Today was our first day back for teachers. We had a great opening meeting with just our faculty. Enrollment looks good and we are hanging in there despite the economy. We could still use some diversity, but for the most part we are okay.
We hosted Dr. Rob Evans with Charlotte Latin and he was both engaging, dynamic and made alot of sense! He spoke about the taboo topic of conflict. He talked about how we are "congenial and not collegial" with each other. We need to be able to discuss matters of the school and be more honest and direct with each other. We also don't know what each other actually DOES in the classroom.
I thought this was all very true. However, I don't seem to have that problem! Just the opposite. I tend to speak very freely and openly. I did learn this summer at my NAIS Leadership Institute that I have to speak in a way that other can "hear" me. Sometimes I'm too direct and assertive and I need to do more "active listening" in my communicating with other. It's my new goal for the year.
It's very evident in how teachers interact with one another. My middle faculty becomes very segregated. We first find our teacher team, then our department, then our grade and if it's with all school, we find our middle school people. It's so predicable!
My favorite part of the day so far was to be a facilitator at for the strategic planning sessions. I found it interesting that one faculty member spoke of diversity as an important initiative, but in the same breath said by if we have no financial aid how will "they" afford this school. Interesting don't you think?
I also met with my CLT team to go over our technology standards goals once again. Technology can not be isolation to all the other departments. My goal is to find out how to hold my teachers accountable and to also be able to integrate it into every department! Wish me luck!
I am looking forward to another great year!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Final Days of School
It's now time to reflect on the final days of school. What has gone well? How can I improve? What can I do to be a more effective trainer/teacher for my faculty.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Ending the 2010-2011 School Year
So many things to be done! Advisory Letters to write, Technology Survey's to ready through, Teachers and Students to say good-bye to! I'm not sure where to begin. Time to begin working on "The Jacket" curriculum for 5th grade as well as a brand new 5th grade computer class for 1 or maybe 2 quarters.
From reading the 11 or so responses from the technology survey, it looks like the teachers really don't know what I do, or what they are suppose to do as it relates to training students on technology. Initially I taught 5th - 8th grade classes. Then when we were all given laptops, I was told my job was to train the teachers on using technology in their classrooms and THEY were the computer teachers. Then they took away the required credit that teachers had to get in computers which significantly dropped the attendance to the computer training classes. So now we are back to square one. Teachers are tired and over worked and trying to figure out how to teach something that makes them uncomfortable is really hard. I have taken the "easy" way out and work with those that want to be grown and learn more. The teachers that are resistant and "fight" me on it, I've left them alone and their students have suffered. I'll work on that next year. I need to push harder and force my way into their technology planning sessions. I'll work at doing a better job of that next year. I realized that I gave each of them a copy of the technology standard and they are posted in the media center and the computer lab. I guess it doesn't really matter if I'm not telling them in detail what it is exactly they should be "doing" with it. Yet again, something else I'll be working on all summer...by the pool!
I've also got to find a way to get faculty more trained in dealing with diverse situations in their classrooms. Not to mention I need to find my own professional growth. It never ends....
From reading the 11 or so responses from the technology survey, it looks like the teachers really don't know what I do, or what they are suppose to do as it relates to training students on technology. Initially I taught 5th - 8th grade classes. Then when we were all given laptops, I was told my job was to train the teachers on using technology in their classrooms and THEY were the computer teachers. Then they took away the required credit that teachers had to get in computers which significantly dropped the attendance to the computer training classes. So now we are back to square one. Teachers are tired and over worked and trying to figure out how to teach something that makes them uncomfortable is really hard. I have taken the "easy" way out and work with those that want to be grown and learn more. The teachers that are resistant and "fight" me on it, I've left them alone and their students have suffered. I'll work on that next year. I need to push harder and force my way into their technology planning sessions. I'll work at doing a better job of that next year. I realized that I gave each of them a copy of the technology standard and they are posted in the media center and the computer lab. I guess it doesn't really matter if I'm not telling them in detail what it is exactly they should be "doing" with it. Yet again, something else I'll be working on all summer...by the pool!
I've also got to find a way to get faculty more trained in dealing with diverse situations in their classrooms. Not to mention I need to find my own professional growth. It never ends....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)