March 2025

Welcome to the March edition of the Learning Leader Digest!

This month, we focus on Indicator 3.2: Questioning and Discussion—key drivers of student engagement, critical thinking, and deeper learning. Research underscores the power of structured discussions in helping students articulate their thinking, analyze ideas, and build deeper understanding together (Howard, 2015).

In this issue:
Emily Green, teacher at Polytech High School, shares insights on using the Say-Do principle to foster meaningful discussions through purposeful questioning, hands-on activities, and structured conversations.

Brandie Foxx, DDOE education associate for school leadership, highlights the shift from evaluation to coaching within DTGSS, emphasizing intellectual humility, classroom presence, and invitational inquiry to transform feedback into a tool for growth.

Looking to strengthen Learning Walks or elevate instructional practices? Connect with Angela Socorso—we’d love to support your efforts!

Thank you for your dedication to educators and students. Together, we continue fostering collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement.

We are proud to recognize Christina School District's Director of Teaching and Learning Norman Kennedy who was nominated by Dr. Aaron Selekman for his outstanding commitment to DTGSS implementation in the district.

Dr. Selekman shares:

"Norm Kennedy exemplifies excellence in his approach to DTGSS. Through organization, collaboration, and a supportive leadership style, he has created meaningful opportunities for both administrators and teachers to deepen their understanding. His dedication is evident in the time he has invested in learning sessions, walk-throughs, calibration meetings, and more—ensuring high-quality implementation and professional growth."

In addition, we celebrate the Christina School District schools actively engaged in monthly DTGSS Learning Walks, fostering collaboration and instructional growth:

Stubbs Early Childhood Center – Andrea Collins-White, Tonya Jones
Pulaski Early Childhood Center – Tessa Wallace
The Bayard School – Dwayne Pritchett, Tongela Ginyard, Eunique Lawrence, Leslee Love, Kristyn Hoertz
Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy – Sean Todd, Sharon Hill, Yvette Brisco

Thank you to these dedicated educators for their commitment to excellence in teaching and learning!

Why It Matters

Effective questioning and student discussion are essential for deep learning and engagement. The Delaware Teacher Classroom (DTC) Framework emphasizes the importance of structured, high-quality questioning at Level 3 and Level 4.

Research shows:

✔ Teachers spend 35-50% of instructional time asking questions (Bellon et al., 1992).

✔ Students in classrooms with higher-order questioning score in the 75th percentile, compared to the 50th percentile with primarily recall-based instruction (Gall et al., 1978).

Level 3 

✔ Questions are aligned to the objective.
✔ Questions follow a continuum from simple to complex.
✔ Teachers provide wait time for student thinking.
✔ Students are prompted to respond using evidence.
✔ Discussions involve teacher-student exchanges, with some student-to-student interactions.

Level 4 

✔ Teachers use scaffolds and prompts to extend student thinking.
✔ Students initiate discussions, challenge thinking, and justify responses.
✔ Conversations involve accountable talk, with peers pushing each other for evidence and reasoning.
✔ Discussions are student-driven, with the teacher facilitating rather than leading.

Be Deliberate in Question Planning
✔ Move beyond recall-based questions—use why, how, and what-if prompts.
✔ Scaffold discussions to encourage deeper thinking.

Use Wait Time & Think Time
✔ Pause for 3-5 seconds before calling on a student.
✔ Allow time after a student response for others to build on their thinking.

Foster Student-Led Discussions
✔ Encourage peer questioning rather than only teacher-led discussions.
✔ Model and reinforce academic conversation skills.

Use Invitational Language
✔ Instead of “What is the reason for…?” try “What might be some reasons for…?”
✔ Use plural phrasing to signal multiple possible answers.

When observing a lesson, look for:

✔ Questions that align to the learning objective.
✔ Wait time and scaffolding to support student responses.
✔ Students responding with evidence and reasoning.
✔ Student-to-student interactions (not just teacher-student).
✔ Discussions where students push each other’s thinking

Reference: Saphier, J., Haley-Speca, M. A., & Gower, R. (2018). The skillful teacher: The comprehensive resource for improving teaching and learning (7th ed.). Research for Better Teaching

Emily Green, a teacher at Polytech and lead facilitator for the Studying Skillful Teaching course, shares insights on effective questioning strategies.

View student samples demonstrating these strategies in action.

Effective instructional leadership isn’t about observing—it’s about coaching, collaborating, and fostering a culture of continuous learning. In this edition, DDOE's Brandie Foxx shares her journey in shifting from a compliance-driven evaluation mindset to a growth-oriented coaching approach using DTGSS.

Her insights highlight how intellectual humility, meaningful debriefs, and evidence-based feedback can transform observations from a rating exercise into a powerful tool for teacher growth.

Read the full article here.

*Looking to Enhance Your DTGSS Practice?

Join Leadership Lift: DTGSS Insights in 30.

Principals, elevate your DTGSS practice with our new 30-minute quick learning sessions designed specifically for administrators! These virtual sessions offer a time-efficient way to deepen your understanding of DTGSS and develop practical, high-impact strategies to support your teachers.

What: Quick, focused sessions on essential DTGSS practices
When: Mar. 18, Apri.22
Where: Virtual via Zoom (link provided upon registration)

Why Attend? Gain actionable insights to strengthen your leadership skills, enhance teacher support, and connect with other educational leaders.

Take advantage of this opportunity for professional growth—register today! Register here.

*Join monthly DTGSS office hours. Contact Angela Socorso for more information.

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