Day 10- Monday, January 25

Monday marked my first staff in-service experience. I had very few expectations in mind coming into the experience, as I wasn't entirely sure what the agenda had in store for me. When I woke up in the morning, I was welcomed by a blizzard. Luckily, I woke up early enough to leave with some extra time and with just a little caution and some extra patience I made it to the high school with plenty of time to spare. Go me!

The first part of the morning was spent with a teacher from Texas who works with the College Board. The facilitator discussed with us what vertical alignment is and how it can serve as a valuable resource to the school district's curriculum plans. What I was most surprised by was how the facilitator focused a good deal on AP classes. While I recognize the value of AP classes, and I feel that they are a beneficial option for students, I had wished that the facilitator would have invested more time discussing the concerns of the majority of our students- those who are considered "average" or even "below average." However, I had to remind myself throughout the workshop that this facilitator worked for the College Board; it only made sense that she would push AP classes.

After a two-and-half hour lunch (really? Not exactly necessary, if you asked me), the afternoon was spent with our departments. This was kind of exciting for me, as it allowed me the opportunity to meet the high school English teachers for the first time. However, after the discussion began, I soon found myself totally and completely lost. Not being entirely familiar with the district's Language Arts curriculum from 6th through 12th grade, I had to work hard to keep up. I used the experience as a chance to sit back, listen to the concerns and suggestions of all the educators around me, and soak it all in.