Exciting, inspiring, affirming!
We saw and heard wonderful things in Chicago. Teachers are doing fantastic work across our country, in Chicago, and at home. We had the opportunity to peek into the classes of teachers and learn about schools, professional development, and content area learning. Here are some of the big ideas that we noticed over the last few days.
- Text immersion is key. Students need to be flooded with text in order to learn from it and about it. Texts can be used to mentor craft and spark curiosity. Immersion is crucial for reading, writing, learning, and thinking.
- Time to talk is essential. Students (and teachers) need to have the time to talk in order to think, process new information, reflect, and participate in collaborative dialogue.
- Inquiry drives students to learn. Learning jumps when students are encouraged to think and ask questions. Conceptual learning helps students to understand connections across the curriculum.
We also were affirmed in our work. Our focus on developing informational reading and writing is on track and important. Connecting to WEO develops understanding of concepts. Allowing students to make choices throughout the school day helps them to grow in motivation and in the understanding that their thinking matters.
We are looking forward to seeing you soon!
The holiday season has started! (our hotel lobby)
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