Most people think about CLASS as a classroom observation measure—and it is—but maybe we’ve been looking at the tool in the wrong way. Let's take a closer look at where CLASS started and why.
When Bob Pianta and Bridget Hamre developed CLASS, their goal wasn’t to develop a measurement tool. Instead, they wanted to see what about a teacher and a group of children made for more effective classroom settings. Why were some children faring well in certain environments instead of others? Together they began observations and discovered that effective teaching practices consist of interactions they categorized into dimensions with indicators evidenced by specific teacher and student behavior. You now know these categorized dimensions and indicators as the CLASS tool.
But Bob and Bridget didn’t stop there. They were frustrated with the varying degrees of quality in classrooms. Some children seemed to be lucking into great learning environments, and some children weren’t so lucky. What if they could change that luck into a guarantee? What if they could work with teachers to ensure that every child would have the consistent opportunity to learn in a nurturing, supportive environment? And what if we could make this happen every year? To answer these questions, they developed a coaching tool: MyTeachingPartner Coaching (MTP).
MTP is a high-intensity coaching model where coaches and teachers engage in feedback loops, so teachers are engaged in improving how they interact with children. Since its debut, it has become one of many other professional development tools shown to improve teacher-child interactions.
Measurement wasn’t the end for Bob and Bridget. Their goal of changing a child’s luck into a guarantee is why they created Teachstone. That goal is the motivating factor for us as a company. We developed and continue to build upon a suite of offerings using a variety of approaches to increase access to support for all teachers in improving their interactions.
Measurement is a means to an end, but it’s not the end. The end is ensuring that all our children have access to high quality classrooms and are thriving.
How are YOU working to change luck into a guarantee?
