All tagged arts education
“What do you actually want students to learn?” This question has stuck with me through all manner of initiatives and reforms. We let so much, educational jargon and minutiae cloud our path to what we want our students to learn. A single lesson might address a myriad of arts standards, and it might even reinforce a variety of Common Core Literacy or Speaking & Listening standards. But what do you really want your students to learn? That is what you are assessing. Those are the standards you want to focus on. Those are the standards to which you want to align everything else you do in your classroom. And it doesn’t need to be a very long list.
If, like me, you’re a public school teacher then measuring your effectiveness as an educator is most likely tied to your ability to maintain employment. In some districts, perhaps it’s even tied to your pay. It matters because our jobs are quite literally dependent on our understanding of how it our teacher evaluation framework…works. You don’t need to adopt it as the ultimate teaching philosophy, but a basic understanding of its principles and how it is being used to assess your competency as an educator is necessary.
Good educators know that students are most successful in the classroom when they receive detailed feedback that celebrates their strengths and provides them with concrete next steps for improvement. While you may not need to know the ins and outs of Component 2.3a of the Danielson Framework for Teaching, you surely want to create an environment of rapport and respect in your classroom. And so I challenge you to read on.
I have a confession to make. I know it’s risky to say it out loud, but here goes....I’m a huge fan of the Danielson Framework for Teaching. I know this might not be a popular opinion. I know I could be shunned. But I will own my beliefs.
As half of the arts team at our science-focused school, I crave the time and space to consult with colleagues, learn from them, and be inspired by the work that they do. It is my hope that this site can provide that space for you, as well.
