Read With Me - May 10, 2017
A big part of my professional development comes from reading about the work of others who share my personal mission to support the education and success of all students. I recently read "The Pedagogy of Confidence" by Dr. Yvette Jackson, which has some great implications for the work we are currently doing in District 97.
Dr. Jackson believes in building on students’ strengths rather than focusing on their deficits. She argues that the strategies used in gifted education (e.g. setting high expectations, identifying strengths, providing enrichment, building relationships and helping children find their voice) are key to supporting students who have historically been less successful academically. Dr. Jackson further believes that by implementing this philosophy and these practices, teachers will be reinvigorated and reconnect with why they became educators in the first place.
Each week during the month of May, I will highlight chapters from the book that I am hoping we can read together as a community. I will also provide essential questions for us to consider/discuss.
We have created a key topic on the Let’s Talk feature on our website that people can use to share their comments, questions or feedback about the book, as well as their insights on the essential questions. We will also set aside time during my final scheduled community conversation at Julian Middle School on May 31 (7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) to talk about what we have read and how we can apply what we have learned to the work we are undertaking on behalf of our schools and students.
This week (May 15 to 19), we will read Chapter 6 (The High Operational Practices of the Pedagogy of Confidence) and consider/discuss the following question:
How will "high operational practices" elicit high intellectual performance in all students?