Open Doors

Opening classroom doors and inviting others in takes courage, and it can make us feel vulnerable when we expose our teaching practices. Yet we know that seeing each other in action is a powerful way to learn and grow. With Model Teachers in place this year, we can expand our learning from one another. No longer are we restricted to learning from only those in our own PLC or building, but we can now learn from others across our District through these open doors.

Garry and Glennis Anderson, educators from New Zealand, along with Ann Pierce from Iowa State University, recently took advantage of the opportunity to visit Model Teacher, Charlyn Mason, at Mitchell Elementary. The Andersons were eager to see first-hand the teaching practices for kindergarten students during their time in the States. They wanted to see how they compared to teaching practices being used in their system in New Zealand.

Glennis Anderson is also a kindergarten teacher, but not all of her students start on the first day of school. She welcomes her students all throughout the year because students in New Zealand begin their school career the day after their 5th birthday. This means new kindergarteners are joining her all year long. Glennis was excited to be able to see how a kindergarten classroom in our District functions at the beginning of the school year knowing that training 20+ students into a school culture is very different than starting with 10 students and adding one or two at a time.  

The Responsive Classroom approach which incorporated some syllable practice, as well as the Gradual Release Model around the letter "i", was very inspiring to Glennis and Garry. After the observation, the Andersons took time to reflect with Karen Mongar, Kate Mitchell’s Instructional Coach. Together, these educators collaborated around the different instructional methods they observed and talked about the Teacher Leadership Program that Ames has in place. Garry Anderson is the Principal at The Terrace School in New Zealand and is hoping to get a Teacher Leadership Program in place within his school. At the end of these conversations it was very clear, that despite living on opposite sides of the globe, all teachers have the best interest of students at the heart of their work and benefit from observing and collaborating with one another.

Charlyn Mason and her husband Jeff, who teaches fifth grade at Sawyer Elementary, plan to go to New Zealand in June to visit The Terrace School.  They hope to continue the collaboration that started with this opportunity to walk through an open door.