teacher collaboration in small schools
TRANSCRIPT
Teacher collaborationStrategies for small schools and teachers in uncommon subjects.
Some slides contain information from Bill Ferriter’s Singleton PLC Presentation
Learning Targets
• What are the specific challenges that small schools and singleton teachers face in PLCs?
• Explore solutions for overcoming these challenges by creating vertical teams, and cross-discipline teams.
• Explore the seven stages that professional learning teams pass through.
Guided by four questions (Dufour)
• What do we want students to know and be able to do in every grade level and every subject area?
• How do we know each student has learned it?
• What structures and interventions are we using to ensure all kids reach a certain level agreed upon by the team?
• What are we doing if some students already know and understand the material?
Who Are Singletons?
• Teachers in small schools.
• Art, teachers, band directors, media specialists, foreign language teachers.
• Teachers who are in unique subject areas and do not have someone that he or she can collaborate and learn with.
Discussion Question
As a small school, singleton teacher, or a large school what challenges do you currently face in collaborating in a meaningful way?
Rethinking Structures
Answer while reading about White Pine High School in Nevada.
• What are the strengths of creating teams of teachers who are teaching the same subjects?
• What are the weaknesses?
• What barriers would you need to overcome if you took this approach in your building?
Process for Vertical Teaming
• Organize teams based on what learning goals teachers have in common.
• Focus on those issues that are common rather than those that are not.
• Identify the most important common outcomes.
Process of Vertical Teaming
• Develop a method of assessment.
• Have discussions about what levels of mastery you expect.
• Discuss results and come back with common strategies on how you will improve performance.
Practice in Action
• Do all students take the exact same assessment?
• Is there a different primary source for each content area?
• Is the common assessment multiple choice or constructed response?
Rethinking Structures
Answer the following questions while reading about White Pine Middle School’s work to change structures:
• What are the strengths of creating teams of teachers who are teaching the same subjects?
• What are the weaknesses?
• To implement in your building what barriers would you need to overcome?
Activities• District credit (Led by Mike)• Professional Learning Communities
– Admin support– 50 great minutes
• Video for reflection• Book study (Mindset) • Standards based learning• Instructional coaching• PAC meeting• Weekly admin meetings
Professional Learning Plan
Professional Learning Plan
• Descriptions
• Plan
• Calendar
• Timeline
• Walkthrough
Seven Stages of PLCs
Stage 1
• What exactly are we supposed to do?
Stage 2
• What’s everyone doing in their classroom?
Stage 3
• What should we be teaching, and how can we lighten the load?
Seven Stages of PLCs
Stage 4• What does mastery look like?Stage 5 • Are students learning what they are supposed to be
learning?Stage 6• Which instructional practices are the most effective
across your team?Stage 7• Which practices are most effective with our
students?