Quality in Education

Read their reflections below and make sure to post your comments!

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Kim writes:

This is difficult to put in words. I have my goggles on in the swamp now. I can see the puzzle lid, but I'm still trying to put all the pieces together. I think I'm developing gills, but I'm alright with this disequilibrium because I know I have tools and skills to help me through to my goal of improving achievement for children.

The Quality Continuous Improvement training has been invaluable to me. It has given me the tools needed to delve into the root causes of any type of problem in my class no matter how small or large. I now feel equiped to get to the root cause of why my class acted out for the substitute to why are my children not doing so well in number sense. It has given me tools to implement change, and study the results and continue to make improvements.

The training has helped me see the need to change my paradigm to meet the needs of the children. The world is changing. I need to focus my engery on the "Big Rock" and to empower my children to focus on their own "Big Rocks."

I've struggled with how to get children involved in their own learning, and now I have a plan that I think will work. Data Centers, Data folders, Mission statements, ground rules are just parts of a student driven environment. The possiblity for student engagement is thrilling.

Kim Thompson
kthompson@mvwsd.k12.ca.us

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Michele writes:

Regarding quality and continuous improvement- I have discovered that some of the strategies that I currently use are actually part of a bigger program with the goals that I was ultimately trying to achieve. I just needed the tools and additional techniques to move further in the process. Continous Improvement provides those techniques that I was looking for.

Now that I have the tools that I need to go further in the process it is impossible for me to go back to the way I was teaching before. I look at student learning in a much different way. I now see that it is possible to make special education students accountable for their own learning and increase their motivation as they take ownership of their learning and achievements.

I know that when I go back to my classroom, it will be like an entire overhaul of my classroom routines and teaching techniques. I will start using the quality techniques the first day I go back. I now have the knowledge and have been given the tools that I need to implement this in my classes. I have to resist the temptation to jump in to the deep end when I know that I need to process all that I have learned this week. I am on the bus...but in the Swamp. I may move slowly, but know that I am going in the right direction.

Michele Farhat
Resource Specialist
Graham Middle School
mfarhat@mvwsd.org