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Beyond the Lesson Discussion Guide
Beyond the Lesson discussion questions are designed for the one-to-one conversation following a classroom observation using the Instructional Practice Guide Coaching Tool. The questions put the content of the lesson in the context of the broader instructional plan for the unit or year.
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Best Practices
We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Core Actions and indicators by using the training materials and resources provided below and by watching annotated videos on Teachingthecore.org. Here are some additional tips for using the tool:
- It is important to know the text (ELA/Literacy) or standard (mathematics) that will be addressed in the lesson.
- It is unlikely that the lesson structure will follow the order of the Coaching Tool. Consider capturing your notes and evidence in one place and then tying it back to the Core Actions and indicators after your observation.
- Although many indicators will be observable during the course of a lesson, there may be times when a lesson is appropriately focused on a smaller set of objectives or only a portion of a lesson is observed, leaving some indicators blank. In anticipation of this, we recommend asking the teacher to share any intended focus prior to the start of the observation.
Multiple observations will allow you to view a teacher’s practice over time and observe the full range of teacher and student behaviors related to the presence of CCSS-aligned classroom content detailed in the Coaching Tool.
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Professional Development
Use these Core Action-based activities and discussions for ELA/Literacy and Mathematics, according to your needs, in order to:
- Understand the relationship between the instructional Shifts and the Coaching Tool
- Identify teacher and student actions that may be present in Common Core-aligned lessons according to the Coaching Tool
- Observe and reflect on the alignment of a lesson using the Coaching Tool
Practice using the Coaching Tool with lesson videos found at TeachingtheCore.org.
ELA Math
