Hiking is one of my most favorite things to do with my family, and we have been fortunate to cover miles and miles of mountain trails together. I love the allure of the trail, the challenge of the climb, and the view from the top. Instead of rushing to the top only to return again to the bottom, we spend some time at the peak reflecting on the journey, enjoying a picnic, and looking out at all of the mountains that we plan to climb in the future. We take photographs to document the journey, and we savor each moment... amazed by the beauty of nature and proud of our accomplishments.
This final stretch of the school year is much like the time spent at the top of a mountain, offering a unique perspective. From the top of this peak, we can look back at the trail that has been forged and ahead to the new challenges that await. In this moment, we must take the time to celebrate all that we have achieved during our journey and enjoy the time that remains with our students. Our final Guided Math PD session for this school year was organized with this metaphor in mind.
At the Top of this Peak
If we think of the school year as mountain hike, the top of this peak is pretty spectacular! I am so PROUD of the change that a Guided Math approach to instruction has inspired at Powdersville Elementary. Teachers are using ongoing formative assessment to pull small groups and to differentiate instruction & assignments. They are working together to plan for meaningful and appropriate tasks for each group. Students are using technology for creation & collaboration, along with accessing content, receiving immediate feedback, and practicing fluency. So many teachers have commented on the relationships that this approach has allowed them to build with students, and as students begin to finish MAP testing, teachers are excited to see the growth that has resulted from a focus on individual student needs. I know this is just the first of many peaks for all of us as we continue on our journey!
To get a feel for how teachers are currently feeling about Guided Math and themselves as learners, I used PollEverywhere for Google Slides to embed questions throughout our discussion. In addition to providing useful feedback during the session, this also allowed me to showcase a new tool for formative assessment in the classroom and the variety of question types available! I loved that teachers were able to go to my PollEv.com site and the questions automatically changed as I went through the Slides.
The Path Behind Us
Looking back down the path we forged this school year, I am excited to see that where we once had teachers selecting 1, 2, or 3 to rate their comfort with implementing Guided Math, nearly all selected 3 or 4 in this session! We looked back at the milestones on our journey and the challenges we faced together deciding that allowing the neediest students to face productive struggle is still difficult.
Knowing that we have a group of teachers who will join our Guided Math journey next school year, I asked the teachers to provide advice for those just getting started...
The Journey Ahead
One of the most exciting things about the view from the top of a mountain is checking out all of the peaks that you plan to climb in the future! Looking ahead to next school year, we decided that our monthly meetings together have been a source of support throughout the process of implementing Guided Math instruction, so we will plan to continue and to add those who are new to teaching Math to our sessions together.
The goals shared during this session will be very helpful as I plan for our time together next year!
I can hardly believe that we are entering the last weeks of the school year. It is such a busy time for students and teachers with testing, exams, awards days, field trips, and wrapping up the year that it is easy to lose track of our true purpose. These are the last moments for us to make a difference and to have a real impact on our students before they head out for the summer, so make each moment count! 
