Focused and Balanced

If you know me well enough, you might think this post has to do with a visit to a local winery, but no, I am speaking about my recent visit with two principals about what I can do to help them reach their goals this school year in terms of quality professional development.  These principals are not on contract in July, but here they are, meeting with their consultant on a Friday morning to discuss information about what their needs are for this upcoming school year.

I started the discussion by showing them what they have done in the past with my RPDC, and listing the initiatives that they are involved with now and in the past.  The school district chose to adopt the Missouri Reading Initiative this year, a comprehensive look at reading in grades K-5.  It is a great way to teach reading but is very involved.  I suggested we look at ways we can intertwine what we do and what MRI does to reduce the load on teachers.  

Next we looked at the reflections that the teachers wrote last year, particularly the pages that discuss what the teachers feel where they need more information.  The reflections speak mostly about writing common formative assessments, so that is where we will be focusing the year's professional development.  Whatever CFAs are needed for reading will hopefully fall nicely into this category as well.

We discussed the year's worth of dates, agendas and possible spin off professional development.  When I left the two principals, they were getting ready to discuss further issues at their schools, continuing to meet on their "vacation."  I was impressed with the way they wanted to drill down the professional development to one good strategy, and use it throughout their curriculum.  Excellent job, administrators.

First Training-Shared Learning

I attended my first Shared Learning event this week.  I was able to see what the Learning Packets looksed like and talk to the developers.  One of the developers, of the Metacognition Packet, is located at my own Regional Professional Development Center.  I learned a lot about organization of a workshop from her.  I can see why she gets many accolades from her colleagues.

My wonderings that I left with have much to do with the state's coordination of effort.  As a principal, I participated in Professional Learning Communities, Data Teaming, Collaborative Teaming and Positive Behavior Intervention Support (any many others) tranings and it is frustrating to have these offerings but not have them coordinated.  For example, the Collaborative Work data team protocol is different from the Data Teams and the PLC data team protocols.  If these are all the State's efforts, shouldn't there be some coordination of the efforts?  As a principal, I would try to synthesize what I learned and create what I felt was the best combination of the different protocols.  It would be wonderful if the state would tell us what is the preferred method.

One of my favorite moments, besides the networking, was the sharing out of each RPDC of their goals and activities for the year.  I am going to be using these as a way to reach my schools, too.  I loved seeing how the work is moving throughout the state.

Dawn Cook chatting with other CW staff, looking at our Action Plan for the year.

New Adventure-Post Retirement

I officially retired from Missouri public schools on June 30, 2014.  On July 1, 2014 I put another hat on my head, that as the Project Director for the Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center on the University of Missouri campus.  I am excited to remain a part of public education and am eager to share information on the Collaborative Work project with districts in Missouri.  My focus is on school districts in Lincoln County, which is fairly close to my home in St. Charles.

The month of July I will be training on the Collaborative Work project.  I have been handed a large, 6" binder full of materials that have been shared with previous Project Directors and I have spent much of my time reading the lessons and about the CW project.

About the CW project, it was developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, to the Missouri Department of Education.  Materials and methodology was created by professionals using the work of John Hattie, and specifically on five overview topics and four specific teaching/learning practices.  The four practices are assessment of capable learners, effective feedback, reciprocal teaching and spaced v. massed practice.  I am familiar with the first three, but the last one I will be doing a bit of homework!

The over arching topics are collaborative data teams, implementing with fidelity, developing and using common formative assessments, and using data to make decisions about teaching and learning practices.  Internal coaching rounds out the topics.

My first three days have been spent READING and READING and READING the many developed learning packages that are in existence.  I love reading so this is a great thing but I can feel my eyes starting to think they've done enough for today.  

I love the CW process as it has teachers working with their actual lessons in a day-to-day manner with the state standards.  It incorporates formative assessment, data team processing, instruction, and post assessment.  LOVE IT!  This is what made my heart go pitter patter as a principal.  Love this process.

I am eager to meet with my districts and see how I can help lead teachers through this process, increasing achievement for all.  I am impressed with the work they have already done.