Taking Risks with Professional Development

As we enjoy the much needed break, rejuvenating our minds and bodies in preparation for Round 2 (aka 2nd semester), take a moment to reflect upon your own professional learning.  Whether it's been a LindberghU class, PD session, or book study, I hope you've found something that's inspired you to take a risk in the future.  

As professionals, it's easy to get caught up in the day to day pressures of teaching, ensuring students are getting every opportunity for success.  However, as professionals, it's also important that we are excited about our craft.  For me, that often means doing something different, trying something new, being willing to fail in the hopes that I've found a new method that inspires me and my students...with the added benefit of modeling for them that I am a learner too.  It's hypocritical of us to talk about growth mindset if we are fixed.

This year at Sappington, teachers are participating in Lesson Study through an MU Partnership study grant.  Through this process, teachers model lessons, observe one another, and provide feedback to further the team's instruction.  This is a great tool for PLCs to use when taking a risk with an new instructional idea.

Observing the lesson to provide feedback

Students engaged in collaborative learning

Reflecting upon the lesson, with ideas to further professional learning for all

Kudos to LHS teachers whose knowledge of differentiation was so strong that they challenged presenters from EdPlus to reach an audience of advanced learners.  In this session on differentiation, teachers focused on key strategies they could implement in the classroom as well as making connections between content-based standards and the readiness level of students.  This is key in the work we'll do within the curriculum revision cycle.

At the beginning of this activity, teachers self-selected their readiness level to begin learning the content.

Working in pairs or small groups, they engaged in new content by categorizing and classifying the newly acquired information.