{"id":77,"date":"2015-10-26T01:01:58","date_gmt":"2015-10-26T01:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/?p=77"},"modified":"2015-11-06T03:14:54","modified_gmt":"2015-11-06T03:14:54","slug":"opening-up-our-classroom-doors-to-better-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/2015\/10\/26\/opening-up-our-classroom-doors-to-better-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Up Our Classroom Doors….to Better Teaching?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAlthough it may be unused, the front door continues to appeal to our sense of arrival. Call it the ceremony of coming home.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2015 Akiko Busch, Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I first started teaching twenty years ago, I found myself in a\u00a0classroom housed in a\u00a0portable, separated by a big playground, a very long walk to the bathroom in the winter, and a real sense of being removed from colleagues, administrators and most other students. \u00a0A week after my arrival in my \u201cdream classroom\u201d (And it really was. I was a teacher. A real teacher with book orders in my mailbox and a class list!!!), I was sent packing. I was labelled \u201credundant\u201d due to low enrollment at that local school, and shipped to a new school by Monday.<\/p>\n

Again, the teachers were busy, the school was full, and I found myself surrounded by very little people and not a lot of guidance or mentoring. \u00a0My mother arrived on that evening of my first day, politely asking me if I knew \u201chow to teach kids to read\u201d and when she left, I burst into tears. \u00a0I wasn\u2019t sure I knew how to teach reading. Had they taught me that in teacher\u2019s college? \u00a0Did I have a lesson plan for that one? \u00a0 The only real advice I recall receiving was from a veteran teacher who told me \u201cnot to worry, kids learn in spite of you.\u201d \u00a0And with that sage advice, I began my career. \u00a0It felt like teaching was really trial by fire. \u00a0(Edit note: I looked up that idiom to ensure I was using it correctly. \u00a0Definition: Any ordeal which tests one\u2019s strength, endurance, or resolve. \u00a0Yup. \u00a0That\u2019s the right one.) \u00a0Most teachers taught with their doors closed. \u00a0Some literally and some metaphorically. Nevertheless, the doors felt closed. \u00a0It never occurred to me that I should ask to come in. \u00a0Ask to watch a lesson. \u00a0Ask for an opportunity to see another teacher in action. \u00a0So, with that early sense of how highly private and personal teaching seemed, I began the job I had wanted since pre-K! \u00a0The door remained firmly closed. There may also have been a few prayers, hoping no one found out that I wasn\u2019t sure if about this teaching\u00a0reading gig.<\/p>\n

Why do I share all of this? \u00a0Thankfully, everything seemed to have worked out those first few years. I occasionally chat with\u00a0past students or catch up with them on Facebook. \u00a0They seem to be able to read. \u00a0I am not sure any of those \u201cgrade one superstars\u201d were stunted by that early teaching version of me. \u00a0I must have done something right! \u00a0But even with those successes, I\u2019m not sure I really opened my doors to other teachers. \u00a0I worried I would be judged. \u00a0I worried I wouldn\u2019t measure up. \u00a0I worried. \u00a0I worried some more. \u00a0And so I kept the door shut real tight on my teaching. \u00a0My successes. \u00a0My failures. \u00a0All tucked away nicely in room 114. \u00a0 I wasn\u2019t opening my door. \u00a0I wasn\u2019t sharing. \u00a0I wasn\u2019t talking about anything. Those difficult conversations about our craft? \u00a0Wasn\u2019t sure I wanted to have them.<\/p>\n

In the past year, a few opportunities have presented themselves to me at HTS and I think they have really begun to make me consider this closed door policy with a more critical lense. \u00a0The first moment came with the arrival of Dr. Robert Evans<\/a>. \u00a0He presented a talk on collegiality and how this was very different than congeniality. \u00a0Congeniality was about baking muffins for a colleague that you also call a friend. \u00a0Congeniality was photocopying lesson plans for a sick partner. \u00a0Collegiality was very different. It was about tough conversations. \u00a0It was about saying no. \u00a0It was about being open to feedback. Even the hard to swallow, hard to believe feedback. \u00a0It was about opening the doors to your classroom.<\/strong>\u00a0Literally and figuratively. It profoundly affected me and I had a number of occasions where his words were put into action with teaching partners, and I began to hear tough things with the spirit of collaboration and collegiality. \u00a0The second moment that really changed me again was an opportunity to\u00a0be selected to take an instructional coaching training session through National School Reform Faculty<\/a>.\u00a0I spent a week exploring protocols around classroom observation, giving and receiving feedback and offering support to your fellow teachers. \u00a0This opportunity also made me consider how much I need to get out from behind my desk, my walls and my door.<\/p>\n

With this begin shared, I have begun to consider my 2015\/2016 action research plan. \u00a0I am going on a trip. \u00a0I\u2019m pretty sure I won\u2019t need to pack much at all. I think I can probably manage carry-on with this one. \u00a0I\u2019m going to explore how my teaching can be transformed by the journey. \u00a0I\u2019m going to try and visit a different classroom every month. If I can visit two in a month, added bonus! I\u2019m going to explore art. \u00a0I\u2019ll stop by kindergarten. \u00a0Grade 12 math (Gulp.)? \u00a0On the itinerary. \u00a0I\u2019m going to explore as many different places as I can. \u00a0I\u2019m also going to offer a ticket to my room. \u00a0Door will be open. \u00a0Come on in. \u00a0It may be loud. \u00a0We may be off topic slightly but there will be laughter, learning and another teacher sharing in all of that.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m beginning my trip in grade six on Tuesday. \u00a0I am heading down the halls of HTS to a teacher who has oodles of ideas, a beautiful classroom, anchor charts everywhere and lucky for me-an open door. \u00a0Thanks, Kristy! I\u2019m on my way.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for my adventures. \u00a0And if you find yourself walking near room 114 in the senior school, please drop in. \u00a0 \u00a0I bet we will both learn something new.<\/p>\n

Yours in adventure and growth,<\/p>\n

Danielle<\/p>\n

PS. If you have never had the opportunity to see Dr. Evans, here is a talk he gave. \u00a0Worth the 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

[vimeo]https:\/\/vimeo.com\/92518871[\/vimeo]<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAlthough it may be unused, the front door continues to appeal to our sense of arrival. Call it the ceremony of coming home.\u201d\u00a0 \u2015 Akiko Busch, Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live When I first started teaching twenty years ago, I found myself in a\u00a0classroom housed in a\u00a0portable, separated by a big playground, … Continue reading “Opening Up Our Classroom Doors….to Better Teaching?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-action-plan","category-collaboration","category-growth-mindset"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/danielleganley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}