Teaching & Learning at CUSSD

1. Teaching & Learning at CUSSD Mishe Harvey September 28, 2007

2. The Power of Good Teaching • From Alaska Airlines magazine, September, 2004:"Every person I know who has done anything with his or her life, every person I know who is happy, has a similar story. There was a teacher somewhere who nurtured a talent, or broke down a wall, or demonstrated in dramatic fashion that things are not always what they seem. This is, of course, the special power that good teachers have. They quite literally change the course of history by changing lives."

3. Guiding Questions • What will our graduating class of 2020 need to know and be able to do? or… • What will this year’s kindergarten class need to know and be able to do when they graduate from CHS? and… • How will the answers to this question impact instruction at CUSSD?

4. The/Our World Is Changing Rapidly • Abundance • Asia • Automation • Demographics • School Choice

5. Abundance “In an age of abundance, appealing only to rational, logical, and functional needs is woefully insufficient. Engineers must figure out how to get things to work. But if those things are not also pleasing to the eye or compelling to the soul, few will buy them.” - A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. Pink, p. 34

6. Asia • “One out of ten jobs in the U.S. computer, software, and information technology industry will move overseas in the next two years. One in four IT jobs will be offshored by 2010.” • “According to Forrester Research, ‘at least 3.3 million white-collar jobs and $136 billion in wages will shift from the U.S. to low-cost countries like India, China, and Russia by 2015.” • “Nations such as Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom will see similar job loss. The United Kingdom alone will loose some 25,000 IT jobs and upwards of 30,000 finance positions to India and other developing nations in the next few years. By 2015, Europe will lose 1.2 million jobs to offshore locales.” -(Pink, p. 39)

7. Automation “Last century, machines proved they could replace human backs. This century new technologies are proving they can replace human left brains…Any job that depends on routines- that can be reduced to a set of rules, or broken down into a set of repeatable steps- is at risk.” -(Pink, p. 44)

8. Demographics & School Choice • CUSSD enrollment has been declining • County demographics are shifting • Parents have a host of schooling options -What will compel them to enroll their students at a CUSSD school?

9. A Newcomer’s Perspective • History • Boxes of Excellence • Discontinuity • Direction • Standards • Future

10. Working Together

11. Roles & responsibilities • Take a few minutes to get to know everyone at your table. • Establish individuals to fulfill each of the following roles for this session: • Group Facilitator • Timekeeper • Recorder • Reporter

12. Rationale for the work • The pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning at CUSSD is informed by the California state standards but is ultimately guided by our ability to integrate biblical truth at every level of our practice.

13. Outcomes for this session • Introduction to the California Content Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) • Work together to draft a Biblical-Integration component for each of the California Content Standards for the Teaching Profession

14. Excellent Teachers • At your table, in groups of 2-3, discuss: • What do you believe excellent teachers know and are able to do?

15. California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) Since 1988, California has sought to provide intensive learning experiences for beginning teachers. First-year and second-year teachers need intensive learning activities that build on their preservice preparation and lead to lifelong professional development. The State's efforts revealed a need for a common language and a new vision of the scope and complexity of teaching that would enable teachers to define and develop their practice. The California Standards for the Teaching Profession address these needs. -California Department of Education, 1997, p. 1

16. Standards: What are they good for? The Standards are designed to be used by teachers to: • prompt reflection about student learning and teaching practice; • formulate professional goals to improve teaching practice; and • guide, monitor and assess the progress of a teacher's practice toward professional goals and professionally-accepted benchmarks. • The Standards address the diversity of students and teachers in California schools today, and they reflect a holistic, developmental view of teaching. -California Department of Education, 1997, p. 1

17. CSTP • The Standards also value the diversity of teachers' backgrounds, perspectives, skills, knowledge and practices. Teaching is not a profession in which a single approach to professional practice will be effective for all practitioners. Although the Standards articulate a common vision of excellence in teaching, different teachers have different ways to fulfill the Standards effectively. By respecting the diverse ways in which teachers pursue excellence in professional practice, schools enrich and enliven the education of diverse students. -California Department of Education, 1997, p. 1

18. The Complexity of Teaching Teaching is more than methodology. Philosophical and theoretical understandings of teaching and learning empower teachers to make thoughtful, informed decisions about instructional strategies and ways to support students' learning. A teacher's practice cannot be viewed or evaluated separately from her or his professional ideas and understandings; all aspects of teaching are interdependent. The Standards are broad and interdependent because the professional practice of teaching needs to be seen comprehensively as a complex, dynamic process in which practical and conceptual elements are woven together as a seamless fabric. -California Department of Education, 1997, p. 2

19. CUSSD and Teaching Standards Establishes a common language for discussing instructional practice • Assists in identifying areas of strength and areas for professional growth • Promotes a reflective culture • Guides professional development opportunities However… • Need for Biblical Integration

20. CSTP Organization • The California Standards for the Teaching Profession are based on current research and expert advice pertaining to best teaching practice. The Standards are organized around six interrelated categories of teaching practice. • The six standards are for: • Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning • Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning • Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning • Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students • Assessing Student Learning • Developing as a Professional Educator Together these six standards represent a developmental, holistic view of teaching, and are intended to meet the needs of diverse teachers and students in California. -California Department of Education, 1997, p. 3

21. Reading the CSTPs STANDARD ONE: ENGAGING & SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS IN LEARNING 1•1 Connecting students' prior knowledge, life experience, and interests with learning goals 1•2 Using a variety of instructional strategies and resources to respond to students' diverse needs 1•3 Facilitating learning experiences that promote autonomy, interaction, and choice 1•4 Engaging students in problem solving, critical thinking, and other activities that make subject matter meaningful 1•5 Promoting self-directed, reflective learning for all students Standard Element

22. Description of Practice Hemet Unified School District

23. Talking about the CSTPs • The goal of this activity is to engage in a group discussion about your table’s assigned standard. • First, take a few minutes to read your table’s focus standard and the sample rubric from Hemet, CA. • In Relation to your standard, discuss the following two questions: 1. Have you experienced any challenges in relation to this particular standard? If yes, please discuss. 2. What strategies/practices have you found effective related to this standard?

24. Presentations • The reporter for each table team will share the work of their group. • Order: • Standard 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

25. Thank You Gratias tibi ago Muchas Gracias Toda raba Merci Beaucoup Nagyon köszönöm Is kwakwhá Mahalo nui loa

26. 14 Things That Matter Most • Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school. • Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses. • When a student misbehaves, great teachers have one goal: to keep that behavior from happening again. • Great teachers have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves.

27. Continued 5 Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom: They are. Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control-their own performance. 6 Great teachers create a positive atmosphere in their classrooms and schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise. 7 Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don’t matter and share a positive attitude. 8 Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair-to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage. 9 Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation. 10 Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they do. If things don’t work out the way they had envisioned, they reflect on what they could have done differently and adjust their plans accordingly.

28. Continued 11 Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves on central question: What will the best people think? 12 Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is the least comfortable with each decision they make. They treat everyone as if they were good. 13 Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective; they center on the real issue of student learning. 14 Great teachers care about their students. They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change. - From: What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most by Todd Whitaker