There are many components to the teacher evaluation systems that are being implemented across twenty-six states. I want to take a moment to talk about one of the key components, and it's a biggie - student growth. Many educators are intimidated by the idea of showing student growth in the classroom.
Have you ever thought about how silly we teachers can be? When we get in front of students, we present ourselves to be the ones with all the answers, and then after we talk to the students, we start asking questions as if we don't know anything we just talked about.
One example of how questions can be asked of teachers...something to think about and use as Anne and I develop a coaching feedback survey. A great way to model the risking-taking part of gathering feedback to improve instruction!
When people paint a picture of a great outcome, they’re not trying “to persuade people to do something important.” They’re trying to “positively influence them” to get them to a better place.
Imagine the intentional focus you would bring to crossing a rushing creek. Each stepping-stone is different in shape, each distance uneven and unpredictable, requiring you to tread with all senses intact. The simple act of traversing water on stones is an extraordinary exercise in concentration.
Scale City offers middle school students and teachers short videos, online interactives, lesson plans, handouts, and assessments focused on the mathematics of scale and scaling.