Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness (Danielson 3e)
Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness is Danielson component 3e: a teacher's skill at adjusting a lesson while it is happening. Observers look for three things - adjustments backed by evidence, willingness to follow student questions, and persistence when students struggle. The 2022 framework renamed it Responding Flexibly to Student Needs.
A teaching lesson bombs...in fact, about 15 minutes into the lesson you realize the students are not engaged or even looking your direction. What do you do? Some teachers may plow through the lesson and have the attitude, "I taught it, so they should know it!" Responsive teachers are not afraid to stop in the middle of the lesson and try teaching the concept a completely different way: "Class, I see that this is not working; let's try it another way!" How can two teachers be so different in their instructional approaches?
Flexibility and responsiveness are qualities that most teachers exude every day in the classroom. The multitude of things that occur without warning affect the way we teach every day. Walking into your classroom could be an abused student from a bad home situation, or an absent teacher requesting you to supervise their classroom, or an unannounced fire drill; educators must respond to situations that interrupt the well-planned instruction. Educators must ask themselves, "Am I being flexible in this situation and how can I be even more flexible?" Likewise, these teachers also know the fine balance of being too flexible when instructional effectiveness can be lost.
The ability for educators to be responsive to individual student needs is an art, as well as a science. While teachers are required to make sure they teach a set of standards for a given grade level, they also must understand each student's ability level, as well as the socio- and emotional challenges each of them possesses. This responsiveness to student needs is visible in everyday instruction. An observer should be able to find evidence that the teacher incorporates students' interests, adjusts instruction in response to student feedback, and that the teacher is not afraid to alter instruction and go deeper during a "teachable moment."
The following six questions will support your transition from being rated Proficient up to Distinguished on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. These six questions pertain to Domain 3 and Component 3e.
First, a Note on Which Version of the Framework Your District Uses
The Danielson Group released an updated Framework for Teaching in 2022, and the names changed. In the 2013 instrument, this component sat in Domain 3 (Instruction) and was called Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness. In the 2022 version, Domain 3 is called Learning Experiences and component 3e is called Responding Flexibly to Student Needs.
The substance did not change much. What an observer watches for is the same teaching. But the element names underneath the component were rewritten, and if your evaluator is working from one version while you prepared with the other, the conversation gets confusing fast. Here is how the three elements line up:
| Element (2022) | Called this in 2013 | What an observer is watching for |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence-Based Adjustments | Lesson Adjustment | You change or replace a planned activity because of something you noticed in student work, questions, or confusion, not because the clock ran out |
| Receptiveness and Responsiveness | Response to Students | You follow an unplanned student question or outside event somewhere useful instead of steering back to the plan |
| Determination and Persistence | Persistence | When a student is not getting it, you try another approach, and then another, rather than treating the difficulty as the student's problem |
One more thing worth clearing up before the six questions, because it trips people up in evaluation conferences: Danielson has four rating levels, and the top one is Distinguished. There is no Exemplary rating. The four are Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, and Distinguished, and they are the same in both the 2013 and 2022 editions. Distinguished generally reflects more extensive, responsive, and resourceful adjustment to student needs:
| Element | Generally reflects, at Proficient | Generally reflects, at Distinguished |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusting the lesson | A sound adjustment when the lesson needs one, and it works | More extensive adjustment, tending to draw on a wider store of alternate strategies |
| Responding to students | Student questions and interests are accommodated successfully | More responsive engagement, tending to develop an unplanned opportunity rather than only accommodating it |
| Persistence | Persistence with approaches from a repertoire you already have | More resourceful persistence, tending to extend to resources and expertise beyond your own repertoire |
This is a summary, not your district's rubric, and local implementation of Danielson varies. But notice what the Distinguished column has in common: none of it describes a different attitude. It describes more extensive, responsive, and resourceful adjustment to student needs, and that is something you can build deliberately. That is what the rest of this article is about.
1 - How Do You Know When to Make Minor and Major Lesson Adjustments Before, During, and After Instruction?
A grant introduced during the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era, called Reading First, had teachers use prescriptive language required when teaching reading lessons to students. This direct instruction technique was meant for all learners in the classroom. It did not adjust to students' unique learning needs. Students with learning needs were taught outside of these lessons, requiring additional time for reading support. Many of these students were pulled out of other areas of instruction: science, social studies, or specials that were being taught. Reading took precedence over any other subject area. While some education gurus may argue that this ideology was not implemented successfully or effectively by most schools, the federal evaluation found no statistically significant impact on students' reading comprehension. Choice, creativity, and ability to make major or minor lesson adjustments were not necessarily a teacher priority while under this grant. Principals could go from room to room and knew exactly what was happening, what page they were on, and what the teacher should be saying and doing.
What we have come to know after NCLB ended is that teachers need to personalize education. Through differentiation, a teacher needs to be able to adjust curriculum, instruction, and assessment accordingly with the students seated in every classroom. Teachers can prepare before students set foot in their classrooms in the fall by reviewing the authorized, educationally relevant records their school or district makes available. Follow your district's procedures for accessing student information rather than researching students independently, and avoid unnecessary disclosure of disability, disciplinary, or personal details. School records on issues like bullying exist to inform support, not to label a student. Here are some questions worth tackling before day one of instruction:
- What prior academic records am I authorized to review through my school's procedures?
- What patterns do I see in the data?
- What supports are already documented in the records my school provides?
- What subjects, topics, and other content areas are the students' strengths, who needs more support, or what are the content holes after looking at prior assessment data?
- What subjects, topics, and other content areas can I spend less time on due to prior assessment data?
- What educationally relevant context can colleagues share through appropriate school channels?
- What support do students in my class already receive?
Master teachers understand that their planning for the school year starts before the first day of school. They use all the collected data to make adjustments to content, materials, and instructional time on specific learning goals. After the school year begins, the data collection prior to instruction does not stop. These teachers collect more information to use in order to adjust and differentiate instruction. Here is a list of data that can be collected after the school year begins:
- Student Interests - Teacher-Created Survey
- Student Strengths - Prior Knowledge and Demonstrated Skills on Classroom Tasks
- Pre-Assessment Data - Teacher-Created Short Assessment
- Formative Data - Teacher Created During Lesson
- Documented Supports and Behavior Records - Only as Provided Through School or District Procedures
Early checks for understanding can help teachers determine whether the planned approach is working. The teacher then decides if the preplanned lesson will be successful to continue as planned. Distinguished teachers are constantly taking the temperature of their classrooms through student feedback. Feedback such as pre-assessments, active participation, and observation of students can give teachers information to adjust instruction for the remainder of the lesson. Here are some approaches a teacher can use to adjust instruction during a lesson:
- Increase or Decrease Active Engagement
- Increase or Decrease Learning Structures
- Increase or Decrease The Time For Specific Content
- Increase or Decrease The Time For Specific Instructional Strategy
- Change or Modify Content and Curriculum
- Change or Modify Instructional Strategy
- Change or Modify Materials
After instruction, Distinguished teachers use the collected data to make immediate adjustments for the next lessons or they can decide to continue with the pre-planned instruction. The data can consist of formative and summative data, observational data, and any other extraneous data to create the best learning experiences tailored to the students seated in the classroom. The same adjustments as previously stated can be used post-instruction.
2 - How Big Is Your Proverbial Toolbox of Alternate Instructional Strategies?
When a teacher makes a choice to veer away from the original instructional plan due to seeing a student or classroom need, an alternate instructional strategy might be a solution. Distinguished teachers know when to change their instructional plans, and they have other strategies that fit the given situation. Through experience and student feedback, a teacher builds their toolbox of strategies.
Experienced teachers understand that students come into the classroom in various moods. For example, if a class arrives chatty with high energy, the teacher needs to add some learning structures that involve talking and movement. This may not be in the lesson plans for the day. Quickly, the teacher decides that the learning structure titled "Inside-Outside Circle," one of Spencer Kagan's cooperative learning structures, would best get students up and talking. Using the same content, the teacher can now harness the energy and chatty nature of the students…thus, using their powers for good!
Distinguished teachers also understand that when a group of students is having difficulties understanding the content, they must be responsive. For example, if a teacher finds that four students need the content retaught in a different fashion, the teacher pulls them into a small group and begins. The teacher may use manipulatives to make the concept more concrete so students can connect to prior learning.
Another example is the ability for a teacher to use the interests and strengths of the students to connect and teach a new concept. For example, if a student likes basketball but is having a difficult time understanding the mathematical concept of "average" or "mean." The teacher can pull statistics from a current basketball player to teach this concept.
The more years of experience, added with research and communication with colleagues, support a teacher's transition from Proficient to the Distinguished level. Distinguished teachers can match current struggling students with successful student scenarios from the past.
3 - How Do You Take Advantage of "Teaching Moments?"
A "teaching moment" is best described as an unplanned opportunity to connect an event, question, or student interest to meaningful learning. What sets it apart from other instructional segments is the questions that students continue to ask, as well as a sense of intrigue that is piqued by students' interest. Developing teachers may not understand when this moment is occurring, and thus do not capitalize on the benefits of this special learning experience.
Beth Lewis from ThoughtCo.com further defines a teachable moment as,
"…an unplanned opportunity that arises in the classroom where a teacher has an ideal chance to offer insight to his or her students. A teachable moment is not something that you can plan for; rather, it is a fleeting opportunity that must be sensed and seized by the teacher."
Distinguished teachers understand that these moments are rare. Though they would like to have them occur daily, teachers need to be willing to adjust the lesson immediately when a "teachable moment" happens. A teacher can go deeper into a specific area or maintain a high engagement level in which students do not want to stop learning about a topic.
Distinguished teachers may adjust the time, content, resources, and more in order to make the most of this complete engagement time. Teachable moments can create memorable learning experiences. We must celebrate them and encourage this to transpire more often during instruction. Being reflective is a Distinguished teacher's primary strategy in duplicating these moments. The more they can replicate the prior learning experiences leading up to the teachable moment, the more they can predict when they may occur.
4 - How Do Grit, Perseverance, and Commitment Play a Role in Teacher Efforts for All Students to Be Successful?
Over the past decade, education researchers have been discussing "grit" and "perseverance" in students. The Danielson element in play here is not about instilling those qualities in students, though. It is about teacher persistence: continuing to find effective approaches when a student is struggling. Distinguished teachers understand that this starts with them. They, themselves, exude grit, perseverance, and commitment in making sure all students are learning to their potential. Many educators aim for a minimum of "one year's growth in one year's time." Many school districts surpass this goal (Read the article titled, How Effective Is Your School District? A New Measure Shows Where Students Learn the Most. To learn more about what is happening in Chicago, you can even research your school district).
What does teacher "grit" look like at school? This can be answered in much the same fashion as what we want to see in our students. Teachers should have an unrelenting character trait that does not take failure as an option, only as a learning experience. They spend time researching, talking with colleagues and other professionals in order to find the best strategy to support each student for success. They do not give up. It may take more time, effort, and energy, but the Distinguished teacher does not give up.
Angela Duckworth's work, popularized in her 2013 TED Talk titled Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, framed grit as one potential factor associated with achievement, although achievement is influenced by many factors. The same qualifier applies to teachers. The ability to dig deep, have patience, and perseverance can lead to classroom success with the most difficult of students. Angela devised a "Grit Scale" where you can find out your personal "grit" score based on a 5-point scale.
A teacher who can persevere is able to tackle student problems, as well as other situational problems thrown at them. They understand that in order to be successful, it takes time, problem-solving, resources, and communication.
Master teachers are not necessarily in teaching "for the money and prestige." They are in it because they are committed to supporting students. The level of commitment of these teachers to help students learn is evident in their words and actions. They do not give up easily, and they follow through to the end.
5 - How Is the Differentiation of Instruction Integral in Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness?
Differentiation has long been a best practice in education. The ability to differentiate instruction starts small…from the first day of instruction, even for new and inexperienced teachers. With added years of experience, as well as research and collaboration with colleagues, it can be a powerful tool for meeting the needs of all students. In Carol Ann Tomlinson's article on the Reading Rockets website titled What is Differentiated Instruction?, she defines differentiation.
"Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction."
Distinguished teachers have a growth mindset and are continually adding to their tools and strategies. They use these tools to support effective differentiation that is responsive and flexible to student needs. The ability for a teacher to adjust the content, process, and product due to feedback, formative and summative data, as well as observation, is a true art form. New teachers may find this time-consuming at first, but as they learn how to differentiate more effectively, the time they put into making lesson adjustments is worth it. When the efficiency increases as teachers plan instruction, it becomes easier to meet the needs of individuals, groups, and classes of specific students.
The best advice for new or inexperienced teachers is to start small. Allowing students to choose the modality for learning a topic can be an easy first step in differentiating. A more difficult approach is creating a lesson that has scaffolds. The teacher chooses a topic, theme, or standard to address. Then the teacher decides what levels of support the current evidence calls for. Group flexibly, based on assessment evidence for the particular skill or task at hand, and change the groups as needs change. Fixed ability groups are not what differentiation asks for and are not required by the framework. All the students are working on the same topic or standard, with the support each one currently needs. This allows all students to access the required state standard or district curriculum.
6 - How Can Teachers Seek Support and Resources from Colleagues, Community, and Other Research?
Distinguished teachers have growth mindsets, and they are continually seeking information from anyone who can support their educational endeavors. Colleagues may have vital information about the students in their class, as well as possible research, strategies, and ideas that they can use with students. Community members can also play an integral role in supporting teachers. Gone are the days of teachers closing their doors and teaching. We must model how to communicate, collaborate, and use multiple resources to teach students successfully.
This connects directly to the persistence element. Persisting with strategies you already know matters, and the rubric's top level generally reflects persistence that also extends to seeking resources and expertise beyond your own repertoire. That is what the rest of this section is about.
Working with a team of teachers that encourage each other and share ideas can be one of the most powerful educational endeavors. School culture can play an important role in collaboration and school improvement. Dr. Bill Daggett of the International Center for Leadership in Education states, "Culture trumps strategy." How well does your school communicate and "team" together? To determine how well your team works together, read this blog, score your team on the rubric, and set goals for your team. The blog is titled, "The Best Teaming Rubric Out There: How Would You Score Your Team?"
The ability to devise your own PLN, or Personal Learning Network, is becoming more popular in education. These are the go-to people and resources that are used to make themselves better. All of the people and resources are selected with a purpose in mind. Research at the fingertips of social media has never been faster. Distinguished teachers create a PLN to support their growth as a teacher. Their PLN is always changing to meet student needs, as well as the needs of the teacher.
Distinguished teachers go outside of the school to find resources and support from community members. Whether the teacher is bringing in an animal expert from Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, or bringing a financial advisor from a brokerage into the classroom to discuss how interest accrues over time, Distinguished teachers find community members who can further support student learning. Teachers also team with organizations to support students' needs in ways a classroom alone cannot. Connecting families with medical, mental health, dental, or other community services should follow your school or district's procedures, respect confidentiality requirements, and involve the staff whose role covers it, such as a counselor, social worker, or nurse. Often the right move is to route the family to the colleague who handles this rather than making the connection yourself.
The ability for a teacher to be responsive and flexible with feedback, advice, information, and data from the teacher's PLN sets a Distinguished teacher apart from a Proficient teacher.
(Danielson Framework for Teaching: Domain 3, Component 3e)
MORE ROCK MY EVALUATION RELATED READINGS:
- Being Exemplary When Communicating with Students
- Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
- Engaging Students in Learning
- Using Assessment in Instruction
- Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness in the Classroom (Currently here)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Danielson component 3e?
Component 3e covers a teacher's skill at adjusting a lesson while it is underway. It sits in Domain 3 and has three elements: making adjustments based on evidence, responding to unplanned student questions and events, and persisting when a student is not learning. It is the component that asks what you do when the plan stops working.
Is it called Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness or Responding Flexibly to Student Needs?
Both, depending on which edition your district uses. Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness is the 2013 name. The 2022 Framework for Teaching renamed it Responding Flexibly to Student Needs and renamed Domain 3 from Instruction to Learning Experiences. The teaching being evaluated is essentially the same. Ask your evaluator which version your district is on before your pre-observation conference.
What is the difference between Proficient and Distinguished on 3e?
Distinguished generally reflects more extensive, responsive, and resourceful adjustment to student needs. At Proficient, an adjustment is sound, and it works. At Distinguished, adjustments tend to draw on a wider store of strategies, to develop unplanned opportunities rather than only accommodating them, and to extend to seeking help beyond your own repertoire. Rubric language and district implementation vary, so check your own.
What evidence can I submit for 3e?
Possible examples include lesson plans that were visibly revised mid-unit alongside the data that prompted the revision, pre-assessment results next to the adjusted plan, notes from a peer or administrator observation about a change you made in response to students, and a record of small-group reteaching and what triggered it. What you can submit and what an evaluator accepts depends on your district's evaluation system, its local implementation of Danielson, and any applicable employment or collective-bargaining rules. Check your local evaluation requirements before building a portfolio around any of this.
Does Danielson have an Exemplary rating?
No. The four levels are Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, and Distinguished, and they are unchanged between the 2013 and 2022 editions. Exemplary is a label some districts and other evaluation instruments use, so it circulates in staff-room conversation, but it is not a Danielson rating.
- 3e is about the pivot, not the plan - The component covers what you do when a lesson stops working, so the most persuasive evidence tends to show the reason behind an adjustment, not just that one happened.
- Check which edition your district uses - The 2022 framework renamed this component Responding Flexibly to Student Needs and renamed Domain 3 to Learning Experiences.
- The top rating is Distinguished - There is no Exemplary level in Danielson, in either the 2013 or the 2022 edition.
- Distinguished reflects range and resourcefulness - The rubric's top level generally reflects more extensive, responsive, and resourceful adjustment to student needs, not a different attitude.
- Adjustment starts before day one - Reviewing the authorized records your school provides, through its own procedures, is what makes mid-lesson pivots possible later.
Responding flexibly to student needs gets easier when you have more strategies to reach for, and graduate coursework is one way to build that store. Depending on your state's credential requirements and your district's compensation policies, it may also qualify you for additional credentials or salary advancement, though endorsement types and requirements vary by state. The sponsored programs on this page include options built for teachers already carrying a full course load.
As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 Jon won the Presidential Award for Elementary Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As a principal, his school won the 2012 Blue Ribbon Award. In 2018, he won the National Distinguished Principal Award (NDP). In 2019 he won the National No Kid Hungry Breakfast Hero Award.
Jon is the author of three guides published on teacher.org: An Educator's Guide to Combat Bullying & Bully Prevention; Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance; and You are the Wild Card: Infusing Fun Back into Curriculum. He has authored a children's picture book that was released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again! (available at www.archwaypublishing.com)
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