"I believe that one of the reasons my framework has become so widely accepted is that it gives voice to what all educators know, that teaching is very complex work, it's a thinking person's job and you cannot follow a cookbook." Charlotte Danielson
What makes good teaching? Critics and reformers believe it is something that can be quantified, replicated and packaged. They also believe that given the right textbooks or high stakes exam, educators can be made to teach in the same way which will bring equality to the classroom, and therefore all students will succeed. After all, can't we use the same formula and get the same results?
The reality is that teaching is both a science and an art, and it is difficult. It is difficult to teach because students enter our classrooms from diverse backgrounds, where they have had diverse experiences, and not every parent cares about their child in the same way, which means that some of our children enter our schools with a great deal of emotional baggage.
Charlotte Danielson understands our student populations, and even more so, she understands good teaching. She has taught every level from kindergarten through college, has been an administrator and a consultant, and she believes good teaching comes from using reflective practice in four main areas. Those four areas are; planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities.
Given the recent changes in teacher and administrator evaluation, I wanted to get Charlotte's perspective on how her effective and thought-provoking tool is being implemented in states across the country.
A Conversation with Charlotte Danielson:
PD: We have many students entering our schools with diverse needs. How can the Danielson Framework help teachers better meet the needs of those students?
CD: The framework includes the four critical domains of planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities, each divided into smaller components. It is a description of good teaching, in any context. One of the common themes - and there are seven - focuses on differentiating instruction to appropriately teach all students, including those with special needs. The framework doesn't give specific guidance on how to address diverse needs, - it's generic and applies to all teaching situations, subjects, and grade levels - and I don't think there is any frame work published that does offer that type of guidance. However, it does help teachers and administrators focus on how to achieve a high level of performance in the classroom.
The framework is grounded in active student engagement which we know from cognitive psychology is integral to student learning. It also encourages conversation between teachers or a teacher and administrator, which has been heavily researched, and has been found to be extremely important in promoting professional learning. That professional conversation where a teacher can reflect on which aspects of practice could be enhanced and an administrator offers resources to help that teacher is a key element in finding the solution to properly educating diverse populations.
However, we need to remember that just saying it in a book does not make it happen and doesn't make it easy for the teacher. The real work is on implementation. I think it's important not to define the problem away by saying it can easily be answered in a book. Teaching is enormously challenging work, and books cannot solve - or even predict - every problem that arises in a classroom.
PD: Why is reflective practice so important to teaching and how can educators improve it?
CD: There is a great deal of research about the effectiveness of reflective practice. Self-assessment, professional conversation and reflection on practice contribute to professional learning. If the reflective practice piece of the framework is not used well than it really doesn't help anyone.
This does not just mean that teachers should reflect on their practice in the classroom. It means that the observers must identify what they saw in the classroom, withhold judgment about it, and take the time to discuss with the teacher the circumstances surrounding the observation. This is much easier to accomplish in an environment of trust to bring their teaching to another level.
PD: How can educators maximize their classroom environment to build student engagement?
CD: Student intellectual engagement is the heart of the framework for teaching and is reflected in the nature of what we ask the students to do. If we always just tell them things or give them procedures for X and Y, they will not be engaged. If we invite them to think and solve problems, and enable them to consolidate their understanding, they are likely to be engaged. This is not to say that there is never a place for a lecture, but it must be presented in a manner that engages students intellectually.
PD: How has high stakes testing impacted the classroom environment and teacher instruction?
CD: I don't know any teachers, or indeed any union activists, who would try to argue that student ...
