Need an Alibi this Break?

I wanted to provide an alibi for when the chaos of the next few days passes and you are relaxing on the couch wondering what you can do to look busy, so your better half doesn't ask you to help clean the dishes or take down the tree.  These, Potential PLC Resources  are articles, blogs, or videos that I have come across and, I believe, would be great to consider for Professional Learning Community (PLC) discussions.  Many are thought provoking while others touch upon important pedagogy.  By the way, digging deep into these resources is not only a great alibi to use for your spouse, it works for pets as well.  There have been many times I can sense my dog staring at me just waiting to make eye contact, so she can guilt me into taking her for a walk or letting her out on the leash.  I use these resources to avert my attention from her eyes until she goes off to put the same guilt trip on my wife.   The fact that these resources can overcome the pull of the pitiful look you see to your right is a testament to the power of the resources.  Imagine the discussions they could generate in your PLC.  

I do not claim to be an “expert” in any of the four core areas (even Science) covered in this resource.  As I have mentioned in “Instruction Leader = Questioner not Expert” I stress that school leaders should acquiesce to the classroom teacher’s expertise, but should have enough of an understanding of the topic and pedagogy to ask appropriate questions that lead to reflection.  Classroom teachers who are not being reflective of their practice make their expertise null and void if they don’t adapt to the needs of the young people in their class.  In that light, these resources help with that much needed reflection.  As an example, if you are a math teacher, I would highly recommend checking out The Best Way to Teach Subtraction  from Christina Tondevold and Graham Fletcher’s  3-Act Lessons from the resource list.  These two are experts in their areas and the two links are just the tip of the iceberg for ideas they share that can be applied in the classroom.  Both believe the best way to help our  young people to become more mathematical is to put them in situations that allow them to see patterns, make connections, and form relationships between concepts that lead to better understanding of the mathematics.  It is about the process for them and not the product (answers).  

Hopefully, you will have time between the holidays to sit down and enjoy exploring through their lessons as well as some of the other links on the Potential PLC Resources page mentioned.  I hope you have a restful break with family and friends. Thanks go out to all of you, from around the world, who have taken the time to read through this blog throughout the year. Feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo (Spanish), веселого Рождества и счастливого (Russian), Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku (Polish), 즐거운 성탄절 보내시고 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (Korean), Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr (German), Щасливого Різдва і щасливого Нового року (Ukranian), Feliz Natal e Feliz Ano Novo (Portuguese),  Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année (French), and finally to everyone else Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!