Assessment for Teaching

Learning Objectives

In this chapter you will learn to:

This chapter introduces the elements of the successful CTT: collaboration, challenge, check and celebrate. It explores how the CTT supports and enhances assessment for learning and contributes to school policy. The chapter outlines what is meant by collaboration and explains its four characteristics: group members realising a shared goal; members each making a unique contribution; members learning to accept their dependence on other members of the group; and members recognising the benefit of having colleagues contributing in areas that they cannot. We also explore how members of the CTT need to develop their own personal social skills in resolving issues affecting the teaching team.

Introduction

Strong and skillful collaborative teaching team (CTT) leadership is needed to embed the practices discussed in this book. New teachers, especially, need support from experienced team leaders. New teachers need to understand the leadership framework in which they are working. It is the team leader who will model the desired behaviours and help scaffold the learning of individual teaching team members so they can become more effective members of the team and, as a result, more effective teachers. The team leader is often the link between the team and the school's leadership and is therefore in the position to lobby for the interests of the team. It may be necessary for the leader to negotiate more time for meetings, access to particular resources, or specific professional development opportunities. As a champion for the team, the leader must also ensure that the team structure has a place in policy formation within the school. Without adept team leadership, it is impossible to develop a team whose synergy makes a substantial difference to the learning of all of its students.

The successful collaborative teaching team

Behind the approach of successful collaborative teams is an ongoing willingness to question and challenge the impacts of practice. Members of CTTs can best serve each other by questioning their own teaching practices and those of their fellow team members but the challenge must be in terms of change in student learning–related behaviour.