Tuesday Teaching Point December 10

Tuesday Teaching Point

December 10, 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:

If they are truly expecting high quality student examples of work, teachers must know what an exemplar work looks like for their class. The exemplar is the model (or a model) of what you expect to see before the student turns in the work to you. As we learned about the APEX protocol for looking at student work, and built our rubrics, we were asked to “dream up” what our perfect piece would look like for an assignment to be evaluated. This would be the example of the best student work we wish would be turned into us. In a three tiered evaluation, there is the exemplar work, and then the work that needs improvement. The bottom tier is none, or irrelevant work to the assignment given.

In this blog, I have shared with you pictures of example posted learning objectives. Though I have a clear vision of all the components, I have not yet seen our exemplar posted teaching point. For our purposes regarding teaching point, an exemplar would include; Student friendly/relatable language, a connection to a standard, reflected in an assessment, part of a broader idea, repeated and restated in multiple ways, concisely worded statement of what the student will learn, and should be able to do. Haven’t quite seen it yet. And I still haven’t seen consistency across classrooms (but hope to by June).

My point (and hope) is that you capture the exemplar student work to which you aspire for all of your students to meet. My challenge is for you, is to send me a fantastic teaching point that you have posted in the past or have been developing. My aim is to share what has been shared with me. Then I too, will have an exemplar to share that meets my highest expectation for student work.

Teaching Standard:

CDIF 3D Using Assessment in Instruction. Distinguished teachers allow students to assess their work against exemplars pieces of work or rubrics describing what is expected in the highest order. 5D Assessment for Learning; students evaluate their work using rubrics and examples of other students work which meets or exceeds standard.

Teaching Assessment:

So that I can understand your grasp of exemplar I am asking that you send me, or show me, an exemplar of student work you are using in your classroom. If you don’t have the work I would hope to see a description or the “perfect piece” that students can access or evaluate their own work against. I already know that many of you have several examples of this, and indeed exemplars. In lieu of a student work exemplar please take a stab at the perfect Teaching Point. I’d love to read what you have used or are using. Who knows, maybe I’ll share it and use as my exemplar of teaching point. By Friday please.

Professional Collaboration and Learning:

Friday PCT for New Start is collaborative Advisory Planning. At CHOICE Common Core in LA/SS will be discussed and examples shared. Please come prepared to your PCT. 12:30 CHOICE, 1:00 New Start. Standby for room locations.

Stay warm -

Your Instructional Leader,

Mike

Tuesday Teaching Point December 3

Tuesday Teaching Point

December 3, 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:

Teachers will know that the general structure of their daily classes contributes to the communication of Teaching Point. This is a bit of a refresher for all of you, but did you realize using the workshop model as a general structure for your class can help you re-edify your teaching point to students? The expectation and general structure of the workshop model has three distinct parts to any class period. Just to remind:

Part 1; Gathering; Where the teacher focuses on communicating the teaching point and delivering the content of the lesson. The gathering is critical to making a connection to a past lesson, or prior knowledge of the students, thereby making the teaching point more relevant. Teaching Point extends well beyond this portion of the class.   

Part 2; Work time; When students transition to small groups, individual practice, presentations or any one of many possible formats which allow them to practice and work on what was taught during the lesson. There are numerous opportunities during work time to remind students of, and repeat the original teaching point. Students can write in their journals or on the top of their worksheet. Students can discuss the teaching point and content. Perhaps a prompt by the teacher will relate the teaching point to student’s lives, or ask them to make a point of connection for themselves. Still, the Teaching Point carries on…

Part 3: Conclusion; The teacher helps the students cognitively “wrap-up” and review the learning for the day. Certainly, the teaching point will be a part of the last activity in the period. Again, any number of activities, from exit tasks, private writing, discussions, or even an explanation to the teacher can help students conclude the learning period. Students should recall and understand what was taught to them today, how they learned it, and why is was important.

We see that teaching point can be carried through the period and lesson. Much more than a posted learning objective, Teaching Point is the central theme of what is to be learned in class on any given day. How do you attach your Teaching Point to your student’s minds?   

Teaching Standard:

Charlotte Danielson 3A, Communicating with Students. Proficient: “The instructional purpose of the lesson is clearly com­municated to students, including where it is situated within broader learning; directions and procedures are explained clearly and may be modeled. The teacher’s explanation of content is scaffolded, clear, and ac­curate and connects with students’ knowledge and experience. During the explanation of content, the teacher focuses, as appropriate, on strategies students can use when working independently and invites stu­dent intellectual engagement. The teacher’s spoken and written language is clear and correct and is suit­able to students’ ages and interests. The teacher’s use of academic vocabulary is precise and serves to extend student understanding.” - CDIF

Teaching Assessment:

How is the teaching point carried through your lesson? Is it as clear to the student at the end of the period as it is at the beginning? Is the Teaching Point clear, at the beginning of the period? I see it is posted in all of your rooms. I’d like you to share with me your follow-through strategies for teaching point from bell to bell.  

Professional Collaboration and Learning:

This week we hold the second of four required collaborative learnings around teacher’s Professional Growth and Evaluation. The PG&E topic is collecting evidence in the eight state criteria and our own instructional framework. Mr. Frank Cantwell, and I, will co-conduct the combined PCT at CHOICE Academy at Woodside. All programs be at Woodside, in Mrs. Laura Mitchell’s room, at 1:00. Friday, December 6. See you there – Have a wonderful week.

Your Instructional Leader,

Mike