A few things: first, and again, I'm very proud of your effort both in Practice Teaching and Framework sessions. And I'm looking forward to a great deal of progress in the very near future.
Regarding Practice Teaching schedules, I am going to implement a new tool: an online spreadsheet. This is intended to be very simple to use, and will make it easy for us to see when everyone is teaching, so Fellows can observe each other. You simply go to this address (http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dFN1LXJKRXIwX0loUEZ1NEhRRXVsdkE6MQ#gid=0) and fill in the data requested; I will also share the spreadsheet with the group, so you can see the schedule. Please fill this in by the end of the weekend; it should take you about 2 minutes.
And for the sake of discussion, I am providing a link to the first part of 'A Mathematician's Lament' by Paul Lockhart; this text is a strong statement about the need to make math meaningful, but take it with a grain of salt in regards to the state standards. It's about 25 pages, and it'll be a piece for a discussion later on in the summer; if you're interested, here's the link.
Finally, I want to address some of the feedback you offered me this afternoon. I'm thrilled that you see my excitement about teaching, that you see how much positive reinforcement and support I offer, and my efforts to ensure equal participation among all group members. I am always very interested in the 'deltas' you offer, and here's what you had to say this afternoon:
- Felt under-prepared for SpEd case study
- Would have liked the pacing guide before institute (I'm guessing this means the PT pacing?)
- More feedback and criticism before my official observation
- The reading level and expectations for the readings seems low
- Some statistics presented don't seem to be fully thought out
- When we went over the LP template, more time should have been spent on each of the steps
- More tips for lesson planning
- Don't see the rationale for doing Module 2 as a large cohort
- Pace of SAF sessions/maybe too divergent (Mike clarified this: better handling of tangential questions and comments that are focused on an individual; I need to make better use of the Parking Lot)
- Use of space a few hours after sessions (does this mean longer hours of access to Blackstone?)
- More time to communicate with CT
- Learning more CMC info/ideas on a daily basis
- Not learning many practical CMC skills or specific ways to deal with misbehavior
- Workshops are very general and high-level, especially the ELL workshop
I see two themes here which I have direct control over: CMC and LP work, and I am aware of those. First, some thoughts about CMC:
- This needs to become a priority for us; session 2 begins one week from Tuesday, and each team needs to have a RCP plan in place, ready to begin using, that day (RCP = rules, consequences, procedures)
- The Classroom Management Blueprint isn't scheduled, in the curriculum, far enough in advance to be of enough help getting ready for July 20; I will therefore be changing a couple of things..
- I will create several posters and guides in the room for thinking about the Classroom Management Blueprint ahead of time
- I will suggest that you review the Fieldbook materials for Sessions 3.2 and 3.3
- I will suggest that you reread chapters 12 and 13 from the Guidebook (Rules and Consequences, and Procedures)
- I will focus time in all observations on CMC, offering POSITIVE critiques and suggestions for improvement
- I will offer working lunches on Monday and Tuesday of next week, where we can discuss CMC content from the Fieldbook and Guidebook, as well as strategies for what you are experiencing in PT; these will run from 1:15-1:45 each day. These are OPTIONAL, and you should only attend if you believe this is the best use of your time; they have no 'point value.'
- I will stress CMC strategies, and ask that Allison and Liz do so as well, in the remaining Sessions for Module 2.
In regards to lesson planning, once we are done with Module 2, we can build in time to talk about LPs, and we will address this heavily in Mods 4 and 5; the Guidebook also has lots of information on lesson planning. Finally, I will continue to critique your plans as a part of all long observations (longer than 15 minutes, including formal observations), and am always willing to review and provide feedback on any lesson plan you have written. Office hours are a great chance to get feedback as well.
Please enjoy your weekend in addition to thinking about this stuff, filling out my exciting new ONLINE PT schedule, and reading your mini case studies from today. If you have any desire to reach out to me, I'm more than willing to talk. And you should all consider heading to roller derby Saturday evening downtown; that is definitely worth some bonus points.
Be well,
Michael
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