I believe we can do the same with the teaching/learning program. Think about who the children are, what you're tasked to teach, the time, tools, places available, and craft a plan for optimal teaching and learning. To do this well, your plan has to be somewhat open to make space for the students' individual and collective needs, interests, and passions.
Our team takes this approach with curriculum, an approach that was supported at yesterday's Massachusetts Math and Science Institute. We think and analyze deeply about the ways in which the program has been successful and engaging and ways that we can better the teaching/learning for greater, deeper effect. Then we identify areas for greater learning and revision to better serve the students in our midst. Our school has many structures in place to support this work, structures that include transition meetings, PLCs, student service meetings, professional learning events, common planning time, and more. This helps us to cultivate a curriculum that's engaging, meaningful, and successful with respect to identified standards and skills we're expected to teach.
As I began to craft the structure for next year's math program today, I thought about all the wonderful pieces available to update and develop the program. Thanks to the Internet, there's limitless tools and information available to support awesome math teaching. The greatest challenges will be numbers of students and the need for more skilled math teaching support. We all know that skilled math teachers and low student-teacher ratios are main components of successful teaching/learning programs, and the components that we are most challenged to fill today.
At yesterday's Massachusetts Math and Science Institute, Commissioner Riley spoke about the value of quality tasks when it comes to successful learning. The Institute provided many valuable standards-based tasks as well rubrics to identify quality tasks (see the math task rubric below). I look forward to using this information as I craft a plan for next year's learning, and then personalize the plan to the students I teach.
What is the role of concerted cultivation when it comes to curriculum? Is this an approach that you embrace? Why is this a powerful perspective to use as we uplift our schools and service to students and their families? These are questions I'll be thinking about in the days ahead.
