18 weeks and counting...

Kaelin- Class of 2014 

"Behave with urgency."

J. Kotter 

As I was driving in the car over winter break with my oldest daughter, she informed me she had 17 weeks till she graduated from high school.  Wow! Where did the year go...I know that she is a senior, but this specific time frame (17 sounds so small) brought a sense of urgency.  I have 17 weeks till she graduates. I have 17 weeks to capture her last few moments at home with us before she heads to college. I have 17 weeks to make sure she is ready for the next chapter in her life...

I also began thinking about the 18 weeks till the end of the 2013-2014 school year.  We have 18 weeks till we will have successfully implemented the new AZ College and Career Readiness curriculum for Geometry 1-2.  We have 18 weeks till we will have completed year 2 of the Algebra I Curriculum. We have 18 weeks to get ready for the upcoming implementation of the AZ College and Career Readiness for Algebra II.

As you are evaluating your collaborative team's progress, considering everything that you have accomplished during the first semester and planning for the next 18 weeks, what is your sense of urgency? Each PUHSD team has different priorities depending on where they are in terms of implementing the curriculum.

Algebra I (Algebra 1-2):  The Algebra teams have been hard at work implementing rich tasks and refining the revised curriculum.  We have been creating Type II and Type III PARCC-like tasks to generate ample student-to-student discourse and increase the DOK of the questions that are asked on a day-to-day basis.

Geometry:  The Geometry teams have been focusing on becoming Geometry experts with the new curriculum.  They have been learning how to utilize the Geotools to develop conceptual understanding versus procedural knowledge.  The teachers are working diligently aligning instructional supports to the "assessed standards" to ensure students are meeting the expected level of mastery of the concept and/or standards.

Algebra II (Algebra 3-4): The second year Algebra teams are transitioning to the new curriculum and new assessments next year and should be focused on developing the student's Mathematical Practices and understanding the Common Core language.

As you and your team begin the second semester of the 2013-2014 school year, identify your current status of implementation and develop a plan to address your sense of urgency.  If you need more training on rich tasks, the February Algebra and Geometry District-wide PLC meetings will be finalizing their year long explorations on mathematical tasks and lesson design.  If you need more information on how to Read like a Mathematician, Gwen Lee will be offering another course this semester (dates TBD).  If you want to know more about Standard 2: Content Knowledge, from our new evaluation document, you can still sign up for the Professional Growth course that starts this Thursday on Career Track.

Happy New Year and good luck with your pursuit to "behave with urgency" for the next 18 weeks!

Know Thy Impact...

We are busy!  So busy, that every time I sat down to write this blog, in the past 4 weeks, something has taken precedent. We had PLC days, trainings, meetings, observations, evaluations, and other circumstances that I prepare, implement, and provide follow-up. On top of the responsibilities of Math Content Specialist, I have the pleasure of working on the NCSM board as the Western Region 1 Regional Director, an organization very near and dear to my heart (MathLeadership). As the RD, I attended several regional conferences this fall, from Arizona to Alaska and from Idaho to Nevada. With a full work schedule, RD Schedule and family (did I mention my oldest is a senior in HS this year), it has been a busy fall and I did not take the time to reflect on our current progress…

Last weekend, I attended my final conference of the season. I was inspired by the keynote sessions to reflect; below is a quote from one of the sessions on Sunday: 

My role as a teacher is to evaluate the effect I have on my students. It is to “know thy impact,” it is to understand this impact, and it is to act on this knowing and understanding. This requires that teachers gather defensible and dependable evidence from many sources, and hold collaborative discussions with colleagues and students about this evidence, thus making the effect of their teaching visible to themselves and others (p.19)

John Hattie (2012), Visible Learning for Teachers

The PUHSD math teachers have been hard at work looking at evidence of student learning, collaborating on best practices, and providing targeted feedback to students. This evidence of learning is used by students and teachers to take action on what students are or are not learning, and I want them to KNOW THEIR IMPACT. When I present, I am presenting the work of the PUHSD math teachers. Teachers and administrators from all over the country are excited to hear about our work, creating rich learning opportunities and re-engagement opportunities with our concept recovery model.  Below are some emails and responses from the surveys at the end of each session. 

“I want to thank you so much for all you shared at the seminar. I was looking over all the slides and reviewing the assessment tools your PLC created. You've given me the boost to get going and motivate my colleagues to take the challenge. I was truly impressed by the work your team has accomplished.”

“Thank you for sharing your common core implementation strategies. I know what my next steps need to be…” 

“Your presentation was great. I know that we all walked away with specific ideas on what a solid common core implementation plan looks like…” 

Each presentation provided me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the work Phoenix Union High School math teachers have completed over the last three years. As I reflect on the work this fall, I realize the impact of our teachers’ work on a global scale and I wanted to SHARE THY IMPACT. I am so proud to work with an amazing team of teachers. We still have our challenges, but we are problem solvers who articulate the challenges and think outside of the box to overcome those challenges. I am very proud of what we have accomplished over the past three years. Congratulations to the PUHSD Math teachers! Your implementation of the AZ College and Career Readiness standards is truly inspiring.