Backstory Part 2 - Developing a Vision

June 2018

January 2015 was a launching pad for us. We were able to set in motion a vision of what we wanted for our teachers and also to build a structure to match that vision. We talked about the learning experiences that teachers should be providing for students in their classrooms, but were we really modeling that vision? The teachers were implementing just as well as we were modeling. That’s a tough truth - but it was real. As coaches we needed to be better.

As we started to develop a structure for what professional learning would look like in action, we also developed our “why.” Above all else, professional learning needed to:

  • recognize teachers as learners.
  • model differentiated learning needed for all types of 21st century learners.
  • be personalized.
  • allow flexibility to differentiate with district-wide initiatives.
  • be continuous, engaging, and relevant to application in the classroom.
  • promote teacher leadership and empowers teachers to design their own learning.
  • place the learning needs of our teachers first.
  • have goal-based challenges.
  • model the melding of technology and instruction.
  • motivate teachers toward practical application and classroom implementation in order to skip over the “knowing-doing” gap.
  • allow teachers to accomplish the same goals, but follow different learning paths.

As a result of the storm of lightbulbs that went off in our heads while listening to Andover’s story, we started to build a structure of Challenges that would allow teachers to work at different levels and at their own pace to implement instructional and technology strategies in their classrooms.

As we drove back, we really started to iron out the details. How do we get teachers to immediately apply what they are learning? How do they demonstrate these applications - what does the evidence of learning look like? How do we get teachers to interact with and learn from each other - share with each other? How are we going to meet the needs of so many different levels? How do we motivate teachers to participate? How do we keep information fresh and remind them of the Challenges throughout the year?

From this, we developed an initial plan/structure:

Innovation Challenges

  • Drives Professional Learning (Every 4 Weeks).
  • To facilitate and encourage individualized professional learning…to motivate teachers toward practical application and classroom implementation in order to skip over the “knowing-doing” gap.
  • Leveled to meet teacher learning needs.
  • PDC points offered for Gold and Platinum levels.
  • Open year-long. May be completed in any order.

Innovation Workshops

  • To Enhance Professional Learning and Meet Individual Teachers’ Learning Needs
  • Time scheduled by individual teachers or teams with coach - in-between challenges to work with individual learning needs.
  • (Scheduled/Drop-in Basis)
  • Time set aside for teachers to work with a coach and develop their ideas.

Innovation Tips

  • Based on feedback, questions, or ideas that stem from working through the Challenges with teachers.
  • Sent out between Challenges.

Innovation Highlights

  • Sent out the week prior to a new challenge (“off-challenge” weeks) to highlight teacher accomplishments based on the challenges (link to a video, link to the product, a picture with a quick snippet of information).

Our next step was to present these ideas to our teacher-leaders, then the staff. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Let’s make it happen (she says with a slightly nervous tone)...

- Ginny