I’d like to revisit a recent post about digging deeper into Classroom 10 and my challenge to identify the 10 characteristics. Crystal’s comments about not being able to name all 10 from memory is supportive of what I and some other administrators experienced as we were trying to recall these characteristics. Some of us were not able to recall them from memory. This captures where we are at in our system with even those in formal leadership positions needing to spend additional time to understand the what of this initiative. It is a learning journey for us all and we are at various places on this journey.
Crystal goes on to share how she could recognize and explain all 10 if she was presented with them. I’m not so sure that I feel as comfortable on the explaining side. It makes me question my capacity to engage in conversation with a teacher or community member who had questions or concerns about this initiative that required deep understanding of this knowledge and skill set. In continuing conversations with administrators I know there are others that share this same concern. It is an area of focus for our learning team this year.
At the system level, we have individuals at various places on this Classroom 10 journey. Many factors have contributed to this reality including opportunity to learn, curriculum development through the Learning and Teaching department, individual building projects, and use of waiver and early release days. Since Classroom 10 is our own creation, we do not have a road map to follow. Like all journeys, we chart a course and plan along the way. There are times when we reach our destination in the time identified and others that require more time to reach. We continually modify and adjust as we dig deeper, learn more, and support our learning.
As we look to the future, to move forward we must create opportunities for all of us to understand at a deep level what Classroom 10 is and what it looks and sounds like. We have begun the conversations to identify what these learning opportunities must include, when they can take place, who will be involved in the planning and implementation, and how to differentiate the learning. Success will require adaptive thinking on our part as we explore the patterns of behavior and structures that have driven how we historically approach this work. There is much opportunity for system learning in this process.
If you have not yet been introduced to the 10 characteristics of Classroom 10 here they are.
- Habits of Mind
Collaboration
Projects/activities linked to the real world
Active learning
District Outcomes
Use of technology
Thinking skills
Rigor
Authentic audiences
Key concepts/content
They can also be found on our Share Point site that is currently only accessible from district buildings. In a few weeks we will have software in place that will allow staff access to Share Point from home.
Last spring, to support high school conversations about the what, we identified five of the ten that would be included in each lesson though we do not have consensus on all five. The other five would be visible over a unit of study. What do you believe are the five to be included in each lesson and of those five, what one do you think does not yet have consensus of the administrative team?
As always, I encourage others on the administrative team to share your thoughts about the journey and learning either through comments on this post or in your conversations with staff.
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