Cultures of Thinking

CoT Fellowship 2023-2024

Mandela International Magnet School

(10th and 11th grade)

Ms. O’Brien

Table of Contents

1 - My Learning

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What have I learned?

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2 - My Backstory

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A little about my journey.

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3 - Mindset #3

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To Create a New Story of Learning, We Must Change the Role of the Student and the Teacher

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4 - Next Steps

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Where do I go from here?

1 - My Learning

• Starting at Mandela International Magnet School in 2022 was my first introduction to Cultures of Thinking.

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• My understanding and connection with CoT blossomed after our MIMS Ghost Ranch Retreat at the start of this school year.

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• This year I focused on Mindset #3: To Create a New Story of Learning, We Must Change the Role of the Student and the Teacher.

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• This mindset helped me change how I viewed my role as a teacher. I began looking for opportunities to empower my students to explore, evaluate, discuss, and navigate their own learning journey.

2 - My Backstory

• I am a second year teacher. I am in the last couple weeks of my Alternative Licensure Program through Santa Fe Community College. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in History, Political Science, and Government.

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• I currently teach 9th grade PE, 10th grade Gov/Econ, and 11th grade DP History.

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• As a student, I mostly experienced the “traditional” teaching format of: teacher lectures and students take notes.

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• Being a new teacher, I originally felt nervous about “giving up control.” At first I planned all of my lessons ahead of time and tried to “deliver” knowledge to my students.

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Incorporating CoT has changed the way I teach and look at my role as a teacher.

3 - Mindset #3

Street Data

10 minute “discussion map” at the start of the year.

“On average, teacher talk constitutes 70% - 80% of all the talk done in the classroom.” (Hattie 2009).

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“When teachers stop talking and really listen to their students, students feel heard, cared for, and valued as individuals” (Sadowski 2013).

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This is a “discussion map” from a 10 minute discussion I had in my class early on in the year. As you can see, it is a ping-pong between me and my students.

This map helped me visualize the culture of my classroom at the start.

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3 - Mindset #3

Circular Essay Writing Activity

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• Students wrote an essay while working with a new partner for every section.

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• End result = a 100% collaborative essay.

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• I was able to come and go from the room without any disruption to their learning and discussion.

“How am I helping students improve their self-and peer assessments? How can I create more opportunities to practice these skills?”

This is one of the first actions that I took to bring a new culture of thinking into my classroom. It was really fun and successful.

3 - Mindset #3

Students learning by creating and exploring on their own.

Camping trip with 10th grade. Back at Ghost Ranch. Full circle CoT in action.

Giving 11th grade the agency to work with who they choose where they choose.

An example of student work when they are given a chance to take charge and be creative.

“How efficient is the seating arrangement in my classroom in terms of facilitating both productive learning and student self-direction? Do I use seating charts to control students?”

4 - Next Steps

“If we support students in becoming active creators, initiators, problem finders and community members while we as teachers focus on coaching, mentoring, and being community navigators, then students’ understandment, engagement, curiosity, and self-direction will increase.”

Bring Students into the Process

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• Shark Tank. A current unit that I do with my 10th grade students. I want to bring this type of creativity into other units.
• 11th grade DP Grading

Scaffold and Support Students’ Independence

Practice listening more and talking less

• No Seating Charts w/ Younger Grades
• Classmates as Resources

• Leaderless Discussions
• DP (Historical Investigation)

Thank You!!