Here's a big idea from 1927
I had great intentions of posting a “meta reflection” near the end of May in order capture my ideas on my first year with A+ College Ready. Unfortunately, 2 weeks of travel for Laying The Foundation (LTF) and a week of vacation got in the way. Consider the time a filter. Consider the procastination a new opportunity. Here’s why…
Today (July 5, 2011) may be the middle of the middle of the beginning of the end. Today is my first day in the office after two weeks of Middle School training. I’ve got renewed interest in my work, and I’ve got a wider perspective on what students need going into a AP class. Today is a week away from A+ College Ready‘s big PD push for Alabama AP Science teachers. Break time is over, it’s time to get to work. Most importantly, today is the day the AP scores start rolling in. It’s only a trickle so far, and it’s been a little disappointing. But even with only 12% of teachers reporting, I’m associated with twice as many scores as I got in my classroom last year. The point is I’m scaling up.
The bigger point is that as I watch the scores come in, and as I reflect on the three essential things an AP science teacher needs to do, I am looking towards the future. The beginning is over, it’s time to move on.
So, what are the three things?
1. Teach to the AP standard, don’t pull any punches. The AP exams, by definition, are challenging (if not down-right hard). Students need to prepare for rigor of AP Multiple Choice Questions and Free Response Questions all year. A+CR teachers have to use the NMSI exams and debrief them. If you don’t test to, and teach to, the AP standard, you’re sending your kids to the “slaughter house” in May.
2. Science education should reflect science itself. Scientists ask questions, collect data, analyze data, communicate with others, and compare their data to current understanding. This. This is what we should be doing in science class. In short, people learn by doing and communicating. People rarely learn by listening.
3. The kids are comin’! This is from my colleague Robert Summers, and it’s probably the best advice you can give a teacher. The kids are comin’ whether you’re ready or not. Be ready. Science education is front-loaded as hell. Be prepared, be ready to be flexible, be ready to get your kids from point A to point B. That’s on a daily basis, on a “unit basis” and throughout the entire year.
