Demonstrating+Flexibility+and+Responsiveness


 * //Domain 3e Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness //**

== As noted by Charlotte Danielson, teachers make hundreds of decisions every day. According to Danielson, the most difficult decisions often relate to adjusting a lesson in midstream, when it becomes obvious that a change is needed. If, for example, a particular activity is confusing to students or requires understanding they have not yet acquired, a flexible teacher must adapt. To put it more simply, a flexible teacher is one who can adjust “on the fly!”  == 


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 * //Danielson ////discusses three situations where a teacher can demonstrate his flexibility and responsiveness: //**

Danielson points out “If students have never heard of a phenomenon on which a teacher is basing an entire explanation, the teacher may need to back up and offer an explanation.” Furthermore, if a particular activity is not appropriate for the students and such is clear, a flexible teacher may opt to adjust what she had planned or conceivably, drop the activity entirely. Sometimes, such adjustments may be minor and other times, it may require a major change. Danielson notes that “Occasionally a change in pace is all that is required; students are lethargic when a pace is too slow, but they become re-engaged when the pace picks up."
 * 1st Situation: An instructional activity that is not working**.

In short, if the horse is dead, the teacher has to get off it!



Danielson uses a reference to a 2nd grader arriving at school with a caterpillar that immediately captures the interest of the entire class. How will a flexible teacher handle that? Or at a secondary level, Danielson submits what if something occurred at an athletic contest or there was some sort of school-wide conflict that diverts the attention of the entire school. A flexible teacher will take these challenges and turn them into a "teachable moment" and then, Danielson states “use it as a springboard for an important and memorable intellectual experience. Teachers demonstrate flexibility when they seize upon a major event and adapt their lesson to it, fulfilling their instructional goals but in a way that is different from what they had originally planned."
 * 2nd Situation: A Spontaneous event that provides an opportunity for Learning. **

In short, if the students give the teacher lemons, can she make lemonade with them? 

**3rd Situation: A teacher's sense of committment to the learning of ALL Students.** When difficulty in learning occurs, a responsive teacher who persists in the search for alternative approaches. A flexible and responsive teacher does not blame the students, their home environment, or the larger community culture for the deficiency.   // //  //<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">Enhancing Professional Practice, A Framework for Teaching, 2nd Edition, Charlotte Danielson, p. 88-90 // <span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; msobidifontfamily: Arial;"> //**<span style="font-size: 13pt; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themeshade: 191;">What does a flexible & responsive teacher look like in the classroom? **//
 * · ** //**//<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #1f497d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As a general statement, Danielson notes highly flexible and responsive teachers are usually more experienced. Newer teachers don’t generally have the repertoire of skills to simply abandon a planned out lesson in midstream and embark in a totally new direction, for which they are not prepared. This kind of flexibility requires a good deal in teacher confidence. //**
 * · ** ////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #1f497d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">**Teachers demonstrate lack of flexibility when they stick to “the plan”, even when it becomes clear that the plan is not working. A teacher also fails to demonstrate flexibility when they brush aside a student's comment or question or when they quickly dismiss the caterpillar in the interests of returning to "real work."** //

//<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;">There are 3 categories for which a teacher may be evaluated under the Danielson Framework. They are 1) **Lesson Adjustment**, 2) **Response to Students** 3) **Persistence**. For each, the performance standards for the teacher are ranked: 1) ////**<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: red; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Unsatisfactory **////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;">, 2) ////**<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Basic **////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;">, 3) ////**<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #1f497d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Proficient **////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;"> and 4) ////**<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #00b050; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Distinguished **////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;">. ( ////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themetint: 242;">See ////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;"> Figure 4.16 ////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themetint: 242;">Danielson, p. 91 ////<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #0d0d0d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-themetint: 242;">) //

<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: red; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif';">An “**Unsatisfactory Teacher**” adheres rigidly to an instructional plan, even when it is obvious a change in needed and ignores or brushes aside student questions or interests. When a student has difficulty learning, a teacher either blames the student or home environment. <span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif';"> A “**Basic Teacher**” will attempt to adjust the lesson when needed, with only partially successful results and attempts to accommodate student’s interest or questions, although the pacing of the lesson is disrupted. The Teacher accepts responsibility for the success of all students but has only a limited repertoire of strategies to draw on. //<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #1f497d; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> A “**Proficient Teacher**” will make minor adjustments to a lesson and the adjustment will occur smoothly and the teacher will successfully accommodate student’s questions or interests. The teacher will persist in seeking approaches for students who have difficulty learning, using a wide variety of strategies in their repertoire. //<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> //<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #00b050; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> A “**Distinguished Teacher**” will successfully be able to demonstrate the ability to make major adjustments to a lesson when needed and will seize major opportunities to enhance learning, building student interest. The teacher also persists in seeking effective approaches for students who need help using a wide variety of methods and uses additional resources at the school. // <span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">//Enhancing Professional Practice, A Framework for Teaching, 2nd Edition, Charlotte Danielson, p. 91//

Resource: You will note have time this evening to register at this site ([|www.pd360.com]) but please take down the website and check it out at a later date. **//It even includes video clips on teacher evaluations & post evaluation conferences!//** //** PD360.com is a school improvement / school administrator website that requires a fee to remain a member, but it does provide a 30 day trial period for free. It requires you to register, but the site provides significant, useful professional development material, including a couple of video segments on adjustable lessons, for both Elementary and Secondary educational settings that allow for a well prepared teacher to more easily adjust the lesson as needed. **//<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #00b050; line-height: 115%; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">

The video clips from //pd360// are just a little too large to upload into wikipages, sorry! media type="file" key="Instructional Strategies Ferris Beuller's Day Off.flv" width="175" height="139" When the kids just don't get it, can you adjust your lesson better than this?