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Enhancing Teacher Collaboration Through Curricular Design Exploration

Explore the Finnish way of working for curricular design and teacher collaboration opportunities in the context of mathematics education. Learn about the impact of the national curriculum, standardized assessments, and teacher collaboration in Finland and the United States. Discover ways to build flexibility into instructional planning, increase instructional time, and minimize the impact of standardized assessments. Delve into the dynamics of teacher collaboration, including the role of school schedules and resources in facilitating collaboration. Continue the dialogue on improving educational practices and collaboration in schools.

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Enhancing Teacher Collaboration Through Curricular Design Exploration

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  1. Finnish Way: Working for Curricular Design & Teacher Collaboration Opportunities Rob Reynolds Middle School Mathematics Teacher Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Recipient Seattle, Washington September 2013

  2. Some Background Information • Rob Reynolds • Mathematics and Science Teacher • Peace Corps, Zaire, Central Africa, 2 years+ • Three Public Schools, Chicago, 17 years • Instructional Mathematics & Science Coach, Chicago, 4 years • Fulbright Action-Based Research Project, 6 months • My original Fulbright Research Project • Rigor of assigned mathematical tasks • Student discourse solving the mathematics • Students’ representation to demonstrate understanding

  3. Project Design • Visit 10 schools, 2-3 times • Establish relationships through return visits • Observe mathematics instruction • Collect data of mathematics task, teacher decisions, student engagement • Conduct interviews • Teachers • Students • Principals

  4. Curricular Design • Finland • National Curriculum • Role of Standardized Assessments • Impact at Classroom Level • Observations • Time built into teachers’ school day • Flexibility for Planning & Instruction • Less or More Actual Instructional Time? • Teacher-written textbooks

  5. Curricular Design • United States • Common Core State Standards (CCSS) • Standardized Assessments, role & time • Impact at Classroom Level

  6. Curricular Design –Work for Opportunities… • United States (Washington State?) • How much flexibility is built into instructional planning with CCSS implementation? • How can more time be built into the instructional days (or year) when teachers are not supervising students? • How can we minimize the quantity, time-drain, or at least impact of standardized assessments?

  7. Teacher Collaboration • Finland • Teachers have 3-5 daily coffee breaks when they typically connect with colleagues socially • Coffee breaks provide endless opportunities to plan future collaboration • Time built into instructional day & week for teachers’ work • (Common) Space dedicated to teachers’ work • Resources in place to facilitate teachers’ work

  8. Teacher Collaboration • United States (Washington State?) • School schedules, at least at the elementary levels, have all students start/end at same time • Typically, besides a daily preparation period, teachers are teaching & supervising students for the instructional school day and week • Teachers’ weekly planning time is often circumvented by administration’s priorities

  9. Teacher Collaboration • Teachers typically use substantive personal evening and weekend time with instructional planning or administrative responsibilities • Teachers devote considerable work time with the logistics of instructional planning • What barriers can you identify?

  10. Teacher Collaboration-Work for Opportunities… • School Schedules • When can time be identified to collaborate? • Who determines/prioritizes the agenda? • What is the expectation? • Teachers’ Work Areas • Where, if ever, do teachers meet? • How welcoming is the Teachers’ Lounge? • What access do teachers have to professional facilities & resources?

  11. Next Steps • Let’s continue the dialogue... • I believe both parents of our students and the U.S. State Department are listening and interested.

  12. Kiitos! Rob Reynolds rlreynolds@cps.edu www.mathfinnway.blogspot.com (my Fulbright project blog) www.fiveinfinland.blogspot.com (my wife’s blog of our family adventures)

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