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The Rounds Model of professional development is being implemented
in a select number of TQPP partner schools located in Richland
Districts One and Two in order to enhance the pre-service
teaching interns' clinical experience at the University of
South Carolina. The Rounds model is being launched with assistance
from consultant Dr.David Keiser from Montclair State University
in New Jersey.
According to "The Rounds Model of Professional Development,"
an article by Thomas Del Prete, what distinguishes a "round"
from other professional development activity is that it occurs
in the actual context of teaching and learning, it draws on
and encourages investigation and reflection on teachers' and
learners' experience as a basis for conversation, and it brings
to bear interactively the different perspectives and expertise
of different participants in the reflection process.*
When "rounds" are initiated, a tripartite is formed
of USC College of Education faculty, Arts and Sciences faculty,
and preK-12 school-based personnel. Tripatrite members meet
with interns at a predetermined PDS placement school. The
interns are invited to leave their assigned cooperating teachers'
classrooms so that they may visit another master teacher's
classroom. Then, along with the USC faculty, the interns visit
another classroom in the school. This provides USC interns
the opportunity to observe another classroom environment as
well as view another master teacher's classroom management
style, presentation, and teaching skills.
Before the "round" occurs, the interns are introduced to
the faculty and given guidance as to what they should pay
specific attention to such as the way the teacher deals with
behavior problems, classroom seating arrangements, and other
important aspects of an effective teacher's classroom.
After the classroom visit, the faculty and interns are debriefed.
During the debriefing, the interns converse about what they
have observed in the new classroom with the USC faculty. This
debriefing occurs in a preset location within the school such
as a teachers' conference room. The master teacher is invited
into the discussion so that the interns can speak directly
to the teacher about her/his specific classroom strategies.
With the rounds already being implemented, the interns that
have participated, so far, have praised the model as a means
of enhancing their clinical experience. Another positive facet
of the rounds is that USC faculty are finding more master
teachers in the schools who are willing to accept interns
into their own classroom. The rounds model is helping to expand
the PDS connections with the University of South Carolina.
*The article by Thomas Del Prete appeared in From
the Inside, Fall 1997, Number 1.
Click on the pictures below or on the links at the top of
the page to discover more about "rounds" at USC PDS sites.
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