Last year our students combined classes at the end of the
day, so teachers could meet in Teacher Based Teams. One week it was the fourth
grade’s turn to have TBTs, and the next, it was the third grade’s turn. One
hour every other week really is not enough for an effective TBT. The teachers
began to meet on the opposite week in the morning for 30 minutes.
This process put our students through a change as well. It
took some time before students got where they needed to go in an efficient
manner. There were a few behavioral issues that tied this principal down to her
office.
Teachers were, however, moving in the right direction. TBTs
established norms and set goals early in the process. Our third grade chose to
meet as a whole group, because they all teach reading and math. Smaller groups
around five are recommended for a TBT, but the third grade teachers had around
ten. I had reservations about this, but a few of the third grade teachers
assured me that the bigger group would be fine. They were right on the money,
because this group has a dynamic way of communication beyond what I believe
most groups have. Our fourth grade chose to meet in a reading group and a
separate math group, because these teachers teach separate subjects.
When starting TBTs, I would highly recommend that your
teachers take notes and keep it in a file where everyone can have access. It is
good for beginning teams to have an idea what other teams are doing. Shared
notes can help a principal understand what is going on, because it is often
hard to attend all meetings. It has also helped me look back and see the growth
of the TBTs since we first began.
In the first two months of our TBT meetings, teachers
decided what data to review and created calendars for data testing and team review. Teachers began looking at data
together, and some adjustments were made to help students achieve. For example,
one TBT decided to start a reading incentive for students to read more at home.
At this point, no intervention time was scheduled for the
school. The third grade teachers worked with their partner teacher to develop
intervention that worked around their schedule. For the fourth graders, this
requires a great deal of adjustment because teachers specialize in teaching
specific subjects. As a result, some TBTs decided they would do the necessary
intervention within their own classroom.
As a principal, my plan at this point was to be flexible and
give the teachers the professional trust they deserved to do what made sense to
their situation. Teachers were doing a great job utilizing the initial training
they had at the beginning of the school year.
In the next blog, I will wrap up the first year with Teacher
Based Teams.
