CPS Teach Chicago Podcast
CPS Teach Chicago Podcast
Simultaneous Instruction
Is there anything else to talk about?
Listen now as Keisha and Katie connect with teachers in and out of CPS to talk through best practices and strategies for a successful Quarter 4 of simultaneous instruction.
Special thanks to Gina Maffucci and Amanda Huffman of Ben Milam Elementary School of Dallas Independent School District and Kimberly Frey and Derek Gould of Chicago Public Schools for joining us.
Featured School Bell: Bridge Middle School
Appreciation Ad Schools: William H. Brown Elementary, Disney 2 Magnet Elementary, Mt. Vernon Elementary
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©Chicago Public Schools 2021
Hey everyone, a quick announcement. To all those CPS high school teachers listening in right now. Do you want to host this show? Well next season, meaning next school year, there are two open host chairs in need of you. cps.edu/podhost. One thing about this show that we haven't discussed much is that every new season, like every new school year, should bring new voices to the front. Katie and I did our tour. Now it's your turn to take this show and run with it. cps.edu/podhost. And for anyone asking the question out loud, yes, you will be compensated for your time as a host. Again, we're looking for two high school teachers to be our season two hosts. cps.edu/podhost. Fill out an interest form today. Hi Katie.
Katie Arbuckle:Hey Keisha.
Keisha Wheat:So it's been a minute.
Katie Arbuckle:It's been a hot minute.
Keisha Wheat:What do you think we should talk about today?
Katie Arbuckle:Hmm. I don't know if anything's been happening in education lately... Oh, wait, hold on. Yup. I think it's pretty obvious, right?
Keisha Wheat:Yep. The pretty obvious answer is simultaneous teaching. Like I know that's exactly what you're thinking.
Katie Arbuckle:Yeah. Simultaneous instruction is just the latest new road we're all walking down in a year that's been unlike any other year we've experienced. And as we said before, we want this show to be a resource for all CPS teachers and staff members whenever possible. So when we were asked,"What do you want to talk about in Semester two?" The answer was pretty obvious.
Keisha Wheat:For anyone who doesn't know upon reopening of CPS schools most teachers are instructing their students, both in person and remotely at the same time, which is called"simultaneous instruction." We're going to approach discussing simultaneous instruction today in two parts. First, we're going to travel outside of CPS and connect with two teachers who have been in the classroom since the beginning of the school year, navigating simultaneous instruction. After that, we'll take a break and come back into our classrooms and discuss best practices and shared focus for quarter four with some CPS teacher guests.
Katie Arbuckle:So like Keisha said, we are traveling outside of Chicago and we're going down south to Texas. And we're going to welcome two educators from Ben Milam elementary school in Dallas Independent School District. We are so excited for them to be joining us today. First, is Amanda Huffman and she is a first grade teacher, as well as Gina Maffucci, and she is an instructional coach at Ben Milam. So welcome to you both and Go Tigers!
Gina Maffucci:Hi there.
Amanda Huffman:Hi. Thank you so much for having us. We're excited to be here.
Keisha Wheat:Gina and Amanda, why don't we start by going back to the beginning of your school year. So let's go all the way back to Fall of 2020 and approaching simultaneous instruction from the first day. What was that approach?
Gina Maffucci:So first I want to say that CPS teachers, I wish you good luck in this transition. It's been a learning experience for us and there are a lot of aspects that we're still growing and improving on to better meet our students' needs. So there's not a one size fits all, but I hope we can be a little bit helpful for y'all. But that being said, part of our journey was that we started with four weeks of just virtual instruction in our district. So we had an opportunity to kind of get acclimated with the technology and that virtual aspect, but at the end of the four weeks, we did welcome back students who wanted to come back to campus. And so what our campus leadership decided was the best first start with having, of course our students in the classroom and our students virtually, but allowing teachers to be teaching instruction on Zoom to both the kids in the classroom and the kids at home. So they kind of started with a model where everyone was on Zoom, but we really quickly realized that that was not necessarily the best instruction for our students. So we switched course and we started getting the students in the classroom off Zoom, and allowing them to kind of engage in the instruction that was live. So that's, I mean, that's been a huge part of our journey to kind of get started with simultaneous instruction.
Amanda Huffman:One of the first things that I did was start to figure out all the new technology platforms and I had to get comfortable practicing with new technology, collaborate with my colleagues and really having an open mind to figure out what was going to work best for my students. And once really understanding the technology, it was important to figure out ways to share this with families. So creating videos for students and families demonstrating how they could access and use the technology comfortably from wherever they may be. You know, there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made in the classroom environment, including classroom setups, schedule, routines, because it's so essential that I built a strong classroom culture, including students, both at home and at school.
Katie Arbuckle:Yeah. 100% with that, building that classroom community. And I know that I'm assuming in those first four weeks was those foundational building blocks of getting to know your students, their strengths, their interest, and then using that as leverage to try to build this community. And that was one of my parts that really worried me when I was switching to simultaneous. We've been remote since March of 2020 and I started with a new group of first graders and through remote learning, we built such a strong classroom community. I was so impressed—so proud. They were like, they are just punctual little kiddos now. And they're like right there when they need to be. And we had the routines down, I was like, this is all going to just like fall apart when we start simultaneous. But because, I think all the teachers realize that we have to take the time to build that community, it actually, like, that first day, it was actually. I was like, well that we didn't have no technology hiccups. Like we got this. Like, I feel like we, all teachers going into simultaneous are, I mean, very nervous. We all should be. No one's done this before, but I feel like the best way to learn is just baptism by fire. You try something and either works or doesn't and you have to pivot.
Keisha Wheat:We're on Google Meets. And everybody, you know, took the time to establish like a classroom community that was virtual. You know, all the students knew what to do. They know how to mute. I mean, down to the kindergarten, it's like they can, the preschool is they know how to mute and unmute themselves now using the chat box. And you're like,"Oh, wait, I need to figure out how to turn it off." Right? And so there are lots of things that you began to see and strengthen the students that you didn't even think about, um, that they had. And we know that building that community first was the most important thing to do. Right? Um, as you move past building that community though, imagine you're giving advice to someone who is just now approaching, or even, you know, for some people who have already been doing it, right? What would you say to them? Like, what would you say,"you know what, we've done this, we've done that, but these are some things that, you know, if we had to do this other, we would make sure that in the beginning we do this."
Gina Maffucci:So I think one of the most important things is having really your classroom set up really well organized. So specifically it's thinking about where as a teacher, you are delivering your instruction from in a way that is accessible to the students in the classroom and it's also where you're still connected and visible, of course, the students who are virtual. So the way that we've kind of made that work the most successfully on our campus is by having your projector screen and kind of having a little table or something in front of it, with a computer with your students in gallery view—your virtual students, but then that, that kind of shared screen is available for, of course, your students in the classroom and it's being shared with the students, for us it's on Zoom. Um, but we just kind of making sure that all students have a shared experience of learning. So I would say that physical setup is really important for us. It's been a lot of also lesson planning. So being really purposeful with your, your, with your first instruction, because I mean, we've had some attendance issues and making sure, ultimately that when you are there and you're live with all your kids that you're delivering the strongest instruction. So for us, it's really having clarity in your learning goals, your success criteria, having aligned tasks and activities where students kind of know their course to being successful in the course of that lesson. And delivery. It very much is having a balance to your participation. Making sure that you're not just engaging with your on-campus students or your virtual students, that you are connecting with both, which is really difficult. Because it's easy to essentially you guys have been virtual for so long that you're used to kind of having that, that virtual connection, but when you have students in front of you, things change. Of course. So you're kind of, I think definitely being able to manage that participation and, um, engage with all of the students in your classroom. Um, and also, I mean, a thing that we've thought about is just collaboration. Also collaboration looks different when you have students in the classroom and students on Zoom. So if they're all connected to technology, you're using breakout rooms, you have other ways to kind of get them connecting. But how do you kind of, I don't know, build engagement? And builds either rules for students to really connect and engage because they aren't, they aren't connected in the same way that just everyone being on the same model would look like. So I think those are, those are kind of the big building blocks that we thought about, of course, safety and having clear expectations are so important too, because everyone needs to know what's expected of them in the environment that they're in, um, and that helps them navigate their classrooms and access the learning. So it's a lot, but I think once you kind of take, take baby steps that some of those pieces, I think it's, it's definitely been helpful. And it makes it a little bit more manageable.
Amanda Huffman:I'm going right along with, um, what Gina was sharing, the environment, lesson design, and lesson delivery. Those a re kind of the three building blocks that we have been working with, u m, with the environment, just as she said, it's so important that the t eachers accessible to the students in the room, as well as at home. And with lesson designing, you want to plan lessons that are meaningful for students in the room and at home—particularly thinking about materials to the students at home, have the materials to engage in the lesson as well. U m, and then, you know, when you're delivering that lesson, I always think about how my facilitating instruction providing feedback? And ensuring that the students in the room and at home are both getting that meaningful lesson. How do I know that I'm pushing, learning forward for all of my students? I try to plan ahead to ensure that no matter the environment that students are in, they're going to be engaged in the lesson. I try to plan ahead to also be intentional about ways that I'm going to build community and collaboration between at home and i n p erson learners, u m, by making sure they have time and opportunity for meaningful discussion. And then as I am, you know, when I'm teaching, I always try to focus on balanced participation between the kids in the room, as well as my kids that are at home. So it's just kind of really, you know, working with all these different building blocks and they all kind of fit together to help. And also you have to collaborate with your peers and work with your peers and talk to colleagues and be willing to try new things, to see what's going to work and how it's g oing t o be most successful.
Katie Arbuckle:Yeah, all of this is such a balancing act and it's like walking on a tight rope and if one thing isn't there, then it's not going to work. And I also really appreciate the, um, the focus on quality instruction that time live with our kids has to be our best and most direct instruction. So we can get the most bang for our buck. Whereas, you know, if they're going off asynchronous synchronously in doing something, they know exactly what is expected of them. And I just have a quick follow-up question in terms of collaboration. I'm curious of what are some modes of collaboration between virtual and at school students that you use besides breakout room?
Gina Maffucci:So breakout rooms is really one of the main ones. I would say for upper grades, it is a lot of shared Google Docs using jam board. And so students can kind of collaborate and use those platforms to kind of be working at the same time on something. So kind of through the breakout room platform, but they're able to kind of engage in a task together. Something that's also been helpful for upper grades is really having students take on different roles within their virtual meeting platform. So we have students who are the host of the meeting. And so they, they are letting students in. Or a greeter where they can welcome the students who are virtual to be joining the Zoom when they're connecting—the chat moderator. So some of those things have also kind of helps with the collaboration and the engagement between students who are on campus and virtual. But yeah, I would really say it's, it's breakout rooms and breakout room conversations, and it's kind of some shared documents or shared platforms for student collaboration.
Keisha Wheat:So Gina, I was just wondering, so, you know, like I said, I'm an instructional coach, you're an instructional coach. So I was just wondering, how has simultaneous instruction impacted your work as a coach this year?
Gina Maffucci:It has impacted a lot of aspects of my role and I'm sure you're feeling the same way. For a lot of our teachers, and our school has a lot of veteran teachers who have been here for years and years, it feels like their first year teaching. And so there's that level of anxiety. There's that level level of stress. And just like," I don't know what I'm doing." Um, and so a lot of what I feel like I have done is just been helping ease the worries, keeping people motivated and kind of just encouraging everyone, like,"Yes, this is hard, but we're going to figure it out together." Um, and it's hard to coach for something that you've never done yourself, right? Like I never taught simultaneously. Um, I never taught virtually. And so in this new, uh, this new, I guess our new normal it's something that, because I didn't have the experience, it's a little bit more challenging, but I think I've tried to just learn as much as I can and just be a step ahead of our teachers as much as possible. Um, in terms of my coaching specifically, I think it's, it's kind of changed because I can observe a lesson and I can be in classrooms either in a virtual way or in their classrooms directly. And that gives me a really different perspective depending on where I am. A lot of our coaching conversations have asked teachers to reflect on how they collect evidence of student learning. It's really easy when the students are in front of you and you're on campus, they're on campus with you. Um, but we want to make sure for our virtual students, that we're holding them to the same expectations that they have the same level of rigor, and that we can challenge them even from a different place. My"look fors" in the way I am in classrooms, is it varies in this new environment, but also in planning, a lot of our conversations are kind of on that clarity of instruction, making sure that our teachers have clear learning goals, success criteria, but then we really, our delivery and resources are the parts where we're spending a lot of our conversations. Just what does that look like? How can we make sure that that is something that students who are on campus and virtual, um, are, are able to have in an equitable way? Um, so yeah, we, our district kind of started off by providing a lot of synchronous and asynchronous types of lessons. Um, and we kind of started there, but as you figured out the simultaneous platform, it, it does look different and students you're, you're kind of balancing, like you said, you're balancing in and out of that, um, a lot more. So, I mean, it's, it's just changed the way I am around the campus and the way I'm engaging with our teachers and our students, and we're figuring it out together. We're definitely making the most of it. And I feel like I'm learning alongside everyone else. And that's, um, it's been a challenge, but it's also been a lot of fun to just to figure it out.
Keisha Wheat:I think that this year has enabled me. I've already had good relationships with the teachers that I coach, but I feel like this year we've gotten stronger in those relationships because I didn't have all the answers. You can come to me and ask me, but because I haven't done it. We can figure this out together. I'm going to come in your room tomorrow. And you know, when you're doing it, you're not alone in this process. You know, I've said before, I'll be your wing man, while you're running your PowerPoint presentation, I'll watch the chat. While you're doing this, I'll do something else. And so I do feel like we've kind of learned to completely work together. Because I do think sometimes as a coach, people will rely on you to have the answers and say, you know what? I think that, you know, and I didn't always know. Right? And so now it's like, it's okay for me to say,"I don't know." You know, we can figure this out together, let me do some research on this and see, um, what I can find. Um, and I think another thing as a coach this year is it's built relationships amongst the team of teachers, because sometimes I see something in one classroom and I was like, you know what, Ms. Such-and-such, she's doing this. And it worked really well. So maybe we can try that. Let's let's, we can all talk together and plan to see like how she started and see if we can implement that in your room too. And so I do think one of the greatest things that has come out of this simultaneous instruction and virtual learning is that sense of collaboration that exists because I think that this year everybody needed everybody. You know nobody could just figure it out on it. And it was like, I need somebody else to help me survive. And so that sense of cohesiveness, I think now exists much more than it did before.
Katie Arbuckle:I am just now reflecting back on September, 2020 when we went remote fully, um, and just how much my kids have changed and how much I have changed. It's pretty incredible. So Amanda, I had a similar question that Kesha had for Gina. Being a fellow first grade teacher, for any, any teachers out there as you approach simultaneous instruction, and you are almost a full year of simultaneous instruction now, what are some, um, things that have really changed for you in the way that you are, um, instructing or facilitating, or just really big takeaways that you could share with other teachers.
Amanda Huffman:It's impacted the quality of my classroom as it's pushed me to be more intentional with my instruction, um, and focus on the importance of lesson clarity, especially for the virtual learners. I've had to rethink and adjust the kinds of activities that the students are engaging in to ensure that all students have access to the materials and they're able to complete the activities safely. Essentially I've become more focused on creating meaningful activities that are going to allow students to demonstrate their learning goals so that I have visible evidence of how students are progressing no matter their location. And, you know, something, I think we've all learned is that simultaneous instruction truly takes a village. Um, and it's within the school, but it's also with our families. I rely on the support of my students' families now, more than ever before. I'm in constant communication with parents. I always want to make sure they know what to expect by providing newsletters and schedules in advance so that parents know what to expect, what materials to have to be ready to access. Regardless of whether the students are in person or they're at home, um, it's so important to just have that connected community because we are all in this together. I've really figured out ways so my students can participate and we build, we do community building activities together, both in-person and virtual. We do morning meetings, all together. Meaningful discussions and classroom incentives, um, just is so important that you, we, we, it's not that we're reinventing, we're just adjusting so that what we're doing can happen in two places at once.
Katie Arbuckle:I agree with all that you said, Amanda, I mean, especially that clear and consistent communication with families that is so critical through all of this and making sure that they're aware of the expectations. And that's definitely one thing that I think my parents have been really grateful for is just the over communication that I've had this year. And, you know, having the remote learning plans every week and the links and just being as consistent as possible. So if there's anything that the high school teachers can bank on it's just consistency. And we all know kids thrive off of routines.
Keisha Wheat:I have two kids. One is a freshman in high school and one is a seventh grader. Um, my seventh grader, he's not as responsible as, as the freshmen, as the girl and having virtual learning. It's been really nice to be able to say, you know, pull up Google classroom. Let, let me see what it is that you're working on. Let me see what you're supposed to do, because normally he comes home every day. You know, when it was in person, I was like, how's school. Good. You know, what'd you learn today? And it was like the shortest answers ever. And now it's like, I can just look and see because everything is posted in one place. And so always think about next year and the years following, there are some things that I hope that we can stick with. Right? And I think it's that communication with parents, because we've built relationships with parents now. Parents are equally as invested in their child's education and I hope that's something that we move to maintain, right? If he's not doing well in something, you know, because all of the notes now are in Google classroom, I can say, okay, let's look at the notes together and I can help you. Whereas before it may have been with the notes are at school. Simultaneous instruction has brought the communication and really bought parents in. And now it's like, they are our allies and like the biggest way of having success. And so I do hope that that is a piece that continues to live, you know, whenever we get on the other side of this.
Katie Arbuckle:And we are in CPS getting ready to wrap up our third quarter and moving into our fourth quarter. So I was just wondering if you could give one lesson—just broadcasting it out to either the teachers who are coming back for the very first time simultaneous or the teachers who've been doing it now for a month and a half, what would be your big lesson takeaway?
Gina Maffucci:I think for me, it's, don't reinvent the wheel. Think about what you've been doing, revamp it, tweak it. Um, but if there are systems that have worked in a virtual environment, start with that and then go ahead and kind of adjust it for your on-campus instruction. I think a lot of the systems that we've even created this year are going to stick with us even when all kids are back on campus. Think about your approach. Don't feel like you're starting completely from scratch. You know how to teach. You're an educator. And so just do what's best to think about what's best for kids. Um, and think about what you've done, that's, that's worked and just kind of translate that to this different environment.
Amanda Huffman:Right. Similar with Ms. Masucci, um, through simultaneous instruction, I've learned just how important it is to find the routine that works best for you and your students, you know, your students better than anyone else. And it's so important that you follow your instincts during these evolving times. Be flexible. You know, teaching's always required teachers to be quick on their feet and that mentality, um, should resonate now more than ever, but just follow your instincts and be willing to take risks and continue to learn and grow.
Katie Arbuckle:Keisha and I have talked about this on previous podcasts episodes is this idea of giving yourself grace. I've had so many times this year of,"Oh, I am not doing enough. I am not reaching all my students. How do I get this one student to come every day and turn in assignments?" But then taking a moment and being like, where can I, as an educator, give myself grace, because if I'm not taking care of myself, then I won't be present for the students who are in front of me. So as our last kind of close out here on a warm, fuzzy, Where have you given yourself grace in your classroom?
Gina Maffucci:In my role, I've really given myself grace and to knowing that not everyone, no one has all the answers. Um, and like we talked about earlier, we're going to figure out a solution we're going to problem solve as best as we can. But it's okay not to know everything because this is a completely different year than anything we've ever experienced. So I think just, just recognizing that it is a challenge, but it's important to kind of just figure it out. You're going to figure it out. And just to also give teachers grace, because they're doing the best they can, they're working so hard to figure this out. And with some of those, I mean, lesson planning, accountability, like we have life is happening and life is stressful right now. Um, so just realizing that, building a campus culture that is supportive of everyone, doing their best and collaborating and working to figure it out together is extremely important.
Amanda Huffman:I give myself grace each day just to knowing that it will not always be perfect and it will not always be easy, but, and there's always something new to learn. And I think it's just so important to remember, to embrace the struggle and celebrate the small wins that come within each day with your students. And let your students know that we're all learning. We're all in this together. And I think that also helps to build that stronger community when they know that we're all, we're all a team and we're all in this together.
Keisha Wheat:Celebrate the small wins. I think that's a big piece. Thank you so much, Amanda and Gina for joining us today and sharing your knowledge. I know this has been extremely helpful. I mean, it was nice to hear, you know, the perspective of, you know, other educators in a different state.
Katie Arbuckle:That's what I love about education is that collaboration piece and no matter where you are, your heart's in it to help the students. And I really appreciate the two of you taking time today to talk to us.
Amanda Huffman:Thank you so much for having us. It was great to get, to have this time to talk with you guys.
Gina Maffucci:Thank you so much. It was a pleasure to talk to both of you.
Student 1:This episode is brought to you by Ms. Shelly Homan at William H Brown school. I love Ms. Homan because she teach me how to be smart and kind.
Student 2:This episode is brough to you by Ms. Murphy
Student 3:at Disney II Magnet Shool.
Student 4:She helps us learn math.
Student 5:This episode is brought to you by Ms. Sharon Wood at Mount Vernon Elementary School. I appreciate Ms. Wood because she is very supportive. She pushed me to the next level in my academic learning, also because when I don't believe in myself, she does.
Katie Arbuckle:Welcome back to the CPS Teach Chicago Podcast. Now let's turn our conversation on simultaneous instruction, back to Chicago and into our own buildings and practices as CPS teachers. Joining us to talk shop on quarter three and quarter four are Kimberly Frey, a multi-class room leader at Avalon Park Fine and Performing Arts school and Derek Gould, a middle school english teacher at Edgebrook elementary. Go Eagles to both of you.
Kimberly Frey:Thank you.
Derek Gould:Thanks. Glad to be here.
Keisha Wheat:So we're going to go ahead and get this started and we're going to start with the prompt. Describe your first week back in three words.
Kimberly Frey:So exciting, challenging, and impulsive.
Keisha Wheat:Okay. That's three.
Derek Gould:Oh, those are good ones. I agree with all those and...
Katie Arbuckle:You can't. No, no, you have to do your own. Do your own, Derek.
Derek Gould:Don't worry. It was hard to narrow it down to three because there was so many different words that I would use to describe the first week. Joyful was one, exhausting was a second and a third would be,"oops."
Katie Arbuckle:Yeah, we all, I think we all had one of all of those feelings and"oopsy daisy" is along the way, but both of you have been in the classroom now since what it was at March 1st, when we went back simultaneous? Where we have students, both in person and at home, we may have several, two different pods of kids, may have one pot of students, but so far in the first month and a half of being back, are there any best practices for simultaneous instruction in your classroom that you feel you could share out to the greater net of Chicago teachers?
Derek Gould:I don't know if this is a best practice or just like a, Hey, here's a suggestion, big things like"avoid the frills." And so I would say a best practice would be relying on things that teachers have done pre-COVID and pre-remote learning. So relying on small group breakout rooms to check in with students versus like doing all the prep work, to prepare these extravagant slides and things like that.
Kimberly Frey:I like how you phrased that,"avoid the frills." That's a good one. I actually wrote it down. So I can remember to use that with the teachers that I'm working with. And that was one of mine that I thought about with the best practices, really breakout groups, um, using that breakout group function in Google meet is your best friend and figuring out how to make those groups where it's a combination of your in-person students and your remote students. So that way it helps you aid with the monitoring because you have the kids that are in person and you can hear and see what they're saying and doing, which helps you better gauge what the remote students are also doing. And then the other thing that we found was really great. If you have the ability to have two cameras, like some people have a laptop and a desktop, some people I know, went and bought webcams during all of this. If you have that ability to have the two cameras, having the one camera on you, having one camera on your actual classroom, and if you have a projector and you can kind of project the remote students behind you, it builds that sense of classroom. I know for the elementary kids, what we're finding are the remote students who used to have cameras off all the time, more of them are turning their cameras on because they realize that their classmates who are in person can see them. And it almost feels like they're in class together. So that's been really helpful in getting some kids who were previously cameras off and not engaged more engaged back into the learning.
Keisha Wheat:Yeah. Sounds like, you know, well, both of you are kind of saying is, you know, rely on what's worked. You know, I think that, you know, initially the approach to virtual learning and simultaneous instruction was to bring in all of these new tools, right? These, these new components, we're gonna engage kids this way and engage kids that way. And it is, it's a lot to keep up with while you're still trying to make sure that the student outcomes look as best as they can. And so it's really about leveraging what's what we know is the best practice period, right? And so those small groups and breakouts and guided reading, like those are components of things that we've always done in the classroom. So it's like, how do you take what we know works and just do that in the simultaneous environment, as opposed to just trying to bring in all of these new components that we don't even know that it's really working for kids, as you said, Derek. You know, like the kids aren't engaged in the way we want them to, but we know that you put them in small groups, they're at least going to talk. Now we got to make sure they're talking about the right stuff, but we know that they are going to at least engage with each other. So I do think that that is the best practice—leveraging what, you know, works as an educator, what you've always used,
Katie Arbuckle:Because all of us built really strong remote classroom communities, and routines, and expectations with our students and I was so worried that that would fall apart. And I was looking through the CPS, you know, remote slash simultaneous. It was like a thousand pages long, which is awesome and amazing because not all districts have those resources, but I was so overwhelmed pre-going back in March first. I don't know what I'm doing. I hope this works. And then the second I started, I was like, Oh, this is just like any other mini lesson that I've done. Except I have 10 kids sitting in front of me and the rest of them up here, so I can see them. And it was like, nothing's really changed. It's just, now I can kind of get to be a little bit more creative, almost too in the way that I'm working through it. And just one lesson I've taken away is to just be patient and knowing that you'll have kids who will have trouble getting in breakout rooms or doing this—especially with the younger ones. But they'll, they'll get it. And some things will flop and there'll be"oopses" along the way. Have you guys read the beautiful, oops. The book where she's drawn? Oh yeah. You guys aren't primary. Okay. Sorry.
Keisha Wheat:I am.
Katie Arbuckle:Okay. Good. Thanks Keisha! So we are closing out quarter three. Oh my goodness. I can't believe that already quarter three is over. So we're moving into quarter four. I know that I'm getting some more students coming back to me. I was curious if you had any goals in terms of your simultaneous instruction.
Kimberly Frey:At our school, we're actually going to where everyone's in one pot and just doing four days because our numbers were low enough that we could. Um, and so thinking about that, I was super excited to actually hear it, even though that means I have to kind of rearrange some schedules, but I want to make sure that we're better finessing how to use those small groups. Right? I think one of the things, especially for me as the case manager has been trying to help the diverse learning team, like the teachers and the SECA's, and the ESPs, and the general ed teachers that have them in their rooms. How are we best utilizing those people so that we can make those small groups even more effective, more engaging and more meaningful? So that's definitely my big goal going into this fourth quarter is really how are we tailoring those small groups to meet the needs of the students and how are we best using the adults that we have and the people that we have that are available.
Derek Gould:I love that. I love that. I didn't even think about, I mean, I've been thinking about small groups, but I have, you know, a DLL teacher who I work with and SECA teachers and just figuring out how I can better use, like we could, we could divide the kids in the classroom. I think that, I don't know why I haven't considered that yet, but"aha moment over here," it's something I need to work on. One of the things that I've been thinking a lot about, and one of the things I've been noticing with the way my students are working is my, one of my students are in person. I'm finding that they finish work and, and, and move at a much quicker pace than my students at home for a lot of different reasons. And so one of my goals in quarter four is to think about what resources I'm providing students to kind of work at their own pace. So I've been playing around with the idea of like using Padlets as like optional strategies for students. So, you know, if my students are working on narrative writing and they're quote"done" with their writing, um, they can go to the Padlet and the Padlet has extra mini lessons. Um, maybe some that I've created, even though, like, I don't have a lot of time to create a lot of extra videos, but you know, some that I've created some that are pulled from YouTube or other resources, just so students have some things that they can work on to enrich, um, what the mini lessons that I've already been teaching in class, um, which is also something that I'll be able to use next year. And in years to come,
Katie Arbuckle:I'm glad that my kids aren't the only ones finishing their work super fast in person. It's like the room goes silent and I'm like,"What are, what are we doing?" They're like,"We're doing our work Ms Arbuckle." Okay. All right. And all right, they just want to get to the busy bags that I made. They just want, they just want that play- doh. That's what they want.
Derek Gould:I've been joking with my students. I'm like, see, I knew you could finish these assignments in the time that I'm giving you something must be going on at home.
Keisha Wheat:Yeah. Well, you know what, for me, one of the biggest goals I think that I have as a coach is that one of the things I've noticed, um, with the simultaneous instruction is that I don't feel like the kids have collaborated as much as they would have if they were in the classroom. So one of those things I keep trying to like problem solve in my mind is like, how do we build in more collaboration? And, you know, like I stated before, like I primarily coach teachers in K to 2, so that's pretty much the audience. And so they're younger. Um, and so one, my kindergarten, one of the kindergarten teachers in my building, she paired the at-home student with the in-person student. And, you know, initially she was like, I just need you to just come and I'm gonna put you in a room because I just need you to just make sure it's okay. But the students loved it. Like it was like, you know, that discussion where normally if we were in the classroom and you know, maybe you're doing those think pair shares, like those types of things. Whereas that hasn't really happened. Like we've built a sense of community as a classroom, but the kids themselves have not been able to collaborate in the same sense. I think especially with the younger students, because of the fear of, if I put them in a room by their self, what are they doing? Do they know what to do? Is it going to be okay? Is that a good use of time? So I think that that's my biggest goal going into fourth quarter is to make sure that we're still teaching the students how to collaborate with each other and what that collaboration looks like. So that the students then can rely on each other for information too And not just the teacher. Because in my mind as a culture, I'm always thinking, this i s, this is a temporary situation. And so when this is over, what skills do we want the kids to have? What are the things that t hey're missing out on? And, you know, collaboration was a big thing, pre COVID, you know, it was like classrooms had gotten rid of desks a nd we had tables and kids were always talking and they were always engaging with each other and then we stopped. And it was like everything, all eyes were back on the teacher and i t's like, okay, teacher a nd the students and t he teacher a nd the students. And so I think that, you know, we've established a lot of routines and we've gotten a lot of good things happening with simultaneous instruction. And so now as Katie says, you know, we have more students coming back into the building. And so with more students. It's like, well, how do we make sure that all of the students stay engaged? Right. We don't want the kids at home to feel like you're doing more with the kids in the building and I'm left out of what's happening. So how do we create that collaboration so that they're still collaborating with each other and they still feel like I may not physically be there, but I'm there. I know exactly everything that's going on in the building or in the classroom. So just as we move forward and we're finishing out, you know, third quarter, fourth quarter is s tarting. Based on your experiences as a teacher in CPS over the last year, what do you think you'll hold on to, as you continue for, in your role and your career as a teacher? What are those things that, those lessons that you feel like you've learned this year? And you're like, I'm holding on t o t his. This was a valuable lesson and I know this is going to help move me forward in my career.
Derek Gould:I have to say like less, this, this idea that less is more, I feel like I've cut out a lot of things this year and really focused in on what, what I believe in, what I know is at the core of my content area. I think just going forward, I think, you know, normally we, or me, I try to do everything and I try to bring everything into the classroom and sometimes focusing on less and doing less is actually more powerful and better teaching. And also this idea of relationships. I mean this year, this past year would not have worked if I didn't take a lot of time to just talk with students and check in on students and listen to students and see what they wanted to do and what they were interested in doing. And I think that's something that, you know, long-term, I have to continue reminding myself to center them and listen to them.
Kimberly Frey:Yeah. I like that idea of less is more, that's actually a pretty powerful statement to think of because sometimes teachers are trying to figure out how to, how to teach our content and then there's all these bells and whistles that we add on that at the end of the day sometimes are distracting for what we want the kids to learn. And for me really thinking on, you know, how being able to rise to challenges and stretching yourself beyond what you even thought was maybe possible, right? Being put in a before hands, completely unthinkable, seemingly improbable situation. Right? If you'd asked us a year and a half ago, do you think schools would ever close for a year and be remote? We would all be like,"Huh, what?! In what universe would that ever happen?" But yet we were put into that situation and I think the way teachers really Rose to that and, and worked so hard to kind of reinvent their classrooms and their teaching, um, and, and learn new, online learning platforms that were online. And we really learned how to integrate technology into our teaching, which I think is fantastic. There are definitely some programs out there that are great. But I think another key thing I'm I take away and I hope other people take away is that 2020 might've shown us that although technology is really useful as a teaching tool, it definitely does not replace being in a classroom with a teacher. And I think a lot of people outside of the education profession really understood that for the first time ever. And I think that's huge.
Katie Arbuckle:I agree. I hope that everyone now sees teachers in the lens of we are essential. And what we do is essential and to treat all of us with respect, because we have worked our high knees off to make sure that we are providing for all of our students. I have, um, I guess what I'm going to take away from, I mean, there's so much, I'm going to take away. This may sound silly, but it's okay. Not to email a parent back right away. You can wait 24 hours. That's okay. Especially if viewer overwhelmed that's okay. And I'm going to take that with me because I'm the type person that just wants things done and sometimes, okay. And I'm also going to continue to take away that over-communication piece and the expectations and viewing parents as partners in all of this. Because I feel like they have been so involved with this year. I mean, rightfully so their children were at home for most of the year. I do video messages to my parents—weekly emails, I'm going to keep doing that. Cause it just builds that FaceTime and that relationship. Um, I could talk to the two of you. Well, three of us Kesha for many hours, um, talking about our experiences, starting simultaneous and CPS, and then going into quarter four, but unfortunately we have run out of time. I do want to say thank you so much, Derek and Kimberly for joining us, and talking about your experiences, and I think that a lot teachers will get value out of what we discussed today.
Kimberly Frey:Thank you for having us. This was great.
Derek Gould:Thank you. Both of you. I feel like I'm walking away with all these nuggets of wisdom I can take into quarter four. Love it.
Keisha Wheat:I like that you used the word"nugget." That's such a teacher phrase like a little"nugget." See here it is again, simultaneous instruction is bringing people together and learning from other people—like I keep saying. That's the biggest thing that that's what I'm taking away. Right? As I move forward is that collaboration piece, like I said, in my coaching has now been, I don't feel like I have to have all the answers, but we can figure this out together and I don't feel bad about not having the answer. And I think it's okay. And that's what it is moving forward. I hope that everyone realizes you don't have to know everything. You don't have to have all the answers it's okay to ask for help collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. So thank you all again. And I think that's all we got for today.
Ellen:Hi, I'm Ellen and I work in the CPS Talent Office. It's my job to help teacher candidates find a job in Chicago Public Schools. I'm here to tell you about the hiring experience in CPS, but I'm not a copywriter. So I thought we could try something else. Hey Jordan.
Jordan:Hey Ellen.
Ellen:So I'm trying to share what getting a job in CPS is like for prospective teachers out there. And I figure, you know better than anybody since you were recently hired. I was wondering if you would be so kind to share your experiences with us.
Jordan:Definitely. So around this time, actually last year, I first received an email from you because you saw my resume and things online. And you thought that I would be a great fit for Opportunity Schools. I had never heard of it. So I looked it up further from our conversation, and I thought it'd be a great fit. I'm sure I got on your nerves. I emailed you all the time with questions and you always responded very quickly. You always assured me that I could reach out at any time. You always called, even over the summer when I was having questions or next steps. I never felt like I was at a point where I don't know what's going on, or I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing because you always jumped in.
Ellen:So where are you teaching now?
Jordan:I am currently at Avalon Park on the South Side of Chicago, and I teach fourth and fifth grade literacy.
Ellen:And how's it going?
Jordan:It's great. I was nervous at first, because I had never taught fourth and fifth grade. I've always taught middle school. So I was nervous to go to that upper primary level, but I love it. I love my school. I love my principal. I love my kids. It honestly was a perfect fit.
Ellen:I am so glad it is going so well for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today.
Jordan:No problem. And thank you for everything that you did for me.
Ellen:Interested in teaching for Chicago Public Schools? Real people, like me, are standing by to find the right school for you. Visit teach.cps.edu to learn more.
Katie Arbuckle:Season 1 of the Teach Chicago Podcast is Keisha, Katie, Jennifer and Collin. Special thanks to Gina Maffucci and Amanda Huffman of Ben Milam Elementary School in Dallas and Kimerly Frey and Derek Gould of Chicago Public Schools for joining us. Additional thanks to the students of William Brown STEM Magnet School, Mount Vernon Elementary, and Disney 2 Magnet for our teacher appreciation ad. Our bell for this episode comes from Bridge Elementary—“Go Bulldogs.” Don’t forget about our Season 1 listener survey! Let’s face it, if you're listening this far into each episode, then you’re exactly the dedicated, and wonderful, and much appreciated listener who loves a good listener survey! Takes 2 minutes ti fill it out. You can get that survery at cps.edu/tcpodsurvey. See you again sooner than later in the beautiful month of May. Copyright 2021, Chicago Public Schools.