When I was a little girl, every Labor Day was the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Imagine a marathon TV show that lasted for hours on end. It was like a nonstop variety show filled with comedians, singers, dancers, and movie stars. The goal wasn't just entertainment, though. It was to raise money for a significant cause: helping people with muscular dystrophy. Jerry would stay up for 24 hours. The song Jerry Lewis would often sing at the end of the telethon was "You'll Never Walk Alone". Originally from the musical Carousel, this classic song became synonymous with the telethon and symbolized hope and perseverance. Lewis would often sing it as a heartfelt plea for donations and a message of solidarity to those affected by muscular dystrophy. I gotta tell you, I cried every time! I know it's a bit campy, but it's an excellent metaphor for the importance of collaboration.
I had the greatest question this week: What is the difference between collaborative teams and action teams (academic and SEBH). She also asked for a definition of professional development as we implement it in CBCSD.
The Council Bluffs Community School District's approach to professional development is a testament to its commitment to its educators. It defines professional development as a sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused learning experience. This approach is like a guiding light in a storm, designed to enhance educators' knowledge, skills, and abilities, as the storm represents the challenges and difficulties they face in their roles. The district provides a range of professional learning options, including Collaborative Teams (utilizing the 4 PLC questions), instructional coaching, early-release and choice-after-school sessions, and summer learning opportunities. These opportunities are not just support but a recognition of the educators' dedication and a testament to the district's unwavering belief in their potential. They are the stones that strengthen the bridge, allowing educators to provide a solid foundation for students' learning journeys amidst the storm. This is professional development as defined by the District. It is about your learning and how it impacts your teaching and, consequently, achievement. This is about the universal tier until all achieve 80% proficiency.
Our dedication to professional development is based on our school improvement plan and coordinated efforts to reach higher levels of achievement collaboratively.
In addition to these efforts, we also implement other facets of our MTSS model. Academic/SEBH action teams are similar to explorers navigating a stormy academic landscape. Just as a group of explorers must work together to navigate a treacherous terrain, academic action teams must collaborate to overcome the challenges of improving student achievement. They must analyze student data (the map), develop targeted interventions (the compass), and adapt their strategies based on the ever-changing educational landscape. This is a critical component to for MTSS and how we intervene with kids. This is how we address the needs of students below or far above grade level. It is a collaborative decision making opportunity.
Together, these teams can weather the storm of academic challenges and guide students toward success.
Bri, Julie, Kim: Increasing achievement sounds very Polyanna, but in reality it's too hard to do by yourself. Utilizing your team members and other resources available can surface new ways to increase achievement. The restructuring of Monday PD and CT time allows for groups of teachers to identify a common challenge and work as a team to learn more in order to overcome those challenges. Sometimes that is not enough for all students, and that is where the power of Academic Action Teams and SEBH comes in. Intervening appropriately with students will lead to increased achievement.
ReplyDeleteFifth grade is looking forward to diving into MAP data and seeing how we can use intervention time, collaboration between our classrooms, to best serve all of our students. We know we have a lot of kids, with a lot of needs- we hope using data, our PD/CT time will allow us to get the most bang for our buck to help all of our students grow this year!
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