Prune the Path: Get Specific

A teacher's path is often a solitary one no matter how many collaborative structures exist. We pull from our depths to energize and re-energize our movement along the path to better work and impact. The path continually meets the challenge of new ideas, questions, opportunity, and obstacles. Identifying the details with specificity matters in this regard--exactly how will you move forward?

Math Teaching Learning

• Review all data, surveys, standards, and efforts.
• Understand well the changes coming with regard to systemwide efforts and State standards.
• Apply Boaler's research in Mathematical Mindsets to the program
• Decide on data sets and meaningful content for math "floor to ceiling" explorations. Possibly integrate this work with environmental, naturalist efforts.
• Plan start-of-year infographic project that includes initial math concepts/standards and include this as part of "How Do Numbers Define You" curriculum.
• Build coding aspect of place value unit using SCRATCH.
• Update SRSD Problem Solving and Examine Landmark Number Units.
• Integrate math standards to STEAM explorations in meaningful ways. 

STEAM

• Continued user-friendly organization and creation.
• Carry out explorations with a focus on TEAM roles and collaboration.
• Integrate with field studies, ELA efforts, read alouds and more.

Showcase Portfolios

• Review this year's process with teaching team
• Include an online portfolio next year using Google sites

Social Competency and Learning-to-Learn

• Review this curriculum
• Build into curriculum units when possible
• Decide on most important overall topics, but remain open to meeting the needs/interests students present in this regard.
• Perhaps add a brain science unit similar to one used at a sister school.

Service Learning

• Think about ways our grade-level team can support this school-wide effort. Where does it fit into our curriculum? Or do we leave it as the organic process it has been this year?

Cultural Proficiency

• Begin with infographic project at start of the year.
• Work with colleagues to identify other start-of-the-year efforts to build classroom community.
• Look for ways to build this in school wide (The Signage Project) and at the grade-level including another trip to The African American History Museum. 

There are countless ways to build and develop our programs of study and ways of teaching/learning today. The key is to know the students well, understand the expectations presented, and chart the course with the teaching/learning team.