Intervention Works!

By. Teresa Marchant

Interventions are supposed to work!  However, if your students are still making the same mistakes you may want to consider- is it their learning or your teaching? 

Being a reflective practitioner is a great way to help you find solutions. Sometimes after a stressful day the last thing you want to think about is what you did wrong.  Here are some strategies to help you document your teaching.

Video

I know you hate seeing yourself, but video recordings are a powerful teacher. You will see exactly what the students see and how effective or ineffective you are in parts of your teaching. The good thing about this option is that only you know you are recording and you can delete it once you have viewed it.

Peer Observations

Putting yourself in a vulnerable situation is unnerving because you are having someone in the room critiquing you. However, if you trust the person making the observation, this is less stressful. Remember, this is not an evaluation! You are looking for ways to improve your teaching and increase student learning. Possibly tap into your district coaches or mentors as this would be a great way to utilize their expertise. You can also go into other classrooms to learn effective teaching strategies. Just set a time that works for both of you, so they aren’t caught off guard.

Journaling

By writing down your thoughts regarding the day, this can help you see patterns in your schedule or management style. Your journaling can be done in a digital or traditional manner but will have the same impact.

Surveys

Ask students what they like or dislike about your class and even what they want to learn. This is a fun way to involve your students in your future lesson planning. As you learn more about your teaching, it will help you improve not only your instruction, but student learning as well. There is something we can always learn that will help us perfect our practice