Whole-Faculty Study Groups

Xavier R. Harris

What are Whole-Faculty Study Groups?

a student driven approach to professional development a job-embedded, professional development system designed to build a community in which professionals continuously strive to increase student leaning “Whole-Faculty” means every faculty member at a school is a member of a small study group focusing on a targeted area linked to school improvement centering on student instructional needs

Whole-Faculty Study Group Guided

Questions?What to students need for you

to do? What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will have a deep knowledge of what they teach? What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will be more skillful in how they teach? What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will challenge students to learn difficult and fundamental concepts? What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will give students skills to be deep thinkers and problem solvers?

How is student learning increased?

This is accomplished as we, practitioners, deepen our own knowledge and understanding of what is taught, reflect on our practices, sharpen our skills, and take joint responsibility for the students we teach.

The Guiding Principals

students are firsteverybody participatesleadership is sharedresponsibility is equalthe work is public

Functions of Whole-Faculty Study Groups:

to support the implementation of curricular and instructional innovationsto integrate and give coherence to the school’s instructional strategies and programs to target a school-wide needto study the research and latest developments on teaching and learningto monitor the impact of innovations on students and on changes in the workplace

Keep the size of the study groups to no more than sixDo no worry about the composition of the study groupsEstablish and keep regular schedule, letting no more than two weeks pass between meetingsEstablish group norms at the first meeting of the study groupAgree on a written Study Group Action Plan that is shared with the whole faculty by the end of the second meetingComplete a Study Group Log after each study group meeting that is shared with the whole faculty Encourage each member to keep an Individual Reflection Log that is for their own personal and private reflection

Guidelines for Whole-Faculty Study Groups

Guidelines for Whole-Faculty Study Groups Establish a pattern of rotating group leadership

Give all study group members equal statusHave a curricular or instructional focusPlan ahead for transitionsMake a comprehensive list of learning resources, both material and humanInclude training in the study group’s agendaEvaluate the effectiveness of the study group, using the intended results stated in the Study Group Action Plan