the observation session The

lines of communication will be clear and open if your help is based on objective,

agreed-upon data

Teacher Enthusiasm

If, during the planning session, the instructor suggests his/her students appear bored and disinterested, it could be a manifestation of unenthusiastic teacher behavior Sincethe results of many studies indicate a positive link between teacher enthusiasm and student achievement, an unenthusiastic teaching demeanor should not be taken lightly

An observation of a number of instructors' teaching performances would in all likelihoodyield a wide variety of pedagogical techniques; however, a close examination would indicate considerable variance in the degree of enthusiasm while using these teaching techniques

Collins (1976) developed a list of observable enthusiasm referents for pre-service elementary teachers The list was subsequently validated for secondary use by Allen (1979) Eight for each are illustrated on Figure 2, page 21 Note that each trait can be measured somewhat precisely along a continuum from a strong to a very weak

presence Using a continuum as this however, poses a slight problem in that it is difficult to decide at what point one does or does not possess the trait It is analogous

to shading from white through gray to black i.e., where does the gray end and the blackbegin? Such a problem does highlight the importance of conferring with the instructor

to determine what level(s) are acceptable, keeping in mind it is his/her behavior being analyzed not yours

However, the instrument does provide a means to quantify or measure an elusive, intangible behavior Each trait can be analyzed separately and if one receives a

particularly low score, measures can be taken to improve it At the same time a

composite score can be taken to improve it At the same time a composite score can indicate the overall degree of enthusiasm When using the Collins' instrument, the lowest possible score is 8 (a score of one on each trait), the highest being 56 (a score

of 7 on each trait)

If in the process of collecting data for any of the above discussions, the instructor prefers or you feel the necessity of observing the class personally (perhaps even in addition to having a videotape), some cautions are in order

Remember that unless you regularly visit classes/shops, you will be alien and as such your very presence will be somewhat disruptive With you in there, the students will behave quite differently and the instructor will be very conscious of your presence Youshould do everything possible to "blend" into the shop by:

1 avoiding talking to students once the lesson has begun,

2 sitting where your presence will be less obvious to the instructor, perhaps behind a student,

3 avoiding making obvious notes (write them when the instructor is not

looking or conceal the notes somehow),

4 avoiding telltale facial expressions,

5 making no attempt to interrupt the class,

6 remaining only long enough to collect sufficient data, and

7 avoiding unnecessary shuffling of papers

on and on; poor articulation.

Pleasant variations of pitch, volume, and speed, good articulation

Great and sudden changes from rapid, excited speech to

a whisper Varied lilting, uplifting intonation Many changes in tone, and pitch

Eyes Looked dull or bored, seldom

opened eyes wide or raised eyebrows Frequently avoids eye contact, often maintains ablank stare

Appeared interested

Some changes to lighting up, shining, opening wide

Characterized as dancing, snapping, shining, lighting upfrequently, opening wide, eyebrows raised Maintains eye contact while avoiding staring In keeping with facialexpressions; genuine

exuberance

toward person or object

Never used sweeping movements, kept arms at side

or folded across body, appeared rigid

Often pointed with hand, using total arm

Occasionally used sweeping motion using body, head, arms, hands, and face Steadypace of gesturing is

Quick and demonstrative movements of body, head, arms, hands, and face; e.g., sweeping motions, clapping hands, head nodding rapidly

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Unpredictable and energetic Natural body movements.

Facial

Expression

Appeared deadpan, did not denote feeling, or frowned most of the time Little smiling or a one-second lips up-turned Lips closed

Agreeable, smiled frequently and longer, plus at regular rate

Looked pleased, happy,

or sad if situation called for

Appeared vibrant, demonstrative, showed surprise, awe, sadness, joy, thoughtfulness, or

excitement Total mouth opened wide, quick and sudden changes in expression

smile Word

Selection

Mostly nouns, few descriptors

or adjectives Simple or trite expressions

Some descriptors or adjectives or repetition ofthe same ones

Highly descriptive, many adjectives, great variety

Accepted ideas and feelings; praised or clarified; some variations

in response, but frequently repeated same ones

Quick and ready to accept, praise, encourage, or clarify; many variations in response Vigorous nodding of head when agreeing

demonstrative, but

Exuberant Maintained high degree of energy and vitality,highly demonstrative; great and sudden changes in voice

23 CGS-774 Fred

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mostly an even level wasmaintained.

tone, pitch; eye, head and body and arm movements

24 CGS-774 Fred

-Monaco

Since curriculum revision, as indicated by competencies on the required list, is

hierarchical in nature, the ideal is to begin with 713 and work down to 723 with the

instructors It is beyond the scope of this discussion to detail each competency in the management of curriculum category because other Learning Guides in this series are devoted exclusively for that purpose As you assist the instructors, perhaps the most suitable and convenient instruments to use are the Leadership Performance

Assessment Forms (LPAFs) for each of the competencies For example, assume

during the planning conference an instructor indicated she has a collection of task

statements from a variety of sources (V-TECS, MAVCC, MarkED, etc.) but was

uncertain what constituted a good task statement or how to write her own Based uponthe LPAF for competency 718, you could prepare a grid (see the Learning Guide for that competency) serving as a check sheet Then during the feedback conference bothyou and the instructor can analyze her tasks utilizing the grid

The same process can be applied with most of the remaining curriculum competencies.With some modifications, each LPAF can be used as an objective measure or point of reference to maximize the effect of your helping conferences dealing with instructional skills, many resources are available for curriculum improvement skills should the

instructor desire to explore the theory and research

The Feedback Conference

Having carefully planned with the instructor the behaviors or activities to be analyzed and having collected data on those behaviors, the final step is to discuss the data

during a feedback conference

The supervisor tries to provide objective observational data, analyze the data

cooperatively and reach agreement with the teacher on what is happening Then

teacher and supervisor interpret the data The supervisor elicits the teacher's reactions

to the data (inferences, opinions, feelings) and considers possible causes and

consequences Together, the teacher and supervisor reach decisions about future actions These may be decisions about alternative teacher strategies, different

objectives for students, or modification of the teacher's self-improvement goals At this juncture, teacher and supervisor may recognize a need for other kinds of information ormake plans for the next observation Often, the feedback conference, for one

observation becomes the planning conference for the next (Acheson and Gall, 1980)

A vital part of the feedback conference is the preparation you must make to ensure its

25 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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success If you treat the data lightly or offer only superficial comments, your credibility will be lost and future helping conferences will be in jeopardy First and foremost is the depth of your understanding of the behavior or activity For example, assume you are going to discuss teacher questioning techniques, you should be prepared by reading about questioning techniques; or if a need was expressed dealing with introducing and summarizing a lesson you should "bone up" by reading about the techniques involved Nothing is worse than sitting down with someone only to realize they don't know what they are talking about On the other hand, you can easily impress someone if you

know at least know as much as if not more than they do about the subject

Secondly, if the instructor supplies you with a videotape, the results of a survey, or

some product (a set of terminal performance objectives or list of tasks, for example), besure you carefully review it using the agreed-upon criteria As you review the material, jot down some notes and/or place on the videotape counter in areas you perceive are particularly good or weak enough to warrant discussion

Just as master teachers carefully prepare lesson plans to guide them for effective

teaching, so too are plans necessary for helping conferences, particularly the feedback conference Having set the conference objectives during the planning session, the supervisor should prepare a helping conference plan containing at least three parts by selecting and recording appropriate techniques for 1) putting the instructor at ease; i.e., the conference opening, 2) addressing the agreed-upon behaviors and/or activities; i.e.,conference body, and 3) setting objectives for the next planning conference; i.e.,

conference closing Since all of these three main parts of the conference require the use of specific techniques, each is described below in some detail

The Opening

The value of the conference will be in the quality of the relationship you establish with the instructor Every effort must be made to greet the instructor in an informal, relaxed, and accepting manner This acceptance, when combined with an open invitation to talkand attending behavior skills (two concepts that will be covered in depth in Learning Experience II), seems to help relieve tension and set the tone for the conference

Openings like, "Hi Ann Come in and sit down What's been happening since our last conversation?" or "Hi, Ann I'm glad you could make it How have you been since we last met?" serve as ice breakers and help to relax the learner Once the learner is at ease, communicate the objective(s) of the feedback conference as prescribed on the Planning Conference Log

It should be emphasized that even though your review of the data may result in a long list of behaviors that need to be improved, the feedback conference must focus on only one or two of the most important behaviors It may be difficult for an instructor to

concentrate on more than one or two behaviors at a time, or perhaps anything at all until her or his mind is free of personal concerns

26 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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The Body

Transition into the body of the conference is generally a natural, straightforward

process which results from having executed a well thought-out helping conference

opening A good transitional statement might be, "Let's take a look at the data we

collected." During this part of the conference opportunities need to be provided for the instructor to explore his or her perceptions of the teaching performance Some helpful suggestions might be to encourage the instructor to:

1 Explain any progress toward the previously set objectives

2 Share problems encountered in attempting to meet the previously set objectives

3 Determine the degree of progress since the last meeting

4 Describe efforts in developing/practicing agreed upon behaviors

5 Describe how he/she feels about objectives

The emphasis continues to be on self-evaluation; to encourage the instructor to exploreinwardly It is imperative that a supportive, positive approach is used to encourage the instructor to explore alternative procedures The role of the supervisor, as a helper in facilitating the process of self-evaluation, cannot be overemphasized

It is during the body of the conference that the bulk of the feedback occurs The

opening is somewhat brief, while the closing summarizes the meeting and attempts to set objectives for the next feedback conference

The body of an effective conference has four parts: (a) provide the instructor with

objective data, (b) encourage the instructor to express his/her opinions and feelings, (c)encourage alternate methods, objectives, or reasons, (d) provide opportunities for

practice and comparison Let's look briefly at each to provide some background

(a) Provide Objective Data If you have done your job correctly during the observational period, you should have this objective data in hand Such data is non-biased and based upon agreed-upon behaviors When presenting the instructor with these data, avoid the temptation to draw conclusions based solely on your own

conclusions When looking at the data, you and the instructor jointly analyze

(describing what the recorded information shows is happening without making value judgments) interpret (searching for probable causes of observed effects, or possible consequences, or suggested alternatives), and decide the changes to make in future instruction

(b) Encourage the Expression of Ideas and Feelings Eliciting the instructor'sreactions to the data requires skill and patience As always, there is the temptation to bias the interpretation of the data with your values; however, get the instructor to "show his/her hand" first

27 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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An effective series of questions facilitating this is

1 What do you see in the tape or the data that you would repeat if you did

this lesson again?

2 What would you change?

3 If you were a student in the class, what would you want to change?

All three are non-threatening and thought provoking If you do not receive an answer tothe first, go right to the second If a response still does not come out, by the third the instructor will begin to open up providing you the opportunity for additional probing

questions

(c) Consider Alternate Approaches Once a supervisor has analyzed the data, the tendency is to say to an instructor, "Here's what I would do if I were you ." The inappropriateness of that comment is manifested by the instructor taking affront in the one extreme and performing (perhaps contrary to what he/she really wants to do) just to please you in the other extreme! When change is desired, one purpose of the feedback conference is to get the instructor to consider several alternatives and choosethe most promising

Here the supervisor can help the instructor avoid two traps: (1) "functional fixedness," proceeding to judge all information on the basis of a single hypothesis (which may be incorrect), and (2) "a working definition of insanity," considering only one solution to a problem and when that doesn't work, doubling and redoubling the efforts with the same unsuccessful approach (Acheson and Gall, 1980)

At this point, you should bear in mind the importance of knowing your conferee

Student teachers and beginning teachers have a very limited repertoire of possible

approaches than do more experienced teachers You should also be aware of the

results of several studies dealing with a direct versus an indirect approach Beginning teachers have different needs than do more experienced teachers, and generally they prefer a more direct approach (see Learning Experiences II for a discussion of the

direct vs indirect approach) Whereas the more experienced teachers seem to prefer the more indirect approach in considering alternatives

One benefit accruing from systematic observation and teacher-centered conferences should be teachers who, on their own accord, undertake a self-analysis using objective data and thus develop a wider range of alternatives

Such alternatives might include, but are not limited to,*

 observing social/class discrimination

 noting who contributes and who does not contribute in class and identifying the reasons why

 making a teacher movement chart

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 identifying ineffective techniques, then videotape a lesson and determine how many of these ineffective teaching techniques were performed

 preparing "at task" observational charts

 using seating charts to plot which students the instructor directs comments,

questions, etc

 preparing verbal flowcharts

*See Acheson and Gall for additional details concerning these alternatives

(d) Provide Opportunities for Practice and Comparison Some suggestions

include:

 The supervisor may demonstrate a particular technique or method

 An educational specialist may be asked to demonstrate a method or technique

 Arrange to have the instructor observe another instructor to compare styles or strategies or pick up some different techniques

 Have the instructor collect some of the data him/herself (this has the added

advantage of freeing time for the supervisor)

 Arrange for a group of instructors with common needs present and discuss

ideas

 Select additional instruments to obtain data from another perspective (i.e., what

do students think, peers, administration?)

 Incorporate self-analysis activities by the instructor On his/her own, videotape

or audiotape several segments of classes and analyze them without the

supervisor

The Closing

Summarizing is a means of providing clarification on what has transpired during the conference, and for preparing the instructor for future activity Whether the helping conference determines that certain component behaviors need continued attention or that criteria have been met and a new teaching skill should be focused upon, the

closing or summary is the appropriate place to assist the instructor to determine the tentative objectives to guide performance until the next helping conference Having reviewed the major points of the conference and set objectives with the instructor, the conference can come to a close Both the supervisor and the instructor should leave the helping conference with a clear understanding of the objectives that will guide

personal activity until the next helping conference is held Figures 3, 4, and 5, pp

34-38, show examples of helping conference plans

The closing can easily, and often does, turn into a planning conference for another

meeting Thus the clinical cycle begins all over again: Needs are expressed or

identified, objectives are established, instruments are identified, and observations take place

29 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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As part of the summary, the helping conference log is again completed The conferee can complete the log by entering his/her own summary of the meeting; the date, time, and place of the feedback conference; and the objectives to be accomplished The instructor should retain a copy of the log.

Finally, the supervisor should take a few minutes to reflect on the entire conference (conduct a postmortem) Perhaps the choice of questions or the attending behavior techniques did not produce anticipated results A good hard look at the helping

conference will determine if it was conducted as it was designed Just as with the

instructor, self-evaluation by the supervisor assures the potential for continued

professional growth

Since instructors are encouraged to utilize videotapes for self-evaluation it would be wise for the supervisor to "practice what is preached." Simply set up the VCR and

analyze your own techniques:

 Did you display a genuine helping attitude?

 How many close-ended questions did you use? (See Learning Experience II)

 What was the attitude of the conferee? Why?

 Who did most of the talking?

 Were you constructively critical?

 How did you guide the conferee to self-evaluate?

 What were your strengths?

 What were weaknesses?

 What would you change for the next conference?

In summary, then, during the feedback conference,

1 The observer displays the data recorded during the observation This is

done without evaluative comments

2 The teacher analyzes what was happening during the lesson as

evidenced by the data The supervisor simply helps to clarify what behaviors the recorded data represents

3 The teacher, with the help of the supervisor, interprets the behaviors of

teacher and/or students as represented by the observational data At this stage the teacher becomes more evaluative since causes and

consequences must be discussed as desirable or undesirable

4 The teacher, with assistance (sometimes guidance) from the supervisor,

decides on alternative approaches for the future to emphasize those aspects that were satisfying

5 The supervisor reinforces the teacher's announced intentions for change

when the supervisor agrees with them or helps the teacher modify the intentions if there is some disagreement

Supervisors are often surprised at how easily these steps can be accomplished When

30 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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supplied with adequate information and allowed to act on it, most teachers can analyze,interpret, and decide in a self-directed and constructive manner When things do not

go well in a feedback conference, the difficulties can usually be traced to failure on the part of the supervisor to use an effective clinical supervision technique

31 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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Conference Category System

Categories (Parts A & B Correspond to

Occurrence and Effectiveness in the Analysis

Scale)

A Occurrence B Effectiveness

1 Climate:

A Supervisor makes comments

specifically intended to affect the

climate.

B Supervisor's statements release

tension and contribute to productive

communication This includes

expressions of support and

B Supervisor explains the purpose of the

conference, possible outcomes, and

items to be included The teacher is

given the opportunity to approve these

and suggest others The resulting

agenda is attended to in the

conference.

3 Questioning:

A Supervisor employs questions as an

essential means of pursuing

conference targets.

B Supervisor uses a questioning

strategy thoughtfully and purposefully

to encourage the teacher to reflect,

analyze, and evaluate Questions

which focus, probe, clarify, which

transcend the obvious and mundane,

are posed.

32 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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A Supervisor clarified ideas and

provides information and suggestions.

B Supervisor remarks are descriptive

rather than judgmental Pertinent

information is provided incisively

Comments are appropriate and

substantive.

5 Praise:

A Supervisor praises and encourages

when opportune.

B Praise is used judiciously and

authentically to commend teacher

ideas and performance Praise is

specific in most instances.

6 Nonverbal:

A Communication other than through

voice occurs.

B Supervisor has a pleasant facial

expression, smiles as appropriate

Speech is accompanied by gestures

Non-verbal behavior communicates

interest and enthusiasm

7 Balance:

A Communication occurs in both

directions.

B Supervisor is a patient and attentive

listener Supervisor elicits ample

teacher involvement, usually talks less

than the teacher.

33 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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B Supervisor is alert to emotional and

conditional factors, to verbal and

non-verbal cues and responds

appropriately, often with climate

building comments Supervisor

avoids self-serving behavior.

9 Closure:

A Supervisor uses a culminating

technique.

B Supervisor reviews, or causes the

teacher to review, the major outcomes

of the conference: understandings,

solutions, plans, and especially

commitment.

From: Kindsvatter, Richard and Wilen, William W., Educational Leadership, Vol 38, No

7, April 1981, p 529

34 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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SLRP: Robert G Brown

INTERN: James E Brown

November 11, 1995

Helping Conference Plan Worksheet

Conferee: Everett Falconer

1 Observations or points of discussion:

a Discuss the steps to take in making a bulletin board

b Assess the bulletin board prepared for Open House

c Discuss the variety of uses for a bulletin board

2 Tentative Objectives:

a List the steps to follow in preparing a bulletin board

b Assess the bulletin board prepared for Open House

c Have Everett suggest improvements that could be made to make

the bulletin board more effective

d Review the steps to developing and setting-up a bulletin board

e Review the Bulletin Board Checklist on Page 25 of the Module

a Review the assessment and the discussion

b Have Everett determine the modules to work on for the

remainder of the semester

35 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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FIGURE 3

Post Mortem

Helping Conference

Date: November 11, 1995

The conference went according to the plan, and the techniques worked satisfactorily

In discussing item B in body, "how to use the bulletin board in instruction," the

questions were not open-ended; however, Everett responded very well In item D of the body, I interrupted Everett on a couple of occasions, and led him in discussion

rather than allowing him to find his own way The summary was a little clumsy in

reviewing what was accomplished but it did bring out the main points A plan for future activities was established to assist in preparing the next conference plan

Helping Conference Plan for Karen Strawbridge

Observations:

A Need for overview (restate objective)

B Need to relate lesson to past experience

C Need to provide for student involvement

Tentative Objectives:

A Having participated in COH and by reworking learning experience #1 in

module C-10, Karen will provide an overview of what is expected of each student including the criteria checklist

B Having participated in a COH and be reworking learning experience #1 in

module C-10, Karen will include a statement referring to past experiences

in her lesson plan introduction

C Having participated in COH and reworking learning experience #1 in

module C-10, Karen will provide for student involvement in her lesson plan introduction

Introduction:

Put at ease and set goals

Body:

A What do you think of the introduction you just wrote?

B Do you feel you met the five statements on our lesson plan format?

C Could you show me how you will accomplish each?

D How can you provide an overview?

36 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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E How can you provide relation to past lesson?

F How can you provide for student involvement?

Summary:

A Set objectives on COH Log

B Showed resource material

Resources:

Lesson Plan Format

Lesson Plan

37 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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I identified three tentative objectives for Karen's COH:

I found she had provided four questions in her introduction to cause student involvement I did not recognize these as they were in statement form but were acceptable if put in question form

I feel Karen now understands this and will implement it into her introduction

Karen had provided a statement in her introduction but had not properly identified the criteria checklist

38 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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SLRP: Doris Epler

INTERN: Rosemarie Dunkelberger

November 11, 1995

Helping Conference Plan Worksheet

Conferee: Nansee Bishop

1 Observations or points of discussion:

a Progress on Nansee's own "Course of Study" to meet commitment

on Needs Assessment

b Point out to Nansee that the staff has different needs assessments'

profiles and she and her committee must be aware of this at all times when they review the assessments

c Remind Nansee when Curriculum Supervisor and Curriculum

Committee will be reviewing the individual assessments of the staff

d "Use of Visuals" - have Nansee see value of this teaching

technique

e Does Nansee show sincere concern of work to be done?

2 Tentative Objectives:

a List of "Action Words" to use in preparation of task analysis

b Guidelines for Nansee and Committee to use in assessing and

editing staff task analyses

3 Introduction:

a Since Nansee is so excitable, have her wait for me for a few

moments in the Conference Room so that she may be able to collect her thoughts and be more relaxed

b Greet Nansee informally

c Give Nansee first opportunity to talk

d Discuss purpose of conference

39 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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FIGURE 5

Re: Nansee Bishop - Conferee

November 11, 1995

4 Body:

a Nansee to explain progress since last conference

b Nansee to explain work completed up to this date and time

c Problems encountered - what is specific problem with "action

words?" (as stated in her memo)

d Review with Nansee (use PowerPoint slides) the following:

What is Task AnalysisWhat are "Action Words"

Criteria to use (in completing Task Analyses)

e Refer to Curriculum Supervisor's Guidebook on Curriculum

5 Summary: Closure

a How Nansee can use action words (she is to explain this)

b Nansee to explain task analysis and guidelines to use in assessing

the tasks analyses of the staff

c MOST IMPORTANT: - Try to have Nansee "jog" her memory in the

use of the Curriculum Guide Book

d Set date for review of Nansee's own "Course of Study" needs

assessment commitment

6 Resource Materials:

a Curriculum Guide Book

b Notes from last conference

40 CGS-774 Fred Monaco

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