In my limited CTE experience, new instructors come in with strong content knowledge and very little knowledge of educational best practices. I want to build on their knowledge of and passion for their subject area into strong pedagogy. I am always working to improve my content area knowledge while always recognizing and valuing their expertise. I support instructors in more than 25 different programs. Coming to a meaningful understanding of what each of them is teaching is a massive undertaking. 

Simple techniques like starting and ending feedback with a question is something I hadn't heard before and seems very helpful. Again, the discuss of "blurred" feedback emphasizes how critical it is that feedback be specific and evidence based. Giving specific evidence is so important to addressing issues with staff and students alike. 

It's important to remember that feedback needs to be specific and relevant in order to be useful. I also found the interview very interesting when he was talking about hiring. Outstanding employees won't want to work with a mediocre administrator. I need to be the best if I want to hire the best. 

My take-aways from this module are to make sure that the coach and teacher have an identified plan that is put into place by teacher input. Having good communication between teacher and coach will help to make sure that goals are met.

My plan is to continue to familiarize myself with CTE content standards. Where I am very knowledgeable about teaching and instructional strategies, I also need to allow my teachers to be empowered to share their content knowledge, and I need to educate myself on exactly what they are teaching.

I think the big take-away that I had from this section was to provide feedback by first asking a question. I like how that first question allows the person you are giving feedback to say "yes" or "no," and it gives them the opportunity to know that the feedback is coming. I think it is also valuable to remember to focus on the data and specific, and not what can be blurred and taken in other ways. At the end of the day, the goal is always on student instruction and how to have the students as engaged as possible… >>>

In my position as a teacher leader, I think the most important thing is to make the feedback and relate it back to a teacher's individual/professional goals. As a leader, I must understand that I am increasing a teacher's capacity to do his or her job, and I can also learn from him or her. I also thinking that making sure feedback is prescriptive with intentionality and continuosly revisited, and when the goal is met, a new goal is to be met.

One that successfully bridges community need with student growth

We definitely haven't employed a yearly calendar in our planning & will start doing so immediately.