Building A Bridge

This week I've been immersed in studying STAAR test data for grades 3 - Algebra I and creating an action plan for transitioning to new Math TEKS. As I was writing action steps, I was reflecting on all the things that must be considered as we move forward.

In our district when teachers plan a unit of instruction, they first study their SEs. Once they study the SEs "a la Kilgo", they are ready to look at the lesson to make adjustments for gaps and rigor. However, teachers must consider that the SE is the end point for the student, not the beginning point...so we look at the SE from the previous year, discuss what students were expected to master, and then we figure out how to build the bridge from where they are to where they have to go. We also have to consider where students are in the continuum of understanding because not all are at the same point, which makes building the bridge more complicated.

Many Math SEs are moving down to lower grade levels, which is going to cause anxiety for some teachers because they will have to learn  new content. I will be helping teachers transition and make connections between old TEKS and new TEKS, current knowledge and new knowledge, and previous methods and new methods. I'll have to consider each teacher's current level of knowledge, differentiate, and support their learning....building a bridge.

While I had building bridges on the brain, I was also thinking about my upcoming vacation. While I am off, I am going to New Mexico and plan to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge ten miles west of Taos. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States, took two years to build, is 1,280 feet in length, and was awarded the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" in the "Long Span" category in 1966, by the American Institute of Steel Construction.

I am the architect of the bridge I am about to build and it may take me two years to complete, but I have a blueprint and I'm ready to begin!