When administrators in Dodge City, KS, reviewed their student data in 2019, it was clear that literacy, specifically for their English Language Learners (ELLs), needed to be a top priority.

With 80% of the district’s 7,000 students identifying as Hispanic/Latino, this was already an area of focus. After receiving funding from a state grant, though, the district was ready to take a new approach.

Instead of focusing on top-down PD, Dodge City leaders invested in teacher coaching and self-reflection as a path to student literacy growth. 

To better support ELLs, Dodge City needed to remake their tools and systems for coaching

According to Kelley Clark, Literacy Project Manager and Professional Development Coordinator, this was a research-informed decision.

“We had seen a body of evidence saying that PD sessions alone won’t give us the return we wanted,” Kelley said. “We needed to support what we were doing with instructional coaching.”

In the past, Dodge City had had versions of instructional coaching, and even used classroom video in support of it. But they had identified several challenges to address.

“Coaching looked different across buildings and between individuals. Coaches often did ‘other duties as assigned’ instead of true coaching,” Kelley said.

Their old method of capturing classroom video was also a challenge to address.

“Lots of teachers found coaches visiting classrooms and using iPads to record them intimidating. The teachers had questions: What’s going on with the video? Whose video is it?” Kelley said.

With a clear goal and challenges to address, Dodge City was ready to get to work.

Leaders replaced classroom visits with Swivl Robots to create a more teacher-centered coaching program

Dodge City systematized and focused their coaching efforts by adopting Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle. While coaches used to visit classrooms to record lessons with an iPad, teachers now recorded their own lessons with Swivl Robots. 

Kelley was unsure how teachers would feel about recording themselves with Swivl Robots.

“The teachers actually preferred using the Robots to record themselves over having their coach record them with an iPad,” Kelley said.

At the same time, administrators and coaches audited coaches’ time. This clarified the job’s responsibilities and opened new ways for coaches to offer teacher support.

“Coaches began to leverage video captured by Swivl Robots at multiple points of the coaching cycle,” Kelley said. 

This included:

• Capturing video before coaching to capture the current reality
• Coaches sharing model lessons for teachers to refer to during the coaching cycle
• Recording lessons during the cycle for reflection and richer coaching conversations

Additionally, Dodge City started using Swivl Robots to empower curriculum implementations. When ELA and Math teachers wanted to see a new curriculum taught in a lesson, coaches recorded and shared model lessons. These acted as concrete examples of instructional expectations teachers could revisit and share with others.

“We invested in teachers, focusing on collective efficacy,” Kelley said of the changes Dodge City made to support ELL achievement.

Teachers are empowered to reflect with classroom video, and ELLs show growth in crucial skills

“Change takes time. But we are seeing teacher practice shift,” Kelley said. 

This shift in practice has led to concrete results related to Dodge City’s goal to support ELLs. Recently, the Dodge City ESOL and Diversity Director shared assessment data showing growth in speaking, listening, and reading skills for ELL students.

“It’s steady, incremental growth, which is what we want to see,” Kelley said.

Kelley believes that giving teachers tools to engage in meaningful self-reflection and coaching is a key piece of that growth.

“When the Swivl Robot is in the classroom, it’s an objective observer,” Kelley said. “Teachers look at what they’re doing, and how their kids are responding. That’s more powerful than anyone coming in and saying ‘you should be doing this or that.’”

Kelley looks forward to expanded use of Teams by Swivl (now Reflectivity) for asynchronous discussion through time-stamped commenting, as a way to enrich face to face conversations with teachers.

During a recent coaching session, Kelley observed the power of giving teachers tools to reflect on classroom video.  While watching a video, the teacher saw how often she laughed with students and had fun moments with them during class. 

“She was laughing and having a good time, but she wasn’t conscious of it,” Kelley said. “It’s not always about identifying negative things. There are so many positives to discover.”

The post How Dodge City Schools Transformed Their Coaching Program to Support ELL Achievement appeared first on Swivl.

By June 2021, half of American schools were using a hybrid learning model. 

Since then, schools have invested in hardware and software. Teachers have expanded their tech skills.  It’s been a crash course in using tools and talents to stay connected and solve problems, even when apart.

Now, administrators are applying the same tools and talents to one of the most urgent issues in education: teacher support. 

Let’s look at how two innovative districts re-imagined teacher support using classroom video to build relationships and maximize educator growth.

But first, let’s review current teacher support practices, and why they’re inadequate for helping teachers with the challenges of a return to in-person instruction.

New tools can help improve old teacher support models

Student behavior issues and academic skills gaps make today’s classroom challenges uniquely acute.

Traditional teacher support practices, including new teacher mentoring, observations, one-size-fits-all PD, and walk-throughs, are inadequate to address current instructional challenges because feedback happens too slowly and too infrequently. For most teachers, support drops significantly after year one. 

Some districts have invested in instructional coaching, formal peer collaboration like professional learning communities (PLCs), and personalized professional learning paths. 

While these structures are an improvement, they also bring challenges. Substitute shortages and other stressors on personnel make it impractical to get coverage to observe a colleague’s class. Travel across district makes coaching time- and resource-intensive.

Without a common place for capturing instruction, reflecting, discussing, and planning next steps, support efforts can feel wasted or one-off. 

The perfect storm has emerged, where teachers need more support than ever, and districts need support to be more efficient than ever. The good news? Many districts have already discovered tools and systems that can help make it happen.

Here are two examples. 

How an Arizona district leverages classroom video to support early-career and “singleton” teachers

Littleton Elementary, a district of seven physical and one virtual schools in Avondale, Arizona, was first introduced to Swivl Robots to support remote instruction. 

“Then, we realized the power of video and streaming,” Director of Instructional Technology Jim Verrill said.

Jim and his team saw how Teams by Swivl paired with Robots would address the district’s challenges in supporting high-quality instruction for all students with many early-career teachers on staff.

Littleton has implemented a continuum of teacher support practices all based on classroom video:

• Self-reflection: Principals encourage teachers to identify instructional challenges through self-reflection
  
• Peer collaboration: Singleton teachers collaborate cross-district with colleagues teaching the same subject. Content or grade-level teams record, share and reflect on lessons to maintain curricular alignment.
  
• Coaching: Coaches have increased their frequency and depth of feedback by having teachers share and discuss classroom video through Teams.
  
• Admin support: Leaders assess school progress through remote walkthroughs, where they view and discuss short instructional videos around key themes. 

Through self-reflection, collaboration, coaching and admin support, Littleton has developed an efficient, effective way to build relationships and encourage educator growth.

These Florida coaches use video to expand teacher support and reduce distractions

While traditional coaching can be powerful for teacher support, it comes with the potential for distraction. 

“What we want teachers to do is maintain their power in the room,” St. Lucie Instructional Specialist Dana Miller said. “And we don’t want distraction for students.” St. Lucie Public Schools is a Florida district with 50 schools and over 40,000 students.

St. Lucie had a strong foundation of coaching pre-pandemic, and they used their Robots to help absent students stay up-to-speed with missed work.  They now leverage Swivl Robot + Teams with Jim Knight’s Coaching Framework to make their coaching more efficient and discreet. 

St. Lucie does not require teachers to record themselves, but offers Robots to teachers looking for support. After teachers self-reflect, coaches encourage teachers to identify where they may want to work with a coach. Because teachers have already captured video, teacher and coach can discuss without having to schedule a new observation. 

This year, St. Lucie coaches have pushed their work further using Robots for live-streamed lessons with in-ear coaching. 

“As a coach, we see a problem in the moment, and we can help the teacher make a fix right away,” Dana said. “We use as few words as possible so the feedback is quick, immediate, and not distracting to the teacher.”

In a time of uncertainty, the need for teacher support is clear

While much is uncertain for school and district leaders in the coming months, a few things are certain. 

Teachers will need support to overcome challenges and help students continue to make academic progress. These support interventions will need to be effective, but also time and resource efficient because of the circumstances districts face. 

As both Littleton and St. Lucie demonstrate, it’s time to repurpose the tools and talents adopted for hybrid and remote learning. It’s time to offer teachers a continuum of support options and pathways to get help. And it’s time to make classroom video the centerpiece of teacher growth.

The post From Florida to Arizona, Districts Have Reimagined Teacher Support appeared first on Swivl.

We love seeing how our Swivl Community keeps connections and relationships at the forefront of all they’re doing this school year, while still offering robust teacher support. A great example of these efforts is Littleton Elementary School District #65 (LESD) in Arizona.

Teachers at LESD are incorporating the Swivl Robot+Teams (Teams is now Reflectivity) into their classrooms. By live streaming with Swivl Robot+Teams, teachers are able to broadcast their lessons to remote learners. Using these tools gives remote students a view of everything going on within the classroom, which helps them feel more connected.

In this video, Jim Verrill (Director of Instruction Technology/Integration) and Rio Stinger (Tres Rios Elementary Teacher) talk about their experience using Swivl Robot+Teams in their classrooms.

Littleton Elementary School District at a glance:

• Location: Avondale, Arizona
• # of teachers: 334 teachers
• Grade level: K-8
• Swivl products used: Teams+Robot
• Started using Swivl Teams+Robot in 2021 

For more information about how educators around the world are using Swivl tools to build relationships with students, follow Swivl on social media.

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The next four years really matter when it comes to addressing teacher retention.

In 2020, the National Education Association conducted a nationwide poll of educators. They found that 28% of educators are more likely to retire early or leave the profession due to the pandemic.¹ From brand new teachers to school leaders and mentors with over 30 years of experience, everyone is feeling the burnout of navigating uncertainty, hybrid learning, and working remotely (hello, Zoom fatigue).

At times, it can feel like teacher turnover is compounding. Pre-pandemic, 40 percent of teachers left the profession within five years of starting.² In addition to these statistics, the U.S. education system was already facing challenges with teacher shortages and a lack of diversity within the workforce. 

While some teachers have decided to head back into the classroom for the 21-22 school year, there is still great uncertainty around retention rates. Issues adding to the uncertainty include: 

• The Delta variant, 
• Government mandates, 
• Concerns from parents and guardians, and 
• Learning loss.

There are many conversations happening within the education community about how to address teacher retention. Trending solutions often feel complex, unachievable, and dismissive of the social and emotional health of teachers.This is why at Swivl we believe that if schools and districts do one thing this fall, it’s to have more conversations with their teachers. Here’s why.

Prioritizing Relationships Empowers Teachers

Most of the environments teachers operated in daily throughout the pandemic did not foster strong, trusting relationships. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators were operating in crisis mode. And, let’s not forget that the small, daily interactions with their administrators, peers, and students in school hallways, classrooms, cafeterias, and during after-school activities disappeared due to social distancing. Pre-pandemic, these were powerful times of impromptu relationship building, coaching, and modeling for teachers.

The environments administrators and teachers are returning to this year aren’t ripe for cultivating strong, trusting relationships either. Educators had a lot of hope at the end of the last school year — hope that the 2021-22 year would resemble some form of pre-pandemic life, especially as states lifted mask and travel restrictions. But, having to return to more uncertainty around what this school year will look like, compounded with the pressure to make up for lost time (e.g. learning loss), makes it easy to feel less hopeful, less optimistic, and less motivated to build relationships.

And while it is easy to reminisce about pre-pandemic school years, what was considered a normal school environment back then often was not encouraging of relationship development. Even though teachers worked in a building with dozens of other educators it was common for teachers to feel isolated and to only have one or two strong, trusting relationships with their peers.

When people are in a positive emotional space — in an environment that fosters closeness, consistency, and trust — this actually opens up the opportunity for connection and learning. Even in the midst of uncertainty and burnout teachers can become more willing to take risks and stay curious in these environments. Risk-taking and curiosity are two skills that are essential for fueling motivation, cultivating belonging, and increasing self-confidence. They are also the two skills that can have a positive impact on teacher retention.

How Trusting Relationships Impact Teacher Retention

Due to last year’s remote and hybrid learning, both first and second year teachers are experiencing what it’s like to be “new” to classroom teaching this year. And while teachers with more experience may have the skills and knowledge they need to feel successful, they might be feeling a bit rusty. 

Administrators can help teachers learn the ins and outs of classroom teaching, and brush up on their classroom management skills by cultivating strong, trusting relationships with them.

Trust is an important element of the administrator and teacher relationship. When administrators and teachers have trust in each other they feel like their voice matters, that they are valued for their perspective and contribution, and it creates a space where it is safe to show up as their authentic selves.

Brené Brown, a research professor who studies courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, explains how people can build trust with each other, “Trust is earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.”⁴

Imagine what it would look like if a teacher had strong trusting relationships with their administration. Would teachers be more willing to take risks in the classroom to increase student engagement? Would teachers be more bold when brainstorming solutions with their peers? Would teachers be more candid in conversations about the social and emotional support they’re in need of? Yes! Yes to all of these and more.

Strong, trusting relationships between teachers and administrators create opportunities for learning and development — in both directions. There is an openness from both parties to receive and give feedback, model skills and values, and meet each other where they’re at. It also helps teachers be more open to different coaching and mentoring methods, including the use of video.

The Role of Video in Coaching and Mentoring

In a federal study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, they examined the benefits of mentorship programs. They found that 92 percent of first-year teachers who had mentors returned to the classroom for a second year.⁵ 

When we’re talking about mentoring and coaching, we are not talking about traditional approaches. Traditionally, evaluation systems dictate that a teacher’s performance during observations has an impact on whether or not they are re-hired, especially for new teachers. The observer holds the power to end or continue the teacher’s job. There is often a heavy reliance on rubrics, checklists, and “look fors” to help guide the evaluation process.

The type of coaching and mentorship we’re referring to is helping teachers get as good as possible at teaching, building relationships with their students, and helping teachers feel supported throughout this process. This type of coaching and mentorship is much, much easier when an existing relationship is present. Why? It’s main purpose is to empower teachers to build strong, trusting relationships with their students. Teachers who have a strong, trusting relationship with their coach or mentor can use that relationship as a model of what to build with each student they teach.

Video is a powerful tool in this type of coaching and mentoring. Feedback shifts from performance-based to collecting and citing evidence. Being able to discuss what was observed makes it easier to set goals, track progress over time, and, when trusting relationships are present, creates the space for open dialogue.

When coaches and mentors are observing recordings to measure things like talk time and student questions, they can view these things through the lens of relationship building. Is what they are observing cultivating strong, trusting relationships between the teacher and students? Based on Swivl’s research and experience, we have found that the following five questions can help coaches, mentors, and teachers view recordings through a relationship building lens:

• Is the teacher asking a lot of questions to the students?
• How is the teacher prompting dialogue in their classroom?
• When students are responding to questions, is the teacher listening effectively to them?
• What methods is the teacher using to capture the students’ attention?
• Does the teacher know and use the students’ names?

Where to Begin with Video Coaching

It can be daunting to implement a video coaching program within a school. Educators often feel anxious about recording themselves, and without a process or plan in place it can be difficult to know what to do with the videos once they’re recorded.

Swivl has developed a strong relationship with Jim Knight, a video coaching expert. Jim has researched video coaching for over twenty and has experience working with over 100,000 coaches from around the world. His organization, the Instructional Coaching Group (ICG), is dedicated to helping educators develop the skills and tools they need to make a positive impact on students.

ICG has created hundreds of helpful resources to guide schools through the process of  implementing a video coaching program, and we have found that the two resources listed below are a great place to start:

1. A worksheet to create an observation plan. Video coaching sessions are most effective when a video observation plan is created before filming. Through completing this worksheet together, the coach and coachee create a shared understanding around the purpose and goals of the video observation.
2. An exercise to help educators become comfortable with video observations. For this simple exercise, educators are asked to identify two sections of a video recording that they like, and one or two sections of video that they would like to explore further with their coach. It also includes helpful tips for watching the video and completing the exercise (e.g. watch the entire recording in one sitting, uninterrupted)

While using video in coaching and mentoring works best if an existing relationship is already present, you can continue to build trust with teachers while using video.

Ways to Cultivate Trust with Teachers While Using Video

Visibly Better is a website created to share the transformative power of video within the classroom. Started in 2017 by the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, Visibly Better, supported by Swivl’s research, compiled six practical ways to cultivate trust with teachers through video:⁶

1. Start small. Implement video gradually, as teachers feel ready. You might even consider starting with a pilot program for volunteers instead of making it mandatory for everyone.
2. Make it easy. Streamline the technology ahead of time. Make it as simple as possible in order to ease its adoption in the classroom.
3. Be clear. Tell teachers how the video will be used, how frequently it will be used, and what it will be used for. Explain how using video aligns with school and instructional priorities. The more information you can provide, the better.
4. Empower teachers. Give teachers the choice of which lessons they would like to be recorded. While you might have to prompt teachers to record imperfect lessons, giving them a choice helps teachers feel like they are part of the process.
5. Engage teachers early. Include teachers in the decision-making processes around the use of video as early as possible.
6. Recognize time constraints. It’s important to integrate video into existing responsibilities, processes, and time frames to avoid additional stress. It is appropriate to consider what tasks may have to be taken off their plates as you add video.

At Swivl we have spent the past decade helping schools around the world implement video coaching in their schools and districts. These experiences and findings help to shape the development of all of our products, especially Teams by Swivl. 

Five Ways To Use Teams by Swivl This Year

Teams by Swivl, is a web and app-based video collaboration system that allows educators to create videos for a variety of different uses, for example professional development, flipped classrooms, and teacher and student observations. Features like time-stamped commenting, video bookmarking, and video editing help to streamline video coaching processes and keep the conversation between coach and coachee going.

Below are five examples of ways administrators and teachers can use Teams by Swivl to cultivate strong, trusting relationships this year:

• Conducting a Peer-to-Peer visual visit that invites other teachers into their classroom during planning, PLN, or PLC time
• Providing in-ear coaching for new teachers using the live stream option
• Recording lessons for self-reflection to identify areas of growth in their instruction, content, and teaching style
• Creating training libraries so teachers can watch how classroom strategies can be applied within a classroom
• Posting recordings of PD sessions for teachers and administrators to refer back to

To recap, let’s start from the beginning. Teacher turnover will continue to be a pressing issue for the 2021-22 school year. To support new and experienced teachers transitioning back into the classroom, administrators can use video in their coaching and mentoring sessions. Video will be more widely accepted by teachers when an existing relationship is present. And, Teams by Swivl is a powerful video tool created to help teachers and administrators streamline video coaching processes, among other things.

Sources:

1. “Safety Concerns Over COVID-10 Driving Some Educators Out of the Profession,” National Education Association, August 2020.
2. “5 Things to Know About Today’s Teaching Force,” EdWeek, October 2018.
3. “How the Science of Learning and Development Can Transform Education,” Science of Learning & Development Alliance, May 2020.
4. “SuperSoul Sessions: The Anatomy of Trust,” Brené Brown, March 2018.
5. “Public School Teacher Attrition and Mobility in the First Five Years,” U.S. Department of Education, April 2015.
6. “Building Trust,” Visibly Better, The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, 2021.

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Learn how allowing student ideas to flourish will change the landscape of your education system.

Resources discussed during the webinar>

Generously provided by Rick Jetter and Rebecca Coda

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Resources discussed during the webinar>

Generously provided by Trevor Mackenzie

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References from the Interview

The Impact Cycle

High Impact Instruction

The Reflection Guide to Better Conversations

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