Tuesday Teaching Point October 22

Tuesday Teaching Point

October 22, 2013

·       Equitable Access to Rigorous, Standards-based Instruction

·       Results-focused Professional Learning and Collaboration

·       Strong Partnerships with Families and Community

·       A Culturally-Responsive Organization

Teaching Point:

I want you to understand how important it is that there are standards to which you teach. No matter what you think of the common core philosophically, the short video I shared last week speaks to the basic importance of having a standard. Here is the Video Link. Over the years I have been asked many times by students if we are a “real school”?

Our standards allow me to confidently respond to that question.  I can assure any student and family that we teach to the same high standards as any other “real” school. Our diploma is as strong, and valid, as any other school. Having rigorous and rich standards is what makes our school rock solid. We are based in Standards. 

Without standards we are nothing. We need to be able to speak to the standards-base of all our classes, or we may seem as nothing to others. Happily, I have started seeing the standards being posted in our classrooms. A large poster of the common core is in at least two classrooms at New Start. That is a start, yet it is only the beginning. 

What really matters, is that the standard on your wall is aligned with the actual learning objective in your classroom.

There needs to be a clear connection between the posted learning objective and the standard to which you teach. The standard validates what you are teaching. If you cannot articulate or show me that connection, you probably do not understand it yourself. Do you understand the importance of your standards?

Teaching Standard:

The Common Core was adopted in New York in 2010, and the NY State Department of Education is national leader in organizational, leadership and teacher professional development around CCSS. They have a website for you to peruse www.EngageNY.org.

When I write about making a connection between a Learning Objective and the Common Core, I am thinking about observable shifts in teaching practice. “The Shifts” are where I begin to see CCSS in ELA, Literacy and Math begin to manifest in your classroom.

Teaching Assessment:

We discuss the Shifts next week, but for a preview you might want to check out this document. Twelve Shifts. This describes twelve shifts in teaching that can be seen in the classroom. There are six shifts in Mathematics, and six shifts in the Language Arts. They are required by the common core, and in our daily instruction if we are truly aligned (based in) with Standards. I’ll be stopping by to take a look in your classes on Wednesday or Thursday.

Professional Collaboration and Learning:

On Friday at PCT we will be having a discussion to define the purpose and set norms for Peer Observations.  There will be a complete explanation of the process, as well as time to give feedback as we coordinate.  Staff should leave the PCT with a clear vision of the procedure and goals of the first non-evaluative peer observation round, coming in November. 1:00 in Mr. Alexander’s Room, this Friday October 25.

BTW:

Thank you all for your participation in our recent Needs Assessment conducted by the BERC group. We will receive our feedback and recommendations in about a month in a specially called meeting. More to come in our ongoing improvement and growth at New Start.

Happy Tuesday and have a great week.

Your Instructional Leader,

Mike