With Peer Observation, Teacher Support Is Right Down The Hall: ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

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With peer observation, teacher support is right down the hall: ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

By Amelia Ruzicka and Cathie Loesing

Categories: Collaboration, Teacher leadership, Technology

April 2024

One of the most powerful professional learning opportunities we can offer teachers does not have to be a complicated process or come in the form of expensive coursework. Sometimes the most effective learning opportunities await right down the hall. As the superintendent of the Bayless School District in St. Louis, Missouri, I (Amelia Ruzicka) have observed meaningful, job-embedded professional learning that benefits everyone who takes part in it, its effects even rippling outward to greater, whole-system improvements. The change catalyst is peer observation. Through this job-embedded process, teachers in Bayless have developed an array of tools and strategies that cultivate a dynamic, effective learning environment for our diverse student population. Today, our peer observation programs are streamlined, focused, and confidential for participating teachers, but they

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References

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Amelia Ruzicka

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Amelia Ruzicka currently serves as superintendent of Bayless School District in St. Louis, Missouri. During her 23 years in education, Ruzicka has served in a variety of capacities, including teacher, instructional coach, professional learning coordinator, and chief academic officer. She has received several awards including MASA Emerging Superintendent of the Year for Greater St. Louis, K-12 Dive’s National Rising Leader, MOSHAPE Administrator of the Year, Missouri Teacher of the Year Finalist, Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, Emerson Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Missouri Outstanding Beginning Teacher. Connect with her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AmyRuzicka.

Cathie Loesing

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Cathie Loesing is an instructional designer with the Network for Educator Effectiveness (NEE) at the University of Missouri. She has extensive experience as an elementary classroom teacher, school librarian, and instructional coach with Missouri public schools. Loesing provided professional learning for K-12 teachers throughout Missouri and other states prior to joining the NEE team. Her current work with NEE involves creating professional development materials for The EdHub Library and providing user support for customers of both EdHub and NEE.