Model the Learning

Students often come into grade 9 faced with a number of transition challenges ( I previously wrote about these here ). Teachers, too, face challenges in preparing to teach grade 9 math, not the least of which is determining the skill level of students coming from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, all with different identified strengths and needs. The more information we can gather about our students, the better we can serve them. As our team of math co-ordinators works with teachers to determine how we can help our grade 9 students that need the most help, there is always a lot of talk of determining benchmarks in math. With respect to math skills, at what level are our students now?  Where do we want them to be?  And then how can we get them there? This year, we decided to design a new diagnostic assessment to compliment the existing  EduGAINS gap closing resources , and help us mark those initial benchmarks, as well as help us measure growth over t...

I'm currently reading Start with Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action, by Simon Sinek.  It was a book I picked up at the beginning of the summer when my position this fall was still unknown. After a year as the Renewed Math Strategy Co-ordinator for my board, I was set to rebound back into the classroom. However, there was still a possibility of my board bringing me back as a co-ordinator (which is what ended up happening). Regardless of my position as a teacher or co-ordinator, I was hoping this book could help me lead learning, be it with students or with colleagues. I'm about half way through it now, and giving serious thought to my WHY. What drives me? What makes me want to push myself? Why did I choose this as a career? Through what lens am I viewing my role(s)?  Why find my WHY? According to Sinek, if I want to motivate, if I want to be trusted, and if I want to make a difference, I have to be authentic to my WHY . The more clarity I can brin...