Reflective Essay on the Teaching Framework Charlotte Danielson is an internation

Reflective
Essay on the Teaching Framework
Charlotte Danielson
is an internationally-recognized expert in the area of teacher effectiveness,
specializing in the design of teacher evaluation systems that, while ensuring
teacher quality, also promote professional learning and evidence-based examination
of practice. Having worked on teacher evaluation systems for over 15 years, she
has taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college, and has worked as
an administrator, a curriculum director, and a staff developer. In her
consulting work, Danielson has specialized in aspects of teacher quality and
evaluation, curriculum planning, performance assessment, and professional
development. Policymakers and educators across the country have embraced her
work as they improve their teacher evaluation systems. Many use her framework
as a foundation.
The Framework for Teaching is a set of teaching performance
dimensions or standards accompanied by a set of rating scales or rubrics, each
describing four levels of performance (Danielson, 2007). Its greatest value is
in promoting professional learning by teachers and other educators. It provides
a tool for them to arrive at consensus at what constitutes good teaching. When
using this tool for teacher evaluation, supervisors can adopt procedures that
emphasize the learning rather than inspection. The key to promoting
professional learning lies in the procedures adopted and the culture within
which the framework is used.
The framework also emphasizes reflective practice.
Admittedly, reflection on practice requires both skill and discipline. As
educators we must learn from our thinking about our actions. Before beginning
your role of helping teachers to improve, I invite you to become more
analytical, more reflective, and more evidence-based in your thinking. In this
reflection paper, you should discuss your current view of Charlotte Danielson’s
Framework for Teaching, using the framework as a teacher evaluation system and
engage in your own self-directed professional inquiry of practice. As you write
your essay, be sure to cite specific passages from the text to support your
reflective analysis.
Directions
1. Read Chapter 2 of The Handbook for Enhancing Professional
Practice: Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School. This chapter
specifically focuses on how a teacher evaluation system can promote
professional learning such as self-assessment, reflection on practice, and
professional conversation.
2. Summary: (Chapters 1-5)
This summary must be at least the first two pages of the
essay. In your summary, please address both of the following questions: · Teacher
evaluation has two essential purposes: ensuring teacher quality and promoting
teacher learning. How do the instruments and protocols offered in this book
support these purposes? ·
In what ways does Danielson establish this framework as more effective than
other models?
3. As you read Chapter 5, I ask you to embark upon a journey
of self knowledge to identify your own areas of strength and need for growth.
Self-directed professional inquiry is a powerful way the Framework for Teaching
can support teacher learning and development. Teachers can use the framework to
conduct an assessment of their own practice and create an action plan based on
that assessment. Charlotte Danielson says, “the most powerful use of the
Framework is for teachers own self-assessment. It’s not that we learn from our
actions; we learn from our thinking about our actions. It’s the thinking that
matters.” Complete a self-assessment of your practice. (Form I: Self-Assessment
of Practice, pages 129-137)
·
What did you learn from your self-directed inquiry? How will this influence
your instructional leadership in the classroom?
·
You DO NOT need to include a copy of this form.
4. Imagine 10 years into the future and let’s say you have been
evaluating teachers. What do you believe would be the impact you have made from
the teacher evaluation methods described by Danielson in her handbook?
5. In conclusion, do
you believe what Danielson described, an evaluation system whereby administrators
can evaluate great teaching?
For this reflective essay, you will write a four to five
page paper that reflects your thoughts about the Framework for Teaching
characterized by Charlotte Danielson. The essay must be double spaced, using a
12-point font and one-inch margins.
When writing your essay, it will be very helpful to use the
following as section headings:
·
Summarizing the Handbook
·
My Self-Directed Professional Inquiry
·
Future Impact
· Concluding
Thoughts (It is recommended that you read the Introduction, Chapters 1 – 6, and
skim through the appendices. However, it is expected that your reflection speak
specifically to what you read in Chapters 1-5).