LEaDME: Leading Educators and Development in Mathematics Education

I was first introduced to this conversation protocol a little over 10 years ago. Through the years, I have adapted it to make it more focused on mathematics teaching and learning. The SUN protocol can support you in facilitating reflective conversations as a form of teacher professional learning in mathematics. This SUN conversation is most effective as a “sense-making” activity after a shared professional learning experience like a demonstration lesson, a co-teaching episode, or a lesson observation.

SUN is an acronym for the main phases of the conversation. It is intended that you move through each phase in order when using this protocol. You use the guiding questions to move the conversation to a future-oriented space where your colleague might set with you a professional learning goal for themselves.

The phases and activities in each phase of the SUN reflective protocol are:

• Summarising: allowing time for your colleague to identify, name, and recall an important aspect that occurred in the shared professional learning experience  
• Unpacking: drawing out reasons behind particular teaching actions and responses during the maths teaching, and inviting self-evaluation using specific examples and evidence
• New learning and direction setting: focusing on what was learned through the experience and setting goals for future development in mathematics teaching

The way you use this protocol is up to you, your leadership approach, and the context in which you are leading development in mathematics education in your school. You do not use all of the example questions in the one conversation. The idea of this protocol is that you, as the maths leader, listen intently to your colleague, shifting their focus to the future by setting a goal to develop their professional knowledge, practice, or disposition for mathematics teaching.

In my experience, it is best to use 15 to 20 minutes for this protocol. It is best when it is not rushed, and you have time to give the “gift of listening” to your colleague. I would use no more than two of these guiding question for each phase of the protocol. You will find that you ask further clarifying questions once you and your colleague start chatting.

The intention of this protocol is that it provides “reflective space” for your colleague to make sense of a shared professional learning experience. An important aspect of this protocol is that you are not judging your colleague in any way during the conversation.  For this reason, you need to be mindful of your body language and facial expressions. You also need to plan the best place to have this conversation. Sometimes asking your colleague where they would like to have the conversation is helpful.

Click on the link to access the SUN reflective conversation: SUN Reflection Conversation – Matt Sexton (leadmemaths)

This SUN reflective conversation protocol for maths leaders was adapted from work by Graham and Peavey (2008).