Facilitating Change in Teaching

Question: How can principals, supervisors change teachers’ methods?

 Answer/Quote: “… curriculum coordinators, principals,  and supervisors should consider developing a library of model lessons on videotape for viewing.”

“Establishment of a Professional Library. Professional books, research reports, methods texts, monographs, journals and other informational materials in the area of literacy should be available for staff to examine.” P. 561.

Comment: Videotaping model lessons sounds easy. Just turn on the videotape camera in the classroom. Right? Wrong. These lessons need to be planned both by the teacher involved and by the videotaper. Nothing is more uninteresting than simply turning on the camera in a classroom, except, perhaps for talking heads. Commentary also needs to be recorded, either after-the fact or during the recording. Viewing the tapes also needs to be planned, for. Discussion needs to follow the viewing, together with re-viewable scenarios. RayS.

Title: “Facilitating Change in School Literacy: From State Initiatives to District Implementation.” WA Henk and JC Moore. Journal of Reading (April 1992), 558-562.