Prior
to
the Grand Opening of the 2018-2019
school, we facilitated a panel discussion for our new teachers consisting of
students representing K-12. The activity was unscripted and unfolded very
organically – As you can imagine, our students were a hit! More importantly,
they provided our new teachers with outstanding guidance to help them prepare
for the Grand Opening of the 2018-2019 school.
The
themes that emerged during our time with the students are as follows:
1. Students
like teachers that are nice – The students explained that
“nice” teachers are those that smile,
care about them, get to know them, make sure that all students are learning,
and are passionate about teaching and their subject area. Many of the
students provided examples of teachers who went “above and beyond” to build
trust and ensure that they were successful. Simply put, our students
want strong relationships with their
teachers.
2. Our
students want to be engaged in and make connections with their learning
– Students want rigorous experiences and expect our teachers to challenge them
and support them throughout the learning process. Specifically, students
want teachers to “get to know them” and to provide them with individualized and
equitable learning experiences. Simply put, our students expect us to
serve them in a way that addresses their unique learning needs.
3.
Students want learning to be fun
– A few examples include incorporating movement, using outside learning spaces,
lots of hands-on activities, and opportunities to engage in experiences that
will prepare them for real-life. In their own
way, the students shared that they want a variety of activities, better use of
technology, more opportunities to collaborate with their classmates, and to stretch their
learning. Simply put, students want learning
to be relevant and engaging.
4. Students
expect teachers to be professionals – We repeatedly heard
from students that the learning expectations should be clear, that assessments
should be graded in a timely fashion and include meaningful feedback, and that
teachers need to address behaviors that impact the learning environment. Simply
put, our students expect teachers to be
organized, communicate effectively, and to provide an amazing learning
environment.
5.
Students expect us to serve them
using the best practices and learning tools available – Closely linked
with 1, 2, 3, and 4, the “nuance” is that students expect those that serve them
to be “up to date” as professional educators. Simply put, our students
expect all of us to be innovative in our approaches to teaching and learning.
In other words, we can’t keep “doing what we’ve always done.”
It is important to
recognize that the student voices echoed those that served on the Superintendent’s
Student Advisory Panel, aligned with the findings articulated in Dr. Gill’s
Post-Immersion Report and the goals of our Long Range Plan, and support
and validate our continued division focus on Relevance, Equity,
and Innovation.
Why are we sharing
student perceptions with you, and why are we sharing them now? As we begin the second half of our school
year, it is important for each of us to reflect
on our practices and our
impact on student learning and outcomes. Therefore, as we engage in continuous growth
as professional educators and as a member of a learning community, we encourage
you to reflect on the following questions:
·
How do we hold ourselves accountable for
teaching in more Relevant, Equitable, and Innovative
ways?
·
What opportunities are we providing for
student voice and choice, for students to conduct authentic presentations, and
for students to engage in meaningful collaboration?
·
How can we best continue learning from
each other through peer observations, debriefings, and reflections?
·
What does our data tell us? What
are the trends? How do we get “better” at analyzing and interpreting our
student performance data?
The answers to those questions are uniquely personal, but also involve
conversation and collaboration as a member of a team (grade level, subject
area, school improvement, VTSS, department, etc.)
and collectively as a member of a school community.
Finally, what is our answer to the question, “What if every child
had a champion or a hero?” Some may argue that it isn’t our job to be a
“champion” or a “hero” for our students.
Others take great pride in being a hero or a champion for the children
that they serve. If you are unsure of
your answer or you want to learn more about the impact we can have on our
students, then we encourage you to take 8 minutes and watch the TEDTalk “Every
Kid Needs a Champion” by Rita Pierson: https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion
Thank you for all you
do to provide Relevant, Equitable, and Innovative learning
experiences for our students and your focus on continuous professional growth
and school improvement.
We wish each of you a
wonderful second half of the school year!
Michael and Bob
