Scheduling is an important component in creating curricular paths to success. Sadly, school schedules often determine what and how much a student learns. With BPHS flexible and student-centered schedule they can offer students academic instruction and technical training through internships. Students have the opportunity to apply what they are learning in school to work outside of school walls in turn creating a path that is personal to them and their interest.
To successfully teach and support all students, preventative measures must be taken to ensure that a positive, productive, safe and personable climate exists. In looking at BPHS school climate, they are working towards a climate that is inclusive and provides comprehensive support for all students. They recognize the issues that must be addressed and explored as learning opportunities to establish a school climate like above, and our taking necessary action to provide an atmosphere that is positive for all students. I believe the climate of a school connects to the academic support students receive as well as community services and resources for students and their families.
A great quote I found, and my apologies as I do not know the author of this quote, “If learning have not occurred, teaching has not occurred.” Powerful teaching and learning is what sets apart BPHS from other high schools. Not only do they take educational risk in teaching and learning from students, they use the problems they run into as learning experiences and continue striving towards “best practice” teaching. Teachers at BPHS understands that powerful teaching and learning only occurs when students are behind the steering wheel and are able to make meaning for themselves while being supported and encouraged to succeed.
Creating new professional roles. Guajome Park Academy have broaden teachers roles. For instance, my cooperating teacher was responsible for the 11grade house in which she met with a group of teachers each week and discuss ways to provide support to students. She also had to do “duty” once a week in which she monitored students getting dropped off in the morning for school and was the advisory teacher for juniors and seniors sixth period. Although the advisory period was a joke, her roles had become wider than just a PE teacher and allowed her to form relationships with many students.
Although I am not too familiar with their accountability and assessment system (seeing as though my cooperating teaching never took it seriously-no excuse ). Guajome Park Academy is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school that offers a Middle Years and a Diploma Program. The middle school IB program works to provide continuous assessment throughout the course and teachers are responsible for implementing a variety of assessment tasks that align with standards and are valid. However, in PE I did not see this take place.
I predict the size of BPHS will no longer be in practice. Seeing as though they are raising the bar for other high schools, students will want to come to a school that promotes choice and is linking classroom learning with out of school experiences. 21st century teaching. Yes! Thus, I think because of their accomplishments the size of the school will drastically change unless they put a cap on the number of students they want to attend.
Wow. I think that 65% or more of the class' responses to the last question would be that the school can't keep it's size down. I think the opposite has occurred; only 150 students are currently enrolled.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Guajome Park had some neat potentials, but that maybe they weren't occurring as effectively, seemlessly, and comprehensively has envisioned? I wonder why... I wonder if the leadership has not carefully attended to the relationships (and sense of belonging) in the adult learning community in a way parallel to how we think about the students as a classroom community of learners.