Teaching 2018-2019: Professional Learning Routines

As the year gets started, I'm thinking of my professional learning routines this year--what's taking priority.

First, I'll consult, review, and revise the year's goals as needed. I'll add evidence and commentary to this list throughout the year to keep me centered on the goals, goals I share with my evaluator and others who are interested.

Next, I'll continue to study and analyze Darling-Hammond's and Cook-Harvey's research article--an article that will help me to modernize and uplift the teaching/learning program.

I'll also focus in on Boaler's Mathematical Thinking book for fifth grade and the activities in the SEL book I wrote with colleagues. I will also read Pam Moran, Ira Socol, and Chad Ratliff's  recent book, Timeless Learning, How Imagination, Observation, and Zero-Based Thinking Change Schools.

Further, I'll try to engage in at least one educator Twitter chat each week--chats like #edchat and #satchat open my eyes, introduce me to new resources and ideas, and engage me with wonderful educators throughout the world--this is a vital source of learning to teach well and improve your practice.

Finally I'll dig into the good curriculum programs we have and work to uplift those programs with greater attention to detail and worthy new resources that make the curriculum come alive in meaningful and memorable ways for students.

School Start Time Changes: What Do You Think?

Educators carefully discussed school start changes.

I have been listening to this debate from multiple angles for more than a year now.

 What do I think?

First, I do believe we should take the research seriously about too-early starts for adolescents and teens. We want to structure school in ways that support good health and well being.

Next, I've noted that schools across the country are considering time changes to accommodate the new research.

And, it's true that there's more research to do particularly about ideal timing for the programs related to young children.

My thoughts at the moment include the following:

• Beginning high school a bit later is a good idea, but we don't want to start it so late that students miss out on positive after school sports and other opportunities.
• Beginning elementary early, but not too early is ideal. If elementary school begins too early parents will have additional day care costs and less access to high school after school babysitters, tutors, and helpers. Also it's likely that a too early start will be difficult for students.
• Beginning all students at the same time seems advantageous, but financially challenging since more busses will be needed. The townspeople will have to decide what's most important with regard to the dollars they spend for education. 
• Earlier starts will mean increased enrollment for after school programs for young children--will after school programs be able to accommodate that change?

From where I stand, I am very flexible at this time with regard to school start times, however I'm opposed to starting school too late for young children since they are most energetic early in the day when it comes to challenging learning. I'm also worried about a too-early start given the fact that a too early start may mean that some students are sleepy, yet the value-added to an early start may mean easier commutes for parents and more after school play time and we know that play is very important to children's development.

It will be up to community members to make a decision that is a positive decision for most--it will be impossible to please everyone with a change like this. What do you think? What do your neighbors think? It's important to weigh in on this decision if it matters to you by attending information meetings, speaking to school committee members and school leaders, and deciding what you support. 

Friday Musings: The 2018-2019 Teaching/Learning Year Takes Shape

Thanks to the efforts of a wise systemwide colleague and the Wayland Public Schools Foundation, Sam Drazin, will share his wisdom with students next week. 

The school year is taking shape. As I get to know students, a good pattern of teaching and learning emerges. Getting to know students is supported by a number of events and routines including the following:

• pupil exchange session when teachers from last year share notes and information about this year's students.
• review of past and current assessments
• student service delivery meetings
• class meetings, observations, and lessons
• parent and student surveys

The week's efforts included multiple lessons including an introduction to the home study routines, the timeline project, online learning menus, and sign-in routines. The week's learning included a focus on numerical expression, learning about the brain and body, positive learning mindsets and behaviors, and continued study about the colonial period and the King Phillip's War via our read aloud. 

The week's challenges included:

• coaching students with regard to error, resistance, teamwork, and procrastination
• coordinating service delivery schedules
• creating optimal organization routines and room set-up

The classroom's new furniture has definitely lifted my spirits and allowed me to teach in more modern day ways. This has been a big plus to the year.

Looking ahead, next week will focus on the following efforts:

• continued efforts related to numerical expression and brain/body science
• professional learning related to our environmental stewardship life science grant/unit
• coaching students' effort to follow routines and complete tasks with care and success
• providing student response to their many learning efforts and challenges so far
• learning from a special speaker, Sam Drazin. 

I must say it has been a terrific start to the school year--one of the best! May it continue.

Readiness and Details: Teaching Well 2018-2019

This is a year of digging into the details that make classroom teaching successful. Each year every class inspires different details for success. Details I'll focus on in the days ahead include the following:

Student Checklists
As we exchanged information with our dynamic fourth grade team yesterday, it was clear that they tracked each child's efforts with checklists and other efforts. They knew who needs extra encouragement to get their assignments done, and who readily completes work. Part of good teaching is coaching students to dig in and complete their work. That's one way that children learn. I plan to create a checklist notebook so I can track students' efforts in an easy way.

Mailboxes
We're receiving a fair number of hand-outs for children, and I'll use a set of small drawers I have as mailboxes. We'll label the drawers and introduce the mailboxes.

Student Information Area
A magnetic board located above the mailboxes will be used for student information such as the lunch menu, schedule, and more.

Posters
I have a number of inspirational and informative posters that I'll continue to strategically hang up around the classroom.

Supplies
I'll work to reorganize the supplies to make those supplies readily available to students.

Indoor Recess Supplies
I'll create an indoor recess list and shelf that students can reference and use when making indoor recess choices on inclement days.

Teachers put a lot of time into their classroom set-up and organization in order to give students apt responsibility, choice, and access in classroom life. All of these details matter to good teaching and learning.

Managing, Developing, and Implementing Timely, Effective Teaching/Learning Programs

Website Header Page

As I reach to go deeper with learning/teaching with respect to my students, classroom, grade-level, and school, I am cognizant of the patterns that will build this capacity.

Over my 33-years of teaching I've consulted multiple resources including experts, courses, written/visual materials, and conferences to develop my practice. I've hosted the resulting learning experiences, notes, posters, and more on Google docs, in files, and on websites/presentations.

At this juncture, I am working to solidify those efforts into main teaching/learning guides that mirror the expected curriculum and latest research.

With regard to math, I plan on continually updating the teaching/learning math website to support this effort.

As I teach, I'll collect related resources and organize the teaching/learning path on the website to guide the work this year and into the future.

Having a ready place to collect, review, and retrieve resources helps one to grow a program since as I teach each unit, I'll refine the materials and the guiding web page with latest research, reflections, ideas, and resources. This organization will streamline my efforts and communication thus buying me more time for student response, learning, and program development.