Student Agency
Phase 1

"Look-Fors" During Observation
Remember: The most helpful part of the observation is not checking off items, but the conversations and reflections that happen after the visit.  

Beginning/ Developing 

• At times, teacher may use language that intimidates, shames, or marginalizes individual or groups of students.
• Feedback is provided only from teacher to student and is not necessarily responsive to the individual student identity or needs.
• Class rules are established but are enforced solely or mainly by the teacher. 
• Students rarely interact with teacher except when called on to answer a prompt. 
• Structures do not exist for students to share opinions, interests, or ask for support. 
• Little or no effort is made to engage with and know learners and their families.

Practicing/ Achieving

• Teachers communicate using language that demonstrates a respect for all identities and care for all students.
• Teachers take time to know their students’ individual identities in order to best support their learning. 
• Students are comfortable to share their opinions, interests, and to ask for support of others in the classroom.
• Structures for providing feedback exist and timely and meaningful feedback is regularly provided from teacher to student, student to student, and student to teacher. 
• Teachers make an effort to know and welcome all learners and their families into the classroom community. 
• Structures are in place for the class to develop and exercise its collective identity (i.e., morning meetings, class projects, etc.).
• Students report being treated fairly and without bias by their teacher and peers.

Questions to Guide Observation 

• What language do you notice the teacher using with students? Is there evidence of knowing the student or is there evidence of intimidation, shame, or marginalization?
• What routines and rituals do you see that allow for relationships to be built in the classroom?
• What evidence of student, teacher, community identity do you see in the room?
• When you ask students, do they respond that their teacher is fair and cares about them?
• What evidence of feedback do you see in the classroom? 
• How do you see teachers interacting with individual students?
• How do you see teachers making time to know their students?

Resources

• This ASCD article, by Larry Felazzo,  talks about the teacher student relationship and gives ideas for what to do to facilitate positive ones.
• This List from Harvard University's Project Zero, provides the 8 forces that shape group culture giving an explanation of each one.
• This Edutopia article, by Rebecca Alber, provides ideas for creating a safe classroom environment.
• This Teach Magazine article, by Karen Hume, provides ideas for how to show students that you care to aid in creating a safe environment and relationships.
• In this video Dr. Dorothy Steele and Not In Our School Project, talks about classrooms where students feel safe and have a sense of belonging, they develop stronger attachments to school and achieve at higher levels, even in the face of significant social and economic disparities.
• This PBS article, by Sarah Sparks, describes the power of empathy in transforming a student’s relationship with school.  
• This Study.com webpage offers numerous resources exploring this topic.
• This Huffpost article, by Jake Newfield, gives an overview of the impact on empathy in relationships and provides steps for creating empathy. 
• This We Are Teachers article, by Chase Mielke, shares tips for getting feedback from students and explains the importance of doing so. 
  
• This Edutopia blog, by Marianne Stenger, gives strategies for how to provide meaningful feedback to students to best support learning.

Rapport with Students, Coaching Tool
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Rapport with Students, Coaching Tool
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