My district has one period (57 minutes) built in every week, so that all teachers can meet and discuss curriculum and student needs. There is a curriculum coordinator and a principal present in every meeting. It is rare that we do not meet. As we work through our grading period curriculum the six of us constantly share lessons, websites, etc. that we have used and found worthy. Just today, I received an awesome website from one of my co-workers regarding lessons on text structure. I love sharing!!! ...and of course, receiving!
Mrs. Marsha Foltermann 6th grade, ELAR 903-462-7307 For a conference, please call the office: 903-462-7200 mfolterm...@denisonisd.net -----Original Message----- From: mosaic-bounces+mfoltermann=denisonisd....@literacyworkshop.org [mailto:mosaic-bounces+mfoltermann=denisonisd....@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Linda Rightmire Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 11:26 AM To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] professional development -- Teacher as Researcher Renee wrote: >I think the best and most effective professional development is teachers talking among themselves about what works in their classrooms. <snip> >What if teachers were given time to meet every single week for an hour of sharing? I can't imagine any "official" professional development program that could do a better job. Imagine veteran teachers sharing their expertise with new teachers, new teachers sharing new ideas and enthusiasm, and the tweaking of these ideas that could happen under such circumstances. Teachers are not given this time. Instead, they are sent off to the district office or some conference where they often don't want to be, often don't pay that much attention because their thoughts are back in their classrooms, and where much time is wasted on such things as "getting to know each other" openers and a lot of "lecturing to" the teachers. Hi Renee, I agree teachers need time to meet every week. Some high schools here creatively schedule so there's a collaborative block every Wednesday. I agree there'd be value in what you suggest. I just want to point out research on pro d. and also another good option. In the Anita Archer way of "I do it, we do it, you do it" (just kidding but not entirely), research suggests that when teachers are taught a method or skill, they need chances to practice it (soon if not instantly) and then feedback on how they did, etc., chance to revise and so on. [Reflective practice -- what we all want?] Think of all the workshops you've attended that have great ideas but then "the handout" sits on your desk (to plan it, do it) and then a month later it's an inch deep on your desk and you are thinking, "Hmm" and "how did that go again?" So, effective pro d. builds this in, including teacher talk time. Another format that is simply "the best" I have observed as to power, teacher buy-in, longterm commitment and so on, is "Teacher as Researcher". I worked as a district consultant for a number of years, offering workshops (not mandated, people give their own after school time, but sometimes for school based or district based pro d. days) and helping teachers in their classrooms. I've seen lots of pro d. come and go! We had an outside facilitator present Teacher as Researcher to a group of a dozen primary teachers who worked in pairs (or threes). Each would have their own question/search, but structurally we paired for the talking-thinking. (In my opinion, this is much more productive than around the table talk; some people are quieter, and so on.) Teachers devised their own projects based on a perceived need in their own classrooms. Teachers were given one full sub day then two halves, by the district; this took place over a period of three months. Concrete example -- and how your topic might change a little as you explored it. Three kindergarten teachers were working together. They'd noted their students didn't seem to play in the way of "dramatic play" in the playhouse that they wished. They thought they were focussing on oral language development -- they were, but it took its own direction from there. In their attempts to devise "something better" than just random attempts by the teacher to visit the playhouse during centres time, to scaffold better language, they ultimately built "prop boxes" that went with a variety of activities -- from specific folk tale themes (Goldilocks) to restaurants to action figures (those toys the boys used to like). It was actually the action figure dead end play that inspired this -- the dramatic play seemed very limited and consisted of boys smashing action figures together. So they set about teaching/practicing whole group/developing specific language and play extensions with each box as it was introduced at the circle time (one only, for a few weeks, etc.). My point being not this great activity that I loved and used later when I returned to the classroom! ;-) But Teacher as Researcher is a *structured* format that enables teachers to explore their own needs -- "What do I most want to change in my classroom? What am I most dissatisfied with?" etc. The Pursuit of Excellence people talk about "simultaneous tight-loose properties" and I think this structure *pushes* teacher's thinking (and deciding) in a way that open-ended teacher visiting (and talking about their problems and their kids) does not. A quick google shows lots -- and reminds me this is also called Action Research. Maureen Dockendorf of Vancouver was our facilitator and here's her academic work on it -- http://labyrinthsociety.org/research-bibliography/4203-within-the-labyrinth-facilitating-teacher-research-groups A quote from that page describes the benefit of the structural *push*: without the external voice of the facilitator, contexts for ... dialogue have the possibility of becoming nothing more than a retelling of incidents that occur consistently in the dailiness of teaching. Without the external facilitator, teacher research groups may become rooted in process at the expense of substance. The rigorous conversations and the rethinking of practice may be in jeopardy of being replaced by sessions in which teachers are emotionally and socially supported, yet changes in practice are not viewed as vital. I think everyone's interested in improving their practice in specific ways, and in having choice to determine what's crucial "right now". Thanks, Linda Rightmire SD #73 Kamloops, BC _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
