The seven principles of highly effective professional learning
Principle 1: Professional learning is focused on student outcomes (not just individual teacher needs)
Professional learning is aimed at maximising student learning so that all students achieve their learning potential. Using multiple sources of student outcomes data, teacher professional learning should be guided by analyses of the differences between goals and standards for student learning and student performance. Such analyses will define what teachers need to learn, make teacher professional learning student centred, and increase public confidence in the use of resources for professional learning. Student outcomes will improve if professional learning increases teachers’ understanding of how to represent and convey content in meaningful ways.
Time. Allocating time for thinking by providing time for exploring topics more in depth as well as time to formulate thoughtful responses.
Opportunities. Providing purposeful activities that require students to engage in thinking and the development of understanding as part of their ongoing experience of the classroom.
Routines & Structures .Scaffolding students’ thinking in the moment as well as providing tools and patterns of thinking that can be used independently.
Language .Using a language of thinking that provides students with the vocabulary for describing and reflecting on thinking. Modeling Modeling of who we are as thinkers and learners so that the process of our thinking is discussed, shared, and made visible.
Interactions & Relationships. Showing a respect for and valuing of one another’s contributions of ideas and thinking in a spirit of ongoing collaborative inquiry.
Physical Environment . Making thinking visible by displaying the process of thinking and development of ideas.
Arranging the space to facilitate thoughtful interactions.
Expectations Setting an agenda of understanding and conveying clear expectations. Focusing on the value for thinking and learning as outcomes as opposed to mere completion of “work.”
Routines exist in all classrooms; they are the patterns by which we operate and go about the job of learning and working together in a classroom environment. A routine can be thought of as any procedure, process, or pattern of action that is used repeatedly to manage and facilitate the accomplishment of specific goals or tasks.
Great site to print our thinking routine graphic for classroom focus