As with any good read, there are statements in the Distance Learning Playbook that stopped me in my tracks and forced me to reflect and think a little harder.  When you engage concepts that challenge your thinking, it opens a space ripe for new learning.  A few quotes and concepts caught my attention as I read and reflected, and I thought I would share some of those interactions:

“Teachers should not hold an instructional strategy in higher esteem than their students’ learning.”  

This quote caught my attention as it clearly challenges teachers to pay attention to the impact of their preferred instructional strategies.  It is an invitation to ongoing inquiry – how do you know that your go-to instructional strategies are the ones that lead to the most powerful student learning?  What is your evidence?  It reminded me of my experience in preparing for National Board Certification.  Our teacher, who happened to be one of the first National Board Certified teachers in the state of Arizona, constantly challenged us to state our evidence in the form of a statement of cause and effect: “I do (strategy) which causes students to (student action) which impacts learning by (rationale and evidence of learning).”  It forces the teacher to reveal their theory of student learning connected to any given instructional strategy.  Prior to that class, I had never been challenged to articulate the connection between my instructional strategies and evidence of student learning, at least not by a fellow teacher.  

“It is the feedback from the assessment, not the assessment itself, that matters.”

This is a basic statement of the purpose of assessment.  It is to inform future learning.  It is a tool designed for the benefit of student development.  Unfortunately, whether formative or summative in nature, assessment is sometimes seen by students and teachers alike as a static measure of intelligence or performance.  It’s simply an entry for the gradebook.  I love how the authors challenge such perspectives and ask classroom teachers to think deeply about how they are using assessment in the classroom.  Specifically, how are you providing ongoing, quality feedback to students.  In this sense, the instructional practices that surround our assessment practices make all of the difference in whether feedback is both accessible and useful to learners.  

“Dynamism…is really about your ability to communicate enthusiasm for your subject and your students.  And it’s about developiing spirited lessons that capture students’ interest.”

I loved that the authors dedicated an entire chapter outlining the need for teachers to establish credibility with their students.  Students care little about professional titles and certification, and grant credibility and authority to teachers who demonstrate enthusiasm and love for both the subject and students being taught.  The authors refer to that personal engagement and energy as teacher “dynamism.”  

“Agreements serve to convey high expectations, mutual respect, and an acknowledgement of the learning community’s needs.  A set of rules that are strictly compliance based tell the students that you’re the one with all the power, and they better listen or else.”  

This statement turns common perceptions about classroom rules on their head.  It is an assertion that high expectations are much more than the simple enforcement of rules.  Rather, we reinforce high expectations when we engage our students in conversations about what it means to be a community of learners.   “Agreements,” by the very meaning of the word, suggest that students have the capacity to share responsibility for the quality of the learning environment.  They are not passive recipients of learning, but rather are active participants.  We embrace students as co-contributors and co-designers of the learning environment.