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Professional Development -
C.A.R.E.
Professional Development is a continuous process at
Kennedy. Teachers meet by grade level every seven
days during the school day for an hour and ten minutes.
The extended planning period was given the acronym
C.A.R.E. which stands for Collaboration Across Rich
Environments. During this time, teachers work
closely together with teachers of the same grade
level and subject area to plan lessons and instructional
strategies in order to implement district curriculum and
pacing guides. Teachers collaborate on projects,
share lesson ideas and critically analyze instruction to
meet district, state and national standards. A
large portion of meetings is used to look at student
data and plan instruction based on that data. By
the learning and professional growth evident in all
teachers, we truly CARE about every child.
The
instructional leadership team is largely responsible for
planning C.A.R.E. meetings. They act as the liaison between
the administration and staff. They must be aware of
Alief ISD goals and summarize important information from
district meetings. They seek out appropriate instruction
and strategize on how it will best serve the staff.
Besides the regularly scheduled professional development,
teachers also have a wealth of opportunities from the
district. Take a look at the
Alief ISD Staff Development Catalog for a more
comprehensive list of professional development sessions
offered to our teachers.
Looping
By
Dana Scott, teacher
David,
one of my third graders, had severe behavior problems as
well as academic concerns. He was out of his seat
constantly, distracting to others, disrespectful to
adults and children, disinterested in schoolwork and
down right hard to deal with. Some people might wonder
why I ever “looped” with him.
When my principal first
approached me about looping, an instructional practice
in which a teacher follows their students for two or
more years, I was interested. I felt by being with the
same children for two consecutive years I could not only
establish lasting relationships, but also gain
instructional time at the beginning of the second year.
When I decided to move up with David, I had no idea what
we would go through together and the amazing connection
he and I would find in each other. This is our story…
During his third grade year David became a “regular” at
the principal’s office. His referrals ranged from
physical violence to inappropriate language. Many of
the referrals, however, resulted from his disrespectful
tone when he spoke to adults.
Over the two years David and I worked together,
particularly his fourth grade year, we spent many hours
out in the hallway “sorting things out.” Among other
things, we discussed his tone of voice, word choice and
respecting others. By the end of his fourth grade year
David had discovered ways to control his anger. He
often requested to “take a walk,” his signal to me that
frustration was setting in. His interactions with
classmates were better and his tone with adults had
improved. When he spoke to adults in the building he
often used the phrases “Yes ma’am (sir)” and “No ma’am
(sir).”
Teachers at school frequently told me they had seen
"remarkable" or "significant" improvement in his
behavior. I relayed that information to David and his
face lit up. He loves hearing good things about
himself; especially from the very people he thought
didn’t like him.
Throughout third grade, David also had academic
difficulties. He didn’t care. I rarely received his
class assignments and never saw his homework. School,
for David, involved thumping his pencil on his desk,
playing at recess, and going home. Getting an education
did not work in his equation.
March of his third grade year I began to suspect there
were factors other than David’s behavior getting in the
way of his learning. I referred him for special
education testing and it indicated that David possessed
a learning disability in reading. At the time testing
determined his reading level at approximately that of a
midyear second grader, a year and a half behind his
classmates.
If we
had been working in a traditional setting David would
have been placed with a new teacher in fourth grade. By
being identified as a child receiving resource services
his teacher could determine that he had areas of
weakness. However, determining those weaknesses would
take time and David would have lost valuable learning
time. Because we worked together in a looped situation
I already had that information. I had a starting place
in fourth grade. I already possessed information about
David and his learning, so direct, individualized
instruction occurred immediately in fourth grade.
Academically, David flourished during his fourth grade
year. In-class support took place during math and
individualized reading instruction occurred daily. At
the end of his fourth grade year David was able to read
and discuss text at a fourth grade fall level. He had
gained over a year’s growth! By participating in a
looped classroom, I, along with his resource teacher,
worked together to extend his learning and David came to
realize his intelligence and capability of learning
anything he desired.
As David’s fourth grade
year drew to a close, old habits began to resurface.
His tone when talking to adults often became sarcastic
and rude, and he began neglecting his academic
responsibilities within our classroom. Through a
“hallway discussion” with David I determined the reason
for his actions.
“You’re the only teacher who listens to me,” David said
as his shoulders slumped and his head fell. “Other
teachers think I’m a bad kid, and it doesn’t matter what
I do.” Throughout his third and fourth grade year
David, knew I could, and would, come to his rescue.
David
was looking toward his future and also knew when he
started intermediate school in the fall he would be on
his own. David feared that I would let him go and the
bond he and I had developed would be severed at the end
of the school year. I then made the decision that I
will mentor David through his fifth grade year. I will
remain a part of his life for as long as he will allow.
I want his school experiences to continue to be
positive. I want David to know there will always be a
person in the “school system” who sees only the best in
him.
(To protect his privacy, David's name
has been changed.)
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