Group+5

(a) How can the members of TLC take our work beyond this group? Specifically, how can the members of TLC work together to provide leadership and support in refining teaching and enhancing student learning beyond our own classrooms?

COLLABORATION - It is key to work with others within your discipline to detail curriculum. Recognizing that we are ultimately accountable for the flow of curriculum is vital. For example, the Upper School teachers are meeting with others in their discipline on a weekly basis to design curriculums, insuring that the learning flows smoothly from one year to another. Utilizing time that's already built into the day is KEY to buy-in on this - not scheduling more meetings or trying to find time in otherwise incredibly tight schedules to do more work.

(b) How can we (as TLC) leverage the SummitPD ning as one venue for addressing the question above?

We need to put the question out to the faculty to ask what is needed to enhance professional development. Specific disciplines or various faculty may need various subjects to be addressed. Needs can then be addressed on an individual or small-group basis.

Encouraging staff members to post questions to the ning when they arise during conversations throughout the day would be great, as would acknowledging and affirming questions when they are posted. It would be fabulous if every discussion started on the Wiki could be at the least acknowledged, at the most further explored (by a member of the TLC), within 48 hours.

(c) How can we (as TLC) support colleagues in seeing their own best practices (as defined and exemplified by research we are reading) as well as in visiting the classrooms of colleagues with the goal of seeing their best practices ?

It would be fabulous if each teacher could identify at least one key area where they excel (e.g., cooperative learning, effective discipline, etc.). The strengths could be pulled off self-assessments, combined with division head evaluations. If a list was easily accessible, any teacher who is wishing to further explore an area where he/she feels lacking, pointed visits could be easily arranged. Division heads could compile a list of appropriate people to visit to enhance specific skills staff feel they are lacking.