I’ve been working with the English Department at Starpoint Middle School for ten years, and those who know me well appreciate the high regard that I maintain for this particular group of teachers (and their colleagues at the K-5 level). Very few educators have the opportunity, talent, or tenacity to accomplish what this department has over the last decade, slowly and with very careful intention. I’ve watched them design (and redesign and map) their own curricula, sharpen their…
On Sunday, I offered up this quick post about what I’ve learned from facilitating data dialogue in different schools over the years. Starr Sackstein caught wind of it on Twitter and connected my reflections to an earlier conversation that she began on her blog about the testing dilemma. As I chatted with her in the comments below her post, this thought emerged: “I tend to see trend data from standardized assessments like markers in a…
Over the last few years, I’ve come to realize that my greatest duty as a teacher in any capacity is to create the conditions that enable relevant (or at the very least meaningful) and engaging learning and work. These words possess a distinct and critical meaning, too. This conclusion led me to another important discovery: I need to become very critical of my own practices and processes as well as those that are imposed upon…