Your end-of-year rating from NYCDOE depends on two components, Measure of Student Learning (MOSL aka test scores) and Measure of Teacher Practice (MOTP aka Danielson Framework). Here are some information and thoughts:
MOSL UPDATE 3/20
Tomorrow we’ll meet in the auditorium at 3PM to go through some information about the 102 state test process. After that, we’ll share some information regarding the city’s new way of using test scores in teacher ratings, and we’ll do our best to clarify and answer your questions.
A WORD ON MOTP
Don’t let the Danielson Framework and our City’s ADVANCE observation process distract you from doing the things you know work. DF is hardly a cure-all, and it’s actually not hard to make the case that using it to measure teacher practice is actually making some teachers less effective. It compartmentalizes instruction and reduces a dynamic, complex, and distinctly inter-human process into a checklist of actions to be counted, noted, and quantified, and we all know instruction is so much more about the sum than its many parts.
Imagine what’d happen if we judged other types of artists using the same logic: that to judge the quality of a painting, we simply count how many colors were used, how many shapes are included, and whether the canvas meets the minimum size requirement. And then ignore the feelings and interpretations these paintings can evoke for different viewers–because they are impossible to standardize–even though they were probably the reasons why the painting was made in the first place.
Good instruction is not about how many times we do turn and talks, ask students to show thumbs up or thumbs down, or by asking endless open-ended questions with little regard to student abilities or the learning objective. Good instruction is having a clear focused learning objective and then designing a series of purposeful tasks/prompts that generate the precise student thinking needed to get them there. That’s it.
After the state test we’ll engage in a series focused workshops on this type of work in building a tighter through-line from a lesson’s objective to its Thinking Generator to student outcomes. Until then, do what works.
HIGHLIGHTS
Speaking of through-line from learning objective to Thinking Generators, check this TG one out by the consistently amazing Ms Arlequin:
“How are hashtags after a social media post similar to annotating in the margins of a text?”
(If only she could annotate for everyone the things I write and say…)
From Ms. Mintiens: The amount of writing that the Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students are producing is staggering. If you haven’t checked out many of their bulletin boards, please do! The choice in writing that TC gives them has been so positive. Ms. Monteleone and Ms. Wyckoff took a risk this week when they turned the tables and let the students teach their peers. While the students were working on their independent writing both teachers pulled small groups. Ms. Monteleone reviewed punctuation with her group, playing a fun game ( Which phrase goes in which bag – ?, . , or !). Then she explained that the students would be turn keying this information to their table mates. She used a mid workshop interruption to explain what was going to occur to the rest of the class and the students became teachers. This exercise was a first, but empowered the students greatly to take charge of their own learning. I love seeing the risks teachers are taking to engage and reach their students!
Both Pre-K classes had an interesting visitor this past week. An animal expert came in and the students got to check out turtles, lizards, rabbits, chinchillas, and more. The students had a wonderful time, and this was a great learning experience. Ms. Devito got a great video and and Ms. McLain got some great pictures. This was a great way to give the students an experience/field trip without leaving the building, which can be stressful.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Fast and Furious Family Fitness Fun Night is this Tuesday, 3/21 from 4:30-6:30PM. Let me know if you’re interested in participating–it’s a guaranteed good time when Martial Arts and Zumba are involved in the same event.
Surveys: The first class in each of the grade bands to return all parent surveys will receive a pizza party. The first team of teachers to do so will also get a group prize, and a raffle will be done for one individual winner. Please turn your sealed surveys to Ms. Delvecchio or Ms. Falesto.
Individual Meetings: The APs and I will begin individual meetings with teachers regarding the success and challenges of this year as well as goals for next year. Many of the systems we introduced this year are working, and it’s time we shift the conversation to how we see ourselves fitting into them now that we’ve seen and experienced it.
3rd Floor Hall of Fame: While the STEAM team takes over the 2nd floor gallery to amazing effects, Mr. Borelli is leading the charge on transforming the 3rd floor gallery into 102’s Hall of Fame. Soon we’ll begin accepting writing entries from classes to showcase student voice; more info to follow.
mrkobot.com 