I love professional learning days. 50% of you probably think that I'm crazy for that stance but that's about the amount that thinks that of me on a daily basis. Yes, it's a lot of work, planning etc. but I am always amazed at where the learning leads. Today was no different. I found myself in a session at the end of the day today discussing how we can embed study skills into our daily lessons. The takeaway for me was far greater than just study skills being embed into lessons.
The conversation two teachers and I found ourselves engaged in evolved over time. We talked about using the entire lesson cycle, how we don't have to start teaching a concept on grade-level from the word go. Then, the big "WOW!" moment of the day. Learning standards are where we are going, the ultimate objective of the learning and too often we approach them as if they were the point of origin for our teaching. The timing couldn't have been better for this reminder/realization for me. We talk so much about rigor, holding kids to high standards and using higher order thinking skills that we often times forget that Bloom's pyramid couldn't be built without a stable base. It's ok for us to scaffold. It's ok to start by teaching a concept below grade level. In fact, one of the best lessons I ever taught on note-taking (a study skill by the way) began with a hook and some modeling from me using "Green Eggs and Ham" as my model. Let go of the myth that learning standards are a point of origin. Let go of the myth that everything you do must be at or above grade level. Above all, remember that we have to meet kids where they're at and most of them don't come preprogrammed with all that they need. Learning standards aren't where you are, they're your destination. It's where you need to be at the end of the journey, not the gas that should already be in your car when you set out.
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AuthorJeff Lahey Archives
January 2020
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