By Andrew Hackmack
Local districts each held a Superintendent Conference Day last week to give faculty and staff members professional development opportunities.
District 13 welcomed Bill Jacob, a professor of mathematics at the University of California. Following a keynote speech before all district employees, Jacob met with all classroom teachers in the cafeteria at the James A. Dever School to demonstrate a new and innovative way to teach math.
Linda Roth, the district's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, explained that Jacob's visit was through a partnership with the City College of New York. The push, she said, is to encourage students to work through math problems on their own and allow to teachers to observe a child's thought process. "What we are doing is we're watching kids think," Roth said. "You want to watch kids as much as you can."
Roth explained that not every child has the same number sense, or way in which they arrive at an answer in a math problem. That is why, she said, it is important for a teacher to understand how a child thinks.
Just testing a child for the right answer is not enough either, Roth said. If even if a student gets it wrong, they might have just made a careless error along the way but went about solving the problem the right way.
Anne Sullivan, a third grade teacher at Dever Elementary School, said she found the example Jacob used to be very helpful. The question he used was if turkeys cost $1.25 per pound, how much would a 24-pound turkey cost? He showed video of students working through the problem and the different processes they use to arrive at an answer. Sullivan said she plans to use this very question in her own classroom.
She said this demonstration will certainly change how she approaches math instruction in her classroom. With a greater emphasis placed on standardized testing, there is a need to challenge students more, she said.
"To have them think out of the box is very important," she said. Sullivan added that because math can build upon so many other skills, teachers should take that opportunity to develop a child's critical thinking pattern.
Tom Troisi, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Central High School District, discussed the wide range of activities planned for last week's Superintendent Conference Day. "The program is not a one size fits all program," he said, explaining that professional development opportunities varied by grade level and subject area.
Art and music teachers, for example, spent the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. High school level math teachers spent the time preparing for the transition to three one-year math courses next year.
Troisi said Superintendent Conference Days years ago were considered rather "fluffy," with more ceremonial-type presentations. But school districts have really begun to take these opportunities seriously as a chance to offer the teachers and professional staff meaningful professional development.
What the teachers find most valuable, he said, are practices they can implement immediately in their classrooms. Many faculty members are given the chance to share with their own colleagues teaching practices which have proved effective.
Dr. Elizabeth Lison, superintendent of District 13, said that the Superintendent Conference Days are often the only chance for teachers from all four schools to meet. "It's very rare that a grade level and department can be together for an extended period of time," she said.
In addition to the teachers, professional development opportunities were offered to district staff members as well. Secretaries spent some time learning about student data software before spending an afternoon reviewing functions of the district's business office. "There was something for everyone," Lison said.
The next Superintendent Conference Day will be in March but many teachers will be dedicating that time to scoring state exams. Lison said the November conference often is the only time during the school year to offer a full day of professional development.
"I wish we had more days," she said. "I do see how days like this have a profound effect in the classroom."
