Being a critical friend

This episode demonstrates shifts in an ISTE’s practice as a critical friend as he applied new learning about the importance of challenging teachers to surface their assumptions and beliefs and compare them to their practice.

I work as an RT:LB Māori. Last year, senior management in a wharekura referred a teacher to me. Classroom management was the main concern. I met with the teacher and initiated a collaborative problem-solving process that I often adopt. We agreed on tasks and responsibilities for tasks. We gathered data and analysed it. We created an intervention in which I modelled advance organisers and a method for increasing student accountability.

After the teacher observed, we reversed roles and I gave feedback to the teacher on his practice in the intervention. The aim was to enhance student engagement and provide a stronger classroom structure. But there was minimal success in changing teaching practice. Case closed, handed back to management.

This year, the same teacher made a self-referral with the same concerns. We followed the collaborative problem-solving process again, but this time we began with an interview. A few weeks earlier, I’d been really inspired by a presentation at a national hui on the importance of surfacing our assumptions and beliefs. So my questions for the teacher were:

• What is your theory on effective classroom management?
• How would you describe your classroom management?
• What differences are there between your theory and reality?
• How will we close the gaps?

I wrote his answers to each question. We agreed on four strategies to try and close the gaps. We worked on the strategies and collected data to measure progress. Ten weeks later, I interviewed the teacher again, asking the same questions. Here are some of his answers:

What is your theory on effective classroom management?

• 16 May
  Students should be occupied at appropriate levels for 80-100% of the time. Tasks and expectations are displayed and students are aware of them. I check for task completion during the lesson.
• 4 August
  Students have interesting mahi at the right level. I’m in charge. I encourage the children and am enthusiastic. I give clear directions and sit beside students to provide support. The environment is positive and the lesson is well structured. I learn from other teachers.

How would you describe your classroom management?

• 16 May
  50% of students are engaged for 80–100% of the time; the remainder of students are engaged for 50% of the time. I use small group instruction and monitor the others. I give instructions to children as they arrive and make sure tasks are displayed.
• 4 August
  100% of students are engaged for 90% of the time. I begin with lining up routines and warm up exercises. I’m building my classroom routines, getting closer to students when I need to make sure they’re engaged.

What differences are there between your theory and reality?

• 16 May
  No reply
• 4 August
  I’m probably not getting around often enough to some students. I’m not always recognising off-task behaviour. And when I recognise it, I don’t always act on it.

We looked at the data we’d gathered, comparing baseline information to recent results. Here’s one example, for observed on-task/off-task behaviour.

Diagram text version

Ultimately, student engagement does not necessarily lead to improved achievement. But the observational data provides supporting evidence that the teacher has made positive changes to his classroom management.

Finally, we analysed what the teacher had said previously against the new interview data. I was amazed that there has clearly been a positive shift in teaching theory. The teacher has increased his expectations and is accepting responsibility for classroom management.

What made the difference between last year and this? I think two things: the teacher taking initial responsibility with a self-referral; and my serving as a critical friend who challenged him to examine the match between his beliefs and his practice.

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