Monday Musings 9/23/19

FOCUS: Intentionality

As I get ready to make the trek up to Camp Becket for the sophomore retreat, I think about the immeasurable good that stems from the days spent together as a class and the intentionality in creating the time and space for this class to bond through shared experiences. They will lead together, listen and talk with one another, be empathetic, kind, and patient, eat (neverending s'mores), laugh, and dance (silent disco - amazing!), together. Whether academic or non-academic, being deliberate and intentional in our pursuits matters.

Although I am not suggesting that the full faculty travel to Camp Becket for a retreat (although I wouldn't argue against a Bermudian resort), the Kravis Center shares the Dean of Students Office goal of intentionality. As the Kravis Center mission statement outlines:

The Henry R. Kravis '63 Center for Excellence in Teaching provides the space and time to guide and nurture faculty in their pursuit of pedagogical excellence by creating a sense of ownership and intentionality surrounding professional growth; the ultimate goal is to instill in faculty the same passion for lifelong learning that we aim to instill in our students.

No matter if you are a part of Eval A, B, or C, or in a PD cycle, you hopefully feel the purpose of your endeavors as you identify goals and pursue professional growth. Effective Teacher Professional Development from the Learning Policy Institute offers concrete, research-informed suggestions on what the most effective PD should look like. NAIS speaks to the The Power of In-House Professional Development.Although a plethora of learning experiences happens throughout the week on campus, we continue to ask ourselves, what else can we offer teachers so that they may learn from one another?

On a final note, Courtney Jackson and I were having a discussion about Anthony Abraham Jack (Amherst '07 student whose New York Times article was featured in 9/16/19 Monday Musings), author of The Privileged Poor who spoke at Trinity last week. She said, "he's definitely on my radar". She then proceeded to tell me who else is on her radar. Stemming from this discussion, I have added "On my radar . . ." with articles, etc. that colleagues share. Thank you for all the resources that you pass along, and keep 'em comin'! What's on your radar?

Have a great week -

Sara, on behalf of the Kravis Center

@kravisteaching

Interactive Teaching Resources

Please let Sara or Rachel know if you are using Quia and/or EdPuzzle Faculty are curious about how LC faculty are using these learning sites. Thank you!

Pedagogical Intentionality

How to Keep Teachers from Leaving the Profession: This Atlantic article speaks to the value of learning and growing from colleagues - teacher need other teachers.

The Three Most Common Types of Teacher Professional Development and How to Make Them Better. Schoology

Pedagogical intentionality often stems from effective use of protocols. School Reform Initiative offers many to choose from - of the many detailed here, do you any favorites you can pass along? Question Formulation Technique, Triad, Chalk Talk?

I am a huge fan of graphic organizers. This pdf might be entitled Graphic organizers in the study of economics; however, the introduction, explanation, and blank graphic organizers can be used for any discipline. Do you have a favorite graphic organizer?

"On my radar . . . "

In our opening faculty meetings, Webb referenced the "warm demander". The Warm Demander, an Equity Approach, from Edutopia explains the concept and Becoming a warm Demander, by Shane Safir (ASCD) offers a graphic organizer to explain the four quadrants.

Who does Courtney Jackson follows on twitter? Anthony Jack, Clint Smith, Annette Gordon-Reed, Well Read Black Girl, Megan Rapinoe, Athlete Ally, (and of course, @KravisTeaching)

Scott MacClintic passed along Under AIs Watchful Eye, China Wants to Raise Smarter Students, from the Wall Street Journal. This five minute video has kept me up at night.

What's on your radar?

The Power of In-House PD: Books on Learning and Teaching (BLT)

Thank you to those who have signed up for a BLT. We would like to have the groups set the week of September 25, so please fill out this form if you are interested.

All are welcome! You do not have to be in a PD cycle to join.

Small Teaching: James Lang's Small Teaching encourages educators to make small, research-informed changes to their teaching in order to enhance student learning. Small Teaching is engaging, easily digestible, and immediately applicable. In advance of each meeting, participants will read one chapter and experiment with a new teaching technique. If you are interested, here is an interview with Pooja K. Agarwal (including short video clips) from The Learning Agency.

Grading for Equity: Joe Feldman's Grading for Equity tackles head on the issues surrounding grading today, from the foundations of grading (how we arrived where we are today), to why grading is so difficult to talk about, and how traditional grading often stifles "risk-taking". He pushes us to look at mathematically accurate grading practices and those that value knowledge, support a growth mindset, and that build core competencies. If you are interested, here are a couple of resources: Building More Inclusive Communities with Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman NAIS Independent School Magazine Summer 2019; Interview with Feldman from Ed's (Not) Dead Podcast-The All Things Education Podcast (22 minutes)

Is Everyone Really Equal?: Is Everyone Really Equal leads us through a thorough exploration of social justice education, key concepts, and practical application. Through reading, discussing, and applying its concepts, participants will be able to expand their DEI tool kit.

External PD Options:

Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00 PM at the Renbrook School

"Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Own Learning"

"PBL is growing because it engages and empowers students to learn experientially and share that learning in new and unique ways that go well beyond the classroom." --presenter A.J. Juliani

This event is free and open to the public. Please use this link to register.

Interested in learning more about advising or serving on a NEASC visiting committee? Take advantage of the CAIS professional development opportunities happening in October.

Valuable resources to bookmark.

Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching is a resource that I consult frequently. Here is their link to the first day of classes. You will find a number of helpful links on their site.

Deans for Impact and the pdf of The Science of Learning - a must read on teh neuroscience of learning.

Academic Tenacity by Dweck, Walter, and Cohen The New Faculty Cohort (NFC) read excerpts for orientation. A must read on creating a sense of belonging and classroom motivation.