Chapter Five
In regards to educator accountability, my belief and actions simple state that all educators must hold responsibility and integrity to maintain student academic achievements. Within my school site, professional successes are recognized and acknowledged by administrators and teachers. However, challenges are accepted and teachers can advise other teachers or ask administration for guidance. In addition, community members like parent volunteers also share the responsibility of success and challenges at Riverview Language Academy. One specific moment occurred during a Lighthouse Team meeting and divided duties to upload and update our evidence binder to reach Lighthouse status. It has been a challenge to find specific evidence, videos, or photos, but administration and teacher praise is constantly brought to our attention to keep the moral in high spirit. This form of accountability allows everyone to hold a valuable place in the collaboration process. As a result, our LH team holds accountability are a critical component to continue forward.
The questions that would lead and guide my professional work would be the following “in what ways do I learn about the organizational cultures that exist within the school?” because within the question I can refer to diverse organizational cultures like grade level, staff-faculty cultures and departmental. This reflective question could benefit my professionalism by understanding the differences between cultures in the school site to enhance relationships with staff members. In addition, by learning from each other, my school site relationships can blossom and extend to the district level to solidify more professional relationships.
The questions that would lead and guide the school’s professional development plan would be the following question, “as a learning community, how do we learn about each other and the unique learning needs within our learning community?” This reflective question can lead to effective PLC times because within our own school site, we have individuals who are experts in educational gaps and experienced in closing the educational gaps of cultural, linguistic, learning, and communication styles. this reflective question could benefit the learning community because each individual hold valuable information that be shared with each other to foster a stronger learning community. For instance, the resource specialist teacher and speech and language therapist can share their expertise on linguistic and learning gaps to guide student learning and academic success within our community. in addition, some individuals have administrative credentials and can share about methods to continue family, school and community connections and to foster the realizations for a stronger partnership with families. Also, many teachers are savvy with technology and can share strategies and resources that can build connections between languages and cultures through 21st century tools like Skype, Twitter and Voicethread. Overall, the students within our school can benefit from the collaboration and reflective during the learning community based on the reflective question of valuing learning needs and expertise within our school.
Going Deeper: Three Keys
Lindsey, D., Jungwirth, L., Pahl, J., & Lindsey, R. (2009). Culturally proficient learning communities confronting inequities through collaborative curiosity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
The questions that would lead and guide my professional work would be the following “in what ways do I learn about the organizational cultures that exist within the school?” because within the question I can refer to diverse organizational cultures like grade level, staff-faculty cultures and departmental. This reflective question could benefit my professionalism by understanding the differences between cultures in the school site to enhance relationships with staff members. In addition, by learning from each other, my school site relationships can blossom and extend to the district level to solidify more professional relationships.
The questions that would lead and guide the school’s professional development plan would be the following question, “as a learning community, how do we learn about each other and the unique learning needs within our learning community?” This reflective question can lead to effective PLC times because within our own school site, we have individuals who are experts in educational gaps and experienced in closing the educational gaps of cultural, linguistic, learning, and communication styles. this reflective question could benefit the learning community because each individual hold valuable information that be shared with each other to foster a stronger learning community. For instance, the resource specialist teacher and speech and language therapist can share their expertise on linguistic and learning gaps to guide student learning and academic success within our community. in addition, some individuals have administrative credentials and can share about methods to continue family, school and community connections and to foster the realizations for a stronger partnership with families. Also, many teachers are savvy with technology and can share strategies and resources that can build connections between languages and cultures through 21st century tools like Skype, Twitter and Voicethread. Overall, the students within our school can benefit from the collaboration and reflective during the learning community based on the reflective question of valuing learning needs and expertise within our school.
Going Deeper: Three Keys
- Educators helping educators develop a shared understanding for all staff members’ success in meeting the needs of all students becomes the mantra that cascades throughout the schools and district. (Lindsey, et. al., p. 64)
- Schools that have embraced accountability as opportunity are examining their own practices and modifying them in ways that focus on academic and social successes for all the cultural groups of their students (Lindsey, et. al., p. 62)
- Recognizing barrier comments and questions and then posing breakthrough questions is a leadership skill to be developed with the learning community. (Lindsey, et. al., p. 65)
- How can I share the information to my grade level team, so they feel confident in developing the leadership skills of using both barrier and breakthrough questions in regard to policy, program and procedures?
- “Sharing our practices means trusting and believing in ourselves, our colleagues and most of all out students” (Lindsey, et. al., p. 64). How can we develop the trust when there is a change with administrations and assistant superintendents within the district? How do we build the relationships early in the school year?
- How can community members give and receive feedback in order to support their individual movement and the overall benefit for the entire school community?
Lindsey, D., Jungwirth, L., Pahl, J., & Lindsey, R. (2009). Culturally proficient learning communities confronting inequities through collaborative curiosity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.