Professional Development

Our educational community (teachers, parents, community and administrators) came together through the Superintendent’s Advisory Council to create a common vision, understanding and language to guide and label our work in continuous improvement of teaching and learning.  The following indicators of student learning and teacher organizational and instructional strategies are the result:

Indicators of Student Learning      

Learners:

• Ask Questions of themselves and others
• Self –correct
• Display an ‘Aha’ moment
• Are able to explain their learning to someone else
• Connect their understanding to previous understanding
• Can perform the skill or learning automatically
• Apply their learning to new situations
• Show growth toward mastery
• Perform the designated learning task
• Support/defend the position/idea (accurately)
• Express understanding in multiple ways
• Have a desire to be challenged further
• Use the language of the discipline

Instructional Indicators for Student Learning

Teachers Organize Classroom Experiences Using a Variety of Group Strategies:

Groups:

• Large groups
• Small groups (more than 3)
• Pairs
• Triads
• Achievement
• Skill
• Ability
• Gender
• Student Choice
• Student Topical Interests

Teachers Organize the Physical Environment to  Contain Models, Exemplars and Learning Agenda

Teachers Create Classroom Layouts That are Flexible

• Desks grouped
• Circles
• Rows
• Clear line of View
• Student seating assignment is purposeful
• Teachers provide students access to effective tools to enhance learning

Teachers Consistently Select a Variety of Teaching Strategies
Teachers:

• Act as facilitators
• Promote active learning for each student
• Show students the bigger picture of why it’s important to know what they are being taught
• Use a variety of methods to encourage their students to demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways
• Ask questions rather than lecture/prompt students rather than answering for students
• Direct students to listen and respond to each other’s thinking
• Utilize strategies/questions that help students make connections at increasingly complex levels
•  Utilize wait time
• Help students to rephrase learning or other students’ thinking
• Ask students to explain, judge their own thinking/strategies
• Integrate technology into lessons

Teachers Apply Consistent Expectations (Academic/behavior, routines)

Teachers Use Their Passion/Expertise of Subject to Engage Students

Teachers Have Knowledge of Student Performance/Instructional Needs

• Use informal/formal assessment data (frequently) to adjust teaching strategies