We miss you and our work in schools and hope everyone is keeping safe and taking good care. This blog entry is excerpted from Wendy Ward Hoffer’s newest book, Phenomenal Teaching, just out from Heinemann. It is essentially a professional development workshop in a book, which might be a fun tether to ordinary life in these uncertain times. The text is available here. Be well.
PEBC’s Teaching Framework represents over three decades of research and practice in classrooms across the country in pursuit of teaching each and every student for agency and understanding. Reflective, humble, and striving teachers have led the way in pioneering the instructional approaches described here. It’s not magic, and it’s not secret: the strands of this Framework are powerful tools for actualizing phenomenal instruction every day.
The Framework is not designed as a teacher evaluation rubric but rather as a tool for professional growth. Please use it as such: be honest and gentle with your own self-assessment. Study this Framework to consider next steps in your own development; seek ideas from this text, the recommended resource lists, other sources, the insights of your colleagues, and your own good judgment as you strive forward.
In terms of its structure, this Framework, like the other rubrics in this book, is designed additively. That is, the column to the left starts by identifying first steps a teacher might take in implementing that particular element. The next column builds on with next steps, and so forth. The rightmost column answers the question, “To what end for students?” and describes observable behaviors and dispositions that will result from effective implementation of this element. These descriptions have been honed across classrooms, grade levels, and content areas and seek to describe what is possible for every learner.
Know that this tool was created by teachers for teachers, and that it is, as are we all, a work in progress.
PEBC’s Teaching Framework addresses six important elements of teaching for agency and understanding. Here is a taste:
To learn more about Phenomenal Teaching and the PEBC Teaching Framework, listen to Wendy’s podcast interview. We also invite you to join us for one of our upcoming online courses.
