Episode 2: Teaching is a Team Sport
Show Notes
This second episode of Chasing Bailey explores the first of several characteristics that marked the practice of education at Bailey: that is, teaming. Content teachers, special educators, teacher leaders, paraprofessionals, and residents learning to teach collaborated on both grade level and content-focused teams to encourage the growth and development of every scholar. Host Barb Stengel documents the difficulties in learning to team well and the remarkable successes that resulted from persistence and commitment. She focuses not only on the structure of the teams, but also on the infrastructure that teaming made possible: 1) a relentless focus on students’ growth, 2) a consistent care for teachers and all staff, 3) the space for both collaboration and autonomy, and 4) an expansive understanding of inclusion. In the end, teaming at Bailey included educators and scholars in a shared focus on learning for all. There are post-pandemic lessons in this for all of us.
00:00 Introduction: Teaching is a Team Sport
03:52 The Power of the Teacher Team. Principal Christian Sawyer
05:45 Getting going with Teaming in the 7th and 8th Grade, Team Lead Kelly Latham, Counselor April Roberts, and Resident Amanda West
13:40 Teaming in the 5th and 6th Grades. Team Lead Jennifer Hurst, Exceptional Educator/Dean Art Taylor, Kristin Petrony and Laura Laufman
21:40 Teaming and Collaboration Resident Alex Casarez
23:55 Shared and Sharp Focus on Scholars. Exceptional Educator Janita Sanders, Resident Kenan Kerr, TFA Corps Member Susan Benear, Student Zee Jennings, and ELA Teacher Leader Whitney Bradley Weathers
32:36 Team Structure and Teacher Supports. West, ELA Teacher Charlsie Wigley, Science Teacher Cherifa McDowell
37:30 Teams, Collaboration and Autonomy. Casarez, Math Lead Karen Dorris Wolfson
40:58 An Expansive Understanding of Inclusion. Hurst, Taylor, Petrony, Exceptional Educator Keisha Harding
46:38 The Scholars Were ON the Team! Host Barb Stengel
47:09 Teaming May Not Be for Everyone. Latham and Beasley
50:35 Logistical Gains, Social Justice Gains. Sawyer
51:22 Building Capacity Toward Teacher Leadership. Wigley
Our Host is Barb Stengel, a retired professor of educational practice at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. She is a self-described fan of the Bailey experiment.
Between 2012 and 2016, Barb spent one day a week at Bailey, coordinating the school’s collaboration with Peabody, and serving as an informal cheerleader while also learning from this remarkable effort. She knew early on it was a story worth telling. So over the past year, Barb has spent time with dozens of staff, students, parents, and district administrators who were eager to talk about their experiences.
Chasing Bailey is hosted and narrated by Dr. Barbara Stengel, Vanderbilt University.
This episode was edited and co-produced by Brenna Fallon. The executive producer is Dr. Lowery Woodall, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
Our theme music is Midnight Blues by lemonmusicstudio. Occasional music includes Blues Vibes by Michael Kobrin, Soul Food by Chris Haugen, and Lazy Bluesy by astrofreq.
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