Teaching matters most : a school leader's guide to improving classroom instruction /
Thomas M. McCann, Alan C. Jones, Gail A. Aronoff ; foreword by Deborah Meier.
- xx, 181 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Foreword / Preface : Lessons learned from experience. A "new" take in school improvement -- Central theme -- Organization of the book -- What makes this book distinctive -- What are common practices in schools? -- What we found in classrooms -- Truths hidden in plain view -- Transforming accountability -- New direction -- Are there "best practices" in teaching? -- Bringing best practices to scale -- Are some practices better than others? -- The poverty of prescribing best practices -- What distinguishes quality teaching? -- Three classrooms, three practitioners -- A simple truth hidden in plain view -- Disjointed teaching -- Why teachers are frustrated -- What is quality teaching? -- Observing high-quality teaching -- Instructional systems -- The road less traveled -- How do we learn about the quality of our teaching? -- How to make the case for an emphasis on teacher quality -- Three leadership requirements -- Defining quality teaching -- How to engage school personnel in devising a vision of quality instruction -- Some rudiments of quality teaching -- The importance of curriculum coherence -- Learning from students -- The current state of teaching in your school -- How to evaluate the quality of teaching in your school -- What should induction and mentoring look like? -- Basic components of a teacher mentor program -- Facing critical junctures together -- Planning for new teachers' success -- What should professional development look like? -- What we know about professional development -- The disregarded truths of professional development -- The components of a professional learning culture -- Building blocks of professional learning -- Leading professional learning communities -- How can teacher evaluation become more meaningful?. "Drive-by" teacher evaluation -- "Absentee landords" -- Lists and rubrics abound -- How can we sustain a culture of exceptional instruction? -- Ten actions to sustain high-quality teaching -- Systems in place -- Sanctity of the classroom -- Envisioning quality teaching -- Right people in right places -- Balanced leadership -- Clear and timely communication -- Standards for professional conduct -- Collaboration -- Reflection and continuous improvement -- Ongoing professional dialogues -- How do we face our leadership challenges? -- Suppressing distraction -- Building principal's knowledge -- Building trust -- Influencing resistant teachers -- Coping with the pace -- Final thoughts -- Resources. How can you spot a really good teacher? -- Framework for observing classes -- Student forum questions -- Teacher interview questions. Deborah Meier -- 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. A. B. C. D.
1452205108 9781452205106
2011052961
Teachers--In-service training. School improvement programs.