The value of teacher learning time
John Heim - Emporia Superintendent of schools
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
WHAT DO WE want our students to learn?
How will we know when they have learned it?
These questions are at the heart of what teachers and administrators do in our schools every day. Because there are no easy answers to either question, time for planning and collaboration among teachers is essential for students to get the best possible education. Our district has worked hard to set aside time each week for teachers to meet together in Professional Learning Communities so we can know and understand the answers to these questions.
Teachers at all schools meet in PLC teams weekly to discuss what is working and not working in their classrooms. They plan instruction and assessments for the curriculum standards being taught, study assessment data, and decide if new strategies or teaching methods are needed for students to become proficient. At the elementary level, these sessions occur on Wednesday afternoons, our designated early-release day. At the high school and middle school, they are held early Tuesday mornings, which are designated as late-start days.
During a recent PLC at Emporia Middle School, I watched social studies teachers use the time to plan common lessons and assessments that will draw on the current political campaign to teach about our election process. They are coordinating their lessons with a persuasive writing unit taught by the language arts teachers.
A well-structured, clear curriculum is one of the key factors in improved student achievement. If students are learning the same core curriculum at each grade level, they enter the next grade and the next course with the same basic level of knowledge. In an ideal setting, everyone can start from the same place in the learning process. A structured curriculum also allows teachers to use common assessments to measure student progress. This is one way we know when students have learned what we’re teaching. Teachers can compare results on their assessments and learn from one another which instructional strategies and methods are most effective.
I am convinced that these discussions provide teachers with the best professional development they can obtain because it improves their own knowledge base as an educator. I recently attended a meeting where Kansas Commissioner of Education Alexa Posney reported on the effect of the various educational investments that have been made in Kansas schools. These included smaller class size, higher pay, more experienced teachers and more knowledge for teachers. She told us that research has found that the money spent on increasing teacher knowledge brings the greatest return on investment through higher student achievement.
Not all districts are fortunate to have collaboration time in their schedule to increase teacher knowledge. On a recent survey of Kansas teachers, less than half (46 percent) of educators said the non-instructional time without students is sufficient. Only 53 percent agreed that teachers have time available to collaborate with colleagues. The results were much better in our district. Of the Emporia teachers who took the survey, 55 percent agreed that they have sufficient non-instructional time and 79 percent agreed they have time to collaborate with their colleagues
This is the second year for a district-wide schedule that allows for such planning and collaboration, and I credit our District Improvement Plan for making this a reality. The plan has forced us to focus our work on a common mission. The results have been gratifying.
kseyetie (anonymous) says...
Excellent column. Keep up the good work, Dr. Heim! Teachers are the critical link; many have awesome skills; others still need to learn newer and better ways to conduct themselves. There are few jobs more difficult and stressful than teaching, particularly in the early grades.
October 2, 2008 at 7:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )