Peer to Peer Observation - A Guest Post by Teacher and Colleague Steve Abbot

On Peer to Peer Observation:

To me, this is what is missing in high school education.  We work in almost complete isolation from our peers.  We may talk about our instruction but we rarely share it first-hand.  There are very few other professions where such isolation exists.  Even teaching at other grade levels is vastly different – a third grade teacher is accustomed to a regular flow of other adults in the classroom; parents, team teachers, aids and administrators frequently pop in and later share thoughts and ideas based on observation.

As a transition, peer observation is inherently uncomfortable.  Where such autonomy has existed, observation is an invasion.  We will feel self-conscious with a colleague in the room during the moments when classes are not engaged and lively.  Students may be distracted by another teacher parking in the back of the room.

Later though, what was a distraction for its novelty will become normal for its frequency.  Our self-consciousness will fade as our trust in colleagues increases.  The conversations between teachers will evolve from superficial greetings to substantive dialogue based on first-hand experience and the sharing of our instructional practices.

 

External control, standardization, API scores, etc. are all a call by the public we serve, for improved instruction.  If we want to maintain local control of our education system we have to pursue the obstacles to learning with creative, progressive instruction.  The best resources for problem solving in high school instruction are high school teachers. 

Steve Abbott

Mt. Shasta High School

The Bell Curve and Our Circle of Life - A Guest Post by Teacher and Colleague Dave Bruce

The Bell Curve and Our Circle of Life... 

                   new curves of insight for all our students!

Please pick up a pencil and draw a large bell curve on a piece of blank paper…

I imagine all teachers using this tool with all students!    

     WHY?  … to help them get a bigger picture of themselves and the 

      life they are immersed in …

• the beauty of normal   (middle section)
• excellence   (one end)
• balance   (overall)
• strengths & weaknesses   (each end)
• of the comfort zone    (middle section)
• the elite of discovery and excellence   (one end) … risk and deep practice
• and the radical extremes of protest and revolution (each end?) !

                    This tool is very visual & powerful

I showcase it as a political continuum. 

• Total Gov’t/Dictatorship  (far left)
• Liberals  (middle left)
• Moderates  (middle section)
• Conservatives  (middle right)
• No Gov’t/Anarchy (far right) .. and go ahead and throw in ...
• Ultra-conservatives, Communism, Socialism, radicals, extremists, progressives … etc.

Geometry teachers & students can use a compass to draw a circle, quarter it, split out the arcs to form a bell curve, create a perfect yin/yang symbol, and create wavelengths that are indicative of the rhythmic patterns in our lives.

It is important for students to …

·       understand that bell curves take on a more predictable shape as the population (sample size) increases.  If we  graph students’ heights in only one class THEN  school-wide, we find the school-wide graph more closely approaches a bell-curve and allows us to make more accurate and general interpretive statements. ß … please  √ for understanding.

·       understand that each of us falls all over the continuum of the bell curve depending on the characteristic being described … eg heart-rate, kindness, white blood-cell count, weight, political persuasion, etc.  In some areas we are normal, others extreme, or weak, or strong, or … is there a chart for that characteristic?   I wonder where I’m at?

·      understand that extremes are often the vanguard, the leading edge, the place of excellence … not just the bothersome radicals that disturb us normals! 

                                Ahhh, and is normal complacency … mediocrity?   J  Happiness?

Here’s a warm-up: graph #kernals popping (vertical) & time (start to finish, hot air popping, horizontal)  Have small groups do it separately (not actual science, just from their experience & imagination) …

then share out  …

                                  Then have them discover new categories to chart  …  weather, ???

English teachers can help students place characters on bell curves of different kinds, place the same character in different positions, chart a range of genres? ???

Music teachers …. Help me …???  Ahhh … balance in tones, voicing, styles???  Range of rhythm …

Science … Duh … J … really, so cool  … endless …. Yeah, use the yin/yang to illustrate and tie in our reciprocity in life …

Art … Business … Parenting … Psychology … Wellness …

Let’s go back to the rhythm, when we cut the circle into quarters and rearrange them into repeating bell curves / waves ………….  The cycles of our lives, our days, our patterns …   having our students draw out their cycle descriptions and awareness. 

It is this dance of life, this rhythm we have.  

Let’s have more rhythm in our classrooms!

p.s.    Someone said a strong government is a flexible one.  Contemplate that!          

                This could be turned into an essential question.

The Bell Curve Discussion Tool

Guest Post - By Mary Jo Coffman

The following is a Guest Post by teacher and colleague Mary Jo Coffman.

Here is something that has been on my mind and I find interesting in a social science kind of way.  It is interesting to note that the federal support of education such as No Child Left Behind has been an abysmal failure and will likely be on the cutting block due to budget constraints since all education issues are up for the "chop".  In this case it will not be much missed.  The state support of education while substantial has been cut and cut and cut some more.  It is unfortunate that many of state-mandated education "reforms" are politically motivated and aimed at undermining the free public education system in order to privatize and make profit from said educational system.  Public education is certainly one of the last holdouts of progressive reform and social equality.  So, with all of that said, I believe local control of education as it was originally intended is right-minded and more realistic.  I have seen a recent resurgence of local investment in the education process and evidence of that local control.  First of all I had occasion to visit with the county coordinator of the literacy project that is run through the library system.  They have had all funding cut but her network of volunteers will continue the work with or without funding.  Secondly, the library system itself, which is now a local, grassroots effort and stronger than ever.  Finally, the PBL that many of us are involved with involves the community in a very real and important way.  I would say things are looking up!

Creativity

I was inspired by a blog post on A Principal's Reflections: Creativity Fuels Innovation, by Eric Sheninger.
When I think of the project work we are developing, I can not help to think about the potential for creativity and innovation that we are affording our students. This type of curricular experience can allow students to focus on strengths and identify passions. Once these strengths and passions are identified, a student can use them to overcome or compensate for areas that may be considered a weakness. This shift in focus allows for the development of creative and innovative thinkers, problem solvers, and citizens.



As Eric suggests, I am also hoping the video above can become a catalyst for a more detailed discussion on the following: How can we ensure our curricular work nurtures creativity and innovation.  What has to be done to transform our schools in a way that embraces creative instructional strategies and thought amongst learners?