Michele Burch (left) and Lara Guidry (right) collaborate on lesson plans for freshman students. “In ways that might not be immediately obvious to student, it should affect their experience in the classrooms,” Altman said. “It should help our teachers have clearer direction and purpose in our units and lessons, which should then be easier to communicate to students so that they have a better sense of why they are doing what they are assigned to do, so that there is a more apparent grand scheme throughout the whole year.”
By SOPHIE FERNANDES – Print Photography Editor
Clarke Central High School’s English teachers from all grades will be participating in a training seminar on Jan. 11 and 12 to learn how to plan lessons more efficiently. English department co-chair, Ian Altman speaks to the goals for the training.
Sophie Fernandes: When will the teacher training begin? And, when will it end?
Ian Altman: Ninth and 10th grade English teachers will be in training all day tomorrow. Eleventh and 12th grade all day on Thursday. This has been ongoing since last spring. We will conclude later this spring.
SF: Where will it be taking place?
IA: JROTC building tomorrow, but most of the work has already been done independently.
SF: Who chose to have this training?
IA: This is a continuation of training from the last two years, and it was chosen by our department members and continues to be driven by our members.
SF: What is the initiative or goal of this training? In other words, what do you hope teachers will leave the training with?
IA: The goal is to rethink our unit plans with differentiation for various different learners in mind, and especially to think ahead so that all the time we spend in our weekly planning meetings will be spent more efficiently, figuring out how best to tweak plans rather than creating plans in those meetings.
SF: What was brought to your attention that made you want to do this?
IA: There is widespread frustration in our department about the amount of time not well spent in meetings, and about the quality of the professional development offered by the district’s staff.
SF: Will this affect or alter student’s learning experience? If so, how?
IA: In ways that might not be immediately obvious to student, it should affect their experience in the classrooms. It should help our teachers have clearer direction and purpose in our units and lessons, which should then be easier to communicate to students, so that they have a better sense of why they are doing what they are assigned to do, so that there is a more apparent grand scheme throughout the whole year.
SF: Who are the teachers that will be participating?
IA:All of the English Department members, plus all of our collaborative teachers from the Special Education department.
