We recently carved out 30 minutes of time for teacher learning every Friday around our lunch hour.  These lunch & learn sessions are short, but they are what we have to work with at this point, so it’s been my challenge to maximize the value of these opportunities.  I want to share just how we’ve been able to align and model a learning path that mirrors the path of learning for students.  Our target has been to improve the way we measure and communicate learning.  That’s been the driving force behind the opportunities provided for my teachers.  With a clear target in mind, I decided to plan backwards and model this process throughout our time together.

http://www.gradhacker.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/UbD-Summary.png

My plan would follow and align with the template I created here.  This template will eventually be shared with my teachers.  In fact, this template is the evidence that I’ll solicit from my teachers later.

I identified needs through walkthroughs and various conversations with teachers.  My school, not unlike others, has a lot of missing assignments, low motivation from students, teachers working harder than kids, and lots of grades.  We have classic signs that point to a grading and assessment problem.

Here is the document detailing our learning path as a staff.  I would love your feedback on the plan.  Feel free to ask any questions.