Week Seven--Optional Post

Since the topic of teacher evaluations has been surfacing, you might like to read and comment on this article about a recent summit.

Walker writes "Who decides if a teacher is effective and how is that determination made? School systems across the United States are struggling to answer that question as they try to design and implement teacher evaluation systems that are fair and accurate. It’s no easy task and is not limited to public schools in this country. School systems around the world are tackling the same issue and are finding consensus among education stakeholders to be elusive."  Read more at http://neatoday.org/2013/03/25/how-do-high-performing-nations-evaluate-teachers/

What do you see as constructive ways to evaluate teachers in general and writing teachers in particular?

Week Six--Optional Post

Since many of you have responded to optional posts,  you might also like to discuss the differences between direct instruction and facilitation, both valid teaching approaches that go by many different names.  This National Education Association poster advocates learning through showing students where to look. 

Which do you think works better in teaching writing process? How do you instruct or guide students in your class?  Do you favor one approach over the other for writing instruction?  Are there situations where you use both?

Week Five-Optional Post

So many questions--so little time

This week you can continue to discuss questions that keep popping up on the Blog and Discussion Board.

• How do we create more time for writing in our classrooms?
• How do we work most effectively with the Common Core LA GLE?
• What makes lessons fail or succeed in your experience?

All posts here are optional this week.

Week Four-What is it like in your room?

John Steinbeck wrote:

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.

For this week, take your writing to the classroom.  Many of you have already been talking about your practice, but this is yet another opportunity to write and to reflect on your language arts class at the same time. This may also help you think about the Virtual Tour you will be sharing.

Share some of the great things your do, some of the things you want to do better or some of your favorite lessons.  You only have to post once here in the next two week because the posting and response with the collaboration group will take up more of your time.