Anne Jolly's Diary Entries 31 - 35

Warm Fuzzies and Cold Yukkies In her "real" life, Anne Jolly is an eighth-grade science teacher at Cranford Burns Middle School. She is taking a year away from the classroom to design and implement a site-based professional development process for middle school teachers. This diary chronicles Anne's ups and downs as she goes through the process of developing this initiative, known as the "Impact Project." As this set of diary entries opens, Anne and five others are heading for a middle school two states away to learn more about implementing the Impact Team process.

Diary Entries 31 - 35

Entry 31: At 6:30 in the morning, I had my choice of any parking place I wanted. Six of us pulled into the parking lot at almost the same time, and piled into one of those comfortable vans with four captains chairs and a sofa. As the van pulled out, I chatted comfortably with my fellow travelers - two principals working with me to implement the Impact Team project at their schools, a lead teacher from each school, and the system's middle school director. We were on a fact-finding mission to Hurst Middle School in Louisiana. Teachers at this school are in their second year of using a whole-faculty study group process similar to the Impact Team process we are using. They graciously invited us to come over and take a look.

In spite of my directions, we arrived on time. The Hurst folks put out the red carpet for us. They gave us a detailed presentation of their study group process and the resources they use. We glimpsed their faculty teams in operation as they met to examine students' work. These teams were searching for insights into how their students reach understandings, what misunderstandings students hold, and what teaching/learning strategies will be most effective. I watched in fascination as these teachers dug into the minds and thoughts of their students.

According to Hurst teachers, the whole-faculty study group approach has revitalized their school. I carried away two ideas which seem especially significant for the Impact Team project:

1. In the first year, focus on teacher learning and growth. Classroom applications will begin to evolve naturally from that. At Hurst, each team chooses an approach - such as a focus on student learning styles - that they will employ to improve student achievement in reading and writing. The project director provides the team with current research articles on the selected approach. Each teacher reads at least five of those recent articles. Teachers then meet to share information and work on strategies.
2. Give teachers tangible evidence of support and appreciation. Hurst is a reservoir of creative approaches here. Their teachers have specific calendar days set aside for professional development. In order to work together in teams, teachers come in early or stay late at least once a week. This time counts toward their professional development days, and teachers can take those days off. (Not that they do. As it turns out, most come in anyway, but at least they have that option.) Hurst also frees up meeting time for teachers during pep rallies, team intermurals, and other non-academic school events.

On the long trip home, we tossed around new ideas and directions. We're going to refocus our teams a bit to include a stronger emphasis on teacher growth and learning this year.

Entry 32: Today I struggled back into the navy suit and stuffed my aching feet into a pair of heels. According to the staff development coordinator, the time seemed right for the two of us to explain this project to the new superintendent of curriculum.

Normally, I regard a visit to the central office with the same enthusiasm as I do a trip to the dentist. I quickly revised my opinion, however, when I began describing the Impact Project to our new curriculum leader. She immediately tagged this process as a possible vehicle for leveraging school system workshops and inservices. Together, the three of us brainstormed how the process might be also used to provide information and support to teachers as they adopt new site-based management roles. As I left, the language arts supervisor met me in the hall to tell me that she spoke with a teacher from my school who is really excited about the Impact Teams. I couldn't have written a better script for this meeting myself!

Entry 33: I was the last presenter at faculty meeting today. I briefly described our trip to Hurst Middle School. The lead teacher who went along explained how Hurst teachers used this process to engage in personal study and growth as a part of addressing student needs. This information seemed to turn on the light for some teachers, and to muddy the waters for others.

I also introduced the idea of using an observation method to get a snapshot over time of the type of teaching going on in the school. The resulting data would go directly to the faculty so that all teachers have a clear picture of the school's instructional program. Teachers can decide if they like the picture, and can make more informed decisions about needed instructional changes. Although it was nearly 4:30, teachers actually considered the idea with thoughtful, moderately receptive expressions. I'll talk with individual teams about this next week.

Entry 34: My idea seemed so simple - locate a spot in the library to establish a teacher resource center with information and current research on topics teams are addressing. The librarian happily joined in the hunt, and we soon located an ideal corner with a floor-to-ceiling window. Ideal, that is, except for the long, heavy bookshelf that filled the space. The librarian and I removed all the materials from the bookshelf, but couldn't budge it. We removed all the shelves. It still wouldn't budge. Finally, four custodians helped us to gradually inch the bookshelf out of the resource area. As the librarian rounded up a table and chairs, I replaced the shelves and arranged a pitifully inadequate supply of current research materials on them.

As the inventory of materials grows, maybe each teacher will agree to read at least five recent research articles on a topic pertaining to their team goals. My gut feeling is that most of them will be enthusiastic if the research articles turn out to be understandable and valuable. Finding these articles may be challenging. That criteria will probably eliminate a sizeable number of journals on our local university library shelves.

Entry 35: So much for a week of "warm fuzzies." I finally reached the principal at middle school #3. He said, "I asked the teachers in this week's faculty meeting whether they wanted to work on that Impact Project or not and they said no." Good grief! I didn't want a commitment out of them. At their faculty meeting I asked them to consider talking with me about the process during their planning period. My thinking is that if I can get a couple of willing teams to begin the process, they might find it valuable enough to recommend to the whole faculty next year.

I obviously need to step back and analyze this situation. The teachers there are overwhelmed by a number of circumstances, including a particularly difficult group of kids. They are already involved in a math initiative, and are under the gun because the school is on academic alert. I can understand why they simply can't fathom starting something new. Another initiative might be just what they need to sink them for the third time.

Still, I have to smile at the irony. I remember my feelings of dismay when I was first encouraged by one of my funders to work with this school. Now, in a total about-face, I'm deeply dismayed that I may not be working with them. Maybe it's in their best interest not to take this on this year. Or is it?

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