When you aren't ready, but life forces you to change.

7/13/2022

When I think about my own journey through school and my education, I am reminded of the many times that I wasn't ready for all the changes, for example, the transition from elementary to middle school, after high school, and the big one what you do after high school? Wow, so scary! In my 15 years as an educator, I've never met a student who said, " Yup, I'm ready for the next step in life," at least not with certainty. When the pandemic peaked in early 2020, nobody was prepared for the gigantic way in life as we knew it before was about to change. As our school's leads technical support person for the past five years, I knew this was my time to prepare for my team and school. I met with leaders, journalists, principals, and technology specialists from the University of Mexico to prepare for all our students and families, especially our English Learners. As a consultant, I was able to make instructional videos for my school district and lead a group of students on a Tech Team journey of empowering themselves and their peers by exploring and becoming content experts on current technologies. Leading this team of students and attending the PTSA meetings with our stakeholders along with the returning to schools fever and the violence I personally have endured this and more has informed my future as a new and innovative content creator. Do I feel ready? I feel forced. Do I have a choice? Uhh, not really, but as a POC woman, I choose to turn up the volume on my voice and my experiences. - Yesi Castro-Mitchell, July 2022

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References

Smith, J. A. (2020). Understanding Education: Theories and Practices. Education Press.

Johnson, R. T., & Johnson, D. W. (2019). Cooperative learning and student achievement.

Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 751-761. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000241

Williams, K. (2021, June 5). The importance of collaboration in education. Education Today. https://www.educationtoday.com/articles/importance-of-collaboration Sample

Johnson, R. T., & Johnson, D. W. (2019). Cooperative learning and student achievement.

Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 751-761. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000241

Smith, J. A. (2020). Understanding Education: Theories and Practices. Education Press.

Williams, K. (2021, June 5). The importance of collaboration in education. Education Today. https://www.educationtoday.com/articles/importance-of-collaboration

Rationale

To ensure the success and sustainability of the Mini Lesson Study, I would also like to allocate a portion of the $5,000 towards the following activities and material needs, which are crucial for disseminating our findings and enhancing our educational resources:

Documentation of Findings
A significant amount of time will be dedicated to summarizing our findings from the collaborative meetings and lesson implementations. This process involves writing comprehensive reports that capture insights, strategies, and reflections from our sessions.

Video Editing and Visuals
We plan to document our sessions through video recordings to capture the process and outcomes in action. Editing these videos will require resources to produce high-quality, engaging, and informative content. This will facilitate sharing our findings with the entire school community in an accessible way.

Creating Visuals and Posters
To effectively share our findings and strategies, we will need to create posters and other visual materials for display throughout the school. Investing in high-quality design and printing will ensure our work is visible and impactful in the school environment.

Classroom Materials
In addition to producing educational posters, we will also need to print worksheets and other instructional materials for our classes. Given the current budget constraints, it is essential to allocate funds for these resources to enhance our teaching and support student learning.

Classroom Observations
Conducting classroom observations is a critical component of our study and requires teachers to take time away from their regular responsibilities. This may involve travel and compensation for substitute teachers, therefore offsetting potential lost teaching time and ensuring that observations can be carried out effectively.

By incorporating these elements into our funding plan, we aim to provide comprehensive support not only for the Mini Lesson Study but also for the broader educational context of our school. This investment will enable us to share our findings more widely, contribute effectively to staff development, and ultimately benefit our students by enhancing learning materials and strategies.

Break down of planned expenditures

Food and Refreshments for Meetings: $1,000 (20% of budget)
To create a welcoming atmosphere that fosters teacher collaboration during meetings.
Stipends for Participating Teachers: $1,500 (30% of budget)
To incentivize teachers for their time and effort in participating in professional development outside regular hours.
Documentation of Findings: $700 (14% of budget)
To cover the time and resources needed to write comprehensive summaries of the findings from the Mini Lesson Study.
Video Editing and Production: $800 (16% of budget)
To document sessions with high-quality video content that can be shared with the school community.
Creating Visuals and Posters: $600 (12% of budget)
To design and print impactful visuals and posters that highlight key insights from the initiative.
Classroom Materials (Worksheets and Resources): $300 (6% of budget)
To print the necessary instructional materials to support lessons derived from the Mini Lesson Study.
Classroom Observations: $100 (2% of budget)
To provide for any potential costs related to substitute teachers and scheduling time for observations.