Hey Jana -
My name is Jena Smith Wilkerson and I have had experience with being a CLASS observer for over 10 yrs. as a Head Start Education Coordinator in Baltimore City, and then in my work as and Early Childhood Consultant for education systems in and around the start of Maryland, DC and Virginia.
I hear this question often from leaders who want to build the capacity of their educators in implementing CLASS and the first thing I would say is to help them see their observations as just another day doing what they do best.
Be a Confidence Booster: I find that in general it is a human instinct to get nervous when you know someone is coming to "watch what you are doing"; but if and educator has made it a priority to make the implementation of CLASS with in their classrooms a "Practice" (what they do every day and all day), there is not much else they need to do but show off their skills.
Use growth areas to build quality: If you haven't already, don't be afraid to identify their growth areas. Those Domains, one or two indicators that they really struggle with. Give them copies of specific examples from the CLASS guide that lays out what the implementation should look like and then have them think of how they can apply that to real scenarios from their classroom.
Grow your peer groups: If you have a team them is willing, let them coach each other. Some times it is better coming from a trusted peer than us as leadership, and they also have a different vantage point being in the classroom with their partners. Encourage them to look for the things their partners do really well and praise that, and then look at their growth areas and brainstorm with their CLASS guide examples who to better apply what they have learned.
Hope this helps.....let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions I might be able to help with! YOU GOT THIS :0)
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Jena Smith Wilkerson
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2021 10:31
From: Madalynn Birus
Subject: Preparing Teachers for CLASS observations
Hello Everyone!
I am wondering if anyone has any good resources, tips or ideas that would help teachers prepare for a CLASS observations. It has been about 2 years since any classrooms were observed for CLASS in my program, so I want to make sure I am doing all I can to prepare my teachers for their observations. We have been doing activities throughout the last year to continue practicing and learning about CLASS, so the teachers are familiar and comfortable with it. However, as the time for actual observations to occur is quickly approaching, I want to get more specific about how to plan/prepare for these observations. All recommendations and tips are welcome! Thank you!!
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Madalynn Birus
Chicago IL
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