As I was reading your wonderful final post, I was suddenly drawn back to Don Vu's wonderful book, Life, Literacy, and The Pursuit of Happiness and a question he wrote on page 19:
“If we know what exemplary teaching looks like, doesn’t it make sense to create schools that support it?”
For me, that's how we start. We have brilliant minds like Peter Afflerbach giving us the research and practices we need to take moving forward but change requires not only a personal commitment but a collective one that leads to systemic change. Individuals can make a huge difference as I've seen time and time again, but lasting change stretches from one side of a building to the other. We start with deep conversation and study and then shift how we expend our time and energy and money so that Professional learning and support becomes our #1 priority. Nothing will ever change until WE change globally!
I wanted to personally thank YOU for making this book study possible Matt and also each of the wonderful educators who shared their voices.
As I was reading your wonderful final post, I was suddenly drawn back to Don Vu's wonderful book, Life, Literacy, and The Pursuit of Happiness and a question he wrote on page 19:
“If we know what exemplary teaching looks like, doesn’t it make sense to create schools that support it?”
For me, that's how we start. We have brilliant minds like Peter Afflerbach giving us the research and practices we need to take moving forward but change requires not only a personal commitment but a collective one that leads to systemic change. Individuals can make a huge difference as I've seen time and time again, but lasting change stretches from one side of a building to the other. We start with deep conversation and study and then shift how we expend our time and energy and money so that Professional learning and support becomes our #1 priority. Nothing will ever change until WE change globally!
I wanted to personally thank YOU for making this book study possible Matt and also each of the wonderful educators who shared their voices.
Thank YOU Mary for your continued advocacy for effective literacy instruction for all students.
You also offer us a simple model for supporting our colleagues and ourselves:
1. "We start with deep conversation and study and then,"
2. "shift how we expend our time and energy and money so that Professional learning and support becomes our #1 priority."
I hope this space can be at least a small part of this important work!