Teachers streamline transition to high school classrooms

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February 27, 2009

Teachers streamline transition to high school classrooms

Each school year, hundreds of students from middle schools begin freshman classes at the Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) in California. In those first days of school, teachers must assess their new students to determine what they have learned in previous classes, how they learned it, and if the students may need additional support to be successful.

As part of ongoing efforts by WUHSD to streamline this transition between eighth and ninth grade, middle and high school teachers recently took an inside approach to learn how other teachers’ classrooms operate. Teachers and principals from five WUHSD high schools visited their counterparts at middle schools, and that same afternoon, middle school teachers and principals followed suit by visiting their counterpart high school campuses. The goal — to observe classrooms and discuss ways of developing curricula that are more consistent with the students’ respective environments.

Bridging this gap by going inside the classroom allows teachers and principals to better understand the various settings that shape new freshmen and how to best incorporate those factors into their curriculum accordingly. In addition to facilitating a more seamless transition to high school, this approach also helps teachers develop strategies and programs for students who need specialized types of support.

Source: Whittier Daily News