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Team Tools

With each issue of The Leading Teacher, Learning Forward is offering free, sample tools from our books, newsletters, and magazines. As new tools become available we’ll keep the descriptions of past featured tools available for browsing.

The tools included here are selected from carefully planned resource guides. Alone, any tool cannot constitute effective professional learning. Used as part of a comprehensive learning plan that includes clear goals for educator learning based on student learning needs, opportunities to engage in collaborative learning, and ongoing support, these tools can enhance professional learning for whole faculties or teams.

See our permission policy for information about appropriate uses of these files.


2012:

• May 2012
• March 2012

2010-11:

• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010

May 2012

Teacher job satisfaction and motivation go hand-in-hand according to social scientist researchers. Team members can respond to this dynamic relationship by integrating theories, research, and models of human learning into professional learning designs. Selecting learning designs intended for a variety of purposes increases the possibilities for meeting individual needs.

Tool	Use	Source
Considering e-learning options	Teams can use this tool to select and evaluate remote learning methods to begin integrating the most appropriate technology into their professional learning.	Tools for Schools. February/March 2006. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Word-for-word record 1 and 2	This tool can assist teams develop mastery of instructional skills through a lesson study on the types of questions teachers can ask and how they affect student engagement and learning.	Tools for Schools. Summer 2011. Learning Forward.
Tools for peer sharing	This set of tools can be used to introduce teams to a process for regularly discussing, developing, and sharing effective practices drawn from observations of colleagues' teaching.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. December/January 2009. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Celebrate a year of learning	Teams can use this tool to dedicate time to recognize their successes and contributions for the year based on data and student results.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. May 2008. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

March 2012 -- Leadership

Teacher leaders, known by many titles including curriculum specialists, instructional specialists and coaches, focus their efforts on building capacity in others, advocating for effective professional learning, and creating support systems and structures. Skillful leaders not only work to expand the knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions of their colleagues, they take time to reflect and improve their own practice to demonstrate the significance of ongoing learning.

Tool	Use	Source
Leadership strategies	Teams can use this tool to deepen their understanding of strategies that leaders use to create a positive culture and climate that can affect student learning, and identify strategies for use in their own work.	The Learning Principal. April 2009. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
A measure of capacity	This tool can assist team members to assess the professional learning capacity that exists in their school, and identify areas for growth.	JSD. Winter 2004. NSDC.
A 'day-in-the-life' scenario	This assessment tool can help teams gather information and solutions to specific goals by describing the behaviors that make intended outcomes visible.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. May 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
The professional learning team decision-making cycle	Teams can use this tool as a reference throughout the year to help keep their professional learning team process in focus and on track during discussions and activities.	Tools for Schools. November/December 2008. NSDC.

December 2011 -- Building Virtual Relationships

Online relationships are becoming more and more prominent with educators over the last few years to connect with others around the world. Building relationships, whether online or in person, helps foster trust and collaboration, and connects people with common goals and diverse perspectives.

Tool	Use	Source
Building global competence	Teams can use this tool to guide conversations about ways to bring the world into their classrooms and schools.	Tools For Schools. May/June 2010. NSDC.
Let's get acquainted	This tool can assist team members to get to know one another and help build relationships.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. November 2010. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Trust factors	This assessment tool can help teams gather information about factors that increase trust in groups	Teachers Teaching Teachers. October 2009. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Get connected with today's tools	Teams can use this tool to increase their knowledge of digital tools that can help improve their own professional learning, and help them build online relationships.	Tools for Schools. May/June 2009. NSDC.

November 2011 -- Video Clubs

Video clubs, when focused, can lead to meaningful discussions about student learning. The use of video can add value to the refinement of practices to improve performance.

Tool	Use	Source
Guiding questions for analyzing classroom lessons	Teams can use this tool to guide conversations when viewing classroom instructional videos.	Tools For Schools. May/June 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Video analysis questions	This tool can assist team members with questions designed to focus attention on aspects of teaching.	Tools for Schools. May/June2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Video analysis into practice: Course of action form	This tool can help teachers reflect and develop their own goals by identifying specific areas in their own practice to improve upon or further develop and address after viewing a video.	Tools for Schools. May/June 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Classroom observation sheet	Teams can use this observation tool to debrief a lesson they taught and viewed on video.	The Learning Principal. March 2008. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

October 2011 -- Teacher Evaluation

Teams of teachers have an opportunity to learn from each other, and contribute to the success and professional growth of each individual team member. By providing feedback on practice during classroom observations and visits, collaborating to develop professional learning goals aligned to student learning needs, and debriefing following reflection time, teams can promote continuous improvements in teacher quality and practice.

Tool	Use	Source
Walk-through plan	Teams can use this tool for classroom visits as a strategy for collecting information about practices.	Tools For Schools. August/September 2006. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Developing individual learning goals	These tools can assist team members to ask guiding questions to set personal goals for professional growth by aligning goals to student learning needs.	The Learning System. October 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Individual learning plan	This tool can help teachers develop their own individual learning plans that are aligned to both school and districtwide student learning goals.	The Learning System. October 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Four-step reflection process	Teams can use this tool to assist each other in reflecting and debriefing on taught lessons.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. February 2006. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

September 2011 -- Differentiated Professional Learning

As fall approaches, teachers begin to think more extensively about individual professional learning goals, and their relationship to students' learning goals. Taking the time to differentiate professional learning for teachers is one way teacher leaders can structure and customize professional learning. By helping teachers identify their learning needs, teacher leaders can provide the most appropriate support needed to address them and improve their practice.

Tool	Use	Source
Building a leadership team: Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and skills	This tool will help teachers understand the breadth and depth of their knowledge, attitudes, and skills, and determine what ongoing professional learning they will need to continue their growth.	The Learning Principal. Winter 2011. Learning Forward. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Mentoring conversations	This tool will help mentors assess beginning teachers' practice more easily to focus their support and expertise in response to teachers' specified needs.	The Learning System. Summer 2010. NSDC.
Personal inventory of knowledge and skills	This tool will encourage teachers to think about what they know and can share with their colleagues, and inform the planning team about the expertise teachers already possess and could share with others.	Tools for Schools. April/May 2005. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Worksheet for learning goals	This tool will indicate to teachers that you expect them to think deeply in advance about what they will learn during professional learning, and signal them to base their learning on the needs of their students.	Tools for Schools. April/May 2005. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

June 2011 -- Professional Reading

As the summer months approach, many educators begin to think about the professional reading they will carry on their next plane flight, to the cabin, or to the beach destination. Taking time to read professional articles and books allows educators to hone and refine their craft, as well as acquire the knowledge and skills to build the capacity of others. Keeping a log of professional reading can also serve to be quite useful as a reference during future conversations and team planning.

Reading to stay abreast of current research and instructional practices is also a part of a professional's responsibility for continuous improvement. When educators engage in shared reading and research, they have an opportunity to develop a common language and explore collaborative solutions. Professional reading can spark conversations, build knowledge, and promote change.

Tool	Use	Source
Journal/research reflection sheet	When reading journal articles, readers can more actively engage with text by reflecting on what they hope to learn, what they are learning, and what they learned. This tool helps readers interact with text.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. April 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Four-step reflection process	Structured reflecting on our practice allows us to improve our practice. This tool offers a framework for structuring reflection.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. February 2006. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Reading research	This tool allows for teams to contribute to one another's teaching practice based on evidence and collective ideas.	Teachers Teaching Teachers. November 2007. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Structured response	Those who conduct action research might want to learn more about their topic by attending presentations, reading, etc. This tool is a protocol for reviewing text, film, presentation, etc.	Tools for Schools. April/May 2002. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

May 2011 -- End of Year Reflections

As summer approaches it is prime time for educators to reflect on their practice, alone or with others. During the early summer, educators can take some time to take a "snapshot" of their year and then plan how to address areas in which they want to strengthen their practice. Those who facilitate end-of-the-year meetings might want to include a reflection into their meeting both as a way to conclude the current year and to begin the one ahead. Robert Garmston professes, "Adults do not learn from experience but rather from reflecting on experience, and any group too busy to reflect about its work is too busy to improve." Reflecting can be a process of analyzing, reconsidering and questioning experiences privately or publically. This important component of the learning process can be completed through the use of structured tools or informal journaling, and can even be useful when employed in multiple ways. Stopping to take heed of another year gone by allows educators to preserve the high points, learn from the low points, and identify areas of strength and improvement.

Tool	Use	Source
Capture your thoughts	This tool engages teams in dialogue to look beyond challenges and see successes and opportunities for team support.	Unpublished Work.
Tool 6.1 Reflect on our beliefs and assumptions	This tool assists teams in brainstorming ways to target specific beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Frame your thinking	This tool allows for teams to contribute to one another's teaching practice based on evidence and collective ideas.	Unpublished Work.
Tool 6.2 Reflect on our current reality	This tools serves to help teams reflect on their current reality related to professional development.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.

April 2011 -- Preliminary Planning for Summer Professional Learning

Tool	Use	Source
Tool 5.7 Setting your team goal	This tool guides teams in dialogue to set intentional goals for professional development.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 6.3 Reflect on priorities and actions	This tool assists teams in brainstorming ways to target specific professional learning needs.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 1.3 Look at teacher needs	This tool allows for teams to determine specific teacher needs and work collaboratively to address them.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 6.5 Plan for team growth	This tools serves to help teams reflect on specific observable behaviors to gauge and monitor progress.	Jolly, A. (2008). Team to Teach: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.

March 2011 -- Facilitating Meetings

Tool	Use	Source
Developing norms	This tool engages teams in dialogue to determine an agreed set of operating guidelines and standards.	Tools for Schools. August/September 1999. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Agenda input	This tool helps teams have an active role in collectively determining key areas to concentrate efforts and conversations.	Tools for Schools. October/November 1998. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Agenda format	This tool allows for teams to engage in specific tasks and responsibilities.	Tools for Schools. October/November 1998. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
What do we do now?	This tool assists each member of a team to organize their personal notes with key tasks, timelines, and responsibilities.	Tools for Schools. October/November 1998. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

February 2011 -- Peer Classroom Visits

Tool	Use	Source
An invitation to visit	This brief sample invitation offers one idea about how to ask a colleague about a classroom visit. It stresses being clear about what the observer wants to learn more about and why.	Tool: Classroom visits, JSD, April 2011. Learning Forward. Non-Members: Purchase article.
Peer visit preliminary plan	This list offers some suggestions about what the visitor and colleague might want to discuss in advance of the visit.	Tool: Classroom visits, JSD, April 2011. Learning Forward. Non-Members: Purchase article.
Debriefing a visit	This set of sentence frames offers ideas for how both the teachers can discuss the visit in a way that promotes professional respect and collaboration.	Tool: Classroom visits, JSD, April 2011. Learning Forward. Non-Members: Purchase article.
Sample areas of focus for peer visits	This list includes possible areas of focus for peer visits clustered into three categories, teacher practices, student practices, and classroom structure.	Tool: Classroom visits, JSD, April 2011. Learning Forward. Non-Members: Purchase article.

January 2011 -- Making Time for Professional Learning

Tool	Use	Source
Tool 5.3 Analysis of current time usage with time log	School or district teams considering finding ways to add time into the schedule will want first to analyze how they are currently using time to determine if some of the existing time can be repurposed.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 5.4 Criteria sort with weighted matrix	This tool facilitates decision making and can be used to make either preliminary or final decisions about adjusting the time schedule to increase opportunities for collaborative professional learning during the school day.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 5.11 Comparisons of strategies for making time for collaborative professional learning	This tool helps members of the task force who have gathered information about how other schools or districts create time for professional learning analyze what they have learned based on the criteria they have established for their work.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 5.12 Forming a recommendation	This tool helps a team use the information it gathered to form and support a recommendation about how to add time for professional learning using data from the team's research.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.

December 2010 -- Team Development

Tool	Use	Source
Tool 14.2 Team meetings	This tool is a quick way for a team to collect data on the operational aspects of the team's meetings.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 14.3 Rate yourself as a team player	Teams are effective if their members are. This tool asks members to consider how they contribute to the team's effectiveness.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 14.4 Protocol for discussing survey results about team effectiveness and/or team meetings	If teams pause to collect data about their effectiveness or individual member contributions to the team, members will benefit from discussing the results to deepen their understanding and plan to refine their practice.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 14.11 Individual contribution protocol	Discussing individual team members' contributions to the team can be uncomfortable for new teams. This protocol structures the discussion to create safety.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.

November 2010 -- Responding to Change

Tool	Use	Source
Uncovering personal barriers to change	This tool is used by coaches or by individuals to explore a person's perceived barriers to change. When a person identifies his or her barriers to change and examines them in terms of his or her goals, the barriers become more manageable and may be eliminated.	The Learning System. March 2009. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
10 things to do about resistance	Resistance is a natural part of change. Knowing multiple strategies for handling personal or organizational resistance is an important skill set for all leaders.	Tools for Schools. February/March 2003. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
School's orientation to change	A school's history with change is a fairly good predictor of how it will handle any new initiatives. It can also be a good source of information about how to make adjustments to increase the likelihood that a new initiative will succeed.	Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a Learning School. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
The implementation dip	A surprising finding from research about change in schools is that things might get temporarily worse before they soar to success. It is helpful for leaders to understand this dip and know how to talk about it with a variety of audiences.	The Learning Principal. November 2006. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

October 2010 -- Policy & Advocacy

Tool	Use	Source
Assumptions about collective bargaining, policies, and memoranda of understanding/agreement	This brief survey is useful to collect perceptions about various forms of policies as they relate to professional development. The perceptions can then be used to generate dialogue about the role of policies about professional development.	Killion, J. & Davin, L. Presentations on Advancing High-Quality Professional Development through Collective Bargaining and State Policy: An Initial Review and Recommendations to Support Student Learning.
Policy review protocol	This protocol identifies a process for analyzing policies about professional development at the local and state levels. The first step in policy revision is to know what exists and how effective it is.	Killion, J. (2010) Summer Affiliate Leaders Meeting.
District policy audit	This tool will guide a district through a professional development policy audit.	The Learning System. November 2008. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Delivering a laser talk	Advocating for effective professional learning means being ready to share one's point of view with key policy and decision makers quickly and with precision. Laser talks can prompt action in just a few minutes.	Tools for Schools. February/March 2008. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.

September 2010 -- School Leadership Teams

Tool	Use	Source
Tool 1.1 Knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed as team members	This tool is useful for helping potential and current leadership-team members understand and assess how their attributes align with the strengths of skillful leadership team members.	Munger, L. (2010). Change, lead, succeed: Building capacity with school leadership teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Tool 2.2 Roles and responsibilities of school leadership team members	This tool assists leadership-team members assess their individual and collective understanding of their role as a leadership-team member and may be used to identify areas for leadership-team professional development.	Munger, L. (2010). Change, lead, succeed: Building capacity with school leadership teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Tool 2.4 Leadership self-assessment questionnaire	This brief survey takes a snapshot from the perspective of team members of the effectiveness of the leadership team and provides data for creating a plan of action to strengthen the team’s work.	Munger, L. (2010). Change, lead, succeed: Building capacity with school leadership teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Tool 2.5 Assessment of leadership team indicators	This tool assists school leadership teams assess their efforts. It is helpful in evaluating if the team is making the most of its leadership efforts.	Munger, L. (2010). Change, lead, succeed: Building capacity with school leadership teams. Oxford, OH: NSDC.

August 2010 -- Action Research

Tool	Use	Source
Teacher research leads to learning, action	This article outlines the action research process and includes useful tools for planning and conducting action research.	Tools for Schools. February/March 2000. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
NSDC tool: Examples of possible action research projects	This tool summarizes a variety of action research projects an individual or team of teachers or school leaders might undertake.	The Learning Principal. May 2008. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Structured response	Those who conduct action research might want to learn more about their topic by attending presentations, reading, etc. This tool is a protocol for reviewing text, film, presentation, etc.	Tools for Schools. April/May 2002. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Tool 2.2 Reading educational research	As educators engage in action research, they may want to read research related to their topic. This tool offers a protocol for analyzing research in education.	Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.

July 2010 -- Reflecting on Practice

Tool	Use	Source
Four-Step Reflection Process	Structured reflecting on our practice allows us to improve our practice. This tool offers a framework for structuring reflection.	Tools for Schools. April/May 2002. NSDC. Non-Members: Purchase issue.
Tool 11.1 Critical Events Analysis	For teams who want to create a set of guidelines, agreements, or norms, this tool helps them get started. For teams that have been working together for a while, this tool will help them tune up their norms.	Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Purchase a copy.
Desired Outcome 7.4	This section of the coaches innovation configuration map relates to Standard 7: Design. It describes the role of the coach in supporting reflection.	Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Tool 2.1 Journal/Research Reflection Sheet	When reading journal articles, readers can more actively engage with text by reflecting on what they hope to learn, what they are learning, and what they learned. This tool helps readers interact with text.	Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC.