Today the TEACHERS learned something new!

So many wonderful activities take place each day inside the walls of our classrooms. We hear about these events from our colleagues in the teacher’s lounge, as we pass each other in the hallway, or as we are walking to our cars at the end of the day. Even though it is great to HEAR about these activities and lessons, we want to SEE them in action! Today we spent the morning doing just that! Teachers had the opportunity to visit two other classrooms and watch some of the awesome learning that is occurring just down the hall. We called today our Learning Lab Day, and we all learned so much!

The students really were the stars of the show! They demonstrated their knowledge of skills, strategies and structures as the guest teachers observed the class. Some classrooms were working on math, while others were working on reading and writing. Even being in another teacher’s classroom for a few minutes really allows a teacher to see or hear something of value that can be taken back to the classroom the very next day. It was fun to have the opportunity to learn from our colleagues, and from the other students in the building!

Here is a picture taken in our First Grade Classroom. We were demonstrating the Cooperative Learning Structure called "Paraphrase Passport." This structure really helps us develop our listening and social skills. We used the structure for a reading lesson. We can use it in SO many other subject areas, too!

Here is a picture taken in a Fourth Grade classroom. The students are using a Cooperative Learning Structure called "Fan and Pick." They used this structure to practice elements of a story.

We can’t wait to try this again next quarter! There is 

always something more to learn!