Our plan
Natrona County Schools wanted to find more time for teachers to hone their craft -- in other words, do professional development. Traditionally, this is done after school and during the summer. To systemically have meaningful work time together, another option had to be created. Since it is not fiscally possible to increase contract days, we decided to provide time during the school day. Traditional approaches had students being released from school early, placing a potential burden on their parents. Our approach was very student focused. We asked: why not bring in enrichment for all of the students so they are engaged in great learning experiences instead of “childcare?” The plan was fairly simple. Get people with passion for their work to come into our schools and share that with students. We forged partnerships with local, regional and national museums; libraries, businesses and individuals to provide the programming. We also got some schools interested, and they agreed to be our guinea pigs.
What we did
The way this looks is: we release teachers to do professional development on a half-day basis. Depending on the number of students in the school, we provide an appropriate number of centers and/or presenters to adequately work with those students. We sometimes have an assembly to kick things off, then breakout sessions to programmatically support that assembly. For instance, we might have an astronaut come in and give an interactive presentation. Then, the students go to breakout sessions on rockets, stories about space, art about space, etc. The students get to stay in their schools, parents are welcome and the support staff in the school remains to provide stability and discipline pieces to keep the students safe.
Our results
We have been doing this for a few years now. The first year, we provided 64 half-days for our district. It has grown each year. Last year, we provided close to 400 half-days. We have motivational speakers, astronauts, Olympians, people who work in regional zoos and museums -- as well as some national-level folks like those from the National Security Administration, who did some amazing math work with our students. The students and teachers alike love these half-days, and we also get an amazing response from our presenters and providers who have been yearning for an opportunity to express what they are passionate about to students. Traditional education does not welcome non-certified people as instructors -- and for that it is truly missing out on some amazing opportunities for the entire community.
Add to the discussion
Your email address won't show up with your comment.