District Staff Development Focus for 2014-15 School Year:

As the WM School District moves toward mastery of the 21st Century 4C skills in teaching and learning,
the 2014-15 expectation is...
Using explicit examples and models, teachers will teach students the skills of critical thinking, will
provide opportunities for practice, and will assess on a regular basis the students' abilities to
utilize these skills. Emphasis will be given to collaboration, communication, creativity, and the
use of technology as means to strengthen the critical thinking skills.
1)

Define critical thinking

a) whats the teachers definition?
b) whats the research definition?
c) whats our working definition going to be? this will vary between ages and content area

2)

Teach teachers how to teach critical thinking (the book

Thinking Through Quality Questioning:
Deepening Student Engagement
does a fantastic job of explaining how to teach CT skills)
a) questioning and discussion (accountable talk)
b) think alouds
c) modeling
d) explicit examples w/ process of CT dissected

3)

Provide students multiple opportunities to practice thinking critically

a) formative assessments - promote risk taking and failure; cannot be graded
b) end goal: Are students thinking critically as a habit of mind?

4)

Assessments
a) build critical thinking questions/opportunities into assessments
b) reminder: you cannot assess what you did not teach and/or what you did not give students
ample opportunities to practice
c) develop CT rubrics across departments? content areas? grade levels?

1)

R: Begin with a reflection question (based on previous months goal)

a) Answer prior to meeting through Google Form
b) Discuss with small group at meeting
c) Share ideas with whole group

2)

T: Introduce new skill or topic

a) Explanation
b) Model & practice
c) Discuss in class application
d) Reflection - how does this fit/not fit with what youre currently doing?

3)

G: Determine goal for the upcoming month and leave with a plan for implementation

ES Staff Development Meeting Format

ES 2014-2014 Staff Development Monthly Plan

*Plan is tentative. Actual discussion topics will be dependent upon needs of the staff.
Month

Topic

June

Share 2014-2015 Critical Thinking District

Competencies

SD Full Day:
4, 5

Resource

Set up book study groups and expectations

Evidence

Sign up form

Create book study blogging groups

Critical Thinking Reflection Google Form

July

Optional Book Study:

Thinking Through Quality
Questionings: Deepening Student Engagement
by
Walsh & Sattes

August

R:
What does it mean to think critically?

SD Full Day:
26, 27, 28

T:
Accountable Talk Overview

September

No formal training - staff is continuing to set up

routines and experiment with AT.

October

R:
Share some successes and barriers that you have
had with accountable talk.

SD Early
Release:
15

SD Full Day:
3 - Crisis Plan
and IGP
Meetings

Blogs & chapter

reflection sheet

Grades 1-5

G:
Work on setting up classroom routines to set the
stage for accountable talk. Start experimenting with
accountable talk.

T:
Accountable Talk - Getting it started using Teacher
Talk Moves
G:
Shart using Teacher Talk Moves - Wait time,
revoicing, etc.

November

Reflection
Responses

R:
How has AT been working in the classroom? What
has changed over the last month?
T: Accountable Talk in Math
G:
Introduce Number Talks during math. Work with
teams to plan for 4 Number Talks over the next month.

Classroom
environment Morning
meeting, partner
work, TTP, etc.

Grade 1-2

Grades 3-5

Grades 1 & 2

Grades 3-5

26 - Report Card
& comp for book
study
December
SD Early
Release:

R:
Share how youve used Number Talks. What will
you keep? What will you change? How often can you
see this occurring?

Classroom
environment Morning
meeting, partner
work, TTP, etc.

Grades 3-5

Accountable Talk
Stem Posters,
Student AT
cards, Talk
moves observed
in
Walk-Throughs

Number Talks
observed in
walk-throughs
or discussed in
grade level
meetings.

19 - Comp Time
for Open House

T: Think Alouds

January

R:

SD Full Day:
19
(BC Comp Day
in PM)

T: Think Alouds (in math & science)

February

R:

SD Early
Release:
13

T: Modeling

March

R:

SD Full Day:
6 - grading day
27

T: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Thinking

(both dates
Book Club comp
dates)
April
1st and 15th all
staff meetings

G:
Work with teams to plan a deliberate think aloud
lesson using model and templates provided

G:

G:

G: - consider how different mindsets effect and

students learning
-consider different characteristics students need
to be successful

R:
T: In criticism of Praise

T: Effective Feedback
G: Shift the type of feedback we give students and
create a cheat sheet

SD Early
Release:
8

R:
T: Mindset and Student Motivation - (6th)
T: Anchor Charts, common language vertically (8th)
T: plans for next year (20th)

May 20th
June
SD Full Day: 4

Teaching with
Questioning
http://www.stud
ygs.net/teaching
/crtthkb.htm
Fixed and
Growth Mindset
Teaching Among
Teachers
ES Docs 1 and 2
Article and
shared language

SD Day: cancelled - snow make up

G:
Expand understanding of positive and negative
effects of praise
Learn how to praise and promote growth mindset
without producing praise junkies

May
6th

7:30-9:30 SPED
Licensed Staff at
PAC

SD Day: checkout

In criticism of
praise.

March6th
7:309:30
SpedLic.Staff
Cancelled
snowmakeup
day