Meeting the Challenges of Change

What We’ve Learned and Need to Keep

We have had to reimagine every facet of teaching and learning this year. It has changed school and teaching as we know it. The pandemic called further attention to the glaring inequities of race, disability and income. Facing countless new challenges, we as educators, have persevered--so too have students and families. As we conclude the academic year, it’s important for us to think about how schooling can evolve. We have become experts in Schoology and other technologies, masters of Zoom, and we’ve connected with students, families, and peers in new ways. None of this was easy. Far from it. The learning curve was steep. Workloads doubled or tripled; matched with an equal increase in stress. The pandemic has affected every aspect of schooling and spotlighted the changes that should continue.  

Collaboration between between administrators and educators Over the summer Mr. Lee created committees to address the challenges of the pandemic. The collaboration between committee members (classified staff, counselors, teachers, and administrators) demonstrates the power of collaboration and working towards a common goal. 

A step towards standards-based grading We took the first step towards standards-based grading. The early adaptation caused many of us to re-examine our grading practices, and it prompted discussions about standardization, mastery, equity, formative and summative assessments, and teaching practices. Our work towards standards-based grading has just begun and this year was merely a starting point.


PLCs Through both our internal and division-wide PLCs, teachers demonstrated their commitment to results, their peers and our students. We improved our individual and collective capacity. Our scheduling team is working to ensure PLCs will have common planning and we will have DPLC time at least monthly. Special hat-tip to all of our PLC activators for their work this year.
 

Students and families let us into their homes This year we got an incredible glimpse into the homes and lives of our students. Communication with families increased and many parents were more involved in their children’s academic lives from overseeing independent work time to checking Schoology or ParentPortal to listening or watching lessons from the other side of the room. Additionally, parents now have a better understanding of a teacher’s point of view. With purposeful steps, we can continue to build greater school-family partnerships.


Less is more With less instructional time, we examined our teaching practices and drilled down on what was most important. Teachers recognized the need to focus on core content instead of curriculum coverage. I wonder how much pressure VDoE, College Board, the federal government, etc will pressure us to return to pre-pandemic norms? We’ve known for decades that more standards are not the answer and I fear our ability to meet the social-emotional needs of our students can be eroded by such decisions.


Making learning manageable With synchronous instructional time limited, we have condensed our lectures and modified lessons to become more student-centered making it easier for students to stay focused and learn. We’ve made learning accessible in other ways as well such as posting more resources in Schoology. These are changes that are easily adapted and provide opportunities for further innovation.


One size doesn't fit all With more independent learning time, students were given more agency in determining when they completed independent work. Teachers created more learning tasks that provided more student choice. We focused more on the individual learning needs of students as compared to a one size fits all approach with strict deadlines.


New ways of responding to students' academic needs Completing work online and the private chat feature allowed us to respond more quickly to more students, especially those who may have been reluctant to raise their hand. This real-time communication can continue through back-channel apps or other technological means. Many students took advantage of office hours or asynchronous time to meet with teachers 1:1, and many of these same students would not have attended CARE.


New technologies and connections We’ve seen the value of standardization of implementation of Schoology. Nearpod, EdPuzzle, Google Apps for Education and many more technologies have shown their worth. Hotspots connected students. Technology became a learning accelerator.


Wellness I fear the mental health struggles of the pandemic may be long-lasting; they clearly will outlast the pandemic. This year, we became more cognizant of mental health and social-emotional learning. From teacher-student check-ins to limiting screentime to less homework, we will continue to focus on the whole student.


And, maybe--just maybe--the pandemic has helped us see that virtual schooling offers some students a superior alternative to traditional schools.


Despite all of the challenges, we have grown as educators during the pandemic. We should be proud of our work, our adaptability and our responses to an unprecedented situation. BEcause of our dedication, commitment and reflective practices, dare I say COVID-19 has made us better teachers. I dare.


What changes do you foresee lasting?

Tasks and Information

Computer and Textbook Collection Information: Please read to familiarize yourself with the process and expectations. Please pick up forms from the mailroom.

End of Year Schedule and Clarifications Please familiarize yourself with these documents.


End of Year Schedule (Table Version)


Explanation of Exams, Culminating Assessments

Hat Tip

Thank you to everyone who made graduation a special event for our graduates and their families. In particular thank you to Denny for setting up the audio, our graduation committee (Claudia, Molly, Meghan), and our custodial staff. Of course, it truly does take a village.

Links

https://bit.ly/WAHSannounce to request an announcement, publication in newsletter, etc

https://bit.ly/TWCStuRec TWC student recognition

http://bit.ly/MeetStudentWA Meeting with student

bit.ly/WAlunch Lunch order

Birthdays

June 10: Antonio Diaz

June 11: Candace Cone and Malinda Smith

June 12: Frank Lawson

Hey Frank, How do pickles celebrate their birthdays? They relish the moment.

Worth Your Time

When I apologized to one of my students, she was stunned. That’s a problem.



How unconditional positive regard can help students feel cared for.