6/11/2014 Racine Unified School District Mail - Very quick look at the evaluations from today's PD

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bc30bae157&view=pt&cat=PD2013-14&search=cat&msg=14162615518d2d45&siml=14162615518d2d45 1/4
GretchenStewart<gretchen.stewart@rusd.org>
Veryquicklookattheevaluationsfromtoday'sPD
GretchenStewart<gretchen.stewart@rusd.org> Fri,Sep27,2013at9:24PM
To:GretchenStewart<gretchen.stewart@rusd.org>
Dr.Haws,Gallien,andJoan,
Iamsovery,verypleasedandecstatictosharesomeoftheinitialdatafromthedistrictwideevaluationof
today'sProfessionalLearning,whichweleveragedthroughourLLTs.
Weaskedourschoolbasedleaderstostepupandtheydid,inaverybigway,tohelpusachievethegoalthat
everyteacherleaveseveryRUSDPDexperiencefeelinglikeitwasthebestopportunityforgrowthand
developmenttheyhaveeverhad.
WehaveMUCHtofeelverygoodabout,andasIprocessthedatafurtherandtheremainderoftheresponses
comein,weshouldextendmuchpraisetoourleadersandteachers,abouttheworkthatwasaccomplished
today.Adaptivechangesaresomeofthemostdifficulttomake,andwiththechargetograbheartsandminds
withalaserfocusoninstruction,thatwillsustainthechallengingandexcitingworkahead,wecouldnothave
askedforabetterstart.
IwouldliketoaddthatinallmyyearsofworkingwithlargesystemPD,thisisoneoftheswiftest,mostpositive
applicationsofanimprovementmodelIhaveeverseen.Idon'tthinkwehaveeven3%ofrespondentsgivingus
negativefeedback.Weareover98%verypositivefeedbackonallquestions,andtheassessmentofthe
PrincipalsexecutionofthetenantsoftheLivingtheLearningPDmodelconfirmtheytookthisveryseriouslyand
pouredmuchtime,thought,energy,andprofessionalismintothistask.Givenallofthisoccurredinjustunder2
hourstoday,weshouldalsobeveryproud.
ConsideringeachleaderdevelopedeachPDagendafromthegrounduponadatadriventopicgermanetothem
(withjustatadbitdirectionfromusonthecultureofinstruction),wehavesomeofthemostconsistentdatayou
couldimagine,almostasiftheyalldeliveredtheexactsameairtights!Thatspeakstothelevelof
implementationofthemodel,itwasveryhigh.Thiswordcloudgivesyouapictureofallofthedifferentdata
drivencontentthatwasdeliveredtoday,withstrongtiestoindividualschoolsSIPsandcultures.Learning
emergesasthemostprevalenttopicandIbelieveshowsthatourleadersareverycapableoffocusingonthe
mosturgentneedsofourdistrict:
6/11/2014 Racine Unified School District Mail - Very quick look at the evaluations from today's PD
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bc30bae157&view=pt&cat=PD2013-14&search=cat&msg=14162615518d2d45&siml=14162615518d2d45 2/4
Thereisatonofdatatoshare,buttokeepitquick,someofthemostcompellingappearbelow.Ourinvestment
inLeadershipcanbedirectlylinkedtothesepositiveresultstoday.
***************************************
Justsomeofthemorethan550responsestothequestionof:Whatisyourgeneralevaluationoftodays
ProfessionalLearning?
ThiswasdefinitelyoneofthebetterPDthatIhaveattendedrecently.Itwasveryengagingandwentquickly.
Todayourpdwasveryfunandengaging.Itconnectedtotheclassroomandhelpedmeunderstand
differentiationbetter.

IthoughttheProfessionalDevelopmentsessionwassensationalandwillhelpCasestudentstoperformata
higherlevel.

Ithoughtthatthesessionwasextremelyproductiveinregardstoinformationandnewtechniquestousein
theclassroomsetting.Ithoughttheleadersdidagreatjobofsettingthingsupforusandallowingusto
collaborateinourgroups.

Agreatpresentationandusefulstrategiesthatteacherscanusetomorrow.

Thiswasaveryeyeopeningexperience.Itwasmuchbetterthansittingandlisteningtosomeonespeak.

Excellent....handson....thoughtprovoking.

Itwasgreat!IwasdreadingthePD,asusual,butitwasveryeffective.Wewereshownwhydifferentiation
wasimportant,wegottoexperiencebeingthechildthatisbehind,wegottoexperiencehowmodificationscan
helpustoovercomeourcircumstances!

Ouradmin.teamtookalotoftimeandthoughtintothisactivitytodemonstrategreatteachingandlearning
techniques.Thankyou!

Notonlywasthepresentationmotivational,andinspiringbutithithomeformesoIcouldrelatewiththe
speaker.IamnowencouragedtoreachouttostudentsandmakeadifferenceanywayIcan.

ThisPDwasusefulbecauseourstaffislearninghowtoworktogethertobetterserveourstudentsby
fosteringtheirloveoflearning.

WELLDONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IenjoyedthePDtodayandthoughtitwasvaluableformyteaching.
6/11/2014 Racine Unified School District Mail - Very quick look at the evaluations from today's PD
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bc30bae157&view=pt&cat=PD2013-14&search=cat&msg=14162615518d2d45&siml=14162615518d2d45 3/4

ThePDwasrelevanttoourschoolanddirectlylinkedwithourinstruction.Thematerialsandresourceswere
designedtoreachalllevelsandwerehighlyindividualized.Thepresentationwasclearandprecise.The
informationgivencouldbeusefulasearlyasMondaymorning.Itwasteacherfriendly.

IthoughtthePDwasfilledwithideasandhelpeddefinegoalsandwaystoachievethem.

Engagingandinspirational!

IthinkthePDwasusefulinbuildingthestaffasateam.Wegotarepresentationofhowworkingtogetheron
aninterestingtaskhelpsstudentsstayengagedinlearningandhelpsthembuildcooperationskills.

ImsogladthatIlivedtoseeyouprovideuswiththingsthatreallyhelpustodoourjobsbetter!!!

Itwasquickpacedandhadahighlevelofparticipationfromthestaff,whichwasnice...forachange.

Thiswasastepintherightdirectioninregardstohelpingusallunderstandhowwearegoingtohavetowork
togethertoaccomplishourgoals.Italsowasamodelthatcouldbereplicatedintheclassroom.

Helpfulandengaging.Quiterelevanttoknowledge,skills,andabilitiesnecessaryforgreatteachingand
learning.

ThiswasinformationIreallyneededtohearandneedtohearfromtimetotime.

Practical,positiveandthoughtprovoking.

Asanewteacher,theotherstaffmembershadgreatideasthatIcanuseinmydailylessons.ThisPDreally
helpedmegrowmoreprofessionallyasateacher.
***********************************
Inresponsetohowthelearningwillbeapplied,herearesomefurtherselectedresponsesfromteachers,there
wasanotherquestionsontheactualaccountabilitypiecethatpairswiththeseresponsesandteachersallhave
anapplicationtopursuenextweekthathasastrongaccountabilitypeice:
Developstrongerrelationshipswithmystudents,getontheirlevel,findcommonground,etc.
IambrainstormingapproachesthatIcanuseinmyclassroomtocreatemoreofapositivelearning
"community"sothatmystudentscanworktogetherandalsosupportoneanother.

Ineedtobeginmovingawayfromsomanyworksheets

Allowstudentsadditionaltimetoworkbothindividuallyandinpartnership/smallgroupsfortheexchangeof
ideas&sharingduringWriter'sWorkshop.

BeawareofthewayourwordsandeffortscanimpactstudentsandtheirfuturesI'llgoforthepositiveandbe
carefulofnegative.

Involveparentsmoreinthelearning/teachingprocessUsednewstrategiesinimplementationofwordstudy
withinmyownclassroom

I'llworkoneliminatingexcusesmineandmystudentsbyemployingthetechniqueswelearnedwhile
speaking...andthinking.

Iwilllooktogivemyownstudentsmoretimetocollaborateandshareideaswitheachother.Iwillplanmore
activitieswherestudentscanengageandhavefunwhenlearninginsteadofsittingandlisteningtomepresent.

6/11/2014 Racine Unified School District Mail - Very quick look at the evaluations from today's PD
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bc30bae157&view=pt&cat=PD2013-14&search=cat&msg=14162615518d2d45&siml=14162615518d2d45 4/4
Carefullyevaluatemyweeklylessonplans,andreplacemediocreactivitieswithhandsonlearning
experiencesthatallowstudentstodiscovernewthings.

Iplantospendmoretimereallytryingtomakesurethatmystudentsunderstandwhatisexpectedofthem.I
wantthemtobeabletoexpresstheirthoughtsinmyclassroom.

Writemoreinmath

Workasaunifiedteam.

Remembertokeepbuildingpersonalrelationshipswithmystudentsandmakemyclassroomsafeand
inviting.

Directlyinstructless,allowstudentledinstructionmore

Worktowardcollaboratingwithandsupportingfellowstaff.
**
_________
Gretchen Stewart
Director of Organizational & Leadership Development
Office of Secondary Education
Racine Unified School District
3109 Mount Pleasant Street
Racine, WI 53404
Office Tel: 262.631.7046
Cellular: 262.939.5715
Fax: 262.631.7097
Web: www.racine.k12.wi.us