Paine Teachers Collaborate to Learn

Paine Elementary teachers collaborated Monday during the professional learning time to learn more about using learning targets in their lessons.  The session was facilitated by academic coaches, Kelly McGough, Edra Perry, and Jana Walls.

According to Ron Berger's Leaders of their Own Learning, learning targets help students define what they are learning and why they are learning it, enabling them to monitor their progress toward the learning goal.  Even well-written learning targets will contribute little to engaging, supporting, and holding students accountable if they are not referred to and used actively during the lesson.  In addition to frequent checks throughout the lesson, the end of a lesson is also an important moment for checking for understanding.  A well-constructed debrief will enable students to reflect on their learning, returning to the day's learning target to assess their progress.

The use of learning targets is important to teachers in TCS and is one of nine indicators that the Educator Effectiveness Team included as a strategy effective teachers use routinely.  Ideally, goal oriented learning targets are consistently posted with higher level verbs.  Teachers develop and clearly communicate the connections between content standards and the knowledge and skills being taught. Learning targets enable learners to set and monitor academic and behavioral goals with instructional activities.  Teachers utilize learning targets as a formative assessment that drives instruction.

Mrs. Brasher shares information from her group.

Assistant principal Donna Brumlow learns alongside Paine teachers.

Assistant Principal Catherine Finkley is a member of the learning community at Paine.

Principal Tygar Evans is in the work with teachers, learning how to utilize learning targets.