Although our project doesn’t officially begin until the fall, we were eager to see how other teachers use an interactive whiteboard with their students. So when a colleague of mine from Tyndale invited us to her school to hang out with her Grade 2 Team for the afternoon, and watch their Prometheus Board in action, we jumped at the opportunity.
Happily, I had an excellent student teacher in my classroom at the time, so – with the permission of our principal -- we co-planned a lesson which she would deliver to both our classes, under the supervision of a supportive colleague, while Dale and I headed off to a school in a neighbouring school board for an afternoon of observation and question asking.
Happily, I had an excellent student teacher in my classroom at the time, so – with the permission of our principal -- we co-planned a lesson which she would deliver to both our classes, under the supervision of a supportive colleague, while Dale and I headed off to a school in a neighbouring school board for an afternoon of observation and question asking.
The rare privilege of watching colleagues teach invites a range of reflective contemplation: One is made aware of things in one’s own practice which one might not normally consider. One’s mind is also opened to new ideas and ways of dong things, not just on the topic under observation (in this case, Math problems being presented and solved on an interactive white board), but also with periphery items (I loved how
these teachers had used one question to teach a variety of problem solving strategies at the beginning of the year, and created anchor charts which were then posted for students to refer back to all year long!)
Inevitably, one considers how one might do things differently in one’s own classroom with a different set of student needs, and, of course, one is inspired and encouraged – here were two other relatively "normal" teachers doing what we hoped to do in the coming year… therefore, surely we, too, could succeed in our own endeavor!
We are so grateful to the two teachers who opened the curtains on their fishbowl for us to oberve, and to their principal (and ours!) for supporting this visit. We both look forward to visits to other colleagues’ classrooms in the months ahead, and invite reciprocal visits for similar observations in math, or for some other reason of interest with which we might be of assistence in others’ professional learning journey.
Inevitably, one considers how one might do things differently in one’s own classroom with a different set of student needs, and, of course, one is inspired and encouraged – here were two other relatively "normal" teachers doing what we hoped to do in the coming year… therefore, surely we, too, could succeed in our own endeavor!
We are so grateful to the two teachers who opened the curtains on their fishbowl for us to oberve, and to their principal (and ours!) for supporting this visit. We both look forward to visits to other colleagues’ classrooms in the months ahead, and invite reciprocal visits for similar observations in math, or for some other reason of interest with which we might be of assistence in others’ professional learning journey.