My job is to . . .

I was listening to Dr. John Hattie speak on the Bedley Brothers podcast, anticipating another nugget that would be both profound and obvious.  

I leaned in a little closer when Tim Bedley asked Dr. Hattie what practice teachers would implement first if they were to look at all his research. What is one thing they could do that would make a significant, positive difference for the students in their classes?

Dr Hattie hardly skipped a beat between question and answer. “When teachers walk into their rooms each day, they should say in their minds, 'My job is to evaluate my impact.'” He suggests that we look at our own teaching and ask, How it is working? Do we know where we are going? Do we know how to get there? Do we know where to go next? Answering these questions helps us evaluate our impact.

When I answer Dr. Hattie's question for myself, I realize the Conferring Notebook is the tool that makes the impact of my teaching visible, as it tracks student learning. Student understanding and progress are measured with Touch Points every time I meet with them in a small group or one-on-one. These indicators help me evaluate if what I am doing is working, when to try something else, and where to go next. 

No longer can we blindly follow a program, pacing guide, or curriculum. As professionals, it is our responsibility to move beyond simply delivering lessons. When we work with students, providing instruction based on formative assessments, monitoring progress, and providing feedback, we will be following Dr. Hattie's advice to evaluate our impact, and it will be evident that it is reaching its greatest potential.