Lights, Camera, Action: Behind the Scenes of NEE’s Classroom Videos
Hollywood directors and producers are always looking for that next can’t-miss actor or actress. And although NEE may not produce Oscar-winning, full-length movies, we are on the hunt for superstars, too. The “stars” we look for, of course, are teachers in NEE member school districts. Over the years, NEE has built an extensive video library of classroom teaching clips that have been used in a multitude of ways. These videos become vital components of NEE consensus scoring and training sessions that help principals become more effective evaluators of teaching practices, and they are used for teacher professional development. Keeping this library up to date is an ongoing process, and NEE’s search for the next stars never ends.
The Process
The process of creating these videos is quite simple. It can be broken down into these five parts:
- Selecting teachers
- Signing the paperwork
- Setting up the equipment
- Capturing the scenes
- Editing and rolling out the video
Selecting Teachers
NEE continually seeks teachers willing to showcase their skills for the benefit of other educators. The NEE Member Services team often works with school leaders to identify and recruit participants. NEE accepts volunteers, also. If you have a talented teacher you would like to spotlight (and all principals do), simply reach out to NEE to get the ball rolling.
Signing the Paperwork
Once our “stars” are recruited, NEE works with the school leader and teacher to plan a classroom visit. NEE will send principals three documents several weeks beforehand: a cover letter describing the process, which the school can send to classroom parents; a video release form for parents to sign; and a video release form for the teacher to sign. A student who does not return a signed agreement will not be included in the video recording. Adjusting camera angles usually fixes this issue easily.
Setting Up the Equipment
On the day of the recording, a NEE team member will arrive at least 20-30 minutes in advance to get the equipment set up. The equipment used is non-intrusive. It includes a small video camera (about the size of an adult hand), a tripod, and a cordless lapel microphone, which the teacher wears. The mic allows us to clearly hear the instruction that is taking place within the classroom. It also allows viewers to get a sense of the back-and-forth discussions that take place between the teacher and students. The camera is set up in a location that will bring the teacher and students into the frame. This is typically in the back of the room or in a corner, out of the way.
Capturing the Scenes
Once positioned, the camera is seldom touched unless there is a lot of movement in the classroom. Normally, about 25-30 minutes of classroom action is recorded in one scene. In all reality, after just a few moments, the participants forget they are being recorded, and it is class as normal. NEE’s goal is to record normal, authentic interactions as much as possible. We want the recording to reflect a typical day in the teacher’s room.
Editing and Rolling Out the Video
A portion of the captured scenes never make it to the “big screen” to be included in NEE training or professional development. Videos are analyzed carefully, and smaller clips are then created from the longer scene. Shorter clips (3 to 5 minutes) may make it into NEE’s on-demand training sessions or EdHub professional learning modules. To view a sample of these modules, you can login to the NEE Data Tool, select EdHub from the menu, and choose either Indicator Scoring Practice Videos or Indicator Video Exemplars from the EdHub topics. Longer clips (8 to 12 minutes) are often used in consensus scoring sessions and face-to-face training for evaluators who are learning about evaluation best practices.
An overarching goal of NEE is to promote educator growth and to improve student performance. Those teachers who participate in this adventure help us in that pursuit of excellence. They may not claim an Oscar, but they will receive our unending gratitude. All of us at NEE wish to thank those who have played a big role in this process in the past, and we encourage others to step into the spotlight in the future.
If you have a teacher (or teachers) you would like to showcase, reach out to your NEE Member Services representative, or contact the NEE Help Desk at 844-793-4357 or nee@missouri.edu.
Benjy Fenske is a trainer and field representative with the Network for Educator Effectiveness. He joined NEE in 2022 after a 34-year career in education that included roles as a business teacher, FBLA sponsor, coach, principal, and superintendent.
The Network for Educator Effectiveness (NEE) is a simple yet powerful comprehensive system for educator evaluation that helps educators grow, students learn, and schools improve. Developed by preK-12 practitioners and experts at the University of Missouri, NEE brings together classroom observation, student feedback, teacher curriculum planning, and professional development as measures of effectiveness in a secure online portal designed to promote educator growth and development.
