Mandy Irick Blog Post #4:Critical Friends

1) How does using protocols like “critical friends” help teachers become more reflective of their teaching practices? Critical Friends is such a great way for not only students but also teachers to provide feedback to each other. This is a very effective and low risk why are getting great ideas. One of the things that critical friends allow us as educators to do is to receive different perspective and viewpoints from our own. Most of the time I spend my time planning with people who view things from the same mindset as myself. This is just human nature to gravitate towards those are “like minded.” However, after actually taking part in multiple sessions of this, I find that connecting with people who share a different point of view or content area can bring about wonderful ideas that you would have never considered. The other piece to this is how as an educator we have to sit back and listen. So many times, we are quick to respond to a comment or a suggestion because we do not want to seem inadequate. With this method, we have to sit back and listen. It is okay to not have to justify or clarify what we intended to do. It is during this silent period of listening, that I found myself reflecting back on what people suggested to me. It helped me to realize I was not very clear in my intent, which means that if my colleagues did not understand, how can my students? This helps you know how to better clarify so you are better prepared to make changes that will be valuable to your students. 2) What conditions are required for teachers to make use of this protocol? One of the first things that I feel is essential is making sure that there is at least one day where everyone has a collaborative and uninterrupted planning period. Teachers need time during the day to meet with their colleagues to model this period of reflection. It should be a non-negotiable period in the week where everyone is able to attend. Everyone needs to buy in to the process not just with the staff but administration. If the administration values the process, they will make sure they support the teachers by lending their time to sit in on these meetings, make sure coverage happens and keeping this uninterrupted by other events. Everyone should take this seriously and value the information that is learned from the time spent doing this. 3) How could this protocol be used with students? The protocol can be used the same way that we have used it in our classes. I plan on using it to help my students when they are working on their PSA presentations. To me, it is another form of feedback but in a very structured and controlled manner. Before students conduct their final presentation with their PSA, they will do a quick elevator pitch and share their storyboard. By doing this, students will receive feedback from peers on changes they could make before the final presentation. I myself can weigh in on my thoughts as well providing a community. Students can then use the take-away as I did in my PBL class to enhance their product. This will not be the only time that I use critical friends or something like it, because I feel like peer feedback is one of the most important tools in a classroom. 4) Identify two specific protocols you will embed in your PBL unit. I will use the critical friends, writing workshop feedback, gallery walk, silent debate, barriers and bridges and why protocol. Critical friends will be used during PSAs to help provide feedback before final presentation. The writing workshop feedback will be used during the writing assignments the students are completing to help them get direction. Consensus protocol will be used when constructing our class definition for social injustice. The silent debate will be used because many of the topics we cover are great to debate thoughts and opinions. The last two protocols go along with the fact that these are hot topics. Students need to think about how we can work together to support our opinions and think about what are the factors that contribute to these situations.