Greenhorn Blues

I am so excited about the possibilities for the wetlands unit I am writing. But I have a few concerns related to its implementation. There are eight teachers on the first grade level at our school. I have the least actual classroom experience of anyone on our team. Two have been teaching 19 years and one will retire after 30 years in two months. We plan collaboratively. We give the same tests in the same order. We all give the same grades for the same curriculum. I have spent the last 20 months learning from these colleagues. Their way produces good readers and "on grade level" students. I have a lot of respect for them.

I am nervous about presenting my unit plan to this experienced team. I plan to share the steps with them as I develop them. I am not going to lecture about backward design or try to explain "understandings". I am just going to share the neat plan I have for doing the unit everyone has done since time began. I know I can count on them for support. Even if they think the ideas are far too ambitious, they will be kind. But I also hope they will give me some constructive criticism. What I ultimately want is for them to incorporate some of the ideas into their own unit plans, ala Taba. But I feel like the "greenhorn" trying to tell the old cowboy how to brand his steers! Still, one of my goals is to be a leader who facilitates change through technology and constructivist practices. There will be no better time to take the plunge into this adventure than during my "Wet and Wonderful: First Grade Dives into Ponds and Wetlands" unit!