Celebration Points:
First I want to thank Casey Alexander for his wonderful performance as my first ever guest writer for last week’s blog. It is a milestone in the history of my instructional letters, to bring in help from your leadership team. Thanks Casey.
As the 1st quarter nears end, I have reflected on my initial messaging at the beginning of the year. Remember, “Personalize, Collaborate and Enrich”? My point of celebration is to have seen these ideas take shape in many ways in the schools and programs of alternative education. Go Team! I have seen great personalization through advisory and creative teacher efforts to know our students by name, strength and need. You have all collaborated, fantastically, to date in our data team meetings, oversight teams, and our professional growth. Enrichment is becoming more and more evident in the way we teach our classes. I’ve seen more hands on, classroom based projects, guest speakers, and student activity outside of classrooms. Please take a minute to celebrate, while I thank you for keeping these goals moving forward. Excellent work team, you should be proud.
Instructional Point:
Last week, in observation of a Math class at New Start, I saw students learning how to calculate Rate. The activity was hands on, involving toy cars, a ramp that could be raised and lowered by textbooks, a stop watch, and the scientific method. There was a connection to a Science class I had witnessed just a week before at CHOICE (involving paper airplanes). In both a science, and a math class, students developed a hypothesis, conducted an experiment, made observations and recorded what they had found. Indeed, I have seen the same in Science class at New Start. There is a lot to be said in these real-feeling, hands-on classroom projects for our students, but I especially appreciate the idea of integrating key ideas (whether it was purposeful or not). I believe this point of integration helps students make the connections to a world, and other subjects, outside of the particular classroom they are in at the time. I also know that these connections are what help students “learn”. This week, I ask you to think about the ways your class might connect to your colleagues’ next door. Subtle or not, how could that manifest in your lesson plans and instructional practice?
Data Points:
I have collected data from our Fall Goal Setting Meetings and shared it with the Leadership Team. As you may recall, I asked each of you for some instructional growth goals connected to the Charlotte Danielson Framework. I recorded your goals by domain number and the letter of the component in that domain. For example, if you told me an instructional goal of yours was, “to engage students in learning through small groups”, together, we probably agreed that goal is a “3C”. (If you are scrambling through your framework right now, the Element in 3C is “Small groups”.) With this data in hand, I was able to compile the most common goals of all our teachers. Here is what I came up with.
This is great data because it will inform me, our leadership and instructional growth teams about your areas of interest. In order to help most teachers meet their goals, we can design and focus professional development toward 1C, 2A, 3B, 3C and definitely 3D. Furthermore, if you look at the language associated with these domains and components, you might be able to conclude that teacher goals are somewhat aligned with school goals towards integration, 21st century skills and project based learning, things we have been talking about for years. This data tells me we are right on track to improve our instructional work, in the ways we want to for our students.
Professional Growth Points:
Pedagogy of Confidence: You should be in Chapter Two by now where Dr. Jackson lays out how the “drama” of operating in an environment of low expectations exacerbates barriers to learning growth. The chapter is not a happy one. The author describes the internal pressures principals and teachers put upon themselves which affect the learning environment, and growth of students. As positive as I always try to be, the “disregarded” realities pointed out in this chapter strike multiple chords with me. I look forward to reflecting on this with you at PCT on December 7. You should be wrapping up this chapter soon and moving on to Chapter Three.
Teachscape: You should all be signed on successfully, and hopefully spent some time getting familiar with the online course. Please let me know if you cannot access teachscape. We will be checking at our first Charlotte Danielson PCT on November 30. https://www.teachscape.com
PCT Point: November 9, 2012, Positive Behavior Intervention Supports
This Friday, we go deep into PBIS at our sites. PCT will be site based, so CHOICE meets at Woodside, and New Start at Salmon Creek. HIPP please take some time with your team to collaborate around PBIS. PBIS is an important Action Plan in our SIP, and we need to review and gather input from staff on our implementation items for this year. PBIS is the base for the critical structures we employ to support positive behaviors socially and academically in our schools and programs. I look forward to our work on Friday. See you at 1:00!
Mike’s Schedule:
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Nov 5
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Nov 6
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Nov 7
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Nov 8
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Nov 9
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Administrative Forum (ERAC)
In Classrooms
Sped Meeting
Instructional Growth Planning Team Meeting
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In Classrooms
Host T&L Visit to New Start
Senior Meeting
Woodside Security Planning Meeting
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HEA Update
In Classrooms
Observation
Eye Doctor
Student Enrichment Planning Team
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New Start Math Data Team
In Classrooms
Data Book Study (ERAC)
Supt. State of Schools Meeting (ERAC)
Success Academy Meeting
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PCT Prep
PCT on PBIS
Sped Weekly
Monday Points
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I hope you set your clocks back, and don’t forget to vote! – have great week.
Have a great week.
Mike
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