Gap prevention is much easier to manage than intervention.
Monitor gaps between intended and actual
Gaps are everywhere on a school site.
- Learning gaps
- Instructional gaps
- Assessment gaps
- Spending gaps
- Communication gaps
Most school district plans do not match the intended success.
Embrace gaps
When we embrace the gaps, it provides opportunities to improve instruction and achievement. Students and teachers never finish learning, and we cannot overcome some gaps in short periods of time.
Gaps are excellent opportunities to work toward constant improvement. If teachers and site leaders agree, they help each other improve.
Embrace and love the gaps, take advantage of them.
Looking for gaps
- Instructional plans vs. actual instruction
- Instructional outcomes vs. student needs
- Instructional goals vs. performance data
- Instructional goals vs. student work product
- Intervention vs. long range learning goals
We should expect unique talents and levels of expertise within teams and departments. A difficult gap to overcome is instructional practice versus actual effective instruction. We can expect perfection, but reality is that perfection is not possible.
- Examining instructional quality and practice is much easier if the goal is to improve, not punish
- Non-punitive, actionable feedback within a team builds confidence
- Consistent quality for learning opportunities across teams should be reality, not just a goal
- Provide targeted professional development based on current instructional needs
Site administrators can reduce the gaps
Limited interruptions, limit gaps
Actions affect intended plans outside of a teacher’s control. The unnecessary interruptions negatively impact instructional time, planning, and learning.
- Keep interruptions to a minimum
- Learn and know the team or department goals
- Support, not just monitor goals
- Support consistent quality of instruction
- Reduce material and access issues
- Keep meetings to a minimum and succinctly
- Use efficient communication methods
- Ensure we balance spending on the goal of the team or department