Cohorts Inspire Growth
It was June 8, 2017. Progress reports waited to be written, classrooms longed to be cleaned, and faculty yearned to begin their summer vacations. But first, 31 faculty and staff members thirsted to share all they learned as members of Graland’s 2016-17 cohorts, one focused on diversity and equity, the other dedicated to differentiation in the classroom. Summer was on pause while cohort members hosted “topic tables” for their colleagues, imparting knowledge about concepts learned and shared goals that were set and accomplished. Their colleagues quickly became inspired.
Graland’s cohort system is a powerful professional development tool affording people the gift of time and resources to engage in significant learning over a school year. The model is designed to give faculty and staff the opportunity to become students, who then go on to inspire Graland students and colleagues.
Last year’s topics of discussion included implicit bias, tackling challenging conversations, best practices for anti-bias education, viewing social studies through a diversity and equity lens, conferring with students, and the workshop model among others. Cohorts gathered at intervals throughout the year and were led by expert facilitators with the goal of expanding global understanding, increasing knowledge about equity and inclusivity, and enhancing classroom strategies to meet the needs of all learners.
2016-17 Diversity and Equity Cohort Members:
Liza Baker, Laurie Chandler, Cindy Cheadle, Wendy Demartini, Ben DeVoss, Ashleigh Finn, James Foreman, Beth Gaffga, Justine Hall, Kai Johnson, Skip Jones, Kimm Lucas, Jane Maslanka, Betsy Metcalfe, Kathy Riley, Lisa Ross, Gail Sonnesyn, Brenda Stockdale, essica Williams, and Kieffer Williams
Jane Maslanka, Grade 8 History Teacher
Diversity and equity are almost overwhelming in scope. These topics include examining issues of race, socioeconomic class, gender, learning differences, religious identity, ethnicity, sexual preference, nationality, and intersectionality in ourselves, our community, and our curriculums, while discovering and attempting to eliminate our own blind spots along the way. It can’t be completed in a day or a week; it’s the work of a lifetime.
But if you work with kids and families, it’s a necessity—key to ensuring that every member of our community feels fully welcome, respected, and embraced. Graland’s cohort model provided members with uninterrupted time, allowing us to explore sensitive issues before returning to the classroom to see our kids, curriculum and community with new eyes.
Wendy Demartini and Liza Baker, Kindergarten Teachers
Kindergarten teachers strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment which may not be the first thing you notice when you walk in. However, if you were able to stay or converse with students you would begin to see the effect the cohort has had on the classroom environment. You may notice the dolls and food in the play area and realize the students have learned about the culture and history each item represents. You might see books specifically chosen to provide windows and mirrors for students; windows being opportunities to learn about other cultures and mirrors being reflections of the various cultures that exist in each classroom. You might overhear a conversation between students in which they compare and contrast their unique qualities and celebrate their differences. These examples may not seem huge, but they are significant. Through our work in the cohort, we have not only developed skills to have conversations about race, gender, sexual orientation, and different family structures; we have held those conversations in our classroom communities in a respectful, honest and open way. We view our work as the conversation starter. These conversations are the foundation for global citizenship.
2016-17 Differentiation Cohort Members:
John Caldwell, Marielle Carlson, Katie Cohen, Steve Collins, Sandy Erlach, Elizabeth Leddy, Mitch Masters, Diana Quezada, Casey Russell, Lisa Schreiner, Gail Sonnesyn, Nikki Spiers and Rocio Zeiler
John Caldwell, Grade 6 History Teacher
Teachers ask students to have a growth mindset. The same should be true for educators. The Differentiation Cohort has been an excellent and applicable example of professional growth. It provided me with a chance to learn and share with peers. It also provided me with tangible ways to reach all students. The cohort helped me provide students with more choices and ownership throughout the learning process, providing them with a richer learning experience. In their spring oral history project, sixth graders were allowed various choices. While the learning objectives were the same for all students, the process and products were different. When I use differentiation strategies, students gain confidence and tackle challenges independently. The Differentiation Cohort made me more intentional in my planning for the numerous types of learners in my classroom.
Katie Cohen, World Language Teacher
We learned many helpful strategies, including how to provide choice, vary content, and give immediate and explicit feedback. Conferring was one strategy that stood out for me. Conferring takes place when teachers switch to coaching mode. She checks in to see how her students synthesize new material. It’s a way to assess progress individually or in small groups, and to isolate potential gaps in understanding. Rather than ask a student for the answer, a teacher might ask how she arrived at an answer.
The Differentiation Cohort leader not only provided us with many tools and suggestions for honing our craft, but also gave us time to incorporate our newly learned material into current lesson plans. This brought what we learned to a whole new level, as we moved from theory to actual practice.
With a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado, Gail manages Graland’s professional development and faculty recruitment efforts while assisting the Head of School in day-to-day school affairs. Her twin daughters, Sara and Megan Hill, graduated from Graland in 2012 and are now college sophomores.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
