S02E10 - Bron Ryrie Jones on Responsive Teaching and Instructional Playbooks
Jun 1, 2024
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Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, an instructional coach dedicated to empowering educators, shares her insights on responsive teaching. She explains the importance of mastering core principles before applying specific techniques. Bron discusses instructional playbooks, highlighting both their benefits and potential pitfalls. She emphasizes engaging students through methods like 'pair share' and 'Turn and Talk,' advocating for practices that promote active participation. This conversation balances theory with practical strategies, ensuring educators can adapt their approaches effectively.
Responsive teaching requires routine checks for understanding to inform real-time instructional adjustments based on student learning needs.
Effective pair share activities demand clear instructions and structured scaffolding to enhance student engagement and peer discussions.
Instructional playbooks should serve as flexible guides that promote shared instructional language and evolve over time to enhance teaching practices.
Deep dives
Understanding Responsive Teaching
Responsive teaching involves the routine and systematic elicitation of evidence regarding student learning to guide instructional decisions in real time. This approach allows educators to adjust their teaching methods based on students' understanding and misconceptions, ensuring that instruction is effective and relevant. The idea is rooted in the belief that understanding what students know and think is crucial, as teachers cannot facilitate learning on behalf of their students. The practice not only helps in improving academic outcomes but also plays a significant role in fostering a supportive learning environment.
The Importance of Checking for Understanding
Checking for understanding is vital for establishing what students grasp about the content being taught. It enhances student engagement by fostering a sense of accountability, as students are aware that they will need to share their thoughts and reasoning during class. This strategy not only encourages active participation but also strengthens the relationships between teachers and students through guided feedback and support. By regularly assessing comprehension, teachers can identify learning gaps and adapt their lessons to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Challenges in Implementing Responsive Teaching
Implementing responsive teaching can be complex due to several universal challenges that teachers face, such as varied student achievement levels, behavioral issues, and social dynamics within classrooms. Teachers often report that these factors impede their ability to effectively check for understanding and adapt instruction as needed. Additionally, issues like inequity in student participation—where certain students dominate discussions while others withdraw—can exacerbate the difficulties. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for ensuring that responsive teaching practices yield positive outcomes.
Effective Strategies for Pair Share Activities
Successful pair share activities require clear instructions, well-defined time constraints, and appropriate scaffolding to guide student discussions. Teachers should provide specific tasks for partners to address within a set timeframe to keep students focused and engaged. Using techniques such as sentence starters can help to facilitate deeper conversations, especially among students who might struggle to articulate their thoughts. By managing the pair share process effectively, teachers can foster meaningful peer-to-peer dialogue that reinforces learning while building confidence among all students.
The Role of Instructional Playbooks
Instructional playbooks serve as codified resources that outline core teaching practices and establish a shared instructional language within schools. These playbooks are not prescriptive recipes but rather flexible guides that can be adapted to meet the unique context of each school or classroom. By fostering a common understanding among educators about effective instructional strategies, playbooks can enhance collaboration and professional development efforts. Moreover, they should evolve over time based on classroom experience and feedback, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in improving teaching practices.
In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, an instructional coach who supports teachers and instructional leaders to develop their expertise. She discusses the importance of responsive teaching and shares techniques to effectively check for understanding in the classroom. She emphasises the need for teachers to have a deep understanding of the principles behind responsive teaching before implementing specific techniques.
Bron also explains the concept of instructional playbooks and how they can be useful for schools. She unpacks the potential dangers and how to avoid these pitfalls.
Resources mentioned:
Jim Knight, Ann Hoffman and Michelle Harris - Instructional Playbook
West Beechborough PS
Brad Nguyen
Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli - Teaching Walkthrus
Dylan Wiliam and Siobhan Leahy - Embedding Formative Assessment