Protocols can be Powerful in Pairs

Using NSRF Critical Friends Protocols has made an incredible difference in the schools where I have worked. Whether we have been working through challenging decisions, designing new lessons, or sharing visions for our organization's future, I have been surprised again and again at the implications the protocols have had for our culture and for the students involved. A protocol used during a team meeting can produce some amazing effective and efficient results. However, pulling the whole team together can sometimes be a challenge. This is why I recently began using protocols in meetings much smaller: meetings with one other person.

I have discovered that protocols can be powerful in pairs, as well. Two protocols that I have found especially helpful are the "Data-Analysis" Protocol and the "Student Work Inquiry Rounds" Protocol. Both of these protocols encourage the person sharing the data or the student work to turn away from the group so that its individuals can take turns sharing a variety of observations. When doing this in pairs, the person bringing the data cannot turn away - he or she must participate! - but using the rounds designated by the NSRF protocols can  produce some amazing conversation.

With the Data-Analysis Protocol, I always begin by following the protocol's instruction to allow participants 5-7 minutes to review and take notes on the data that has been presented. We then take turns going back and forth, sharing the following information (in this order):

• What we see (the "Describing" Round)
• What we think the data suggests (the "Interpretation Round)
• What steps or strategies might be beneficial next (the "Implications" Round)

Similarly, with the Student Work Inquiry Rounds Protocol, I also take 5-7 minutes for my partner and I to examine the student work and to take any necessary notes. We then take turns going back and forth, sharing the following information (in this order):

• What we see (the "Describing" Round)
• What questions this work raises for us (the "Questioning" Round)
• What inferences can I make about the work (the "Interpretation Round)
• What steps or strategies might be beneficial next (the "Implications" Round)

With both of these protocols, the conversations have been terrific and have produced powerful ideas for next steps. As a principal who evaluates teachers, I have been able to use these protocols to have deep and relevant discussion. The protocol has allowed me to keep them from feeling "on the spot," and has given them guidance in regards to how to thoroughly examine data or student work, something many of us struggle to do in a natural, unforced way.

"As a principal who evaluates teachers, I have been able to use these protocols to have deep and relevant discussion."

NSRF also has several protocols that are readily designed for triads (groups of three). For instance, the Speed Consultancy Triads enables groups of three to work through three different dilemmas in less than an hour. In the same way, the Speed Tuning Protocol allows groups to collaborative enhance three documents, lessons, or even units in less than an hour. Participants can also study an article in a group of three or four with the Save the Last Word Text Protocol or analyze successes in a group of three with the Speed Success Analysis Protocol. 

While having the wisdom of a room full of people is certainly powerful, and while many would agree that it is the most effective approach to running any protocol, the ability to pull two or three people together to wrap their minds around a topic is also incredibly beneficial. Imagine being able to invite colleagues to a local coffee shop to constructively talk about data. When there are just two of you, the conversation can easily take place, even if there is a room full of customers standing nearby. Using protocols in pairs or groups of three can build camaraderie and can produce results simultaneously. I hope you will give it a try!