Episode Details

Jethro Jones, principal of Kodiak Middle School, explains how he uses the Marzano observation framework to give teachers focused feedback, in a district webinar where he answers questions instead of asking them. He and his assistant principal have done over 300 observations so far, and he now looks at a few elements instead of dozens of indicators.

Jones describes a lesson plan template built around domain two, how his school plans to review randomly chosen lesson plans each quarter without punishing teachers, and why he asked his staff to rate him on the Marzano leadership framework. The episode opens with Jones marking one year of the podcast and 29 interviews.

What you'll learn

• Pick a few elements to watch in each visit instead of rating dozens, so your feedback on those is better.
• Use domains two, three and four to find and record strengths in teachers who struggle in direct observations.
• Build a lesson plan template around domain two and walk each teacher through it so turning in plans is not busy work.
• Review randomly chosen lesson plans each quarter to confirm teachers' work counts as evidence, not to punish.
• Have teachers rate you on the Marzano leadership framework so they learn that a low score describes the strategy's effect, not the person.

Chapters

• 0:00 One year of the podcast and 29 interviews
• 4:23 Using Marzano to collect data all year
• 6:22 From 55 indicators to a few elements
• 9:37 Managing response rates as an observation focus
• 10:30 Using domains 2, 3 and 4 to balance observations
• 16:12 Reviewing lesson plans with a template
• 19:53 Where non-academic work shows up in the framework
• 25:53 Teachers rate the principal on the scale

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Questions this episode answers

How does the Marzano framework compare with checklist-style observation systems?
Jones says his previous district's system had 50 to 55 indicators to rate in every lesson. Marzano lets him focus on a couple of elements that matter at that moment, so he feels less stress, gives better feedback, and teachers aren't marked down for skipping something that wasn't appropriate.

How do you use lesson plans as evidence in teacher evaluation?
Jones and his assistant principal made a lesson plan template that highlights each area of domain two. They meet with each teacher to review it and plan to rate randomly chosen plans each quarter. The aim, Jones says, is to show good work as evidence, not to punish.

How can teachers understand Marzano scale ratings?
Jones asked his teachers to rate him on the Marzano leadership framework. One teacher scored him a beginning, then read the scale and saw it described how well his vision was communicated, not him as a person. She told him she better understood what happens when he observes her.

About Jethro Jones

Principal of Kodiak Middle School and host of the Transformative Principal podcast.

Links and resources

• Rate the podcast on iTunes
• Rate the podcast on Stitcher
• Jethro Jones on Twitter
• Transformative Principal on Twitter
• Episode show notes
• The Paperless Principal book

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