Craft Category: Artifacts

A key strategy for East Boston was implementing instructional rounds that allowed teachers to learn from and support each other. Here, teachers weren’t just teaching in silos, but observing each other’s classrooms, offering feedback, and sharing best practices. Imagine a seasoned math teacher observing a new colleague, and then offering pointers on fostering deeper student engagement with geometry problems. These rounds fostered a spirit of learning and growth among the entire faculty.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are used to support adult learning and drive meaningful collaboration around a common problem of practice. The cycle highlights key touchpoints of instruction leaders, the PLC design team, and participants.

Boston Green Academy’s November 2023 instructional rounds protocol outlines a structured approach to classroom observation and improvement. The document details the observation schedule, including dedicated times for classroom visits, feedback sessions, and debriefing meetings. It also provides note-taking sheets to guide observers during classroom walkthroughs and may include additional resources like rubrics or reflection prompts to support the observation and feedback process. This structured protocol ensures consistency and focus, allowing the BGA educators to effectively evaluate and enhance its teaching and learning practices.

Fenway High School prioritized collaboration among teachers, counselors, and college partners to build a comprehensive support system for students. By providing training on effective use of advisory periods, office hours, and tutoring, the school aimed to enhance student success. To address the specific goal of improving literacy and comprehension, teachers participated in inquiry groups focused on developing instructional strategies. These strategies included creating text sets, scaffolding complex texts, and building vocabulary to prepare students for college-level coursework.