At Teachstone, we have the privilege of interacting with teachers all the time. Sometimes, that means supporting teachers through MyTeachingPartner Coaching; other times, that means filming a day in a teacher’s classroom to capture effective moments.
Remember America’s Funniest Home Videos? I’m talking about the old school, nineties version that was hosted by Bob Saget (Full House aficionados will remember him as “Danny Tanner”). America lovedthat show; I loved that show. An early precursor to YouTube, AFV was a show that collected and shared authentic home videos ranging from the “warm and fuzzy” to the “just plain silly.” As we review classroom video here at Teachstone, I’m reminded of AFV every once in a while as we stumble upon short clips that make us smile, giggle, and sometimes even tear up.
We are thrilled to have Marla Muntner guest blog for us today. Marla has spent most of her professional life supporting teaching and learning—inside and outside of the classroom. She’s worked for newspapers, nonprofits, public schools, and education companies. As the former Marketing and Communications Manager for Teachstone, she thrived on creative work through designing instructional programs, managing complex projects, leading creative teams, and designing engaging communications materials.
As on most days, today someone asked me, “What’s new, Brad?” For some reason, today, this question got me thinking: There's actually a LOT that's new at Teachstone. We've been hard at work here developing new resources, products, trainings, and initiatives—all geared toward helping educators and children nationwide.
Teachstone co-founder and CLASS tool co-author, Bridget Hamre, has dedicated her career to improving teacher-child interactions. Bridging research and practice, Bridget leads efforts to use the CLASS system for assessment, accountability, and professional development in early childhood and other educational settings. She continues to leverage implementation science to inform the successful delivery of improvement interventions at scale.
2013 was such a fantastic year, it’s hard to imagine that 2014 could beat it. But looking at what's planned for the year ahead, I’m pretty sure ’14 is gonna give ’13 a run for the money.
As we close out 2013, we could dwell on all that is not right with the world, but let’s not. Instead, let’s look at what is going right in the field of education and the important role we play in it.
As you've heard us say before, Teachstone has a lot to be thankful for this year. Here's another one to add to the gratitude list: a fantastic 2013 holiday party!
Scenario: During a lesson on animals, children sit in assigned spots in a circle. The teacher asks, “How many of you have pets at home?” A few children raise their hands, and the teacher asks each of them to say what kind of pet they have and the pet’s name. The teacher then hands out cards featuring different animals. The children watch as the teacher calls on children to come to the middle of the circle and act out their animal. After each demonstration, they have the chance to guess the featured animal.
It’s fall in Charlottesville and officially sweater weather at the Teachstone offices. As a native New Yorker, I should be accustomed to the cold, but I can’t help but practice a few weeks of denial each year, wearing sandals and sundresses several weeks into October. All begrudging aside, one of the best things to do this time of year is to go hiking, and here in Charlottesville, we’re fortunate to call the Blue Ridge Mountains our neighbors!
