Good questioning can lead the way

I realized that a lack of good questioning was partly at the core of a recent systematic issue. That has led me to think about the essential questions we are working with, questions related to teaching timelines, content priorities, and process needs. Essentially, we need to understand the following:

• What are we tasked to do, and why has this been chosen?
• What is the expected timeline?
• How do we plan to do this and why did we choose this plan?

As I review the fifth grade math and science curriculum this summer, I'll keep those questions forefront. The review will include the following steps:

• Look through my online file of lessons
• Organize files into content theme folders
• Revise and reorganize the discipline websites
• Review and analyze students' MCAS scores
• Read and inform the weaker areas related to this year's and past teaching
• Think deeply about the strengths and challenges incoming students are bringing forth related to content and process, and reflect an aim to strengthen all students' skills, engagement in the year ahead.

Sometimes when I set an agenda like this, I think, Why do all that work? Yet, when I do engage in that work, I find that the both the students and I are far more satisfied with the teaching program and success is greater. So the work is well worth the investment.

There are systemwide questions that will serve this work well too. Those questions include the following:

• What teachers are demonstrating exemplary teaching efforts in specific areas of the curriculum? What are they doing, and what makes that exemplary?
• Where are the holes in the curriculum program overall--areas that everyone appears to struggle with and areas that the system is committed to making better?
• What changes are planned for our future work to develop the curriculum?

We actually received a document that outlines most of these answers--a document that I will read carefully this summer. 

Deep study led by good questions is integral to our good work. I plan to embark on that deep study this summer with the hopes of forwarding another top notch program with colleagues next year. Onward.