My philosophy of education is simple. I believe that ALL students regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and/or any other classification; deserve a quality education. Students deserve an education that will allow them to fully discover themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and benefit from necessary real world lesson and quality instruction. This type of approach will expose students to experiences that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to encounter.

I want to encourage a lot of individual thought and creativity in the classroom. In effect, causing students to become adequate problem solvers and analytical thinkers, not just fact re-callers. My dream is that all students and their teachers will be vested in creating students that are thinkers and achievers.

a Quality education should include a lot of, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, and TIME! From my own experience, I recognize that the results educators strive for, take a tremendous amount of time and effort to come to fruition. All educators must provide the time and effort.

It is of the utmost importance that students will receive an education that will not only focus on curriculum, but that children acquire a skills and a knowledge base for learning. To achieve this, they must have maximized exposure to technologies, a greater support base and a diverse interdisciplinary curriculum. The most important requirement is a teacher who is willing to ensure that their students achieve not just at the present time, but also into the future.

Question: Without exposing the expectations, how can the teachers and student find their purpose?

These are the thoughts of Melissa and I as we both play a role in School Improvement in Taholah. Our thoughts are constantly on what are the “needs” of our students and staff. Melissa has been observant of common practices in public places and brought some to my attention.

After a long week, Melissa and I went to the show, one of her favorite activities. Before the show even starts, we get a cartoon figure telling us what to expect.

• Reminding us that our phones need to be on silent and how to sit in our seats.
• Telling us where their emergency exits are.
• Telling us that the lights are about to go out and the show is about to start.
• If we need “_____” then do “_______”
• Options for treats and where available.

Really, I’ve experienced movies many times and yet, there they are… the Expectations.

Relocating your family 900 miles doesn’t come without stress. One of the factors I overlooked was how many little things we have to do in the moving process. Going to the DMV is one of them. So, I broke down last week and went to update my drivers-license from Utah to Washington…. And there they are: The expectations!

 

The DMV has a Mission, Vision, Culture, Values and Goals. Not only does the agency have expectations, they post them right where everyone can see them.

One of our best family investments was in a vacation timeshare. This small investment ensures that my family will have opportunities to vacation for the rest of our lives.   As we booked a trip the other day, we received the expectations of the property.

• Amenities
• Reminders
• Nearest Grocery Store
• Important Contact Information/directions
• Things to See and Do at “________________”

Lastly, while visiting family in Yakima, we went to church with some family friends. To begin the service (over 1,000 people), a video with an associate pastor came on, welcoming us and stating, “This is what you will see today from the service….” She outlined the service…the who’s, what’s where’s, when’s, etc. She even outlined the expectations of having children in service. Not having been there before, and not wanting to look “out of place,”  We both were appreciative and were able to engage without feeling uncomfortable.

Wouldn’t this be the same thing our students need to engage and succeed? Where do we start in Taholah? Professional Developments are times we use to collaborate with colleagues in regards to school improvement. We want our time  to be effective and efficient. After observing these social practices and how effective they prove to be, I would think using a PD day to develop this with staff is necessary. We could title it….

 

“Here’s what you will experience in Mr/Mrs _____________ classroom this year”

 

I will have the staff write their plan for kids and parents. We used to these “sylibi” Our leadership will do one along with teachers titled:  “Here’s what you will experience at Taholah School.” We will put it on our website (each teacher page) and share during open house in the Fall before school starts.

Possible Expectations to Address

-behavior/healthy learning habits

-lesson flow

-standards taught/assessments given/timeline

-procedures/routines associated to learning (homework, assignment tracking, retakes, standards based progress, small groups)

-instructional practices and participation

-attitudes/effects/focuses/qualities of a learner (example: “you will see students persevering with difficult tasks” or “At times, you may feel frustration among peers and teachers, but you will also experience problem solving and finding effective alternatives” etc.

-layout of the room, where to find what, materials used, notebooks, etc.

-jobs/responsibilities

All of these things will set the tone for a culture of learning that is sustainable. Learning happens prior, during, and after students entering the classroom… This is where we start!