What questions to ask?
Teacher agency begins with possibilities.
If administrators provide teachers with a certain level of control, power and autotomy,
teachers gain ownership of their teaching and learning.
If administrators provide teachers with a certain level of control, power and autotomy,
teachers gain ownership of their teaching and learning.
Department Chairs
Department chairs meet weekly for a business meeting and in a bi-weekly professional learning committee with the administrative team.
Business Meeting - During this meeting, department chairs take part in discussions/activities including but not limited to the following: sharing insights about what is happening in our school; providing input and feedback about school structures, events and schedules; determining monthly student leaders to celebrate; and reflecting about the current state of teaching and learning in the building. Professional Learning Committee (PLC) - During this time, department chairs study focused topics for exploration, which are based on our school's problems of practice. Face-to-face meetings are blended with online reading, viewing, application and reflection.
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HEAT Visits
Department chairs and the administrative team conduct HEAT visits on a bi-weekly basis. During this time, lead teachers identify colleagues with areas of expertise who can be tapped for future professional learning experiences. Teachers have the opportunity to reflect about the HEAT classroom visit and the feedback that was provided by the Department Chair Leadership Team member. This reflection may lead to one or more of the following:
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Student VoicesWe want to create learning environments that allow students to excel through their own pace, place and path. The Student Voices initiative allows us to gather authentic perceptional feedback from students. As teachers, we prove that we are taking student voices seriously when we look critically at ourselves and change our practice to personalize the students' educational experiences.
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Instructional Technology CoachesBuilding capacity and teacher agency often starts with learning with and from our colleagues. Instructional Technology Coaches (ITCs) meet once weekly to share ideas and develop content for instructional coaching. ITCs not only work with individuals and small groups in a face-to-face format, but they also provide instruction through an online course that is based on the LoTi HEAT Framework and designed to support readiness pathways for teachers.
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Inservice - Professional LearningWhen teachers have a stake in their professional learning, they can advocate for themselves and take a leadership role. This develops ownership, which is much more powerful than buy-in. Teacher agency in professional learning not only allows teachers to advocate for the learning that best meets their needs but it also pushes the need for reflection and evaluation of teaching practices. Teachers have the opportunity to customize their professional learning based on district priorities and department goals. There are several structures that support teacher professional learning:
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Blended Professional LearningBlended professional learning provides teachers with the ability to remove barriers that may have been in place within the confines of traditional forms of professional development. In addition, learning opportunities can be built around readiness pathways that make learning relevant. Blended learning is also a catalyst for conversations, virtual or in person. It has brought people together in ways that traditional professional development could not have accomplished.
Just a Few of Our Blended Professional Learning Opportunities:
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Teacher Agency for Administrators
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Teacher Agency for Instructional Coaches and Tech Professionals
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Teacher Agency for Teachers
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Sample Professional Learning Opportunities Developed by Instructional Technology Coaches - HEAT Blended/Online