“Teaching experience is positively associated with student achievement gains throughout a teacher’s career.” These findings from a recent Learning Policy Institute study make it apparent just how important it is to have experienced teachers in our schools. But in the face of a teacher retention crisis, the pool of experienced teachers is dwindling. We know one of the reasons why this may be, as lack of support has been consistently cited as one of the most common causes for a teacher to leave the professions. “Teachers’ effectiveness increases at a greater rate when they teach in a supportive and collegial working environment” (The Learning Policy Institute).

How can we expedite teacher experience while forming a more supportive environment for teachers?  At Swivl we’ve created the perfect formula and accompanying tools to solve this pressing issue. We’ve seen first hand that when educators are able to embrace these five steps into their schools, the results are profound and impactful.

Step 1: Record

To become a better teacher, faster, you first need a full and accurate assessment of your teaching abilities. With video observations you are able to gain a holistic view of a teacher’s capabilities, which is not always possible via in-person assessments. These recordings are the catalyst to promote self-reflection by the teacher, and to ignite conversations among mentors, peers, and coaches. The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University has been studying the use of video observations in schools and their results have been overwhelmingly positive.

Step 2: Reflect

Recording one’s self for the first time can be intimidating, and sharing your teaching with others can be nerve-wracking. The best way to get past this is simply to watch yourself first and then decide what you feel comfortable sharing. There are a number of great resources listed at the end of this blog to guide you through the self-reflection process.

Step 3: Share

Self-reflection is powerful but only to the extent that you are willing to make strategic and meaningful change to your instruction. Sharing with others and accepting constructive feedback is essential to evolving. Not only does sharing one’s recording enable feedback to be received without any time or location constraints, but it allows for the creation of best practice libraries. We have seen that when teachers create their own shared libraries, the content is far superior compared to third-party libraries, leading to more frequent use and overall effectiveness.  Teachers are able to use these libraries to expedite their own experience via direct video observation of the entire classroom.

Step 4: Support

Support from colleagues, coaches, peers and mentors is an essential aspect to teaching. “Administrative support is the factor most consistently associated with teachers’ decisions to stay in or leave a school,” (Learning Policy Institute). How can administrations provide a higher level of support? The key is to provide continuous meaningful feedback and promote open collaboration that is neither obtrusive nor time-consuming to the administrator or the teacher. After working with thousands of schools, we know that they key to a program’s success lies with a dedicated administration leader who has the vision and drive to achieve this culture of support.

Step 5: Repeat

To keep improving, these steps must be repeated. We’ve seen that with continued repetition a success loop of transformational teaching is formed. With Swivl Cloud, teachers are uniquely able to create a community of continuous professional development and growth which fosters a culture of support that can flourish in schools. When teachers are lifelong learners their successes translate into positive student outcomes. Swivl helps them expedite their growth together.

Teaching is both a science and an art, and an ever-changing one at that. With each influx of pupils a whole generation of new minds are being cultivated. People, and the culture that shapes them, are ever changing variables, and to be successful, teachers must adapt to change and evolve. With the implementation of programmes recommended by both the Department of Education and Ofsted, continued professional development has been shown to be a key factor in the success of teachers’ careers and pupils’ achievement. It is accepted as an integral part of a teacher’s education because only a continuing learning and training programme assures a high level of expertise and enables teachers to keep their professional skills and knowledge up-to-date.

Collaborative CPD, or: “teachers working with at least one other related professional on a sustained basis” (Semantic Scholar), has been shown to be especially effective in both classroom teaching and learning, in part due to the peer support that is introduced into the practice. “In order to improve teaching and learning, continued professional development should start in the classroom: talking about our teaching, learning from our peers, sharing good practice and developing coaching models,” Rachael Stevens says. Pedagogical reflection among peers and mentors is an invaluable practice, greatly enhanced in CPD sessions with the assistance of video observations. By showing these observations in CPD sessions, teachers are able to “bring” attendees into their classroom, allowing for an unparalleled learning experience via direct observation of practises.

Teaching is both a science and an art, and an ever changing one at that. With each influx of students a whole generation of new minds are being fostered. But as every instructor knows, teaching is always a two-way street. People, and the culture that shapes them, are ever changing variables, and to be successful, teachers must adapt to change and evolve. To teach is to learn, and teachers are lifelong learners.

One of the most important means to creating best teaching practices is to instill a practice of self-reflection. But teachers, both new and experienced, don’t have to reflect upon their teaching alone. Not only can mentor teachers and administrators provide support, but instructional coaching has now become commonplace in schools. “Instructional coaches are onsite professional developers who work collaboratively with teachers, empowering them to incorporate research-based instructional methods into their classrooms” says Jim Knight. And the key to effective coaching is in the use of video observations.