I am thinking about what matters, and what makes a difference with regard to teaching children well.
As I think, the following actions/events rise to the top:
- Well organized, respectful, student-focused collaborative learning/teaching share, design, assessment, and revision.
- Reasonable time-on-task with students. Reasonable means time that is well matched with needed planning, reflection, response, and assessment time.
- Support that is streamlined, targeted, effective, and helpful--the supports should move your work forward and invigorate what you can do for and with children with regard to learning success.
- Thoughtful, well-planned schedules.
- Lead time notice, planning, and prep for important work and efforts.
- The best materials, tools, and processes--an efficient, effective process of continual reflection, assessment, and revision in this regard.
- Apt, regular, transparent communication systems.
- Consistent learning opportunities, and meaningful, productive peer-to-peer coaching, critique, and collaboration.
- Spend the most time on problem analysis, design, communication, and effort with matters that make a difference, less time (or no time) on matters that don't have an effective impact. Prioritizing those efforts is critical.
The learning/teaching path continues. It's another bend in the road as children's skills, interests, and needs change at this mid-year moment in the year. In the early years, we witness these dramatic, exciting shifts as children mature, and that maturity calls us to step back, reflect, and revise the weekly schedule, curriculum focus, and delivery. Onward.
