The most overarching understanding that teachers grapple with is realizing how to best promote student understanding. Teachers struggle with knowing how best to provide the optimal environment in which each of the six facets of understanding presented Understanding by Design can be achieved by their students. How do we best enable our students to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize and have self knowledge?
To appropriately answer this question, I believe that every teacher needs to self assess their own level of understanding of their content area as well as their understanding of the pertinent applicable educational pedagogy. Content area specialists may be able to employ interesting interpretations and applications. However, many may struggle with explaining, perspective and empathy because of their ‘expert blind spot’ (UBD pg 138). That is, they may struggle with allowing students (who obviously have a less sophisticated knowledge of the topic) access to how their understanding of the topic was attained. Topics that become obvious to content area specialists are still new, exciting and fresh to students. For example, in class today a student asked “Where does pi come from?”. I had always assumed that the old activity of finding the ratio of the circumference of a circle and the diameter of a circle had been done a number of times in elementary school and middle school (it just seemed to easy …. ). I waited and waited for someone to offer an answer. I was surprised to learn that the students had NEVER explored why pi is so significant. Did they ever truly understand the area or circumference of a circle? Now, I can’t WAIT until Pi Day!
Teachers also struggle with the most effective ways to explain. Efficiency is certainly maximized by ‘covering’ the topics through lecture or other forms of teacher based instruction. But, as UBD explains ‘understanding is best acquired by uncovering’ (pg 129) and thus, teachers must be savvy in the teaching methods and strategies they use to best promote student understanding. One of the strategies that I believe promotes students understanding is discovery lessons. However, the execution of these lessons is challenging. Successful lessons are dependent on not only the teacher’s questioning techniques but also their level of patience!
One of the biggest challenges for teachers is crafting a fair, equitable, challenging, yet appropriate assessment to quantify student understandings. UBD seems to be pointing us in the direction of performance tasks and away from the more typical multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true-false, etc. styles of assessment. Creating performance tasks can be daunting though! I am looking forward to learning more about how UBD suggests to development of performance tasks in Chapter 7.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Important Qualities of Novice Teachers
As I sat in my classroom thinking about the characteristics of a successful novice teacher, I found myself referencing my classroom list of the virtues of a successful student. The following list of characteristics is the main focal point of my classroom (i.e. in big bold print on bright yellow paper above the blackboard):
PASSION
CHARISMA
DETERMINATION
CHARACTER
HONESTY
INTEGRITY
Many of these are the same characteristics I would attribute to a successful novice teacher. The most important of these are passion and charisma. These qualities are innate within all master teachers. Important teaching skills such as organization, time management, even collegiality can be learned. However, passion and charisma are qualities that need to be present in a teacher on the first day of school. The opportunity to impact the lives of students should inspire teachers even on their first day. This excitement is hard to describe, never mind trying to instill it into a new teacher!
The two other qualities that impact the success of novice teachers are willingness to learn and motivation to reach their potential. Many novice teachers come fresh out of teacher education programs in which they received excellent grades. It is a rude awakening when a mentor or supervisor suggests some areas of improvement. I remember my first observation conference. Prior to teaching, I had a nearly perfect academic career and had a very successful consulting career. It had seemed for most of my life that success came naturally. Not so in teaching! My supervisor had a list of rather basic suggestions (for example, “Don’t pre-prepare your overheads and just slid the paper down. Students aren’t engaged.”). Internally, I fought the suggestions. Still, I implemented the suggestions ‘to make him happy’ without any confidence that they would impact my students. Well, lo and behold, things started changing. It was clear that students were starting to ENJOY the class (I didn’t realize how excited students could get over Geometry). It was then that I realized that I had a lot to learn. I began to soak up advice from anyone who would give it. In doing so, I created developed some relationships with colleagues that continue to have a tremendous impact on my career today.
The most successful novice teachers view teaching as a vocation, not a job. Master teachers update their techniques and strategies each year based on their experiences inside and outside the classroom. The best new teachers understand that teaching is a journey. Growth is an important part of our career and novice teachers need to realize that they are not expected to have mastered their craft on the first day. Instead, the most successful novice teachers realize their potential and are motivated to do their best to reach it.
PASSION
CHARISMA
DETERMINATION
CHARACTER
HONESTY
INTEGRITY
Many of these are the same characteristics I would attribute to a successful novice teacher. The most important of these are passion and charisma. These qualities are innate within all master teachers. Important teaching skills such as organization, time management, even collegiality can be learned. However, passion and charisma are qualities that need to be present in a teacher on the first day of school. The opportunity to impact the lives of students should inspire teachers even on their first day. This excitement is hard to describe, never mind trying to instill it into a new teacher!
The two other qualities that impact the success of novice teachers are willingness to learn and motivation to reach their potential. Many novice teachers come fresh out of teacher education programs in which they received excellent grades. It is a rude awakening when a mentor or supervisor suggests some areas of improvement. I remember my first observation conference. Prior to teaching, I had a nearly perfect academic career and had a very successful consulting career. It had seemed for most of my life that success came naturally. Not so in teaching! My supervisor had a list of rather basic suggestions (for example, “Don’t pre-prepare your overheads and just slid the paper down. Students aren’t engaged.”). Internally, I fought the suggestions. Still, I implemented the suggestions ‘to make him happy’ without any confidence that they would impact my students. Well, lo and behold, things started changing. It was clear that students were starting to ENJOY the class (I didn’t realize how excited students could get over Geometry). It was then that I realized that I had a lot to learn. I began to soak up advice from anyone who would give it. In doing so, I created developed some relationships with colleagues that continue to have a tremendous impact on my career today.
The most successful novice teachers view teaching as a vocation, not a job. Master teachers update their techniques and strategies each year based on their experiences inside and outside the classroom. The best new teachers understand that teaching is a journey. Growth is an important part of our career and novice teachers need to realize that they are not expected to have mastered their craft on the first day. Instead, the most successful novice teachers realize their potential and are motivated to do their best to reach it.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Value of a Mission Statement
Below are the mission statements of the first three schools that came to mind in an effort to create a diverse sample. Westfield is a suburban school in which most students come from parents with white-collar jobs. Westfield has a reputation for academic excellence. NJ Monthly ranked Westfield 22 in their most recent ranking. Monroe Township is a bit more rural than Westfield. Many of the parents of the students that attend Monroe Township schools have blue collar jobs. Monroe ranked 106 in most recent ranking. Newark is an inner city school with the dynamics of a typical inner city school. The largest high school in Newark is currently ranked 186 by NJ Monthly.
Westfield School District, Westfield, Union County
The mission of the Westfield School District, a system built on successful cooperation among family, school, and community, is to prepare students to reach their highest potential, and to become productive, ethical and responsible citizens through rigorous educational programs which respect individual differences and diversity.
Newark School District – Newark, Essex County
The Newark Public Schools recognize that each child is a unique individual; possessing talents, abilities, goals, and dreams. We further recognize that each child can only be successful when we acknowledge all aspects of that child’s life; addressing their needs, enhancing their intellect, developing character, and uplifting their spirit. Finally, we recognize that individuals learn, grow and achieve differently, and it is therefore critical that, as a district, we provide a diversity of programs based on student needs.
Monroe Township – Monroe, Gloucester County
The mission of the Monroe Township School District, a unique multi-generational community, is to collaboratively develop and facilitate programs that pursue educational excellence and foster character, responsibility, and life-long learning in a safe, stimulating, and challenging environment to empower all individuals to become productive citizens of a dynamic, global society.
These statements are evidence that, despite the diversity of the school population, the essence of a school’s mission is the same. The common goal of all schooling is to develop productive citizens. Thus, it is surprising to me that anyone would place a strong emphasis on a having a mission statement. All students, parents, faculty and administration understand that the goal schooling is to provide a positive educational experience that will allow the students to develop into successful adults.
The value of a mission statement is in the process of its development. The content of the mission statement is secondary to the unity that is developed through the collaboration of its development. Mission statements are an excellent way to open the dialogue between students, faculty, administration and parents. Each entity is passionate about the mission of schooling. This is a topic that is sure to generate more unity than disagreement. This unity helps shape the school community. It allows for collegiality among faculty and administration. Additionally, it reminds all parties that the entire community is working together toward a common goal. It creates an atmosphere in which any mission can be nurtured.
Westfield School District, Westfield, Union County
The mission of the Westfield School District, a system built on successful cooperation among family, school, and community, is to prepare students to reach their highest potential, and to become productive, ethical and responsible citizens through rigorous educational programs which respect individual differences and diversity.
Newark School District – Newark, Essex County
The Newark Public Schools recognize that each child is a unique individual; possessing talents, abilities, goals, and dreams. We further recognize that each child can only be successful when we acknowledge all aspects of that child’s life; addressing their needs, enhancing their intellect, developing character, and uplifting their spirit. Finally, we recognize that individuals learn, grow and achieve differently, and it is therefore critical that, as a district, we provide a diversity of programs based on student needs.
Monroe Township – Monroe, Gloucester County
The mission of the Monroe Township School District, a unique multi-generational community, is to collaboratively develop and facilitate programs that pursue educational excellence and foster character, responsibility, and life-long learning in a safe, stimulating, and challenging environment to empower all individuals to become productive citizens of a dynamic, global society.
These statements are evidence that, despite the diversity of the school population, the essence of a school’s mission is the same. The common goal of all schooling is to develop productive citizens. Thus, it is surprising to me that anyone would place a strong emphasis on a having a mission statement. All students, parents, faculty and administration understand that the goal schooling is to provide a positive educational experience that will allow the students to develop into successful adults.
The value of a mission statement is in the process of its development. The content of the mission statement is secondary to the unity that is developed through the collaboration of its development. Mission statements are an excellent way to open the dialogue between students, faculty, administration and parents. Each entity is passionate about the mission of schooling. This is a topic that is sure to generate more unity than disagreement. This unity helps shape the school community. It allows for collegiality among faculty and administration. Additionally, it reminds all parties that the entire community is working together toward a common goal. It creates an atmosphere in which any mission can be nurtured.
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