How Video Transformed Teacher Feedback & Growth at Scale

Sean McCarthy:

So we have really found that this has made a tremendous difference. Our mentors are really positive about it. We were worried. We’ve had resistance in the past, as I’m sure some of you have encountered when you try to introduce something new. But this just took off. And I mean we’ve had so many observations completed and we get such feedback. These are just a few that I gathered. One mentor said one of the most beneficial aspects has been the ability to review videos multiple times, allowing for more precise progress tracking and targeted support.

Another said GoReact has been a valuable tool. It gives the mentor an opportunity to identify a specific aspect within a lesson and ad commentary that can be labeled with a specific standard. And then this mentor, this one’s really interesting because this mentor mentors both for our program and for an outside consortium and said, I wish I had this tool to help support my candidate who is in this different program. I appreciate the flexibility it offers. I can easily get feedback regarding practice and the California standards for the teaching professions. It’s a great springboard for meaningful conversations. So we gather this feedback as we survey our mentors midyear and end of year, and we do the same thing for our candidates. And we always worry, is this a burden? Is this one more thing that you are struggling with? But we’ve gotten really nothing but positive feedback.

One candidate said, I think the process of reflecting, implementing strategy and reviewing the results on the video with my mentor has been the most effective part of the program so far. Love that comment. The GoReact, video observations, comments are helpful for reflection on identifying areas of improvement. And then this candidate said, tracking my progress and observing myself through GoReact videos has really put into perspective the growth I have had in just a few months. And I would not be as aware of how I’ve grown as a teacher without the program. And we love that. We see that as well. I love when I’m looking at a second year teacher and I see what they’re doing on the videos and I can go back and look at a video from their first semester and it’s like, wow, you can really see that dramatic improvement. And I think that makes such a huge difference for both our mentors and candidates to have that powerful evidence right in front of them of their growth as well as those areas that they want to improve.