By: Christina Farese
Putnam Ave. teachers were hard at work preparing for the school year during the summer. Many staff participated in independent professional development throughout the summer, including: Project Zero at Harvard; Skillful Teacher with Research for Better Teaching; Disruptive Equity Education by Disruptive Equity Education Project and School Reform Initiative; and Administration of School Media Centers and Instructional Design through the University of West Georgia.
Putnam Ave. also came together in August for the following professional learning opportunities:
- Summer Leadership Institute: This annual institute is intended to support and ground our work as leaders and is facilitated by the administrative team, as well as Dr. Larry Myatt. Dr. Myatt is a co-founder of Boston's Center for Collaborative Education, the founder of the Greater Boston Principal Residency Network, the founder of Fenway High School, and an education scholar and activist who has served as a consultant to Putnam Ave. since the first year of the school. This year we explored Marshall Ganz’ framework: “Story of Self, Story of Us, and Story of Now,” as well as Mr. Chardin’s framework: “Going Beyond Access.”
- Voluntary Staff Days: These days prior to the official start of school provided teachers with an opportunity to meet as teams, plan our September events, and prepare our classrooms for students.
- Putnam Ave. English Department: This team worked diligently to prepare to launch an independent reading program that will support all of our students in developing vibrant, engaged, and empowered reading lives.
- Putnam Ave. Math Department: In addition to exploring thinking routines, familiarizing ourselves with the new frameworks, and planning for our first units, our math teachers also spent some time with Dr. Robert Moses, the founder of the nationally renowned Algebra Project.
- Staff Orientation: We came together as a staff to kick off the school year by exploring Marshall Ganz’ framework: “Story of Self, Story of Us, and Story of Now,” as well as Mr. Chardin’s framework: “Going Beyond Access.” We also spent time in teams preparing.