As I travel throughout our district, visiting classrooms at various buildings, I am constantly reminded of how dedicated our teachers are in providing an excellent and innovative learning environment for our students. Seeing students who are engaged and actively participating in their learning at every level of education makes me proud to be a Tecumseh Arrow. 

One of the most striking observations that I see over and over again in our classrooms is how eager students are to learn. Whether it is learning how to calculate the volume of cubes, accelerating their learning using technology applications like ALEKS math and Moby Max “reading stories” at TMS and DNE, or reviewing for a test using the Kahoot! application to answer study questions at THS, Tecumseh students are engaged in the classroom and their education.

As I reflect on these classroom visits, I truly see what our district motto of “Learning for all - whatever it takes” means. Our teachers give their all and put so much time and effort into devising instructional strategies that help our students learn to the best of their ability, and our students work hard to grasp concepts to deeply understand a lesson. 

Referencing John Hattie (Hattie and Zierer, 2018), a goal is to build our students’ “agency,” or their voice and often, choice, in how they learn, and I see this routinely in the classrooms that I visit and when I talk with students about their learning. This doesn’t mean that we leave students to learn on their own, this means that we give them instructional guidance, to help them achieve agency - which includes asking for help, seeking to find out what they do not know, and working beyond what they can do now. 

An example of this, was observed in a  classroom at NCE, in  which the teacher allows students to seat themselves, non-traditionally, on the floor, on stools and to work in groups or independently to find the best way for him or her to be comfortable in their learning environment.

At Tecumseh Local, we strive to create a “Whatever it takes” mindset by providing learning opportunities that stretch students’ capacity to learn and by helping them to develop their sense of agency in their learning. 

Referenced: John Hattie and Klaus Zierer. 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning. Teaching for Success.