Pair Share ~ Learning Communities

Hello my friends,

The start of the school year is almost upon us. I have seen many of you in the halls over the last day or two, and I am sure that next week will be chaotic as we buckle down and get ready for students on August 17th.

Before we all get buried with everyday school activities, I wanted to put a proposition in front of everyone. Because we teach in the small school, many of us do not have the opportunity to be a part of a "team" or a school learning community. After all, it's hard to collaborate with the second grade teachers when you are the only one! Those of us in the high school have it a little easier - we may have a junior high counterpart for our subject area.

I would like to set up a time when we can meet and talk about our instructional practices - the lunch table doesn't count! I know that I have trouble reaching some of the students in my classes and some of you have great success with those same kids. I would like to spend 45 minutes in the morning before school and talk about the strategies I can use, and maybe share some of mine as well, to help those students learn.

Time is precious for all of us, but I think 30-45 minutes every two weeks might be a good place to start. I am also aware that you might be hesitant to "bare your soul" in front of the whole group, so I was hoping that we could meet in groups of two. Remember, this isn't just for me - you could decide to meet with someone else to have your discussions.

One of the classes I am taking right now covers the development of professional learning communities. It is certainly worthwhile to reach out to others in our specializations, but I think that my friends and colleagues have just as much to offer.

Most of you have my cell number or you could always drop me a line at my school email address. Even better, you could respond on the blog and we could set up a date to meet and learn from each other. Please keep in mind that this blog is open to students and we don't want to violate any privacy laws! :(

Thanks and get in touch with me soon. ~ Kelly