School Successes - Instruction

Below are the equity-promoting successes around instruction that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Adopted collaborative model with special educators
• Heterogeneous classes
• Promoted differentiated instruction, methods and strategies
• Promoted student success by allowing for flexible student groups between grade level classrooms
• Use of a classroom model via videotape to share best instructional strategies
• Dedicated targeted instructional time (RtI) within each day for all grade levels
• Departmental common planning time
• SMART goals focused on greatest are of need across grade levels
• Teacher learning center (interdisciplinary) of shared practices
• Co-teaching
• Consultation teams - PD
• Facilitated PD for using ELMOS every classroom to teach 'response to reading' writing tasks
• Teachers encouraged to challenge students' depth of knowledge; for example, using more primary sources for investigation and questioning vs. text-based learning
• Look at student work to help guide and reflect on instruction during teaming
• Developing common formative assessments
• Fostering a culture within teachers that values commitment to learning and improving content knowledge and critical thinking: Journaling, Reflecting, Study Groups, and Focus Groups