March 2020

Why do we teach? Is it in pursuit of well-managed, dynamic classrooms? Or because we fantasize about amazing MAP or EOC scores?

While these visions are most definitely a part of what drives our daily decisions, they don’t get to the root of our deepest purpose. Most of us teach because we want to see our students grow into healthy, effective grown-ups. We want them to have knowledge and dispositions that make them great team players; we want our students to thrive--and help others thrive--in a complex and often messy world. We’re in the business of creating adults who can make this world a better place.

This month’s articles focus on strategies and practices that will transform our students into the kind of people we need in this world: Engaged Citizens.

February 2020

The brain is a mysterious beast. While it isn't a muscle in the literal sense, it does require varied exercises and activities to shape and strengthen it to its full potential. Master teachers recognize this and purposefully design learning that targets all levels of thinking. As the future becomes the present, the need for the ability to think deeply and independently will only increase. In fact, a recent Forbes article identified critical thinking as the second-most desired skill companies will be looking for in applicants in 2020.

Springfield Public Schools believes the critical thinker uses systems thinking, a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way a system's individual components interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems, to identify and analyze information to solve problems. Whether designing the thinking through a Webbs' Depth of Knowledge or Bloom's Taxonomy lens, it is imperative teachers seek to build students' thinking capacity at all levels.

This month’s articles bring the necessary and elusive skill of critical thinking into focus. This issue has an added bonus: a feature on the Professional Learning Advisory that includes a link where faculty members can express their interest in joining this committee.

January 2020

Whatever you know, you know through communication. Communication is a force so basic to humanity that we can take it for granted. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout says, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” I would suggest that the same is true for all forms of communication: speaking, listening, writing, reading, interpreting body language--communication is as essential to navigating our world as breathing is. Because of that, we might just forget to respect its power.

In his doctoral work, our own Dr. Stephen Kleinsmith found that communication was perceived as the most important leadership characteristic for leaders by a surprisingly wide margin. Whether you find yourself leading a school district or a classroom full of kids, his advice is worth hearing: “Without communication, you will not have understanding: and without understanding, you will have conflict. So, when push comes to shove, focus on what matters most by communicating too much! (Truth is, there is never too much!)”

This month’s articles bring the essential yet complex skill of communication into focus. Enjoy.

December 2019

When you visualize creativity in the classroom, what comes to mind? Do you envision students working on brightly colored projects surrounded by scraps of construction paper, glue sticks, and crayons, or do you envision students engaged in productive struggle while generating new and important ideas? Don’t get me wrong; these two ideas do NOT have to be mutually exclusive. However, to truly tap into the power of creativity in the classroom, we must focus on the thinking as opposed to just a finished product.

Sir Ken Robinson, one of the leading voices on creativity in schools, said, “Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.” Sir Robinson’s definition is fitting for Springfield Public Schools because we believe the creative person uses innovative techniques to design, refine, analyze, and evaluate ideas to develop creative solutions. Educators are tasked with preparing the future leaders of our community and society to successfully navigate whatever the future might hold. Engaging students in creative thinking and problem-solving now is imperative to prepare them for their futures.

November 2019

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The smartest person in the room is the room”? When contemplating the Profile of a Learner attribute of Collaborator, the previous quote encompasses collaboration’s greatest potential: harnessing the collective expertise of the group to move the work forward. Springfield Public Schools believes the effective collaborator works productively in teams and assumes shared responsibility toward a common goal.

This is true in the classroom, in team meetings, in partnerships with parents, and in partnerships with our community. As educators, we must purposefully design opportunities for our students to unite around common goals and work together to accomplish meaningful learning and growth while engaging in a variety of collaborative partnerships ourselves to ensure our students are receiving the best education possible.

October 2019

It’s the end of the workday, and you’ve been leading learning all day. Consider this your invitation to take a take a deep breath, settle in (to the teacher chair you never actually use), and indulge in a little learning--for you. Each month, the Learning Development department will deliver brief, relevant thoughts on teaching and learning to your inbox. This year, our monthly themes will center around attributes that make up the Portrait of a Graduate. After all, what’s education if we don’t keep our own learning in focus?