Opening Doors to Equity

A Practical Guide to Observation-Based Professional Learning
Opening Doors to Equity
November 2014 | 248 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781452292229
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Description

The transformative professional learning design that advances equity in your school!

How do we make educational equity a reality, lesson by lesson? This compelling book is a call to action, focused on observation-based professional learning to elevate teaching practice.

Learn how to bring team observation into the classroom to test, refine and transform instruction so that students of all backgrounds achieve. Ideal for classroom teachers, grade-level team facilitators, department chairs, and all education leaders, this guide shows how to:

  • Create a culture of deep collaboration that closes opportunity gaps among students
  • Effectively redesign instruction to reach culturally and linguistically diverse learners, using observation data and shared best practices
  • Center instructional conversations on developing students’ skills for college and career success, including hard-to-assess skills

Including video clips of actual teams, Tonya Ward Singer’s powerful and practical book promises to become a catalyst that will inspire educators as leaders of positive change.

"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.”
Douglas Fisher, Professor
San Diego State University, CA

 

“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!”
Harriet Gould, Adjunct Professor
Concordia University, Lincoln, NE

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

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

References

Index

Index

Resources

Additional materials

Description

The transformative professional learning design that advances equity in your school!

How do we make educational equity a reality, lesson by lesson? This compelling book is a call to action, focused on observation-based professional learning to elevate teaching practice.

Learn how to bring team observation into the classroom to test, refine and transform instruction so that students of all backgrounds achieve. Ideal for classroom teachers, grade-level team facilitators, department chairs, and all education leaders, this guide shows how to:

  • Create a culture of deep collaboration that closes opportunity gaps among students
  • Effectively redesign instruction to reach culturally and linguistically diverse learners, using observation data and shared best practices
  • Center instructional conversations on developing students’ skills for college and career success, including hard-to-assess skills

Including video clips of actual teams, Tonya Ward Singer’s powerful and practical book promises to become a catalyst that will inspire educators as leaders of positive change.

"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.”
Douglas Fisher, Professor
San Diego State University, CA

 

“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!”
Harriet Gould, Adjunct Professor
Concordia University, Lincoln, NE

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

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

References

Index

Index

Resources

Additional materials

SAGE Publishing Logo

Opening Doors to Equity

A Practical Guide to Observation-Based Professional Learning


November 2014 | 248 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781452292236 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452292229 $35.00

The transformative professional learning design that advances equity in your school!

How do we make educational equity a reality, lesson by lesson? This compelling book is a call to action, focused on observation-based professional learning to elevate teaching practice.

Learn how to bring team observation into the classroom to test, refine and transform instruction so that students of all backgrounds achieve. Ideal for classroom teachers, grade-level team facilitators, department chairs, and all education leaders, this guide shows how to:

  • Create a culture of deep collaboration that closes opportunity gaps among students
  • Effectively redesign instruction to reach culturally and linguistically diverse learners, using observation data and shared best practices
  • Center instructional conversations on developing students’ skills for college and career success, including hard-to-assess skills

Including video clips of actual teams, Tonya Ward Singer’s powerful and practical book promises to become a catalyst that will inspire educators as leaders of positive change.

"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.”
Douglas Fisher, Professor
San Diego State University, CA

 

“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!”
Harriet Gould, Adjunct Professor
Concordia University, Lincoln, NE


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

Recent Product Reviews:

"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."
Douglas Fisher, Professor, San Diego State University
"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. "
Jeff Zwiers, Senior Researcher, Stanford University
“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.”
Lois Brown Easton, Educational Consultant, Author, Texas
“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.”
Margarita Calderón, Professor Emerita, Johns Hopkins University
"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!"
Judy Brunner, Clinical Faculty, Missouri State University

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