attribute 10.1
vertical planning
Model: At least twice a year STEM teachers vertically plan within their school; once a year STEM teachers plan across school-levels (elementary, middle and/or high).
STEM teachers meet in vertical teams to discuss strategies and plan PBL units during three scheduled early release days. Teachers discuss pacing guides and standards to be taught each quarter. They share PBL resources and strategies. Also, they analyze data to better meet the needs of their students. Our county encourages vertical planning and they plan two days a year for teachers K-12 to meet . We want to ensure that transitions between the levels of the curriculum are smooth and that teachers have the skill sets needed for the next level. It is important to us to have a shared language and understanding. This helps to ensure that our students are well prepared at the end of each year.
Our staff also collaborates with teachers from schools across the district. Together, teachers plan the county’s pacing guides, create benchmark tests and rubrics, and meet to share and discuss best practices. In the past our school hosted a county wide elementary Science PLC. Our teachers have also participated in a district Math PLC and technology sessions.
Also, during the initial planning of our two school wide STEM units we vertically plan within our STEM pipeline. We seek ways to incorporate our partners and plan with our neighboring schools. Teachers from the Hendersonville High School and Hendersonville Middle School have been a great asset in planning and providing support for our STEM units. For example, the graphic arts teacher, Mrs. Gooch helped us with the Colorful Cubcats STEM unit. Mrs. Bradley, an English teacher, planned with us and supplied resources for our Fantastic Fairy Tales STEM unit. They donated the use of their medieval props and high school students volunteered their time to welcome our students into the Cubcat Castle and to our SPACE-tacular STEM night. Two high school students volunteered their time to come play the trumpet to announce the arrival of our guests during our STEAM family night. Hendersonville Middle School students partner with our 4th grade math students two mornings a week and teachers from both schools have supported and planned with our Lego Robotics teacher.
It is essential that we collaborate with each other and colleagues from outside our school if we are to help prepare our students for their chosen career pathways. Our collaboration now sets an example for our students in school and in their careers.
Kindergarten through 5th grade STEM teachers collaborate at HES during and early release day. Teachers vertically align PBLs and pipeline retention activities.
STEM teachers from Hendersonville Elementary School met with teachers from our local middle school to vertically align PBL activities.
A STEM unit titled, “Colorful Cubcats.” Through our STEM pipeline and strategic planning, we partnered with our local high school’s digital media and graphics classes to have them print a logo on all of our shirts.
STEM specialist and parent volunteers helped student's tie-dye their HES t-shirts.
Below is an email between HES STEM specialist and Hendersonville High School digital media specialist.
To the right is an email showing the shirt proof that the high school digital media classes printed for us.