Professional Responsibility

The session where we compared data stood out to me the most on HCPS PD day. This is because I have never seen data being analyzed and discussed like this before among the whole school division. The main thing that this session had me start doing, was compare data with the data of other teachers. In CTL’s we have talked about where we are in our unit, and what students seem to be understanding or what might be more challenging to teach. However, we had not compared or looked at specific data before. That was something that I was seeing for the first time, and absolutely something that I will continue to do as a future teacher. It’s helpful to talk to your team about what you might be seeing in the classroom, and share advice and feedback about things that are working or could run smoother. However, it is just as helpful to have data to look at. When talking about what is going on in your class, you are saying what your perception is, of what is going well and what maybe did not work well. However, with tangible data, it is not your perception. It tells you for a fact, my students do not understand when to fill in circles for inequalities, because they all missed the question on the quiz. It can be easier to compare data. This also can lead to discussions that might not have come up otherwise. You may see another teacher had all their students master a skill that none of yours have. You can ask them what they did and how to teach it. However, if you did not have that data, you may never have realized just how many of your students were missing the question. Or, the opposite, you may not have realized that in another classroom all the students mastered the question.

 The HCPS website states, under beliefs, "We believe in continuous improvement through innovation, taking risks, solving problems". When I am a teacher, I will strive to follow this belief, and continuously grow and improve as an educator. The number one thing I will do to continue to grow in this area, is to make sure I can attend all CTL, grade, and any other meetings as often as possible. I saw just how helpful it is to compare data with teachers all across the board. I will make sure to seek out events and opportunities to do such. Doing this on PD day, or in your CLT is great. However, I will make sure to ask my math coach, supervisor, co-worker, etc., if they are aware of any other opportunities that may be outside the school or district. I want to collaborate as much as possible, as I think it is the best way to continue to grow in this area. I will attend seminars where they talk about comparing data, or working with other teachers to improve your instruction. I will also try new things. If I learn something in a seminar, or in a book or other source, I will bring it to my team. I will ask if we can try to implement what I learned, and it will make us better educators, by trying out these different methods of sharing data and instructional strategies.

There are many ways that I, as a future math teacher, can partner with someone in a role similar to Kim’s. One thing that stands out when it comes to working with EL teachers, and asking for help, is having them look over materials. I can ask for advice and show them the work that I am planning to give to the ELL’s, and ask if the work is accessible and if not, what changes I can make. For example, when making a test or quiz, it would be a great time to work with an ESL teacher. I can have them look over the test, and ask them to pull out tier two vocabulary words. (Colorín colorado) states, “Tier 2 words are more complex than Tier 1 words…They may also be more abstract words that are important and useful to understanding the text.” This is why it is helpful to have ESL teachers identify tier 2 vocabulary. Once they have identified those words, they can help me with a plan on how to teach these vocabulary words to ensure comprehension. This is helpful as, by myself, I might not be able to identify that a problem is too challenging for a student to understand due to difficult jargon. By partnering with an ESL teacher, I can make sure that this is not the case and the students can focus on that math in the problem, instead of focusing on what the problem is asking them to do. I will make sure to take everything that I learned from Kim and her job, and keep that in mind so that I can enhance my students' learning. I will make sure to partner with an ESL teacher to ensure my instruction is as accessible as possible. I will also make sure to talk to the ESL teacher about my student's testing and access scores, and what these scores mean. That way, I know what level my students are at and what next step is expected from them.

Kim gave me some very helpful hints when it comes to starting this new chapter in my life. One piece of advice was to lean into your team and ask for help. Teaching is not an individual sport, but a team sport. It is much better when you lean on others and ask for help. A specific thing she said about me, was to keep asking questions and taking risks. Based on what she had seen in my time at Skyline, she noticed that I do those two things often. And it is important to keep asking questions or for feedback, and be open to all the responses I get. Another thing she said to keep in mind, is you are there to honor students' voice and choice, figure out what their background knowledge is and make learning relevant to them. Make learning something that is enjoyable for the students, and be a teacher that students want and need. At the same time, I must remember that I am the one facilitating their learning, and I am not their friend. I should love them and let them know I care for them, but I also need to have and hold high expectations for my students.