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STAR Process

S
See something different. You must see something different before you will do anything different in your classroom. The first step in the STAR Process is to observe a classroom and see teaching and learning take place.

T
Talk about what you saw. When you see someone teach, you will want to discuss what you saw. The second step in the STAR Process is to talk with your colleagues about your observations. The key is maintaining reflective and constructive dialogue.

A
Apply your observations to your own instructional practices. To make sure the dialogue is reflective and constructive, the focus needs to be on personal application. This is the third step in the STAR process.

R
Reflect on the teaching and learning in your classroom and integrate these reflections into your lessons. The fourth step in the STAR Process requires you to move from observing to improving instruction by examining your own classroom practices on a regular basis. 
Most people assume that the purpose of classroom observation is to make judgments and provide feedback to the teacher observed. With the STAR Protocol and STAR Process, nothing is further from the truth.

The STAR Protocol and Process simply uses classroom observation as an opportunity for us to reflect on our own instruction. Classroom observations should be opportunities to enter learning labs. We are NOT trying to critique the teacher observed. Rather, we are trying to determine if WE see the various elements of Powerful Teaching and Learning. Commenting on another teacher's classroom practice is much more about our own understanding of Teaching and Learning than it is about the quality of the lesson itself.

As we observe lessons, we will use the STAR Protocol to determine whether we see elements of Powerful Teaching and Learning. We refer to Strategies under each Indicator to determine what we saw. As we discuss the lesson, we will maintain an internal dialogue about how we can apply what we are learning to our own classrooms.

Reflection on our own practices rather than judging someone else can be a new experience. If we are going to learn to change our practice, we need to follow a few simple, yet somewhat counter-intuitive, steps.

STAR Sections

Powerful Teaching & Learning
STAR Framework
STAR Process
STAR Protocol
STAR Learning Walks
STAR Lesson Plans