Teaching Sprints - Increasing my understanding

I had the privilege of meeting with Louise who is busy with her Masters in teaching sprints. They have trialled teaching sprints since last year and worked through some trials and errors.  

She has given me some guidance on how we can implement it in our school.

Here are a few things I added to my kete of understanding: 

At the initial meeting, we walk away with a plan on how to teach whatever our goal is. 

WSL/Leaders have a planning meeting prior to starting the sprints. Look at data, decide on what we want to focus on, do the research, and send a reading or 2 to teachers beforehand to read. 

Groups can be varied in how they are created. 8 max in a group, but 4 is better. 

Start 1st session with Simon Sinek's why circles. 

Added into the sprints cycle is an observation. 

During the sprint, there are no PLD or Staff meetings. (4weeks) Only quick team meetings once a week. Or short 20-30min staff meetings only. This gives teachers time to make resources and plan for implementing new learning. 

Teaching Sprints - How overloaded Educators can keep getting better by Simon Breakspear and Bronwyn Ryrie Jones

Takeaway points: 

Starting prompt: What is something you do in class in the classroom now more effectively than you did six months ago? 

Sprint = short, sharp bursts of practice improvement work (truly manageable shifts - evidence-informed)

Collaborative process

Process: 

1. Prepare Phase (1 or 2 meetings) 60 - 90 minutes each

- Engage in new learning, informed by research evidence

- Draw out connections and challenges to practice (Boulder, Pebble, Sand protocol)

2. Sprint Phase (2 - 4 weeks)

- Intentionally practice the chosen strategy/technique in classrooms

- Make adjustments, in light of what's happening

- Check-in with colleagues to sustain momentum. (15min stand up meeting)

3, Review Phase  60 minutes

Reflect on: What was our experience of the Sprint? What can we reasonably conclude from the impact evidence we have? What are the implications for practice? What are the next steps for our professional learning?

WHAT TO REMEMBER:

1. Teaching Sprints is a flexible process for teacher learning and continues practice improvement

2. Each individual Teaching Sprint consists of three phases: Prepare, Sprint, Review

3. In most settings, teachers can comfortably complete one productive Teaching Sprint every term of school. 

4. Each phase of a Teaching Sprint involves a different mode of learning

5. The Prepare Phase enables teams to engage with research evidence, make connections to practice, and define a specific strategy/technique that they would like to trial

6.  The Sprint Phase supports teachers in bridging theory and practice; they intentionally practise a selected strategy/technique in classrooms

7. The Review Phase provides the opportunity to reflect on experiences, review impact evidence and determine implications for future practice

8. All phases are supported by simple protocols that teams can use to drive collective thinking and action. 

9. Teaching Sprints is designed to make improvement work habitual in your school.

10. The composition of teams in Teaching Sprints is flexible but the recommendation is 3 - 8 people. 

11. There are only 2 roles - Sprint Leader and Team Member

12. A review of our current meeting schedule can be used to identify potential blocks of time that can be reallocated for Teaching Sprints.

13. For each Teaching Sprint, teams need the time for a Prepare meeting, a Check-in, and a Review meeting.

14. Setting a schoolwide focus for Teaching Sprints can promote the efficient sharing of evidence and resources. 

15. What's most important is that Teaching Sprints works for you in your context - adapt it flexibly and thoughtfully for your team and school. 

So what's next?

1. Check with senior management if we are starting term 1 or 2

2. Check schedules and add them to the calendar

3. Plan for meetings

4. Decide with Snr Management if we will present the area that we want to make shifts in e.g. HITS, or whether we will open it for teams to decide where they want to improve. 

5. Contact Louise from Papakura Central, and ask if I can observe a Sprints meeting. Get the background of how they approached it.