Welcome to #HCPSTeach ... I am so glad you joined us to discuss Vertical Alignment and Planning. I am your moderator tonight. Let's start with Introductions! :)
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So honored to take part in @MorganWoodsES 50th anniversary this evening! The dedication of the students, faculty, and admin is astonishing. Can’t wait to see what happens the next fifty! ♥️♥️♥️ #hcpsteach
Welcome to #HCPSTeach ... I am so glad you joined us to discuss Vertical Alignment and Planning. I am your moderator tonight. Let's start with Introductions! :)
Name:
Role:
Location:
If you'd like to join us #HCPSTeach is a chat for all people interested in education -- home school, charter school public/private school, stakeholders in teaching ... Tonight we are chatting about Vertical Alignement!
Tonight we will use the Q1 / A1 format -- for those new to chatting, Q is how I share a question, A is your answer to that question. Welcome to all! Learn with us! Be sure to include #HCPSTeach so everyone can share in your genius. :)
A1 I've been involved in a big policy committee for the last few months and I have grown professionally more than I can express. All this has led me to question any term like "vertical integration" that redefines an existing term to make it buzzwordy. #HCPSTeach
Good point ... I’ve been using this term for over a decade, but I’m not convinced it is being done on our campuses with integrity ... an attempt? Yes! But lacking in genuine execution 💜 #HCPSTeach
We recently purchased the Jim Burke Common Core companion books across K-5 to allow teachers a greater understanding of what comes before and after them in regards to the standards. #HCPSTeach
A1v2 I look at terms like vertical alignment and I see a well planned curriculum. I see leadership showing their understanding of the tools and data they have at their disposal. What I think of is the time tested practice of having your staff communicate expectations #HCPSTeach
A2 I am not seeing vertical integration in my school because I see a staff that is over burdened with checklist tasks and not enough time to communicate with their counterparts in other grades. The priorities of the leadership become the priorities of the team. #HCPSTeach
I completely agree! This is the primary reason I developed a writing plan to use from the beginning so that we could start with that vertical alignment in mind! #HCPSTeach
Q3 While it creates a great challenge for some, how do you vertically align your instruction from elementary to middle? middle to high? or high school to college?
#HCPSTeach
I know my leadership would like to see vertical integration, but there are only so many things you can do in the few hours you have each day. My school days are voluntarily 10 hours long and I still barely keep up. #HCPSTeach
I wonder if we choose to spend our time differently if we could accomplish standards more efficiently? We all have the seam amount of time, maybe we need to examine how we spend it? ♥️ #HCPSTeach
A3 The most important strategy to succeed is to communicate and collaborate. It solves most educational problems. Classrooms are no longer little kingdoms with an absolute monarch. We need to know what the others around us are doing and all work together to excel. #HCPSTeach
We need to find more opportunities to do this. Is this writing chart something you did for your content area or did a team work on it together? #hcpsteach
Q4 If you were able, what would you want to know from teachers who teach the grade before you? About your students? About their curriculum? About their skills? #HCPSTeach
A4 I want to know what motivates them, what they want to accomplish, and what I can do to build on what they've learned. If I had that I'd be teacher of the year for the rest of my career. #HCPSTeach
A4 I teach #SpringBoardPL so I am aware of the curriculum from Grades 6-12 ... what I'd like to see / know more is a student portfolio of their work from Sept to May. #HCPSTeach
Jumping back in. I would love to see writing samples. I like the fact that @OneNoteEDU can be a digital portfolio for students so teachers can access their work from previous years. #HCPSTeach
Q4 If you were able, what would you want to know from teachers who teach the grade before you? About your students? About their curriculum? About their skills? #HCPSTeach
A4 I agree Mr Espinos . Student motivation and what knowing topics that keep them going would be beneficial. Most of time negative get passed on and a judgement is created before ever meeting the student. #HCPSTeach
A5 I teach STEM and I focused on making the material engaging and breaking down the fear of technical skills by showing them how much fun it can be. #HCPSTeach
A5 This year, I focused on writing EXCELLENT paragraphs with strong structure and good transitions. I am so happy with Justin Wilson-Gabor's CEMI paragraph structure. #HCPSTeach
Quote of the day: A student was complaining about their assigned group. I suggested, "Maybe you should stop complaining, design and build a bridge then use that bridge to get over it." If I had a mic I would have dropped it. #HCPSTeach
That’s great. I remember there was a big push to move away from formulaic writing but some students need structure. You have to learn the rules first, then you can break them #HCPSTeach
A6 In December each year, our school invites the Middle School leaders to our campus so that can view what we offer and share it with their students on their campus. #HCPSTeach
A6 I wish it was mandatory for Ts to observe/reflect with Ts in the next grade. Being a parent of a son transitioning from middle to high, expectations and rigor were completely different. #HCPSTeach
A6 In December each year, our school invites the Middle School leaders to our campus so that can view what we offer and share it with their students on their campus. #HCPSTeach
