curriculum
instruction
assessment
teacher effectiveness
student learning
100
Dr. Sheldon Cooper looks online to find proof of planning by Mr. Brown. He is pleased to find up to date evidence of advance planning for instruction for the current week.
What are lesson plans?
100
As Penny is walking from room to room at VPA she starts to wonder if students that were having some problems in school (as she had) were getting instruction on their own level. Just as she is about to ask for evidence, she walks into Mrs. Gueno's room in time to see students gathered in a small group - she is soooooo happy!
What is guided reading that gives students instruction at their level to move them to the next level?
100
Sheldon thinks something happened in Howard's elementary years and this is why he is the only one in the group that is not a DR. He thinks that maybe Howard did not understand something important in a standard but his teacher did not realize it! He never got that important part of the standard and was forever behind his peers. Sheldon is so happy to see evidence that teachers at VPA "know" which of their students understand each part of the standard and which ones don't.
What is using a common formative assessment to keep up with student understanding?
100
When Penny got laid off at the Cheesecake Factory she thought about doing some substituting in a classroom (until she got her big break into movies, of course). She walked into Ms. Rolly's classroom to learn how to keep students in their seats and found out there was a lot more to it than just keeping them in their seats! Ms. Rolly walked around so much she had to put on her houseshoes!
What is keeping students on task and engaged in their learning? What is classroom management?
100
Leonard always had many extra curricular activities when he was in school. He studied music and played the cello in elementary school. He was glad to see students getting the opportunity to do this in Mrs. Bartee's music class. He knew some children would like this while others might not and he was glad they were getting the chance to pursue their interests. (He was a little confused since he thought Mrs. Bartee retired last year!!)
What is meeting individual student needs and interests?
200
Dr. Leonard Hofstadter wants to know where Mrs. Mirafuentes' class is at 10:00 a.m. so he can go observe in her room. He goes to the office to get this information. He is happy to find that information quickly. He also plans to talk to her about her maiden name - he thinks they may be related! (They aren't since the spelling is different - bummer!)
What is a class schedule?
200
Sheldon is very curious about students at VPA. He is convinced that no students are as intelligent as he, and he is surprised to find that he is wrong! He walks into Mrs. Malugen's room to find students working on very detailed research projects at a very advanced level.
What is instruction that advances students to the next level?
200
Raj walks into a PLC to find teachers discussing an appropriate way to see if students understand all the parts of a Common Core standard. He realizes they are creating a way to do this which requires a lot of discussion. Even though he can't speak to the 3rd grade teachers, since they are all women, he gives a thumbs up showing his approval - without saying a word. (Of course, the 3rd grade teachers don't let him get by with no talking - they chase him down the hall until he talks!!)
What is collaborating in a PLC to create a CFA to assess students and improve student achievement?
200
Leonard walked into a classroom at another elementary school in the area and found students playing with toys under their desks, walking around bothering each other, looking out the window daydreaming, and talking to each other about their weekend plans. He was so relieved to see students happily working in groups on a common task in Mrs. Moore's class. She told Leonard that there would be much more instruction on this in TESS face to face sessions with Mr. Case, Mrs. Rodely, and Coach Swift. (yay.........)
What is student engagement?
200
Howard was given a folder with sign in sheets that parents signed at PIN, contracts signed at Parent-Teacher conferences, copies of report cards of mid-nine weeks and nine weeks, and discipline reports signed by parents.
What is informing parents of student performance?
300
Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski is unsure that students are producing appropriate writing pieces in Mrs. Farris' class. She "walks" down the hall and finds all the evidence she needs. She now knows that the curriculum at VPA includes effective writing instruction. She also plans to congratulate her on becoming a "double" granny!!
What are samples of student work displayed in the hall?
300
Since Howard is an engineer, he is very concerned about students being allowed to discover different ways to solve problems in math in the way that is best for them. He is so happy to see evidence of this when he goes into Mrs. Blakely's and Mrs. Heath's first grade classrooms and sees those containers of brightly colored "items" out on the desks of the students. He can tell students are solving the problems in different ways.
What is the use of manipulatives in math that allows students to solve problems in the way that is best for them while ensuring student engagement?
300
Amy Farrah Fowler is interested to find out how teachers assess a "chunk" of learning standards. She walks into Mrs. McLoy's room to see students reading and answering questions on their laptops and into Mrs. Gueno's room to find them filling in bubbles on a form. She is pretty sure that teaching is a harder job than studying her nicotine-addicted monkeys!!
What are TLI interim assessments?
300
After complimenting Mrs. Richardson on her new Picco top, Amy Farrah Fowler quickly gets down to business and asks her how she knows when or how to change her instruction or current strategy? Then, she meets Mrs. Meredith in the hall and asks her how she knows the special needs of her students that are walking down the hall with her? After a brief explanation by Mrs. Meredith, they discuss Sarah's new lipstick color and the fact that she has gorgeous skin just like Amy's BFF, Penny.
What is reflecting on your teaching and studying student understanding in order to modify instruction?
300
Raj was happy to see VPA's website and that Mrs. Cook had linked parent information to it. He was also interested in the newsletter sent out to parents and listened as Mrs. Cook explained the parenting tips she had provided and the scheduled parent nights coming up.
What is informing parents of coming events and activities at VPA to ensure their involvement in their child's education?
400
Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali is concerned that students are not being informed of the learning expected of them. He really wants to know that students understand the standards and expectations of their teachers. He is pleased to walk in Mrs. Griffin's room and find evidence of stated standards in student-friendly language. He is really glad since this requires no talking by him since he can't talk to women!
What are "I can" statements posted in the classroom?
400
Computers and technology are a big part of Raj's work and life (especially when he is unable to talk to girls - he can at least email them!) so he is so happy to see how excited students are to view a video clip and compare it to a piece of literature in Mrs. Rollings' classroom.
What is the use of technology in the classroom to enhance instruction?
400
Though Sheldon, Raj, and Howard all made a perfect score on the ACT, they wonder how students at VPA are assessed each year and how this might prepare for taking those really hard tests over a HUGE amount of information. They talk to Mrs. Whiteside and Mrs. Shoemaker about those shelves and shelves of notebooks with data from previous years. They are glad to discover the answer to their concerns about BIG tests.
What is summative testing (ITBS and Benchmark) given once a year to check student achievement and student growth?
400
As Sheldon knocked on the door of the conference room in his irritating way: tap, tap, tap, Mrs. Rodely: tap, tap, tap, Mrs. Gammill: tap, tap, tap, Mrs. Ellis, he could hear teachers chanting: "What do we want students to learn?", "How will we know if they have learned it?", "What will we do if they don't learn it?", "What will we do if they do learn it?" He was curious.
What are the 4 guiding questions of a PLC?
400
Amy Farrah Fowler walked into the cafeteria to find an adult sitting with a student discussing doing their homework. He also saw a group of 5 students with an adult discussing a book. She even saw 3 adults working with students using flash cards in the hall. She couldn't help but think, "It really does take a village!"
What are lunch buddies, book club leaders, and volunteer tutors and how do they assist the school?
500
It is important to a good, structured curriculum that advanced planning of a year of instruction be done. Standards could be listed in a form showing the whole year. So, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler wants to see evidence of this at VPA. She could view evidence in the TLI portal (if she knew how to log on, that is!) Or, maybe Mrs. Waddell has this evidence in a folder ready for her to see when she comes into her room! (Then Audri could ask her where she got her outfit!!)
What is a pacing guide?
500
Penny doesn't understand how teachers know how to teach. She sees that teaching is a huge job! She is seeing so many different ways of teaching and many examples of awesome instruction in the classrooms at VPA. She walks into Mrs. Leonard's room to see 2 teachers working with students. She finds out that someone named Mrs. Gammill is showing the students a new strategy in math. She sees that it takes lots of people to make VPA successful.
What is providing support in instruction to improve student achievement?
500
Penny loves chocolate as much as anyone but she is surprised to find teachers rushing to the conference room to eat chocolate and discuss numbers on forms. She is happy to find out that these teachers are so concerned about student achievement that they use their rotation times to discuss these numbers.
What is discussing data in a PLC to increase student achievement?
500
Penny walked into Mrs. Draper's and Mrs. Williams' classroom and asked students what they are learning that day. She was glad for them to tell her.
What is "students having knowledge of the learning expectations?"
500
The whole team walked down the hall together looking at the funny stories from Mrs. Davis', Mrs. Anderson's, and Mrs. Band's first grade students, student-created graphs and charts from Mrs. Lacy's, Ms. Brosch's, and Ms. Mason's math classes, art work from Mrs. Carrington's art class, PE Olympics winners from Coach Turner's classes, and work from Mrs. Tidwell's, Ms. Townsley's, Mrs. Kremerer's, and Mrs. Smith's room and they were in awe!
What is posting student work in the hallways to show student learning?
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