Teacher's Lounge: Have you visited a school lately?

My new position has allowed me to see teaching in a whole new way. I have been a classroom teacher for 13 years and NEVER had the experience of visiting other schools to see what methods, techniques, models, (etc.) teachers use (or are required to use) in their school. I knew what I was doing in my classroom (how to differentiate/modify lessons to meet the needs of my students) and I knew what my principal's expectations were...that's all I needed to know! Right?

I now have the opportunity to meet with Teacher Leaders across the city. I visit their classrooms and help them to reflect on either the instructional strategy they chose to implement, or on the task they ask students to perform. This has really opened my eyes to what other teachers are doing across the city! Sometimes I wish I were back in the classroom myself so I could implement some of the strategies that I've been able to observe. It really is a shame that there isn't some type of system in place that allows (or requires) schools to partner with other schools to share ideas and observe best practices.

Yes, this is starting to happen. There are LPP schools (Learning Partner schools that work in a triad), and with the new TCP (Teacher Career Pathways) schools are starting to host inter-visitations with one another. However, I don't know if it's reaching as many teachers as it should be, or even if it's reaching them at a fast enough rate.

ANYWAY, I just want to share some pictures from inside some of the beautiful school buildings that I've been lucky enough to partner with...so enough babbling from me =)