| As a principal, non-instructional days can be a bit nerve-wracking, as I am responsible for leading professional development. It is a job that I take very seriously. At RTA, we want to be the best educators that we can be for your students. Much of our Professional Development connects directly to our School Development Goals (SDP): literacy, numeracy and wellness. It is an opportunity to meet in teams, to learn, to review resources, to collaborate, to invite keynote speakers, to watch resources, and to learn from one another. As a Science School, we also spend some of this valuable professional learning time to develop our computer literacy skills (learning how to incorporate technologies such as Lego Mindstorms, Python Coding, Arduinos, etc., into our task design), as well as improving our understanding of Science Inquiry. As we continue our SDP journey this year, focusing on improving student literacy (managing information), improving student numeracy (NEW GOAL: patterns), and increasing student wellness (sense of belonging), teachers met on Friday, October 8th, to develop common assessment criteria for the RTA benchmark checklists. October 8, 2021 | Teacher Professional Development Agenda: Long-term Goal: Teachers: At the end of October, teachers will complete student checklist for Literacy (managing information), Numeracy (patterns), and Wellness. Students: At the end of October, students to complete a checklist for wellness. Teachers will identify if a student is:
- on target (green)
- at risk (yellow)
- needs support (red)
Students will identify if they are: - on target (green)
- at risk (yellow)
- needs support (red)
Wellness Work - The Work - in teams - Grade 5-7 and Grade 8-9 - teachers will design a wellness rubric, determining common criteria for each category. What does a green, yellow and red mean?
- The Plan - in teams, teachers will determine how they will introduce the wellness goal? How will you support students in their self-assessment of wellness?
- The Action - at the end of October (Oct. 25- Oct. 28), teachers will complete a checklist for students; and students will self-assess themselves.
- Data Analysis - on November 5, teachers will review and reflect upon the data, determining the next steps.
Literacy/Numeracy Work - The Work – in teams – Grade 5-6 Literacy/Numeracy, Grade 7-9 Literacy/Numeracy - teachers will review and tweak the literacy/numeracy rubrics, aligning them with the outcomes in the Programs of Study. Teachers will decide upon common criteria for each category. What does a green, yellow and red mean?
- The Plan - in teams, teachers will determine how they will introduce the literacy/numeracy goals.
- The Action - at the end of October (Oct. 25- Oct. 28), teachers will complete a checklist for students.
- Data Analysis - on November 5, teachers will review and reflect upon the data, determining the next steps.
Thank you for sharing in this learning adventure, Brenda Lewis
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