Teacher Leader KnowledgeBase

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

The Teacher Leader KnowledgeBase aims to raise awareness of the teacher leader role at the district level and to support teachers aspiring to the teacher leader role through master's degree-level university programs.

Task 2: Enhance Observational Skills

Guideline: Possessing effective observational skills is important in instruction, as well as leadership. A teacher in a leadership role needs strong observational skills to help colleagues enhance instructional skills. This task provides resources to assist in gaining such awareness.

Resources

Tools

Classroom Observation Tools

This link is to a series of classroom observation tools from Learning Point Associates. These tools are intended for literacy coaches when working with secondary content-area teachers. As noted at this website, "these tools provide coaches with protocols that will make observations and conversations uniform, thorough, engaging” and most importantly, research-based." Though intended for literacy coaches, the concepts employed may be useful to teachers in other leadership roles.

Strengthening Observational Skills

This link is to a tool to strengthen observational skills provided at the ASSIST project website. The ASSIST project is supported by a partnership with Michigan State University and the Michigan State Board of Education through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education.