Cohesiveness has been one of the strengths of my department. We are small, we have been on the same page about student success and we enjoy working together. It is a recipe that has made for positive student outcomes and a fun place to work. This upcoming year we are having several staff changes at 6th and 8th grade. I'm sad to see my colleagues move on to new positions and challenges but know that they will excel in their new responsibilities. My challenge is how to welcome our new members but maintain the close working relationship that our department has had in he past. We have seven teachers and our staff changes include 3 people so the amount of change is significant.
I need to focus on how my role of coach needs to change to support these teachers who are newer to the profession and new to the discipline. I'm excited to have fresh ideas but also concerned that we will experience growing (changing) pains. I realize that some difficulties are inevitable but I'd like to do what I can to make this transition as smooth as possible. Any thoughts from those who have been in similar situations?
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
EdCampHome 2.0
Back around Thanksgiving I was poking around the interwebs and stumbled upon EdCampHome. I was vaguely familiar with the EdCamp model of professional development but I had only ever read about it. The registration for the EdCampHome 2.0 had just opened. I signed up, having only a vague clue what I was in for! If only I had known, I have would have encouraged others from my campus to participate.
I learned so much today! If your not familiar, this type of professional development uses the participants as the experts and there isn't a set presentation or sessions scheduled beforehand. Here is a quick video about an in-person edcamp.
One of the huge learning curves I had today was using Google Hangouts to video chat (a first) and how to participate in this type of event. I also have not been using the G+ community and I think I may have been missing out on a good source of information. It honestly, reminded me of the feeling my students must have when they are asked to take academic risks. If you ever have the chance to participate (which they have promised a EdCampHome 3.0) take the opportunity even if you feel like you are really stretching your tech boundaries. I was amazed at how helpful other participants were to step up and help problem solve when I was just about to bail. I was also amazed at the amount of work and skills of the organizers!! (I have redefined my understanding of a techninja).
What was my big take away to use in my classroom and with teachers? GAFE (Google Apps for Education) which, I admit, I had to google because I was pretty sure I knew what it was but not 100%. My entire district has Google accts for all teachers and students but at least at my campus they aren't really being used. My fellow instructional coaches & I use drive to share and collaborate on documents & projects but that has been pretty much the extent of it. I have a much clearer sense on how my campus could harness this power. I am planning on exploring the Chrome extenstions for Doctopus and Goobric along with Sites as a possible source for portfolios. My notes also include Flubaroo and Synergyze but things were moving so fast, I don't remember what these are.
This event also led me to lots of other folks to follow on Twitter and blogs that I ought to be reading. I also am in the middle of watching a session on developing teachers PLN. All of the sessions from today's event played live and are now archived on YouTube. If you want a test of what it was like, check out one of these archives.
In all...I would do it again and this drives me to think about how we could use this format at my campus or in my district.
I learned so much today! If your not familiar, this type of professional development uses the participants as the experts and there isn't a set presentation or sessions scheduled beforehand. Here is a quick video about an in-person edcamp.
One of the huge learning curves I had today was using Google Hangouts to video chat (a first) and how to participate in this type of event. I also have not been using the G+ community and I think I may have been missing out on a good source of information. It honestly, reminded me of the feeling my students must have when they are asked to take academic risks. If you ever have the chance to participate (which they have promised a EdCampHome 3.0) take the opportunity even if you feel like you are really stretching your tech boundaries. I was amazed at how helpful other participants were to step up and help problem solve when I was just about to bail. I was also amazed at the amount of work and skills of the organizers!! (I have redefined my understanding of a techninja).
What was my big take away to use in my classroom and with teachers? GAFE (Google Apps for Education) which, I admit, I had to google because I was pretty sure I knew what it was but not 100%. My entire district has Google accts for all teachers and students but at least at my campus they aren't really being used. My fellow instructional coaches & I use drive to share and collaborate on documents & projects but that has been pretty much the extent of it. I have a much clearer sense on how my campus could harness this power. I am planning on exploring the Chrome extenstions for Doctopus and Goobric along with Sites as a possible source for portfolios. My notes also include Flubaroo and Synergyze but things were moving so fast, I don't remember what these are.
This event also led me to lots of other folks to follow on Twitter and blogs that I ought to be reading. I also am in the middle of watching a session on developing teachers PLN. All of the sessions from today's event played live and are now archived on YouTube. If you want a test of what it was like, check out one of these archives.
In all...I would do it again and this drives me to think about how we could use this format at my campus or in my district.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Commitments 2014
For teachers, we have the advantage of starting a new year in August and the again in January. My commitments (I prefer that to resolutions):
1. Recognize effort (not just accuracy) in students. In my mind, this is one of the most important college and career readiness skills that schools can teach.
2. Visit each science class each day. Effective coaching means having accurate information about student and teachers.
3. Work with teachers to implement a more effective cycle of review and reteach (starting with 8th grade)
4. Listen more, talk less. Particularly when looking at school-wide change.
Some of these are things that I have already been focusing on or at least have been devoting mental energy. These will likely be in stages of "in-progress" for long periods of time but also have room for lots of growth.
1. Recognize effort (not just accuracy) in students. In my mind, this is one of the most important college and career readiness skills that schools can teach.
2. Visit each science class each day. Effective coaching means having accurate information about student and teachers.
3. Work with teachers to implement a more effective cycle of review and reteach (starting with 8th grade)
4. Listen more, talk less. Particularly when looking at school-wide change.
Some of these are things that I have already been focusing on or at least have been devoting mental energy. These will likely be in stages of "in-progress" for long periods of time but also have room for lots of growth.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Writing to Learn
I have been reading blogs for pleasure for a long time. I didn't often read blogs for professional growth. Often when I would stumble across a teaching blog, they focused on classroom decoration or the best font for creating motivational posters. These didn't satiate my desire to think about the craft of teaching.
What I know about myself is that I like to be reflective. I often found myself writing long emails to colleagues who were in similar positions, I'd ponder change I was seeking with my own students or with the teachers that I coach. The interesting thing was that often by the time I concluded the email, I had thought my way into a solution or decision.
As I have sought to improve my own practice with kids, I continue to try to have them do more critical writing. I hope that this blog can serve as my own critical writing assignment. From Paul and Elder (2007), "Everything we write is a potential learning experience. Writing is a systematic process for learning essential meanings"
What I know about myself is that I like to be reflective. I often found myself writing long emails to colleagues who were in similar positions, I'd ponder change I was seeking with my own students or with the teachers that I coach. The interesting thing was that often by the time I concluded the email, I had thought my way into a solution or decision.
As I have sought to improve my own practice with kids, I continue to try to have them do more critical writing. I hope that this blog can serve as my own critical writing assignment. From Paul and Elder (2007), "Everything we write is a potential learning experience. Writing is a systematic process for learning essential meanings"
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