Energize Your Teams
5.3
2. Brainstorm: Ask each group to write the word PRIORITIZE in all capital letters vertically down the side of a piece of chart paper and begin brainstorming words or phrases related to an important aspect or outcome of the prioritizing process. Each letter of prioritize must have a word or phrase whose first letter corresponds or matches it to form an acrostic. After ten minutes, encourage participants to visit other groups to look for additional ideas before returning to their seats to complete their work. (twenty minutes)
Step 3—Personal Reflection (Five Minutes) Ask participants to write down and reflect on any new insights they have after the training session on prioritizing the standards. Ask, “How might what you learned change your practice or the team’s approach to identifying the essential standards?” Have the teachers retain their step 3 personal reflection until section III when the team will debrief the module with a coach.
Section III: After the Learning Next Steps and Follow-Up for Coaching Teams The goal of this section of the module is to build the capacity of teams around the process of prioritizing the standards to the point where teams begin the planning of their units by identifying which standards students must absolutely know and be able to do at the unit level. To move the prioritizing process from learning to doing, coaches should practice the following process of prioritizing standards with teams. 1. Begin by checking in with teams and clarifying any misunderstandings or misconceptions from the previous professional development session. 2. Once teams understand the R.E.A.L. criteria, ask them to select three to five standards from an upcoming unit of study and engage in some deliberate practice using the “Is It R.E.A.L. or Not?” reproducible (page 100). By looking at standards through the lens of the R.E.A.L. criteria, teacher teams can answer the question, “Are the skills, concepts, and dispositions contained within this standard something students will need to know in order to be successful?” 3. Establish a timeline for individual teams to implement their plans at the next collaborative team meeting. Choose an upcoming unit—far enough in advance to allow the team to work without feeling time pressure—and, as a team, have members begin prioritizing the standards for that unit. 4. Refer to the SIG for prerequisite two (page 239) and the pathways tool (page 244) to help determine the team’s current reality, identify some possible next steps, and agree on a plan for moving forward. Optional: Ask members to determine how they might address the question they generated during the reflection (step 3) of the module.
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3. Share: Each group then shares its acrostic. The reporter should highlight the group’s favorite word or phrase and briefly explain why. Each group should post their chart paper on the wall after sharing their product. (five minutes)
