Teacher Rounds

Thomas Del Prete is the inaugural Director of the Adam Institute for Urban Teaching and School Practice at Clark University in Worcester, MA. He is past Director of the Hiatt Center for Urban Education at Clark and a former teacher of history and English at the middle and high school levels. He has worked for twenty-five years in teacher education, school-university partnership, and school reform. His previous books include Improving the Odds: Developing Powerful Teaching Practice and a Culture of Learning in Urban High Schools and Thomas Merton and the Education of the Whole Person. He has participated in hundreds of Teacher Rounds, most with his colleagues in the urban schools of "Main South" in Worcester, MA, in an effort to learn in and from practice.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. The Practice of Teaching and Teacher Rounds: Aiming for the Sweet Spot What Do We Teach For and How Do Students Learn Deeply and Well? How Do Our Ideas About What We Teach for and About Learning Shape Teaching Practice? How Do Teachers Develop Expertise? Questions to Consider 2. The Teacher Round Protocol Preparing for Teacher Rounds The Teacher Round Protocol The Teacher Round Protocol in Action: Kate's 7th Grade Mathematics Teacher Round 3. Teacher Round Learning in High School Leann's Teacher Round: Understanding Theme in English Literature Tara's Teacher Round: Investigating Free Fall in One Dimension Phoebe's Teacher Round: Introduction to Constructive Critique in Art Class Jeremy S.'s Teacher Round: A Visual Introduction to the Great Depression Jeremy's Preround Orientation: Immersion in the Odyssey 4. Sharing and Developing Expertise in Elementary School Margaret's Teacher Round: Early Guided Reading (Grade 2) Teacher Rounds at Jacob Hiatt Elementary School 5. Rounds Day at University Park Campus School Rounds Day For Consideration and Reflection 6. Deepening Inquiry, Observation, and Reflection The Challenge of Inquiry The Challenge of Round Observation The Challenge of Postround Reflection 7. The Courage to Learn in and From Practice Developing Expertise in a Complex Practice Trust, Openness, and the Courage to Learn Establishing a Zone of Authentic Teacher Learning Integrity of Teachers, Integrity of the Profession An Inherently Hopeful, Reflective, and Democratic Act Appendix A. Introducing Teacher Rounds: Several Examples Chandler Elementary Community School Claremont Academy North Shore Technical High School Teacher Induction Program Appendix B. Starting at the Beginning: Preservice Teacher Rounds Rethinking Teacher Preparation and Practice Integrating Teacher Rounds into Preservice Programs Clark University Model University of South Carolina Model Teachers College at Columbia University The "Rounds Project" at the University of Michigan Towards an Integrated Practice-Based Approach: The Example of Clark University Appendix C. The Teacher Round Protocol (Sample Short Version) References Index

"Teacher Rounds is one of the best ways to get teachers out of their classrooms and into each other's classrooms for their own learning and for school improvement. This book provides the theory and background of rounds as well as concrete examples of how a school can implement them." -- Lois Easton, Educational Consultant and Author "In the PLC driven world of education, the author gives a real world model, Teacher Rounds, in which collaborative work is the focus for learning in and from practice. The model is both practical and humane while achieving results." -- Terry Morganti-Fisher, Educational Consultant "The protocol of Teacher Rounds has the potential to be a powerful tool for professional learning. The focused conversations that follow observation augment the learning for all involved." -- Sue Elliott, Education Consultant "Teacher Rounds is a terrific example of job-embedded learning." -- Andrew Szczepaniak, Director of Professional Development "Thoughtful and packed with insights, Teacher Rounds is a valuable addition to the growing literature on important initiatives to improve teaching and learning." -- Vivian Troen and Katherine C. Boles, authors of The Power of Teacher Teams "This clearly written and highly accessible book offers a form of professional practice that begins with a deep respect for teachers. I urge school leaders, teacher educators, classroom teachers, and others concerned with improving the educational opportunities of our children to read this book and immediately put the ideas into action." -- Kathy Schultz, Dean and Professor