A Handy Tool For Note-Taking

Today, while I was meeting with my co-facilitator for the science PD in Udaipur (Aditi Sinha), she introduced me to a neat way to take notes in the classroom. It is called Cornell's Notes and I really like the simplicity of it.

Please click on the link below to understand how you can use this technique. We will be introducing it to teachers at the PD but it would be great if you brought it to all your teachers at your school and your kids!

CORNELL'S NOTES <---- Click Here. 

Introduction: As a teacher

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand”.

This was one of the first quotes that I was introduced to when I was studying to become a teacher. It has stuck with me since, and is one of my favorite quotes.

My name is Aanchal and I am have a B.Ed. graduate degree in teaching kids with special needs. During my course, I also specialised in teaching English and Social Studies as core subjects. 

I have been working at the American School of Bombay for the past 3 years. I love my job simply because I not only get to teach but also learn so much from these kids. My job is rewarding in so many ways. Just to see them succeed and connect what they have learnt brings a smile to my face.

I have a vision for my classroom. I want to teach students in a way that has some clear instruction, that also gives students room to grow and expand on their own. I want to teach students in a way that they learn best. Giving them the freedom to express themselves, to show their creativity will help them to find their comfort zones, and give out the best they can.

As an educator, it is important to always remember to enjoy students and their learning process. That’s the thing you are looking out for, cause if you miss that you have not had a chance to see what they do have in offer. 

-Aanchal Luthria 

Focus on Learning

Today's conference call made me think: What is the purpose of schooling? Is it teaching or is it learning?

Of course, its learning, we would be quick to say. Yet, as education leaders who do not directly work with students, we sometimes tend to forget that. This is the point I was trying to make- when we do instructional rounds or classroom observations, what are we in there for? To observe how well a teacher is teaching? Or to find out whether students in my school are really learning!

Let us think about ourselves. How do we learn?  How do you learn best? The answer will vary for each one of us. We learn when we read. We often need to "talk it out" with a peer to clarify doubts we may have. How often have you approached someone to simply be a sounding board? We learn when we DO something- like build a model or sit on a bicycle for the first time. Sometimes when we do something new, we learn what not to do. We learn when we write a blog or a diary and reflect on our own thoughts. We learn when we connect a new experience to an old one. We learn when we observe someone else. And of course, we learn when someone explains something to us. 

Thus, if you were observing a classroom to find out whether children are learning, isn't this what you should be looking for? Are children allowed to be playful, to make errors, to try new things, to talk, to think, to question, to reflect, to make connections, to read... 

So instead on focusing on what the teacher is doing, lets shift our focus on what the children are doing. Is the teacher providing opportunities in her class for EVERY child to learn? And to learn in a deep, meaningful and joyful manner? Does the classroom culture respect student choice and ideas? Is EVERY kid engaged and thinking? 

In fact, even the checklist we sent you focuses on the teacher. What do you think about modifying it to talk about students. Because if students are not learning, then it is quite irrelevant what the teacher is doing, isn't it? Think about how many classrooms you may have seen with the most beautiful word walls that are never used! A checklist that looks for whether teachers ask open ended questions may miss the quality of these questions. How often do teachers in your school probe students, "why did you say that?"can you support what you just said with some evidence? does anyone disagree? could you please explain what you mean?" A teacher with a great bag of tricks could plan a wonderful lesson but if it isn't linked to a learning outcome, what would you conclude? That the LESSON was great or that the LEARNING was poor?

Just some food for thought as I chew on this as well. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Teaching English

During our last visit to Burhanpur, we had a discussion around whether speaking in English should become a habit or remain a choice for our students. I thought there were some powerful ideas underlying that brief conversation. What role does the culture of the school play in promoting English? Do YOU view English as a second language? Up to what grade? Is your concern with the challenges students face in learning English at your school more related to the fact the school's medium of instruction is English or to the notion of mastering the language for other reasons? All of us as school leaders, as teachers, as parents are asking this question:

What is purpose of teaching English? What would you say? I found this interesting TED talk about English mania that I wanted to share with you... Would love to hear YOUR thoughts about the topic.

Professional Learning Communities

A Professional Learning Community or PLC is a shared vision or running schools in which everyone makes a contribution, where teachers work,learn  and reflect together together with the focused purpose of improving student learning.

According to Richard Dufour, there are three KEY elements of an authentic PLC.

1. Ensuring That Students Learn
2. A Culture of Collaboration
3. A Focus on Results

This professional development program will push science and language teachers across all 8 participating schools to focus on student LEARNING. Through our 6 day workshops, we will work together to develop a basic theoretical understanding of how children learn and why it is important to focus on LEARNING rather than teaching. The  assumption is that if we understand how children learn, then we can be more intentional about how we teach. These workshops will also provide practical strategies, so that teachers feel equipped to teach for understanding. 

As teachers go back to their schools across India, they will be held accountable for putting their new learnings into practice (by their leaders). While this blog may not become a true collaborative space, it can still be used as a platform to share snapshots of their journey with other participants who are on the same path. Sharing success stories can motivate, sharing our vulnerabilities can create empathy, sharing reflections can promote learning and a public platform like this one can turn into a useful tool for asking questions, posting assessments, lesson plans and other resources, and becoming an active member of a growing PLC.

I will end by quoting Dufour directly:
"Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work....When educators do the hard work necessary, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school—the commitment and persistence of the educators within it."