As we approach our next division meeting in Upper School, please respond to the following questions/prompts. Thanks.
1) Professional Development:
This fall we have done
Anti-Bias training with the ADL
a follow up session with Kiki
an EfS introduction with Jamie Cloud
a Diversity meeting around identity and the Panel on Affinity Groups
curriculum groups on map and talk
K-8 committee meetings for social studies and math
Please comment on how any or all of these have contributed to your personal and or professional growth as an educator and what you would like more of/ less of...
2) As the division heads refine our schedule for the second semester, please give any other feedback about using our Wednesdays and professional days to our best collective advantage to connect as a faculty and further some of our institutional goals.
3) Agenda items for 12/3? What's on your mind right now?
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25 comments:
1.) I was so glad to have the ADL training for the entire school and to have this kind of work recognized as important and vital to our work as educators. Everyone is at different stages on this journey so it will be interesting to see how we follow through with this work; should there be anti-bias training 101 and "graduate level" training? Can it be part of orientation (or interspersed throughout the first year) for incoming faculty/staff?
Kiki's follow up was good (was this the one with the "talking behind your back" activity?). I was excited to hear about the upcoming guest speakers and other things that we're working on as a community committed to diversity and inclusion.
Jamie Cloud's introduction was thought-provoking and relevant, but felt kind of overwhelming as an introduction. I look forward to learning more and seeing more concrete, curriculum-specific information.
The Affinity Group panel was informative. I thought that Kiki's questions for the members to consider were excellent. While I heard from a lot of my colleagues that they would love to hear from parents more in this kind of format, perhaps it was a little long?
Mapping time...honestly, the only time that I think of to do it is when it's put on the meeting calendar, so I'm glad that there's time set aside formally for it. I find it stimulates a little bit of reflection, but I would love to see how it works in helping my planning in future years.
2. I'm liking how Wednesdays and professional days have been split up so far, with some individual time, some time with the department, some time as a division and some as a whole faculty/staff. I say we continue on that path, with an eye towards the whole.
I found the ADL training interesting and worthwhile. It's always hard to put energy into something this complex and challenging at the end of a long school day, but the format worked for me. The more we can interact and learn from each other as faculty around diversity issues, the better for me. I liked hearing the parents and teacher of color talking about affinity groups as well, esp. Vic's perspective on faculty of color. I think it'd be helpful for these forums to address white teachers- what can we do to best serve as allies for teachers of color ?
Jamie Cloud's workshop was an interesting beginning, but I felt it was really rushed in the second half and we didn't get to the heart of the matter, which is figuring out how to incorporate sustainability into our already busy days and curriculum. My sense is this is best done on an individual basis, but it will take a good deal of time and training that will need to be carved out of an already busy meeting schedule.
Mapping is a good exercise for the English department, but also requires a good deal of set aside meeting time, and I do value our time as an upper school faculty together.
Mapping, diversity, sustainability and time as a US faculty together- figuring out how to work it all in to our faculty development time without overwhelming teachers who use a lot of energy to keep up with the infamous pace of MCDS upper school remains the biggest challenge.
Anti-Bias training with the ADL:
I loved this day...presenters were dynamic, activities were varied, the day went quickly. Of course, I would have loved more time to interact in a deeper way with colleagues.
Follow up session with Kiki:
LOVED the "talking behind your back" activity and was so happy to see us actually following up on a professional day with further conversation! It reminded me a lot of the SEED group I participated in at my old school and would love to see SEED revived here again.
EfS introduction with Jamie Cloud:
I had attended the August session, so I didn't go to the morning simulation. I'd echo Darcy & Ted's sentiments about wanting more concrete, curriculum-specific information from Jamie.
Panel on Affinity Groups:
GREAT presentation by the panel -- it felt like the beginning of a partnership between families and teachers.
K-8 committee meetings for Social Studies:
I'm thrilled to be on this committee and I'm looking forward to digging into it as the year continues. Great to work cross-divisionally.
What you would like more of/ less of...
More follow-up with topics currently on the table, more conversation with the faculty across the grade levels, less emphasis on outside presenters.
Anti-Bias training with the ADL:
Very engaging day. I particularly enjoyed the smaller groups and the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff I do not regularly see.
Follow up session with Kiki:
Well run and thought-provoking. I appreciate that there was some follow-up to the ADL day, though I feel we have barely scratched the surface. Diversity is broad, complex, and daily, so I will be interested to see how the community chooses to continue exploring.
EfS introduction with Jamie Cloud:
Thought the beginning of the day was very strong, relevant and interesting, but towards the end, I lost some energy and focus, and sensed a similar sentiment in the broader audience. I echo the desire to have direct curriculum links/ materials.
Panel on Affinity Groups:
Wonderful- incredibly insightful.
K-8 committee meetings for Social Studies:
Helpful and necessary in an independent school setting. I am lucky enough to be working with wonderful co-committee members and the conversations are rich. There are few chances to gain insight into the teachings of other grade-level teachers, so I am enjoying the exchange. I feel a bit behind, as I missed “Part 1” of the process last year.
What you would like more of/ less of...
Continued thoughtfulness and exploration around diversity, many opportunities to share and connect with colleagues.
I was very impressed by Kiki's presentation, especially the clever game that helped highlight the differences between how we see ourselves and how others see us in their reality. I also liked the panel of speakers because they showed elements of our community with which I wasn't overly familiar through personal experience. The K-8 social studies work was appreciated because it encouraged a lot of inter-divisional exchanges (both ideas and personalities.) SWAMI
Anti-Bias training with the ADL:
Because it is important that we, as educators, keep anti-bias in our consciousness, I am glad the school devoted time for the training. As Darcy mentioned, we are in different
stages; consequently, I would like to see smaller groups assemble with specific topics presented and discussed...topics that get into the harder questions such as reflecting on and exposing our individual biases.
Follow up session with Kiki:
I thought this was a great session as it got us in touch (literally) with each other in a positive way. Thinking about how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us is important for personally and to apply it to and share it with our students. It gets us all back to our core, 'back to our essential truth.'
EfS introduction with Jaimie Cloud:
Having worked with Jaimie over the summer and subsequently, I didn't go to the full session in October. I do know that what she presents is rich and full and needs to be digested, which can't be done in 3-4 hours. I will say that the process she presents and the work I have done as a result of her mentoring has informed my teaching more than anything I have participated in in the last few years. I am very excited about the understandings the students are gaining.
Panel on Affinity Groups:
I found this informative and delightful and appreciated being able to hear from the various groups and people.
Mapping and team meetings have provided a good time for sharing ideas, organizing curriculum, and learning. I like having them periodically.
What you would like more or less of
In division meetings I would appreciate focusing on topics that are currently 'with us', such as Service Learning and the 8th grade trip, looking at what we want students to know and to understand before we determine what we are going to do. I would appreciate having some Wednesdays to work on individual curriculum (or with a small group if desired). In other words, I would like time to develop curriculum that might be new or expanded.
While I like being together with all US staff, I find the size of the US meetings unwieldy. Perhaps it would be helpful to break into smaller, interest groups. As far as whole faculty meetings, I enjoy new speakers but find that most require more in-depth conversations.
I thought the anti-bias training day was excellent and worthwhile. It was good to grapple with scenarios and think through how one would handle a particular situation should it arise.
During the diversity panel, I was struck by the affluence of our community as a couple of the speakers spoke about their experiences and what they wanted for their children. It’d be interesting to hear the perspectives of the economically strapped, but I wonder if they’d have time to participate in an affinity group, let alone speak to us in the middle of a workday.
I’d like more full faculty/division meeting talks about where the kids are at and where we’d like them to be with character development and the school’s mission statement about envisioning and working towards a better world. Like Kathleen noted, it'd be great to have some time for Service Learning and Outdoor Ed trips, both the big talks about what we want the kids to experience in their k-8 journey, but also nitty-gritty planning time that ends up having to be squeezed into lunch and recess. Individual planning and correcting time would also be much appreciated.
I found Kiki's presentation engaging and thought-provoking, and I thought the subsequent panel of speakers was insightful, offering different perspectives of our greater community. The K-8 social studies meeting allowed for cross-divisional exchanges and ideas. I would find it beneficial to meet with 5th grade teachers for in-depth scrutiny of what we teach and experience with students.
1) I have appreciated the work we have done with Kiki and the ADL. It has been informative for me personally. I would like to see us do more in-depth work around these issues and to talk about specific language we can use with kids.
It was so interesting to hear from parents about these issues.
The sustainability work has been inspiring and a great wake-up call. I would like more time to work on planning specific curriculum.
2) I would like more time to plan – planning projects however, on Wednesdays is not as effective as on professional days for me. Once I switch my thinking and focus onto planning or onto mapping, I end up having very little time to do productive work. So, I would like more time for this on professional days. There are so many different balls in the air right now. I need the time and space to think creatively about how to incorporate them into my curriculum.
It's most inspiring when we get to talk to each other, and have time for introspection. During the ADL day, the activities designed for one on one adult interaction were revealing, and provoked warmth and admiration toward peers. Thinking about identity, and being forced to label our own (those web/bubble things), felt clarifying, and mirrored what I tend to see as the most important questions for kids to answer, "Who am I?" and "How do I fit in?"
Regarding Jamie Cloud - as an introduction/overview, it was fine. We're ready for a look at far more specific applications of her ideas. The "fish game" was cool.
Mapping is a big, dark cloud. In PE, it feels daunting, with every movement, every technique able to be broken down into a zillion parts, with so much specific jargon. Can't lie about the fact that I tend to be extremely "busy" when it comes time to map.
"How do we make things stick?" is the question that dogs me. Our professional days tend to come in strong and then waft into the ether...
(Swami's additional comments)
I must confess that my initial reaction to the blog requirement was not especially favorable because I couldn't quite see the advantages of pecking away at my keyboard instead of sharing oral comments in a face-to-face setting. Upon further reflection, however, I realized that this served a need for which I have long advocated: some sort of a public forum for colleagues to share their thoughts about guest speakers and large-scale meetings. For example, I was disappointed in certain features of Jamie Cloud's presentation (e.g. she rushed through the more nitty-gritty material in the second half of the talk and she passed out 22 pages of hard copy to each individual while espousing sustainability at all levels.) On the other hand, I am encouraged to hear through the blog that many of you felt inspired and well informed by what she shared (which has modified my own reaction to the presentation.)
As for future meetings and professional days, I would like to see time set aside for groups to meet to discuss major events and programs that affect a particular grade. I'm thinking of extended trips (e.g. Pt Reyes, Yosemite, Joshua Tree) that often require a gathering of people throughout the division for either pre-trip preparations or post-trip debriefs. 8th grade Service Learning and spring projects also come to mind as worthwhile items for an agenda. [I realize that the timing of such events and the dates of our particular professional days may not neatly coincide for this purpose, but it would be nice to know that they are thrown into the mix when people are planning how we might best use group time.
The K-8 mathematics curriculum meeting was useful and rewarding for me. I was able to work directly with teachers from the lower and middle schools. Additionally, I was impressed as a math teacher with the leadership of John L., Juliet K and Marisa J. Their knowledge of the differences in learning styles of middle school students helped me to understand the developmental differences of MCDS math students. As we discussed the big question , “ What will a 21st century MCDS math student be like?”, it became obvious that there was a large intersection of agreement. The process of adopting a curriculum line is daunting, yet the energy, expertise and fellowship in the room gave me a positive outlook for the future. I hope that we can have many more opportunities in the future to work with the experts within our faculty.
I found the ADL presentation and Kiki's follow up to be thought provoking and valuable. I agree with Dan that more follow up is a great idea to continue the process of learning from these experiences.
As important as sustainability is, I wish Jamie Cloud's presentation had been more concrete and focused on classroom applications.
I really appreciated hearing from the parents and teacher member of the affinity group. Hearing about their experiences as parents and members of the MCDS community affirmed for me what a great school this is and how I have a lot to learn to be aware and supportive of all MCDS community members.
I found the K-8 math committee meeting a great way to find out more about the accomplished teachers who help MCDS students become mathematical thinkers and learners. The knowledge and experience the assembled teachers brought to our discussion was inspiring. Through our discussion of math program adoption, we found we have a lot of interest in watching one another teach.
I have liked the mix of Wednesday meetings so far.
1) Like Rachel and many others, I found the affinity groups' presentation to be so valuable, in terms of our education both as teachers and as members of the community. I found the presentations powerful, and I deeply appreciated the representatives’ candor. (And Kiki’s guiding questions were good!) I feel it is so important for our entire parent body to participate in such a presentation.
I was glad to have the ADL here, though I did feel as though we had just had time to start interesting, rich conversations when these were interrupted and we moved on to less challenging, less engaging material. I liked Kathleen’s idea about smaller discussion groups.
2) I find the U.S. Division meetings most useful.
3) I’m interested in ongoing conversation(s) about U.S. culture.
I've enjoyed the format of our professional development/meeting time this year. The introduction of ADL training, Kiki's follow up, Jamie Cloud's EfS workshop, and the Affinity Group panal have all been a great learning experience for me. All of these require much more in-depth thought and action to truly incorporate the material into the school culture but it is a start and the door is open to pursue more. Choosing the topics of diversity and sustainability show the schools dedication to these important topics and gives all of us room to explore, contemplate, and develop these issues into our teaching... and into our lives.
Personally, working with Jamie Cloud over the summer has changed the way I look at my science course and I am working on making changes. 'Now Is The Time' seems to be my motto for giving students important sustainability tools and awareness so they can move more gracefully, with confidence and leadership, into an increasingly complex world.
Now mapping is another story. I'm loosing sight of why we do this. It seems to be all input and no reflection or growth. Is there anyone in the Upper School that is actually looking at, and using this vast amount of information to better their teaching? In the beginning it was a good exercise for me to review my own curriculum but as I change the content and skills of my course I am getting more reluctant to put it into a map with no further use by me, or it appears, by anyone else. From my perspective it's time to re-evaluate why we are putting so many faculty hours into this mapping project.
I attended the k-8 committee meeting for math.
It was interesting to see what the teachers in the middle and lower school were teaching, and the different scenarios they encountered compared to the upper school.
We talked about the different textbooks that were being tested for middle and lower school and how we, as upper school teachers, should give input before the final decision would be made.
It was great to see the efficient leadership brought forth by the leaders of the workshop...it made for a more meaningful and enjoyable time.
POSTED BY RACHEL:
1) I most enjoyed the panel of members from the various affinity groups on campus because I was not aware of the number of groups that existed. There are so many different things going on at MCDS, and it is helpful, as well as interesting to be able to hear about the work and focus of these different groups (both parents and faculty).
The case studies during the anti-bias training were most helpful. It would be helpful to revisit some of these situations on a more regular basis.
I would love to have more training in technology, especially in relation to specific programs and skills (voice recording).
2) It would be great to put aside some Wednesday meetings for department meetings to be able to explore technology/curriculum specific to language teaching. As well, we could use more time to tackle our new text.
Anti-Bias training with the ADL: This seemed to be a great way to warm up to discussions of diversity. "Diversity work" is such a loaded topic, and everyone has a different amount of experience with the language and substance of the issues involved. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with colleagues i rarely ever see, and never hear personal stories from. It sends a message to the faculty and staff across the board that this diversity work is important to the school and we each much begin this process one step at a time - that the school values it as important for the future of the students matriculated at MCDS. The follow up session with Kiki was good in that it addressed the "vanishing phenomenon" in which discussions don't seem to circle back around to be built upon. Clearly, "diversity work" is not done here - we are going to revisit and revisit in a way that is honest to the process of idea and preconception evolution.
The EfS work with Jamie Cloud also addresses the values of our school and the desire to maintain a common language among all faculty and staff. I think that the depth of this work is so critical to good teaching that we should spend a week designing curriculum units that stretch across the divisions to renegotiate and reinforce the idea of sustainability and promote the student as the possessor of answers to the questions that will be the challenges of their future well-being.
addressing what affinity groups do helps curb the negative association people may have. i really enjoyed hearing from the parents as well, seeing both a faculty member and the parents up there together cemented the idea of community in my mind.
i think continuous days of map and talk would be more effective than really spread out conversations in which a good part of the time is spent recalling the work begun the time before. The art department seems to barely nick the surface of the mapping process each time we meet.
In terms of moving forward, what we are doing now seems to be clearing a trail for work that we, as a community in general, feel is important for our students and our world. Lets keep doing this as the process is long and best approached thoughtfully.
also, i think some professional development time at the beginning of the year in the future could be taken to thoughtfully plan things that spring up throughout the year such as the point reyes trip, the projects process, etc. It seems that division time is also always squished...we rarely get to 1/3 of the agenda items. perhaps we could take a professional development day to look at some of the things we push aside?
ALICE
I have read all the comments thus far and agree with so much that has been said that I don't feel the need to write it again.
I think this is a great process (the blogging) because it frees up time for other things in meetings. I will defer to the teachers about what those things should be, but it seems like a good use of time to prethink and communicate with each other and not rehash all this in a meeting setting.
I agree with everyone that Jaimie's presentation did not get to the concrete or give people time to think about the application to their classrooms, but if anyone out there is intrigued and would like to toss around any ideas, that's what I am here for. (Well, one of the things, anyway.)
1) Anti-bias training of any kind is always worthwhile. The activities and subsequent discussions were meaningful for me both in terms of dealing with some of my own biases and being part of a group that experiences bias. While I beleive the school already does a fantastic job in dealing with bias, we could always do more.
The Affinity Group panel presentation was sensational. I applaud the members who spoke so openly and honestly about their individual situations. I continue to ask myself why I have not joined such a panel yet. Fear?
As far as the K-8 math meeting, yahoo!! Finally, a chance for all divisions to come together and talk math. Exciting times ahead!
2) I would love to see more time carved out for individual department planning. While nuts and bolts are important, time to plan as a department seems always at a premium.
Curtis
Kelli Rice
I enjoyed the anti-bias training to a certain extent. I really enjoyed hearing from the affinity groups. I would like to do more "in house" getting-to-know-you activities to bring into the light more of our similarities and differences as an US faculty. I think that would be really powerful and community-building. There is so much collectively among us that I don't think we tap into enough.
I liked the content but not the presentation of Jamie Cloud.
With mapping time, I quite honestly am always so swamped with work that I find myself using those slotted times to catch up on school work. I have to map when I'm not in the midst of the school year.
Kelli
POSTED BY JAMIE
ADL TRAINING
I feel that this training is necessary and useful in helping everyone in the community share common experiences and understanding. There were parts of the day that were invaluable also in terms of sharing with people we don't interact with regularly. I do however feel that the exact training administered by MCDS people would have been much more effective. Maybe it was the group I was in, but the break out groups during the second half of the day were tedious and could have been so wonderful! The topics were great and so helpful- having real life situations posed and having time to brainstorm how we would handle them- great idea- but too rushed and facilitated by ADL leaders who don't know us and didn't offer much to the discussion. Also- the note-taking and sharing with the group happending 5 times in a row. way too much. I think there is more than enouigh expertise at MCDS to facilitate in this way- why not have MCDS faculty/staff/parents do this? I would have felt more invested, more excited and as though this conversation was here to stay.
AFFINITY GROUPS
I thought the lenghth was good, the presenters were amazing and it was so much more relvent than anything else we have done so far this year. Having real MCDS families talk about concrete isues they face at MCDS was great. Like Curtis I felt- why am I not in one of these groups and why do I not go to diversity circle? I wanted to leap in and be part of it. Just like my comment about the ADL taining being by outside people this made me feel the oppostie- like this truly was an ongoing conversation rather than something "done to us"
Anti-Bias training with the ADL:
I thought this day was a good use of time. As a newcomer at MCDS, it gave me a chance to understand how others view the community in relation to bias issues. The training as eye-opening and allowed me to reflect on my own bias.
Kiki's follow up: I loved the activity-again being a newcomer it was interesting to find out how I have portrayed myself to others in relation to how I see myself. I would love to have more opportunities like this one.
Jamie Cloud's presentation was valuable although I benefited more from the intimate presentation at the end of the summer. The smaller group size allowed more involvement and more opportunities to ask questions and share input. I would love to learn what other upper school teachers are doing in the classroom related to sustainability education.
The panel discussion was a worthwhile activity. Before the discussion, I had no idea the extent of the affinity groups here at MCDS. It was helpful to learn the missions of the various groups. If this opportunity were not presented to me, I would still be "in the dark" about happenings as they relate to such groups. Also, it was nice to learn that the groups are not exclusive.
Mapping is a bit difficult for me at this point. I am spending my energy on refining the curriculum and I am making changes each day. I find it more useful to input info into Atlas after I have taught it rather than before I teach. I love the idea of mapping and as the year progresses, I anticipate feeling more comfortable with the whole process.
Overall, I do believe that Wednesday meeting time has been useful and productive. Each activity has helped me to learn more about the MCDS community and therefore has allowed me to find my place in this community. Thank you for that!
The Anti-Bias training and Kiki's presentation were valuable experiences for me. I really enjoyed and appreciated the panel of parents, which included Vic, for sitting front and center stage, and speaking so candidly about their feelings and experiences. It was certainly a cause and reflection moment. They were terrific. I struggle to remember the specifics, but I do recall being left with several thoughts. I believe we all feel that we are open and have compassion for every individual and group. That we do not have a fixed and shut mind about people and ideas, that are different from ours. The truth is, that we are not truly aware of how other people really feel or think. We do not know how it is to walk in another person's shoes. It is extremely important that we are reminded of how complex our social, economic, and ethnic scope really are. I know I tend to see our community as having only three components: students, parents, and M.C.D.S. staff. The problem is, there are literally hundreds of sub groups woven intricately within our fabric. It is also far too easy to forget about what is going on in the world and exist totally within the parameter of our campus and daily routine. The Anti-Bias training presentation reached out and grabbed me, and pulled my mind from the sandy quagmire of correcting and recording papers, and reminded me, that it is our responsibility to direct our students thinking regarding community, open-mindedness, and compassion for others. That everything we say, do, and even think, can influence the health of our community.
Jamie Cloud's presentation was thought provoking and entertaining. She was an interesting speaker, who had a sense of humor, which far too few of our past speakers possessed. Her subject, and ideas were broad in scope and direction. I enjoyed her stories, and appreciated their contribution to the flow and joy of the morning. I was left with the thought, "So where are we to go from here?" I feel it is important to think about, and discuss sustainability, as we have declared it as one of the key cogs of our dynamic core. The school is living it with our construction, and effort to be aware of how we use and dispose products. But like so many other things, it is another responsibility that is to be added to our overflowing list of important tasks to implement. It requires effort, thought, planning, and implementation to make it happen. Oh, yes! and time. If we are to take on more programs, no matter how important, we need to begin to re-evaluate and decide what we should let go. I believe that our students are beginning to sense the pressure and incredible pace that we, as a staff, are maintaining. I am amazed at the unbelievable effort, dedication and the quality of the educational experience provided here at M.C.D.S. I believe that everyone here would just keep working harder, and longer, to feed the furnace, to nourish the minds, bodies, and hearts of our students, expanding our evolving programs. I think sustainability is extremely important, and timely, my question is, can we begin to let go of some other things we do, to provide the time to plan and implement this concept. It may, in fact, not be a major time requirement, but more a way of thinking, and greater awareness of how we use materials, and develop programs. I apologize for the rambling, as my thoughts create more questions, as opposed to solutions.
I was part of the social studies committee group that met in the MP2. I really enjoyed the group and that new space. I felt the work that came from that meeting was fruitful and important. It is always a huge benefit to our students when we discuss curriculum, and think about their journey from kindergarten through eighth grade. The task of examining why, and when to teach specific material is going to make that journey, more successful. I appreciated Barbara's leadership and thoughtful direction as she steered our group through the task. I look forward to our next meeting.
I would like to see the faculty meetings, and professional days, be split into a wider variety of tasks. This would include individual room time, curriculum group meetings, cross grade meetings, and specific curriculum meetings. I would like to see us use one or two professional days dedicated to our staff visiting other schools, observing and talking to peers. I would like more technology training time, in smaller groups, focused on specific skills requested by the group members. I like our group discussions, and realize that communication is vital to our successes.
Finally, I was thinking, that this type of blog activity might be easier for some of us, if we did not have to attach our name to our thoughts. I believe it changes what is written, to some degree,and how some people receive the thoughts shared here.
1] Professional Development this fall
Anti-Bias training with the ADL
This was an interesting day and I thought they did a nice job of leading the larger group, which can be a daunting task for someone from the outside, or even from the inside for that matter. The highlight was really to be able to connect in small groups with other members of the faculty.
Follow up session with Kiki
Post-It activities on peoples’ backs was a nice way to bond with colleagues even though you did not know who wrote what. Reminded me of how rarely we all are in the same room and have the opportunity to actually connect one-to-one.
EfS introduction with Jamie Cloud
I attended the EFS intro with Jaimie this summer. The fish game was a great way to get everyone involved in a hands-on manner. It was fascinating to see how quickly or thoughtfully or selfishly people responded. Observing how colleagues responded to one another was interesting as well. Having the chance to watch Jaimie work with the 5th grade team, I appreciate how she frames questions/discussion and challenges an entire team to take it to the next level.
Diversity meeting around identity and the Panel on Affinity Groups
This was fantastic, and Kiki’s questions were great. As someone who does not encounter too much regular contact with parents, I really enjoyed the chance to hear from them directly about their varied MCDS experiences. Their candor was refreshing and this is one of the aspects I value most about the Diversity Circle events. It would be nice if more faculty could attend those events, but I understand that the evening time frame can be a scheduling challenge.
Curriculum groups on map and talk
Ah…mapping. While there is still much content remaining to document, Barb, Catherine and I have made headway in this arena. We have explored some important questions and had some really worthwhile discussions around technology skills for students, faculty and staff, professional development, and ed tech priorities. For instance, whom do we focus on with regard to skill development: teachers or students? Or, do we try to serve everyone at once? Anyway, I am appreciative of the formal time set aside in the schedule to work on mapping. However, I do wish that we occasionally had longer chunks of time as it often feels like we just hit our stride when the 5:00 Wednesday bell tolls.
K-8 committee meetings for social studies and math
I appreciate that the math committee has expanded into a full K-8 dialogue about math, as opposed to simply a K-5 discussion about selecting the appropriate textbook. Having the chance to converse cross divisionally is far more engaging for the faculty, and ultimately, more productive for our students. Hearing some of the cross-division commonalities that emerged from the question, “What are the skills of an ideal MCDS math student?” was enlightening. While dialogue is an important first step, as a specialist outside the classroom, I look forward to more cooncrete opportunities to get involved with scaffolding the appropriate tech skills in through math.
2) I really like the idea of using this blog as a supplement to our meetings and would be curious to see other divisions adopt it. (How would it feel if MS and/or LS were to adopt the same model?)For me, it offers time to think and reflect and respond in a way that time or comfort level do not always permit in live meeting situations. Reading everyone’s response reminds me how dedicated, thoughtful, and talented my colleagues are.
I’d love to figure out a way where we could do more internal sharing & presenting with one another. For instance, while the old model of study groups had some problems, it was also a nice system for fostering the idea of “teachers as learners” idea. I wonder if there would be interest in reviving that approach with some tweaking.
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