This is a request for material and ideas.
What I have come to find in my 10th year of teaching is that, although I am continually reflecting and revising my practice, I feel I have lost sight of the connecting threads. I feel lost in a maze of activity, but without the guiding structure of a solid, logical, educationally sound framework.
One problem I have is obvious: my district has not provided me with these tools (hence, this post).
A second is more clear to my #PLN: I have found the most valuable PD on and through Twitter.
In the absence of an "official" dogma to follow, I am turning to my PLN for help: what frameworks do you use? What frameworks codify "good teaching" and "good practice"? What are the best practices out there?
Perhaps an example will help: my District uses Danielson's framework for classroom observations. I was observed last week for the second time in six years (the observation went well). In this time, I have never been provided with PD on HOW I would be observed, nor was I provided with information about WHY Danielson's ideas are sound.
While preparing for the observation, I spent a lot of time reading through Danielson's words, and I came to realize two things: it is incredibly overwhelming to try to digest that in a one-week period and, it made sense. It actually fits together and provides a common ground to discuss teaching.
Now, I am not claiming it is the best method, but it is the one we have decided to use, it is the one our APPR will utilize next year, and it is one book I will study this summer.
What else? I plan to study engageny.org this summer to figure out this common core implementation (again, no PD from the district). What else is out there that I should be aware of?
I'd love to find out "big picture" resources (like Danielson and Common Core) and "small" picture resources that pertain to HS English (like Kelly Gallagher's Write Like This or Carol Jago's With Rigor For All)
Please leave a comment below or send a tweet to @acelini. Let's keep this conversation alive and well and share what we know.
Thanks.
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Anthony - This is distressing. Highly curious, motivated teacher feeling this disconnected. There's been so much administrative turnover in your district recently, though. I'm not surprised. The union should be hosting information sessions for you and demanding that admins are fully trained, but I'm again not surprised. If you know anyone who receives below an "effective," I'd prompt them to have the union read through it to make sure there's plenty of evidence in it. You're on the right track, and I'll try to help. Below, you'll find a few people you ought to be sure to follow on Twitter and why. Also, I'll DM you for an email and send along a few things. Unfortunately, so much - especially with regards to APPR is based on local version.
ReplyDelete- Kelly Gallagher is the best for all things ELA right now. Get his reading book, READACIDE, which I believe I've written about before.
- @cybraryman1 and @Larryferlazzo have the two most extensive curating blogs I know about. If there's information and links available, they'll have them on their blogs and Tweet about them.
- CCSS: @dgburris @ADKeducation @AngelaStockman @DataDiva @Cantiague_Lead
- Danielson: @5liens
- @mssackstein is an hs English T in Queens. Grt thinking.
- Chats: #NYedchat #edchat #sbgchat (standards based grading, is a the next big initiative. It's tied into lightening home work loads and weight as well as the ccss)
Anthony
ReplyDeleteYour concerns are common everywhere, unfortunately.
Two "frameworks" I have been exploring with interest lately are Cultures of Thinking http://sco.lt/8QEdyz and Jom Knight's book High Impact Instruction http://mpmengaged.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/thinking-deeply-with-all-students/.
I think both frameworks fit nicely with the CCSS. The thinking routines in CoT can be used with any content to take students into deeper levels of thinking. I use them with adults and find that they provide time for necessary reflection so that ideas can be explored and integrated.
Knight's book covers important ideas around teaching including lesson planning, design, and implementation. Community building is also covered as the context is vital.
Best wishes!