Friday's In-house Professional Development Day

We talk a great deal about the importance of professional development here at TBS, and spend a lot of time and energy sending our teachers to seminars, workshops, conferences, and other events that grow their practices. We also have a few days a year set aside for in-house

conversations and activities, and this past Friday was the first of those days.

Faculty met in three groups in the morning, from 8:30-11:00. The ECC faculty met with Andrea to discuss how the playground is used, elements of the program that are targeted directly to the youngest (2.7) students on campus, and other site-specific topics. The K-3 faculty met with Mitch and Laurie Schaeffler, the K-3 Learning Support and Curriculum Coordinator, to talk about how reading is being taught and assessed in those classes, and to introduce the DRA2, a new assessment tool we are implementing in the level. The 4th-8th faculty met with Zaq to continue the conversation about learning outcomes begun at the all-faculty meeting.

Three groups met during the 11-1:30 time in the middle of the day, working during and around the lunch provided by the administration. First, the middle school team met as a faculty. Second, the ECC and K/1 teachers met as a combined group to talk about what the K/1 program looks like, and to begin work to align expectations about where our ECC-4 students are when they leave the ECC, and how both ECC and K/1 teachers can begin adjusting their programs - as well as collaborate and observe each other. Third, the K/1 and 2/3 team briefly met with Mitch for a similar conversation around the K/1 and 2/3 alignment.

From 1:30-3:00, the entire faculty met and walked through the Tuning Protocol, which is one of the methods by which the faculty will be working together in developing their understanding of assessment. This protocol was generated by Allan and McDonald at the Coalition for Essential Schools; along with the Collaborative Assessment Protocol, it is contained in the book "Looking Together at Student Work" by Tina Blyth and other researchers at Project Zero. The protocol has several steps: an introduction by the facilitator; a presentation by a teacher on the assignment that includes focusing questions; an opportunity for participants to ask clarifying questions; a silent time for teachers to look at the example(s) of student work; a period of "warm" (commendations) and "cool" (ongoing questions) feedback that do not offer solutions; a reflection from the presenting teacher on what s/he heard; and a process debrief by the facilitator. While we did this first one as a full faculty, in the future we'll be doing them in small groups. Many thanks go to Mike Sinclaire for bravely offering to be the presenting teacher.

For some background information on this collaborative work, look here. Or, read more about the tuning protocol here.