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Have you ever been perplexed as to why a teacher doesn’t improve after you have conducted several post-observation feedback conferences? Do you fail to see a change in teaching behavior after you have collected data, shared an area for growth, and selected a feedback path suited for a teacher’s specific needs? The conference went well, but you witness little to no improvement or growth in the teacher’s practice.

Do you find yourself contemplating any of the following reasons for the lack of progress:

• The teacher is apathetic.
• The teacher is not open to change.
• The teacher does not like to listen to anyone in a position of authority.
• The teacher is unable to figure this out.

Before you assume fault lies with the teacher, take a moment to reflect on your responsibility during the feedback conference. Let’s say you selected a focus for your feedback and you chose the feedback path that met the teacher’s needs – both admirable steps for a successful feedback conference. You even skillfully crafted questions to promote conversation and thinking during the conference. However, if that is where your conference ended, you missed the prize: teacher growth. To get to that prize, you need to identify specific action steps to help the teacher change their behavior. Without this plan clearly articulated, the chance of progress is doubtful.

Crafting a Good Action Plan for Teacher Growth

An effective action plan will include focus, action, and accountability. Human beings are unable to change several behaviors at one time. Think of the outcome you selected for the post-observation conference. What things would a teacher need to do to achieve that outcome? Developing a few small action steps will help to ensure success and build confidence in the teacher. Additional steps will be added during future conferences as the teacher continues to develop the identified focus.

Build accountability into the plan to ensure its implementation. The action steps should result in a product that can be reviewed or monitored. For example, if you have asked a teacher to read a book to build knowledge, also ask them for a written summary of what they learned. The NEE Learning Organizer can help teachers record their professional learning activities and gives administrators an opportunity to review those activities. Set dates with reasonable times for completing the short-term plan. Creating and monitoring an action plan is the only way to guarantee teacher growth.

Keep in mind the action plan should be one of incremental change. Think of small, easy-to-accomplish processes that can build knowledge, skill, or refinement for quick successes and growth. Build upon these small activities over time for improved teacher capacity, teacher efficacy, and teacher growth.

Align Feedback Paths to the Action Plan

We know it is necessary to align a teacher’s needs to the appropriate feedback path. When utilizing a particular feedback path, we understand there are appropriate questions that will guide and direct the conversation. It should not be surprising to realize that each feedback path also dictates the need for action steps reflective of the selected feedback path. The diagnostic path requires action that will provide foundational knowledge. Prescriptive path action steps need to introduce and teach new skills and strategies. Action steps aligned to the descriptive path will allow teachers to reflect and experiment as they improve and adjust their teaching practice, and micro path action steps allow teachers to direct their own growth. The Network for Educator Effectiveness produced The Four Paths to Effective Feedback that includes possible action steps aligned to each path.

The following are examples of possible action steps aligned to each feedback path. As you’re creating action steps, remember to keep them simple, manageable and easy to complete.  The purpose is to convert these steps into small wins that will ultimately build skill and growth.

Action Steps for the Diagnostic Feedback Path

The teacher may need to acquire foundational knowledge and understanding before they can apply any change in the classroom.

• Read a book or article, complete an EdHub module, or participate in a webinar and summarize the learning using the NEE Learning Organizer.
• Observe a model teacher and provide notes on positive aspects of their teaching.
• Review teaching materials or resources and provide notes for implementation.
• Lesson plan with a peer, mentor, or coach and turn them in for review.

Action Steps for the Prescriptive Feedback Path

The teacher may need support as they practice, fail, and regroup when working to implement new skills or behaviors.

• Develop lesson plans for review that incorporate the new strategy.
• Collect data that demonstrates the success of the new strategy.
• Summarize a new understanding of the strategy after observing a model teacher.
• Video yourself implementing the new strategy and write a critique.

Action Steps for the Descriptive Feedback Path

The teacher finds a way to push themselves to a higher level of implementation fidelity as they strengthen a skill or behavior with occasional support.

• Keep a journal and reflect on progress and growth while implementing the instructional strategy or practice.
• Ask a peer to observe the implementation of the instructional strategy or practice and provide observation notes. Do this several times over the course of several months.
• Survey and collect evidence of feedback from students regarding the instructional strategy or practice. Share results.
• Ask an administrator to observe the specific strategy or practice and give feedback.
• Establish a timeline for implementation of the strategy or practice and provide documentation for each date established. Documentation could be photos, video, or student work samples.

Action Steps for the Micro Feedback Path

The teacher directs their own growth.

• Develop and define new techniques and strategies documented through a white paper.
• Conduct action research.
• Document increased student achievement related to the new instructional strategies or practice.
• Provide professional development for peers regarding the new instructional strategy or practice.
• Lead team, grade level, or content area team meetings to implement the new strategy or practice.

Post-observation conferences will not be impactful unless focused action steps are developed and accountability is assured. If the real reason for teacher evaluation is teacher growth, every post-observation conference must include defined steps for action.

Cheri Patterson is a trainer and field support representative for the Network for Educator Effectiveness. She joined NEE in 2013 after an extensive career in K-12 education as a teacher, principal, and associate 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.