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The elements of effective teaching

Professional learning moves vision, framework, and performance standards into action

By Joellen Killion and Stephanie Hirsh
December 2011
Vol. 32 No. 6
Student success depends on effective teaching— not just occasionally, but every day in every classroom and school. Effective teaching impacts students’ academic, physical, socialemotional, and behavioral well-being. Effective teaching occurs best when all education stakeholders, including parents, policymakers, community members, and educators, share responsibility for continuous improvement and student achievement. For teachers in classrooms, effective professional learning is the single most powerful pathway to promote continuous improvement in teaching. Consistently great teaching — every day, in every classroom, and in every school — emerges from a clear vision for teaching and learning. This vision is then translated into an instructional framework that details rigorous outcomes for student and educator performance. The framework and outcomes form the basis for the system for professional learning that makes

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Authors

Joellen Killion and Stephanie Hirsh

Joellen Killion (joellen.killion@learningforward.org) is senior advisor and Stephanie Hirsh (stephanie.hirsh@ learningforward.org) is executive director at Learning Forward.

References

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008, April). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC 2008 as adopted by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration. Washington, DC: Author.

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2011, April).

InTASC model core teaching standards: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: Author.

 

Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Jackson, C.K. & Bruegmann, E. (2009). Teaching students and teaching each other: The importance of peer learning for teachers. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(4), 85-108.

National Science Foundation Task Force on Cyberlearning. (2008). Fostering learning in the networked world: The cyberlearning opportunity and challenge.

 

Washington, DC: National Science Foundation.

Pianta, R.C., La Paro, K.M., & Hamre, B.K. (2008).

Classroom assessment scoring system. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.


Joellen killion
+ posts

Joellen Killion is a senior advisor to Learning Forward and a sought-after speaker and facilitator who is an expert in linking professional learning and student learning. She has extensive experience in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality, standards-based professional learning at the school, system, and state/provincial levels. She is the author of many books including Assessing Impact, Coaching Matters, Taking the Lead, and The Feedback Process. Her latest evaluation articles for The Learning Professional are “7 reasons to evaluate professional learning” and “Is your professional learning working? 8 steps to find out.”

 

Stephanie Hirsh
+ posts

Stephanie Hirsh retired in June 2019 after 31 years with Learning Forward, an international association of more than 13,000 educators committed to increasing student achievement through effective professional learning. Hirsh led the organization as its executive director for the last 13 years where she presented, published, and consulted on Learning Forward’s behalf across North America.


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