STABLS teachers

I like the way this article describes essential questions and the point of asking them. It says that essential questions touch our hearts and help us to define what it means to be human...this speaks to me. There are several examples given that relate to history, language arts, friendships, humanity that I like under intermediate EQs...I also like the analysis examples under primary EQs. Wondering how to write EQs for math curriculum?

I struggle to find good Reading essential questions. I do like the question, Is a "good read" always a great book? I also found an article with some very specific EQ's for our beginning readers. Here are a few examples: *How do letter patterns help me read words I do not know?"  and *How do letter sounds and patterns help me learn to spell?

I appreciated seeing specific examples of essential questions, or how to upgrade from a traditional question to an essential one. however, I assume there will be disagreement on the validiy of these questions!!

I like the idea that there is no definitive answer to a well crafted essential question. That depending on where/when/whom it is asked, the answer will always be different.

I see there is a lot of confusion or disagreement about what a good essential question is.

The EQ reminds me how a curious learner might approach a topic or subject. As they learn more they can still ask the same question. It's not about mastery but about the joy of research, inquiry, thinking, deducing or inferring and all driven by the EQ.

As I read this article, I found that it connected project-based learning and EQ's together. It emphasized the importance of general questions that require inquiry, thought, and group discussions. It makes me want to look at my unit and come up with one-two over arching questions, and put them up in the classroom. Throughout the unit, I would reference the question and as we learned/discovered more about our topic of study, the students would be able to dig deeper and deeper into the EQ. (Just like project-based learning, where students are given problems and work to find a solution over time). By the way, I am pretty sure that I own the book that was referenced in this article. If anyone wants to borrow it, please let me know.

I find Wiggins and McTighe's views thought provoking. I've read some of their book...Understanding by Design. The framework they use is backwards. They recommend beginning with the essential questions which link to the understanding, then determine the assessment, and lastly develop your activities. I like this idea...it forces the designer to focus on the understandings and essential questions throughout the entire design process. I would like to keep my focus on my essential questions and what I want my students to truly understand.

I think this article reflects the importance of learning through inquiry and exploration that many of us value, especially as teachers of younger learners. The idea of an essential question being something pointed but allowing for a lifetime of thought or study is one that I'm sure many of us would hope our essential questions might capture. However, I struggle to visualize how this would look in a first grade classroom. When would we share these questions with our students, or would we not? Are these questions for us to build our lessons around or are they something we would like our students to attempt to answer in a concrete way at some point during a unit? Must they be subject specific or are there more general lines of inquiry that could be applied across the curriculum? I would be interested to read examples of effective essential questions that fall within this description that have been used with younger students, and what kind of learning this has led to.

My personal Hope and Dream for our professional community is that we nurture an environment in which everyone feels safe in taking risks and supported along his/her professional path.

I would like to see our Critical Friends become just that ... colleagues with whom we take the journey toward knowledge, enlightenment, experimentation and professional growth.

My personal hope and dream for our professional community is that we will continue to have authentic conversations that foster and encourage curiosity/creativity. As a new teacher, advice or questions about classroom practices/routines help me to reevaluate and look at my own classroom from a new perspective (this is very helpful and inspiring).

My personal hope and dream for our community is two-fold. My first hope and dream is that we become comfortable having more questions than answers and nurture that curiosity in others. My second hope and dream is that we encourage each other to have compassion not only for others, but for ourselves, so that we are better able to handle the pressures of our personal and professional lives. I know that we tend as a group to be hard on ourselves and it is hard to learn to be compassionate towards yourself.

My personal hope and dream for myself is to really be present in every moment possible. I find myself thinking constantly about what is coming next instead of just "being in the moment". I think this idea can also present itself when I am having conversations with colleagues about their lives or their teaching. I hope to use the peaceful pause to help center myself and my class so that I can move forward with the lesson or issue at hand.

My personal hope & dream for our community is that we can all continue to be mindful of each other not only as colleagues, but also as the whole person--very much the way we look at the ""whole child"--and consider what else may be going on in each other's lives in the "rest" of our life, too, and how that affects our time here together. I would like to continue to support you all as professional colleagues while simultaneously giving space to and respecting what you might be working through outside of school.

My hope is for a faculty that is caring and respectful of each other...In fact this already characterizes us. But we can't take this for granted. As our lives get busier, and they seem to be getting busier by the day, I hope we are willing to take time for each other, be available to each other. One poet said, "All we take when we leave this earth, is the light in our eyes." My hope and dream is that we continue to see the light in each others' eyes.

My hope and dream for our professional community is that we foster a close, openhearted working relationship filled with respect to promote an academic setting conducive to student social, emotional and academic growth.

My personal Hope & Dream would be to connect with each person at some level about things not school related. Professionally, I hope that I can continue to take risks and try new ways of teaching and learning and work with others in trying and applying these new techniques.

My hope for this current school year is to trust more- in myself, my team, and my colleagues. :) Trusting myself- I am my own worst critic! I want to critically, yet positively, reflect upon previous years in order to help adapt, tweak, and bring forth what seems most valuable for my students and trust in those changes. (As teachers, we do this constantly, but it is important to continue this!) Trusting in my team- I am quite excited to be part of such a fresh, new trio! I appreciate the input and support they've already provided and I look forward to trusting them - as educators and friends - throughout our upcoming time together here. Trusting my colleagues- I hope that we continue to be participants of a nurturing group that is always being mindful of one another's needs-- personally or educationally-- and trusting that support is all around, if only you ask.

My personal hope and dream would be to take the time to stop and greet my colleagues when I see them in the hallway, ask questions about what they are teaching and offer suggestions and support when needed. I know this is not always possible during our busy days, but I think it will help me feel more connected since my workspace is so far away!

My professional hope and dream is to try new ways of teaching that can help the students who are really struggling, or at the opposite end, the students who need to be challenged. My personal hope and dream is that we continue to be the positive and supportive group that exists now.

My personal hope and dream for our professional community is to take the time to notice and be thankful for the little things that are so easily taken for granted.

My personal hope and dream is to create a learning environment in which I am meeting my students needs through differentiated lessons and creating a classroom community where students feel safe to challenge themselves and take risks.

I would like to borrow my personal hope and dream from the Responsive Classroom post: to pay attention. To make sure that I give each of my students my undivided attention at some small moment in the day, and to pay the same respect to my colleagues whenever possible. Our minds are always full of other important things, but it is important to make them stop and focus on what is being said and the person who is saying it.

My hope for the year is that I'll achieve a deepened sense of trust and teamwork both in the classroom and in my professional community. I also hope to create a classroom space where listening is as important as sharing.

My hope is to learn as much as I can this year- from my colleagues and our students. My other hope is to step a little bit out of my professional comfort zone.

My hope and dream for the year is to slow down! Take the time to listen to my students and my colleagues. And also to create a peaceful and respectful classroom environment.