Leading from the Classroom by Example

By: Emmanuel Anama-Green

Elevating teacher voice in Eastern Kentucky has certain obstacles. Nonetheless, many teachers are making the effort. I have a passion for the installation of a proficiency-based World Languages Program Review. While one may easily participate and advocate at the state board of education or the EAARS committee for example, for World Languages Program Review, increasingly tight budgets at the local and district levels cause issue with installing this important review.

Collaborating alongside district administrators, superintendents, and curriculum specialists, I have been able to serve the needs of Harlan County’s necessity for augmentation of the World Languages program into a proficiency-based program. Through the usage of technology, district administrators have been able to broaden our proficiency-based curriculum to all of the elementary schools using the Microsoft Lync® program wherein the two Spanish teachers at Harlan County High School broadcast a brief lesson each week.

One way that I have been innovative in my classroom is by utilizing technology and showcasing its impact on a globally-competent classroom. In my unit about hotels and travel, I require my students make three live Skype® telephone calls for formative assessments, and one live Skype® telephone call (without notes) for summative assessments. The students simply have to make an introduction, ask three questions wherein they inquire about costs, amenities, location, etc, and then end an effective conclusion statement. In short, they have to make a successful telephone call. If they are unsuccessful, they must repeat the call until they are successful. I have a similar assessment created for my restaurants unit.

Collaboration and negotiation have proved vital at the state and local level in the time of the World Languages Program Review due to the issue of funding. I was one of several teachers who advocated in Frankfort on multiple occasions for the Program Review. However, I quickly realized that I also had to be innovative alongside administrators at the local level to maintain the velocity of the voice that had been elevated from a state perspective, which is why I am trying innovative techniques in my classroom.

 
This is a guest blog written by one of the teachers in our Innovative Teacher Leader cohort to share about an innovative teacher or practice from their area of the state. To learn more about the work happening in the Commonwealth from these Innovative Teacher Leaders, who are working to redefine teacher leadership in Kentucky, check back throughout the month of March. We’ll be sharing guest blogs all month long.