Protocols for Professional Conversations 2019

Slides for my workshop at the Project Zero Sydney Conference 2019

1. Protocols for Professional Conversations: A User’s Guide The Project Zero Classroom Cameron Paterson [email protected] Twitter: @ cpaterso

2. Understanding Goals What are protocols? How can protocols help us to deepen our understanding of teaching and learning? How can protocols be used to improve our skill and focus in working with students and colleagues?

3. Spirit in which you participate

4. “ Protocol ” A structure (or a series of steps) for guiding a conversation

5. Your questions…… Why did you choose this mini-course ? What do you hope to learn?

6. The Question(s): Think of the professional conversation in which you learned the most. What did you learn in the course of the conversation? What made it powerful? What was the least productive professional conversation you’ve ever had? What made it so difficult?

7. Microlab Protocol Purpose: To address a specific sequence of questions in a structured format with small groups, using active listening skills What’s Examined and Discussed: Usually a question or text.

8. Essential Qualities of a Professional Learning Conversation CLARITY of purpose SAFETY that supports trust and risk taking EQUITY for all participants (LEVITY—because joy is important, too!) Protocols can help with these . . . . Tina Blythe, 2016

9. Essential Opportunities of a Professional Learning Conversation Attending Reflecting Connecting Questioning Extending Protocols can help with these, too . . . Tina Blythe, 2016

10. Features of Protocols Roles Norms Purpose Steps Facilitation Reflection Tina Blythe, 2016

11. Collaborative Assessment Conference A structure by which teachers come together to look at a piece of work, first to determine what it reveals about the student and the issues she/he cares about, and then to consider how the student's issues and concerns relate to the teacher's goals for the student. The last part of the conversation the - discussion of classroom practice - grows out of these initial considerations.

12. Tuning Protocol Widely used and adapted for looking at both student and adult work in and among schools across the country

13. The Consultancy Protocol - A protocol for allowing a group to analyze a dilemma that an individual or the group is experiencing in order to understand the dilemma more deeply. - Exploring a dilemma – not solving it! - Understanding it in a different way opens up new ways of moving forward.

14. 5 Minute Stretch Break

15. For presenting your dilemma

16. Using Protocols They are tools for the work of supporting teacher and student learning (not the work itself). They must be chosen with a specific purpose in mind. It takes some practice before they can be used most effectively.

17. How do protocols help? Help create opportunities for and allocate time to essential conversations about teaching and learning. Provide routines and structures to scaffold collaborative analysis and planning. Support interactions that enable us to develop and demonstrate our understanding of and respect for the variety of perspectives and experiences by our colleagues.

18. Protocols (Almost) all protocols will enhance: Clarity (making the purpose explicit) Safety (creating clear expectations for roles and participation) Equity (enabling/encouraging everyone to participate)

19. Some Protocols Do More Especially protocols that emphasise… Observing Listening Asking questions about what one observes and hears Using conditional language (wondering, considering) Question-finding and question-refining (as opposed to problem-solving) Learning (as opposed to task accomplishment)

20. Challenges of Using Protocols Well Weathering the “learning curve.” Deciding when to use a protocol. Choosing the appropriate protocols for the purposes. Resisting the impulse to problem-solve (at least for a time) Documenting learning and building on previous discussions. Facilitation. Time, time, time.

21. Undergraduate Professional Graduate Advice from Courses Reading Courses Colleague What Influences Teacher Professional Practice? 1 = “Not influential” 4 = “Very influential” 1.8 2.3 2.6 3.6 Dr Douglas Reeves, The Leadership and Learning Center

22. T he extent of trust among adults in schools strongly predicts positive student learning outcomes ( Bryk , 2002).

23. “Professional capital is not driven by a top-down model dictated by senior leaders fulfilling their own agendas but is facilitated by senior leaders giving teacher groups the space to exercise their own professional judgement.” Phil Wood

24. “They constrain participation in order to heighten it.”

25. Credit: Tina Blythe

26. Return to questions

27. Final whip reflections

28. Final written reflections

29. Protocols for Professional Conversations: A User’s Guide The Project Zero Classroom Cameron Paterson [email protected] Twitter: @ cpaterso