Instructional Friday Focus: Shadow a Student project

Dear Bison Colleagues,

Happy Friday!   As we close out another week at Buffalo Grove HS, I am focused on the topic of school through students' eyes

Teach and Learn with Passion!

Teaching and Learning Quotes: 

“The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others.” —Solomon Ibn Gabriol

Danielson Framework for Teaching reminder:

There are 4 domains, 22 components and 76 elements that are considered aspects of a teacher's responsibility as documented through empirical studies.  The 4 domains are:

1. Planning and Preparation

2. The Classroom Environment

3.  Instruction

4.  Professional Responsibilities

Looking at Domain 1: Planning and Preparation

1c: Selecting Instructional Goals

Here's a peek at what "distinguished" looks like for 1c:

Teacher’s goals reflect high-level learning relating to curriculum frameworks and standards; they are adapted, where necessary, to the needs of individual students, and permit viable methods of assessment.

Strategy/Tool to Try: (thanks to ITF Jeff Vlk)

For those of you that have been using Google Sheets, there are few new/hidden features that you may have missed. 

Check out the video here.

http://vlkthetechguy.blogspot.com/2016/03/merge-and-unmerge-cell-data-in-google.html

Instructional Focus: School Through Students' Eyes

As some of you may know, I spent the entire day on Thursday of this week shadowing one of our students.  I attended all of her classes, exercised with her during PE, rehearsed for the Orchestra concert, took notes from her lessons and worked through her assignments together.  The day was absolutely amazing (and exhausting).  Not only did I get in WAY more steps that I usually do ;), but I was cognitively tired too!  My brain isn't used to switching so quickly between subjects.  I found myself wanting to stay beyond the bell for some classes and keep working through the task at hand.  Other times the bell was a welcome relief to my anxiety for a class that was way out of my academic comfort zone (*cough* *cough* BC Calculus) 

However every single class was a unique learning environment in which several things were made clear to me as a BG student for a day:

• BGHS teachers care deeply about their students. (I already knew this, but it was nice to see in action throughout the day) 
• The variety of subjects and experiences throughout the day made the day exciting and interesting
• PE provides an essential role as not only health and fitness, but an excellent reboot to face more hours of traditional academic challenges
• The desks are VERY uncomfortable - it's nice to be able to get up and move throughout a lesson
• By 8th period, everyone, students and teachers, is tired.  Let's all be extra nice to each other by then
• We are heavily tech dependent and when the network is slow or the tech fails, learning suffers and folks get frustrated
• The periods go by quickly (and not just because it was a late arrival day)
• It's really important to leave time for discussion and thinking.  Remember that "wait time" when asking questions
• The learning that stuck the most wasn't "right from the textbook"
• Hands-on learning is fun
• A sense of humor goes a long way for students and staff.  So does a smile :)
• Our students are awesome and unique
• So are our teachers

More thoughts to come in future posts...  here are some links about the shadow a student project.  I will be shadowing again soon!

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb12/vol69/num05/Stepping-into-a-Student's-Shoes.aspx

http://shadowastudent.org/

https://vimeo.com/149355407

Bison Learning Leaders:

Our OCE and Principal's award winners!

• Bruce French
• Steph Ramos
• Tim Podulka
• Tim Kosiek
• Jeff Bott
• Kris Grever
• Sherry Heart
• Christina Lopez

Keep up the great work, Bison!  Happy Friday!