Opening Doors to Equity: A Practical Guide to Observation-Based Professional Learning

About the Book

This compelling book is a call to action, focused on team observation-based professional learning to elevate teaching practice and support student educational attainment.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1 A Call to Action Reaching Every Child in 21st-Century Schools A Rationale for Observing Together Professional Learning for Equity Beyond the Elephant Chapter 2 Observation Inquiry Observation Inquiry Overview Collaborative Inquiry in Classrooms Together Multiple Cycles to Plan-Teach-Observe-Reflect-Plan Protocols to Foster Deep Collaboration Getting Started Chapter 3 Opening Doors: Building Buy-In and Trust Inspire Action Honor Fears Establish Safety Foster a Growth Mindset Address Individual Needs Chapter 4 Asking Questions That Matter Identifying a Problem to Solve Aligning With Local Initiatives Writing a Problem of Practice Asking Questions to Drive Inquiry Facilitation Challenges and Solutions Chapter 5 Planning for Inquiry Goals for Student Learning Assessment and Success Criteria Planning Instruction Facilitation Tips for Efficient, Effective Team Planning Chapter 6 Observing Together Focusing the Observation: The Prelesson Meeting Taking Notes in a Lesson Formative Evidence Examples Using Video Chapter 7 Describing and Analyzing What We Observed Step 1: Describe Without Judgment Step 2: Organize Data Step 3: Make Generalizations Teach and Practice the Protocol Chapter 8 From Observation to Action Step 4: Link Cause and Effect Step 5: Apply Learning to Plan Step 6: Set Individual and Team Goals Chapter 9 Deepening Learning Across Multiple Lessons Building From Lesson to Lesson Kindergarten: Advancing Collaborative Conversations About Texts Second Grade: Deepening Insights About Language Middle School: Elevating Thinking Across the Content Areas Strategies for Facilitating Deep Learning Chapter 10 Evaluating and Expanding Our Impact What Have Students Learned? What Have Teachers Learned? How Do We Expand Learning Beyond the Team? How Do We Sustain Continuous Learning? Appendices Appendix A Launching Observation Inquiry Appendix B Easy Protocol Reference References Index

About the Author :
Tonya Ward Singer is the founder of Courageous Literacy LLC, an organization that helps K-12 educators advance literacy and language learning in culturally and linguistically rich schools. Teachers and administrators describe Tonya’s work as groundbreaking, dynamic, practical, relevant, and impactful. Tonya is the author of bestsellers Asset-Based Language and Literacy (2nd Edition of EL Excellence Every Day), EL Excellence Every Day, and Opening Doors to Equity. She co-authored Breaking Down the Wall and literacy curricula for international publishers. Tonya has taught across multiple grade levels and excels as an international consultant helping schools build collective efficacy of all teachers through job-embedded, impactful professional learning. Beyond her work in schools, Tonya is a citizen historian and co-facilitator of dialogues on trauma-informed healing and racial justice.  Contact Tonya at: www.tonyasinger.com. 

Review :
"This exceptionally valuable book provides a clear process I can use to engage with my colleagues around learning.  I appreciated the ideas and practical information that will ensure that my professional learning group focuses on student learning as evidenced in real lessons. The tools that Tonya Singer provides are useful and relevant, not to mention tried and true.

To ramp up professional learning, this is the tool that will start your engine."

"Tonya Ward Singer skillfully provides educators with a powerful professional learning model that is based on the most recent work and relevant research in the field. This book is a practical guide for making the complexities of teaching diverse learners more visible—to others and to our selves—and for fostering rich professional conversations that are focused on improving the teaching of all students. "

"Opening Doors to Equity is truly a facilitator’s dream.  I could take it and use it well with teachers to engage in professional learning.  The process is definitely tried and true – it speaks well of the author’s experiences in real schools with real educators. On the basis of the amount of yellow highlighting I did in each chapter, I would say this is an incredibly powerful book."

"The writing, the depth, the flow, examples are all exciting and well done.  Very appropriate for teachers.  I recommend the book because of the detailed information, clear step-by-step process." "This book is a must read for principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders and others charged with the task of providing meaningful professional development for teachers.  As a how-to guide, the practical suggestions within this book provide a relevant framework for implementing classroom-based inquiry. The online videos are icing on the cake!"

"The author is able to look at the challenges of learning for students and teachers in a way that is engaging so that everyone can feel accepted and encouraged. This book looks at literacy issues openly and realistically. All points of view can be valued if the suggestions are implemented as recommended. Learning for all is not only the goal but also can be the reality."

"The author of has compiled a cornucopia of best practice and top research under one roof in the learning community. The text directs and explains a culture where teachers assist each other in collaboration assisting students in growth and readiness for an ever changing world." "With all the changes taking place in education, this process of teachers working collaboratively together can both improve our instructional practice and open doors for us to support each other in ways we have not in the past. Both the improvement and support are vital in education at this time." "Tonya Ward Singer’s, Opening Doors to Equity – A Practical Guide to Observation-Based Professional Learning is a rich text for administrators and teacher leaders concerned with supporting the growth of others. It combines practical ideas to build a strong learning culture with ideas to take full advantage of ‘open doors’ to move a compelling equity agenda forward. "

"Opening Doors to Equity is extremely practical, clear, and easy to understand and implement.  Most importantly, the practice supports sustainable professional learning of any content area or strategy, especially relevant now as we are transitioning to Common Core State Standards and in need of examining the effectiveness of the many new practices we are implementing." 

"This book is a must read for principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders and others charged with the task of providing meaningful professional development for teachers. As a how-to guide, the practical suggestions within this book provide a relevant framework for implementing classroom-based inquiry."

"I recommend this book without hesitation. . . Gone are the days for teachers to be working ‘behind closed doors’  . . . Go forth and TEACH like the world works–– collaboratively with teams!"

 

"Tonya Singer has compiled a cornucopia of best practice and top research under one roof in the learning community. The text directs and explains a culture where teachers assist each other in collaboration assisting students in growth and readiness for an ever changing world." "With all the changes taking place in education, this process of teachers working collaboratively together can both improve our instructional practice and open doors for us to support each other in ways we have not in the past. Both the improvement and support are vital in education at this time."

Our teachers’ experience engaging in this book with Tonya Ward Singer was transformational. Effective scaffolding and engagement strategies for Academic English Learners have now become a consistent part of their routine for our experienced teachers. 

"I′m rarely impressed with books that claim to be "practical guides" because most use that title without sufficient understanding of the nuts-and-bolts details of implementation that are required to justify such a label. Your book is a delightful exception. Congratulations on outlining a wonderful resource for educators."