Video exemplar library makes great teaching come alive
When the Professional Support and Development team gathered feedback from teachers last May, one theme surfaced again and again. Teachers spoke highly of the way the district’s new Instructional Practice rubric gave campuses common language for talking about instruction—but teachers wanted more real-life examples of effective teaching.
“The rubric is a great step toward outlining the expectations we share for teaching districtwide,” explained Assistant Superintendent Lance Menster, “but to make the rubric come alive, we needed to show teachers what great teaching looks like and sounds like in HISD classrooms.”
To build a comprehensive online video library of top HISD teachers in action, PSD worked with principals and teacher development specialists to identify 20 teachers who excelled in areas like differentiating instruction, developing higher-order thinking skills, and promoting high expectations for students.
Ferryn Martin, a history teacher at Davis High School, participated in the video exemplar on maximizing instruction because she believes in the power of teacher-to-teacher collaboration.
“After 30 years of teaching, I can honestly say that I’ve gotten some of the best ideas from fellow teachers. When you read about a strategy or listen to an expert, it doesn’t seem to connect with your classroom. But when you watch other teachers, you’re much more likely to pick up new strategies and make them your own.”
Principals and teachers have been enthusiastic about the new resources, which are available on both the HISD eLearn and the PSD website, along with 72 “Effective Practices” downloadable resources on the specific teaching techniques, strategies, and classroom routines modeled in the videos.
“The video exemplars are meaningful and relevant. I carve out time to play them during staff meetings, and we use the discussion questions to reflect on the instructional practices,” explained Kettisha Jones, principal at Highland Heights Elementary School. “My appraisers have a better idea of what to look for and my teachers have a better understanding of what’s expected of them.”
“Being a visual learner, the video exemplars are outstanding. It’s wonderful to have an example of what best practices look like in the classroom,” said Nicole Trahan, a second-grade teacher at Highland Heights Elementary School. “When you can see what you need to do to be a more effective teacher, it sets you up for success.”
