Author Archives: Luann

Accountability and Reason, In Action (but not any longer.)

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Professional Development

IMG_1444 by Luann

A few years back, some colleagues and I  previewed a new way to look at student work with my colleagues.  I learned more, brought the practice into my classroom, and saw significant, steady growth in my students approach to learning and study habits.  We all learned more, I was given the opportunity to offer this as professional development in my district. Those of us who worked together to implement this practice in our classrooms and departments saw student gains in achievement and engagement. Those of us who made honest use of this practice did, anyway…….but not any more.  Why not?

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What’s your standard?

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Assessment

100_1104  Student learning has become a contest.  As we look for solutions to the deliberate disengagement of students and ways to help all students achieve, we begin to look at why some aren't, and search even harder for solutions. 

How could each situation listed here be turned into an opportunity for the student to leap the standard and find success?

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Educators Making Policy – What Would You Say?

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Education Policy

State_Capitol_Staircaseby Luann

     In November 2006, Washington National Board Certified Teachers took part in the "NBCT Policy Summit: Supporting and Staffing High Needs Schools".  Similar Summits were held in 4 other states, including my former home state, Ohio.  Our state superintendent and many state policy makers listened as 225 accomplished teachers shared suggestions for making education a better place for the students who need it the most. 

    On Saturday, October 17, a sizeable group of accomplished teachers will gather again in Seattle. We've been asked once more by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the
Washington Education Association (WEA), and the Center for Strengthening the
Teaching Profession (CSTP) to speak as professionals on behalf of our students. This time, our voices will address the utilization of state dollars in the implementation of House Bill 2261 S. E. (caution: it's a rather long read) passed by our state legislature last session.

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Fixing Broken Assumptions

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Assessment

Brokentruck by Luann

     I
just completed 20 years of classroom teaching.  My goal is never
to become one of those "old" teachers, sneering at innovation while
pulling an ancient worksheet from a dog-eared folder. I've asked
younger colleagues to alert me should they
observe these tendencies in my practice.  I stay in tune with the
world, and my profession. I listen to students, with a focus this past
year on the (lack of) skills of a particularly interesting class of
intentional non-learners. 

     I actively seek out and employ
practices that I identify as the best practice for my students at the
time and in their setting.
I can smell a gimmick that will make students roll their eyes from a
mile away.  I take risks in my classroom so long
as the risks lead to student learning, er, being able to meet a
standard.  I threw out my worksheet collection awhile back when I
noticed that no student ever wrote, in an end-of-course review, "I
really enjoyed doing all those amazing worksheets and I learned so much
from them, too. I know they will help me to be successful in my future
career." Lately, though, I've been
questioning more and more emergent strategies being labeled as best
practices. Is the voice in my head directing me to the retirement
line or is my well-seasoned malarky detector speaking?  Do years of
formal education, classroom experience, and professional development not make me
qualified to choose appropriately for my students?  Apparently they do not…..  

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