15 Comments

Good one! In coaching, structured reflection tools—such as post-session surveys, self-assessments, or ongoing reflection journals—allow adults to articulate their learning and identify areas for improvement. These reflections also set the stage for meaningful follow-up conversations, turning the abstract process of learning into a story of progress. Just as in classrooms, this practice not only strengthens individuals’ self-awareness but also builds trust and collaboration through shared accountability for growth.

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In my experience as a teacher, I think the core part of all of those tools is how they are tied together (such as ongoing reflection journals), as it is SO easy for the individual reflections to get lost once you enter back into the whirlwind of the daily grind. (Which I'm sure is the same for students.)

Do you have a system that helps establish a "through-line" in your coaching role for the teachers you're working with?

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We use a running agenda where I capture all of our notes and use those to build our agendas each time. We are grounded in a set of 8 practices that we put on one-pagers that get brought out over and over. Not perfect but it’s a great start for a system as large as mine.

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No system is perfect. I just love that you have something in place to capture reflective thought. Well done!

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The whirlwind of the daily grind is always what thwarts my best intentions to be actionable about data. If I don't act on my students' reflections in real time, then I struggle to use it in any sort of meaningful way. This is why I love how you have embedded reflection so much into your daily lessons. It is something that is expected, and I imagine that everyone is benefiting from the collective wisdom.

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I think student reflections are some of the most powerful forms of data! I always learn so much from them, and it helps build their metacognition.

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“Then, though, Venet pivots to different, better “streams of information," starting with Jamila Dugan and Shane Safir’s work with “street data” (173) that can work alongside other, more traditional and quantitative forms of data.”

Honestly Marcus, I have been screaming into the void lately looking for someone to back me up that what we consider to be ‘data’ and ‘evidence’ is too narrow, too numerical and ignores why things are the way they are.

Absolutely throwing this article at everyone I know 😂

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For me, this chapter was the epitome of "preaching to the choir"—I was nodding with ridiculous frequency the entire time!

(And I also definitely want to look more into Dugan/Safir's work with "street data")

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Same! It is so easy to overfocus on quantitative data, when qualitative information is so valuable.

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I admire your consistency and transparency of sharing the data you collect with students.

Committing to this form of data collection should be celebrated and uplifted so congratulations to you!

I would add to the conversation another form of data collection called cogenerative dialogues popularized by Dr. Chris Emdin which are at base student driven conversations that help teachers reflect and improve upon their own practice with the support and encouragement of their students.

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My new rabbit hole for the evening! 🙏

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I have a complicated relationship with data. The word makes me flinch. As long as I've been a classroom teacher, I have always had the lowest standardized testing data on my grade-level team. I've never been formally reprimanded for my students' test scores, but within any team I've been a part of, test scores subtly create a hierarchy. My pedagogy and how I run my classroom has always differed from other teachers, but once they see my low test score, I lose validation. What seemed like eccentricities before, now appears to be poor teaching.

I've seen two extremes: either I've been inundated with data or have gone years without discussing scores. In the years where there is so much data, there are never diverse streams of information or interpretation.

No matter what data I'm presented with, I always try to focus on listening to my students on the teaching and learning that is happening within. I know that I could improve my pedagogical practice more. I could be better at direct instruction and following mandated curricula. However, I've chosen to focus more on the qualitative information I receive daily from my students over the quantitative data I receive three times per year.

I appreciate how Venet is pushing me to see information as nourishment instead of using data to legitimize my pedagogy.

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Really appreciate all the vulnerability in this response, especially this part: "My pedagogy and how I run my classroom has always differed from other teachers, but once they see my low test score, I lose validation. What seemed like eccentricities before, now appears to be poor teaching."

That you continue to choose practices aligned with your values/best interests of students says a lot about your integrity, though, as it is clear that you are swimming against the current here (and, in naming this, validating all the teachers who are swimming in similar waters).

Just keep swimming!

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Thanks! Currently, our conversation is about low Math scores and I worry that my math workshop model is going to be questioned because school test scores have been steadily decreasing since pandemic. Last year, we had the same conversation around literacy, and it led to a mandated standardized reading curriculum that is awful, pitting me against my teammates about who is teaching with the most fidelity to the curriculum. I bet you can guess who is losing that competition!

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