Over 500 educators from 10 school districts met Friday (Sept. 14) for collaborative professional development focused on improving student achievement through developing deeper understanding of the Iowa Core. Teachers from the districts listed below, engaged with teachers in grade and content-alike peer groups from across the southwest portion of Prairie Lakes AEA:
Albert City-Truesdale
Alta-Aurelia
East Sac County
Gilmore City-Bradgate
Laurens-Marathon
Newell-Fonda
Pocahontas Area
Ridge View
Sioux Central
West Bend-Mallard
Teachers and administrators gathered at three different sites to develop concept-based lesson plans through the Iowa Core. (Kindergarten-second grade teachers were in the Storm Lake AEA office. Third-fifth grade teachers met at the Pocahontas AEA office. The remaining teachers worked at Pocahontas Are High School, the host site for this first meeting.
Iowa’s small rural schools have a long history of working together forming consortiums and addressing emerging concerns collectively.
Just ask any teacher in Iowa what they want for their students and they will tell you they want them to have the best education possible. Bringing rural Iowa teachers together to have the opportunity to develop a common understanding of the Iowa Core Curriculum, in a supportive environment where they can learn and share with their experiences, hopes and dreams for their students, is priceless; it’s true collaboration.
Teachers who teach in small rural schools have a limited ability to collaborate with others who teach the same grade level or content area. Bringing teachers together in grade-alike groups gives them an opportunity to build relationships beyond their buildings across district boundaries. Relationships can, and often do, spill over into the classroom as teachers utilize technologies to connect their students with those across the consortium and beyond. Collaborative professional development creates connections that deepen the learning for all those involved.
As teachers engaged in unpacking the Iowa Core Curriculum, they expand their knowledge and ability to apply the newly gained lessons in their classrooms. Student achievement increases as teachers collaboratively build deeper and richer lessons inspiring each other to stretch their students further.
It is important for all of Iowa’s teachers and students to be successful, not just those in our own districts. Coming together for collaborative professional development not only enriches our teachers’ knowledge of the Iowa Core Curriculum; it is evidence of our local school boards’ commitment to improving student learning. It speaks well of our boards to having the courage to allow for alignment our district calendar with other school districts, and for providing the resources necessary to make this learning opportunity available to our teachers and in turn our students. It is great to see area school districts working together to help everyone achieve success!
