This morning, teachers from Cleveland Elementary and Susan B. Anthony Elementary took part in professional learning from 7:30-11:00.
As a parent, have you ever wondered what teachers are learning/discussing on an in-service day when your child doesn't have school?
Today's learning started with a Teambuilder titled Team Pictionary. Teachers were separated into groups of 4. Team members had to explain to the "artist" what to draw without saying what the actual object was. Prior to beginning the game, the rubric for grading was shared with staff so they had a solid understanding of what was required to get a certain score. This game tied in with our work of clarity.
Administrators shared the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for today's learning. This is something all teachers share with their students. This helps provide clarity for the what, why and how they are learning certain standards, skills and concepts.
After teachers revisited their grade level team's Collective Commitments, the Instructional Coach shared "the why" behind creating learning progressions, which are a carefully sequenced set of steps that students take to meet proficiency. The goal of developing a solid learning progression for priority standards is that EVERY student can find themselves, and where they are performing, on the progression.
Finally, all teachers were given 90 minutes to backward plan the mathematical units that will be covered in the 2nd quarter of school. This work included creating the learning intentions and success criteria and having a solid understanding of what students should know and be able to do at the end of the unit.
The morning ended with a closing circle in the gym including about 60 teachers. They shared how the work they did this morning will impact the students they teach.