DANA ALLEN
dana.allen@dmschools.org
STANDARD #2
An educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional development.
Click below to view my reflection.
ARTIFACT 1: Classroom Walkthrough
Before doing a walkthrough, I was able to sit down with the principal of our largest Des Moines Public Schools elementary school. He shared with me our district’s walkthrough form and how he focuses walkthroughs so they are valuable and promote growth amongst the staff. The district walkthrough form was very long and cumbersome! There were so many pieces which were very compliance based. This principal, as well as my own, both said this form looks at too many areas and when using it, it prevents you from really paying attention to what is happening in the classroom because you are working your way through a list to collect evidence. This was what it felt like when using the form from class. I was looking for specific things, but wasn’t taking everything going on until I was finished filling it out. Once the form was filled out, then I really was able to get a good perspective on how the classroom felt and functioned.
ARTIFACT 2: Professional Learning Building Culture
I lead a professional development opportunity focused on building a stronger and more open professional learning communities among grade level teams. We focused on the Marzano element, 'allow others to share their stories'. This allowed for staff to practice opening up, building tolerance for others, and practice asking information seeking questions, show active listening, and experience using empathetic response stems.
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ARTIFACT 3: Staff Evaluation
I had an opportunity to evaluate a kindergarten teacher and a special education teacher. I conducted a pre- and post- interview to promote teacher reflection and for an opportunity for coaching for improvement. During the evaluation, I kept a running script of what the teacher and students were saying and doing. Afterwards, I applied evidence to the Iowa Teaching Standards for these teachers. We discussed my observations and I helped them to create a plan for future growth and improvement in their classrooms.
Click below to view my reflection.
ARTIFACT 4: Leading Professional Learning
As an instructional coach and intern AP, I have be charged with leading transformational PD aligned with district levers and school goals. I have lead professional learning over the years around Marzano's instructional practices, School's for Rigor, Marc Brackett's Permission to Feel, Brene Brown's Dare to Lead & Atlas of the Heart, and helped provide professional learning to support the implementation of two new curriculum, EL Education and Illustrative Mathematics. I leverage professional learning as an opportunity for teachers to engage in researched-based shared learning experiences with their peers and as time for application so it translates into classroom practices.