Every Wednesday morning, students sigh contentedly as they relish the extra hour of sleep provided by the 8:50 a.m. start. However, while students enjoy the free hour, teachers are planning lessons and working with each to find new ways to teach concepts.
This year teachers are working on the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a school accreditation process. Teachers meet in focus groups to discuss WASC standards, compile information and update goals that will guide the school until the next WASC in seven years.
English teacher Amy Keys said the focus groups are assigned different topics such as assessment and curriculum. All the teachers in the school are involved in some way in the WASC process.
During years without WASC, teachers are free to form their own groups and collaborate on topics such as digital learning and ways to implement technology in, like finding creative ways to use Google Drive or PowerPoint. In addition, each department sometimes meets together to discuss teaching practices and goals in their subject area.
Because the AP Chemistry curriculum switched to an inquiry-based system this year, chemistry teacher Kathy Nakamatsu said that last year she helped initiate a group to learn more about the new inquiry lab process.
“[Science teacher Janny Cahatol] was helping us with inquiry labs. We would meet in somebody’s room and share ideas with each other,” Nakamatsu said.
Also, Nakamatsu said that groups were not limited to their specific subject areas. There were groups centered on student stress and flip teaching (a process in which students watch video lectures at home and do homework in class), and teachers could join a group or interest.
According to Nakamatsu, the focus groups during collaboration give teachers a set time to discuss ideas instead of having to meet during lunch.
Similarly, Keys said that many schools are not as lucky to have a set time for discussing and sharing ideas.
“People get to come when they’re fresh and have a lot of energy and it’s dedicated time set aside,” Keys said. “If it’s at the end of the day, which a lot of schools do, teachers are thinking about a lot of other stuff [or] they’re totally exhausted.”
Additionally, Keys enjoys meeting with other teachers.
“[We] talk about, ‘Well how do you access students? How do you let them set goals for themselves?’ It gives us a way to connect that goes beyond just WASC,” Keys said.
