let's talk teacher clarity for teachers

Teacher Clarity Pathway 1

Learning Intention: Teachers will learn the foundational elements of teacher clarity.

Success Criteria:

• I can define teacher clarity.
• I can identify key components of teacher clarity.
• I can identify the skills in a standard.
• I can identify the concepts in a standard.
• I can create learning intentions linked to the skills and concepts in standards.
• I can create success criteria that represents mastery of the learning intention. 

Teacher Clarity Pathway 2

Learning Intention: Teachers will learn how to implement the use of learning intentions and success criteria in the classroom.

Success Criteria:

• I can determine ways to make learning intentions and success criteria accessible to students.
• I can identify strategies to communicate the learning intentions and success criteria to students.
• I can identify strategies to build regular student interaction with the learning intention and success criteria. 
• I can identify ways to collect student voice that shows understanding of the learning intentions and success criteria.
• I can design or select learning experiences that elicit evidence of learning against the learning intentions and success criteria. 
• I can analyze learning experiences for appropriate levels of rigor against the learning intentions and success criteria.
• I can create differentiated learning experiences using the learning intentions and success criteria

Teacher Clarity Pathway 3

Learning Intention:  Teachers will learn how to leverage learning intentions and success criteria in the classroom.

Success Criteria:

• I can determine gaps in student learning using learning intentions and success criteria.
• I can identify ways to use learning intentions and success criteria to progress monitor student learning.
• I can identify ways for students to use learning intentions and success criteria to progress monitor their learning.  
• I can identify strategies to provide students feedback directly linked to the learning intentions and success criteria.
• I can identify strategies for students to use learning intentions and success criteria for peer feedback. 
• I can use evidence of student mastery of the learning intentions and success criteria to reflect on my instruction and impact.   

Teacher Clarity Collaborative Learning Walks

Teacher Clarity Collaborative Learning Walks are a transformative practice designed to enhance teaching practices through focused observation and reflection. Unlike formal evaluations or classroom audits, learning walks are non-evaluative and non-judgmental; they serve as an opportunity for educators to collectively observe, analyze and reflect on teaching and learning in action. This approach fosters a supportive and collegial environment where teachers can share insights, celebrate successes, and identify opportunities. 

Ideally, collaborative learning walks occur multiple times a year. During collaborative learning walks, teams of educators visit each other's classrooms to observe teaching and learning in action using focused evidence gathering techniques for teacher clarity. These visits are non-evaluative and non-judgmental, focusing instead on gathering evidence and insights about different facets of teacher clarity. This approach creates a safe and supportive environment where teachers can learn from one another without fear of criticism. The focus is on identifying strengths, celebrating successes, and exploring opportunities for growth.

After visiting classrooms, teachers come together for guided reflection on the evidence from learning walks using a structured protocol. This reflective dialogue helps to build a sense of trust and collaboration among team members. By collectively analyzing evidence in a structured format, teachers develop a shared sense of responsibility for student success. They recognize that their collective efforts are more powerful than individual actions, fostering a strong belief in their ability to make a difference.

Collaborative Learning Walk Schedule

Collaborative Learning Walk Time 1

The first collaborative learning walks occurs after teachers have gone through professional learning for Teacher Clarity Pathway 1. The purpose of the first collaborative learning walk is to establish baseline data. Implementing all the components of teacher clarity is a process that oftentimes has incremental success before full implementation is present. Baseline data captures the current reality and lays the foundation for measuring growth and progress moving forward. 

Collaborative Learning Walk Time 2

The second learning walk occurs after teachers have gone through professional learning for Teacher Clarity Pathway 2. The purpose of the second collaborative learning walk is to collect evidence of transfer from professional learning experiences teacher underwent in Teacher Clarity Pathway 1 and 2.

Collaborative learning walk teams will analyze, discuss and reflect on evidence from the second learning walk as well as evidence from the Time 1 and Time 2 learning walk.

Collaborative Learning Walk Time 3

The third learning walk occurs after teachers have gone through professional learning for Teacher Clarity Pathway 3.  The purpose of the second collaborative learning walk is to collect evidence of transfer from professional learning experiences teacher underwent in Teacher Clarity Pathway 1,2 and 3. Collaborative learning walk teams will analyze, discuss and reflect on evidence from the third learning walk as well as evidence from the Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3 learning walk.