Defining who we are as a Content Lead Team... by Anthony Retallick

Self-Discovery

aretallick — 2024-10-31 18:02:47 UTC

I think we are on the cusp of self discovery. We have an idea of what work needs to be done, and how to do it; but it sometimes feels like other pressing issues outside of data and academic growth take precedent. I think in a perfect world we would look at the school calendar and align our meetings so that they sync with the inevitable realities of the school year (End of QR's, Parent/Teacher conferences, Testing dates, etc) That way we'd maximize time together while keeping in the back of our minds time consuming tasks that are ahead. By being empathetic and understanding we'd gather the trust of the staff while having space and time to curate a true identity of the team.

Strengths!

aretallick — 2024-10-31 18:02:47 UTC

Collaboration, communication, ability to evaluate both qualitative/quantitive data, solution oriented, desire to learn and grow professionally

Opportunities, opportunities, opportunities!

aretallick — 2024-10-31 18:24:13 UTC

Keep an open dialogue about where and how each team member can take on tasks and explore other areas of interest. Whether it be coaching, curriculum development, tech, data, or classroom management I think it is the team members responsibility to share areas of interest, and admins responsibility to find ways build upon that interest for the betterment of the school, students, and individual.

The Sounding Board

mmagnotta1 — 2024-11-01 16:50:41 UTC

Our team represents each department and provides a point person for data analysis and implementation of academic initiatives. We do the higher level data analysis to notice trends and see what we can do to help others. We also provide a sounding board for school administration to see how ideas would apply to each department and to get teacher opinions on specific issues which administration feels they need input from classroom teachers.

Multiple Perpectives

mmagnotta1 — 2024-11-01 17:00:35 UTC

One of the best parts of the team is that we are all different. The team has teachers with differing levels of time spent at the school, with different educational backgrounds, and with different perspectives when it comes to data usage. We all work through all issues together which is very helpful as our different viewpoints allow us to really breakdown situations and come to a fuller understanding of what we are working on. We also bring a lot of excitement to the team so we all have a willingness to work on different projects whether they fit the original job description or not.

Leaders

2024-11-01 17:06:03 UTC

I view our team as leaders of our respective subjects as well as leaders in our school community. Leaders take on a lot of responsibility, and with that, I think our Content Lead team can do a lot to help other teachers and our middle school. We deep dive into data for our respective subjects to help plan instruction, and we bridge the gap between classroom teachers and school administrators.

Experience and Points of View

2024-11-01 17:15:18 UTC

I think we all bring a lot of experience in our respective subjects to the table. I also think we bring a lot of different view points to the group. For example, we are all successful classroom teachers, but we all have our own styles when it comes to things like teaching and classroom management. I think we are all able to share our ideas in a collaborative way.

Supportive Opportunities

mmagnotta1 — 2024-11-01 17:16:36 UTC

I think that one of the biggest things admin can do is give us support on larger projects. The team has the opportunity to take on more responsibility to help their departments grow and work on specific responsibilities. The opportunity to take on these extra responsibilities does require the support of admin to provide the backup/authority to guide our departments as we make updates and changes that will be more extensive than helping them do the thing which we are better at, IE helping look at the data that we work with constantly VS reworking the curriculum to provide better vertical alignment and ensure that there is better consistency across the department.

Growth and Development

2024-11-01 18:28:53 UTC

I would love for admin to continue to provide us with opportunities to grow and develop as teachers and leaders. I would not mind being able to try coaching or do more with curriculum development!

Leaders and Confidants

acavaliere1 — 2024-11-05 13:39:14 UTC

I would define our team definitely as leaders within our school community. We are people who have been here for many years and have honed our skills and practices. We have ideas and are eager to help both inside and outside of the classroom.

I also believe that we are confidants for our respective teams. As content leads, I feel as though we are the middle ground and people can come to us when they have an issue or just need to think through ideas that they have. It is definitely a collaborative process and if we cannot help, than as leads, we can move it up the ladder.

Perspective and Experience

acavaliere1 — 2024-11-05 13:43:18 UTC

The biggest strength of our team is definitely our differing perspectives and experience. No one person on our team has taken the same path to get to where we are and because of this, we are able to think critically and creatively about school issues and ways that we can improve them. We are also very driven people who all have similar professional goals. We want to improve our growth while also helping the school grow in the process.

Mentorship and Communication

acavaliere1 — 2024-11-05 13:53:34 UTC

I have found over the past few years the biggest support was having members of the admin team mentor me and give me opportunities to show leadership. I have benefitted from this mentorship and believe that continued mentorship can only help me grow even more.

Being able to speak openly with the admin team has also been a huge help these past few years. I am able to bring my concerns and ideas to them and see how they can help me implement or support me.

Leaders/Innovators

2024-11-08 19:11:07 UTC

I believe our team are leaders in our school community. We take the time to reflect on our own practices and how we can relay effective strategies to others.

But also, we are working to analyze trends and data that we are seeing in our students and our colleagues. Thus, innovating ways to overcome challenges that PPACS is facing.

Varying Outlooks

2024-11-08 19:13:45 UTC

Like others have said, we all bring very different experiences to the table. Not just in years of experiences, but in previous employers, educational institutions, and upbringing.

Despite our differences, however, we align in our desire for success and growth as individuals, a team, and a school.

Support and Mentorship

2024-11-08 19:19:03 UTC

I would love for Admin to continue to give feedback and support. Sometimes teaching can be a very isolating profession, so having consistent dialogues across need-levels can help take that feeling away. Additionally, giving us opportunities to demonstrate our strengths, voice our concerns, and revise existing practices.