December 7, 2012 by ConTextos

TEACHING LESSONS– NEW YORK TIMES

“…interventions that take a long time to learn and that require more resources also produce more change.”

As Zoila and I remain stuck in DC from Frankenstorm Sandy, it’s hard not to be disappointed about our delayed return to El Salvador to apply all we’ve learned from school visits at 4 schools over three weeks. But perhaps yesterday’s New York Times online commentary Teaching Lessons. So why does the Responsive Classroom methodology/curriculum being implemented across the States work when others do not? The article concludes:

«teachers not only received intensive training but also had follow-up coaching once they returned to their classrooms, which increased the chances that new practices would take hold. Teachers also praised the program’s pacing: coaches encouraged teachers to adopt steps slowly over a sustained period, instead of trying to transform their classrooms overnight.»

The Responsive Classroom’s methodology for transforming teacher practice is based on the same principles as ConTextos: well-paced content over a two-year period through school-based training and classroom-based coaching. Our support ensures that new practices take hold, that teachers take ownership, and that students remain the heart of the classroom. By providing intensive support and rigorous expectations, we don’t guarantee overnight change, but we do support sustainable transformations.

Read the whole article here