Scenario:
Carmen is facilitating a CLASS Observation Training and has made sure to explain, in detail, the definition of each CLASS dimension, along with some examples of what these behaviors might look like in a classroom. Her trainees mostly get it. Behaviors like “setting clear expectations” are familiar. Maybe they didn’t always call it “CLASS,” but they all have seen firsthand how important it is to provide clear behavioral expectations in the classroom.
But there are a few CLASS behaviors that are trickier for some of the trainees, mostly because they don’t come as naturally to them and they haven't really thought about them before.
Training Tip:As a trainer, Carmen could try providing real-world, adult examples that her trainees might be able to relate to.
The charts below provide some ways she might do this using some commonly tricky Concept Development behaviors.
Dimension: | Concept Development |
Indicator: | Creating |
Behavioral Marker: | Brainstorming |
Everyday Example: | Have you ever thrown a birthday party? Before you got started baking the cake and decorating the house, you probably did some brainstorming, listing everything you might need for the party. It might have looked like this:
|
Dimension: | Concept Development |
Indicator: | Creating |
Behavioral Marker: | Planning |
Everyday Example: | Now imagine you’ve brainstormed and created a list of everything you might need for the party. It’s time to start planning, starting with the invitations—What will they look like? Who will receive an invitation? What will be the date, time, and location? |
Dimension: | Concept Development |
Indicator: | Creating |
Behavioral Marker: | Producing |
Everyday Example: | Now that you’ve planned the invitation details, you are ready to create it. You design your invitations using materials, images, and text. |
Carmen might also follow up by asking questions to promote further discussion:
What strategies might you use to support your trainees' understanding of these tricky CLASS concepts?
When I first learned about CLASS Group Coaching—a training for early childhood professionals about building relationships with children—I was more than a little interested. This, I thought. This is what teaching is all about. It seems to be an obvious concept, but once we dig deeper, we are able to identify the whys and hows of our interactions. CLASS Group Coaching allows us to identify the benefits of our classroom relationships with our students and helps us be intentional in our daily practices. It allows us to utilize each moment we have with our students to deepen our understanding of their perspectives and genuinely connect with them as people. It helps us see the world from their view and guide their learning in a way that is relevant to them.
As a CLASS Group Coaching (MMCI) instructor, the sections of any given two-hour session may feel, at times, very goal driven. These sections titled "Know," "See," and "Do” are interconnected. In particular, it is possible to consider "Do" within "Know," and "See." When an instructor supports in-the-moment experiences that connect new knowledge to current practice, they make the CLASS dimensions more relevant to the educators' daily work. But how can we infuse more “Do” into “Know” and “See?” First, let's re-cap what happens in each section.
Of course every CLASS Observation Training covers the same material, but every trainer puts their unique spin on it. Find out what your strength is as a CLASS trainer. Take our fun quiz to find out what yours is!
I have a confession to make. Recently, I used vacation time to stay home and watch Season 6 of The Walking Dead. I know, I know. How could I have let myself miss a whole season? Oh, and I feel a little bad about taking the time off from work too, but this was very nearly an emergency! I mean it was only weeks before Season 7 of the season premiere. I had to do something. Don’t judge.
While I was watching, I had the strangest feeling of deja vu. I felt like I had actually walked through a herd of zombies, but couldn’t quite place why it felt so familiar. Then it hit me—I had unknowingly created zombie-like participants during at least two of my previous CLASS trainings.