I was not familiar with the acronym T.P.O.V. either until a couple of weeks ago when I was introduced to it at the NCTM’s Reasoning and Sense Making Institute. It was the presentation by Timothy Kanold that introduced the phrase, “Teachable Point of View”, and he brings it up in his book in Chapter 1: The Discipline of Vision and Values.
What brings me to write about this chapter specifically is I have an interview next week for department leader, which is the de facto leader of our PLC. I am going to be (because success is the only option) our department leader, and if that is the case, I better be prepared for the interview and the challenges that come later.
First thing, what is my vision for our math department? What are the values that support that vision? What is my TPOV?
First, let me start with the values of my school. We have 6. Responsibility, Respect, Honesty, Courage, Loyalty and Success. These are the 6 values of the school as a whole. Anything I do as department leader must fit into these values somewhere.
My Vision for the North Valleys High School Math Department
By 2014, the NVHS Math Department will have the highest scores on the District end of course exams, and we will continue to meet or exceed all district mandated requirements for the NV Proficiency exams.
How we will do it:
- We will implement Reasoning and Sense Making type problems at all levels beginning 2011-12.
- We will increase the number of RSM type problems over the next 3 years.
- We will implement the CCSS with fidelity across all levels, starting in 2011-12 (ahead of the district implementation).
There you have it. That is my vision for my math department. We are currently in the middle of the pack on the end of course exams, and we are meeting AYP proficiency goals. We were on a year 4 needs of improvement classification, but through a lot of hard effort, we pulled ourselves out (our consistent red cell was mathematics ELL and Special Ed.)
It will definitely take some Courage and Respect to implement this vision, but implementing will lead us to Success.
One reason I think this is achievable, is that out of the 700 teachers at the RSM Institute this summer, only 5 people from my district attended, and only 2 of them are high school teachers. Both are from my school. We have an advantage in learning, and we can leverage that advantage to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way.
Any comments or feedback on this vision statement? My interview is on Tuesday morning next week, so I need to refine this and sharpen it quickly!
Thank you!