Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
FEATURE ARTICLE
Top Skills For Tough Conversations
Spark Effective Dialogue to Solve Complex Issues
By Learning Forward
October 2013
To ensure that all students learn at high levels, teachers must collaborate with colleagues to examine student achievement data, plan or adjust instruction, and track student progress (Schmoker, 2006). By meeting in professional learning communities (Dufour, 2004), teachers continually examine instructional strategies and improve student learning. This school-based, classroom-focused, teacher-initiated reform requires school and district leaders who possess the skills to create conditions that allow teachers to collaborate effectively. Although teacher and administrator preparation programs might not equip educators to do this, school and district leaders can teach and model the skills necessary to facilitate productive conversations among teachers. Facilitation skills that create the conditions for effective teacher dialogue include: Understand the problem clearly. Understand the purpose of each meeting. Establish working agreements. Use effective
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Current State/Preferred Future Protocol
| Once teachers are comfortable with the protocol, they can expect the entire process to take 45 to 60 minutes. Discussing the current state and preferred future will take about 15 minutes each. The remaining 15 to 30 minutes is used to develop effective strategies to address the identified problem(s). The more accurate the data used to identified the current state, the quicker teachers can get to the other two steps. | Current state (15 minutes)1. Each member of the group lists the current state of the situation or problem he or she is working on. Write in as much detail as possible about the status of student achievement in the focus area (i.e. how many students are proficient, developing, or unsatisfactory in the skill area, what strategies have been tried, the assessment results, etc.)2. Each group member shares his or her list, and each response is recorded.3. After all the items are discussed, group members make note of the themes they see in the results. |
Preferred future (15 minutes)4. Next, the group considers the preferred future. Each member writes what he or she thinks would be the goal of the work (i.e. all students will score proficient on the assessment, 95% of students will complete the task with 80% accuracy or above, etc.).5. Each group member shares his or her responses, and the group decides on a goal. |
Next steps (15 to 30 minutes)6. Group members list instructional strategies that will help students achieve the stated goal.7. Group members share and record strategies, then the whole group decides which strategies to implement.8. Teachers in the group implement the agreed-upon strategies, administer assessment, and come back together to examine the results. |
References
Bailey, S. (1997). Sitting in the fire without getting burned. Proceedings from NSDC Annual Conference, Nashville, TN.
Chadwick, B. (2000). Beyond conflict to consensus. Colorado Educators Consensus Institute 2000. Terrebonne, OR: Consensus Associates.
Dufour, R. (2004). Schools as learning communities. Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6-11.
Schiola, S.A. (2011). Making group work easy: The art of successful facilitation. Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
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