Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This classic engaged me in a delightful summer getaway! I first read this book in high school, but I don't remember what I thought of it then. I reread it one summer in Hawaii about a decade ago when I found it on Louise Austin's bookshelf. She let me have it, and it made our flight home very pleasant. When our book club read it this summer, I was gone. But still, I wanted to visit it again to see if it still had the magic I remembered from the last time I read it. It does!

This book was apparently one of the first where women had independent ideas and considered themselves equal to men. It's interesting that that didn't stand out to me when I read it; this came later as I read about it online. I was looking to see how rich Jane's inheritance would have made her by today's standards, and read how ground-breaking this novel was for its time. It made me appreciate it even more! I had planned to also use the Internet to help me understand some of the French phrases that little Adele says, but that are never translated. I haven't done that YET.

What I love about this story is how humble yet bold Jane is. I love watching her love for Mr. Rochester grow. I enjoy reading how his teasing and humor underlie his seeming gruffness. I love how she struggles with her moral decisions and shares her thinking and feelings with us, her readers. She is such a keen observer and knower of human nature!

I also found Lowood School's description both fascinating and appalling. It reminded me, too, of the importance of "one caring adult" at school having such a profound influence. Systems of education and systems of class are revealed in such an interesting way. It deepened my desire to return to England and this time, soak up more of the history and culture. All in all, a very satisfying read.

Enhancing Professional Practice - A Framework for Teaching by Charlotte Danielson

This is an amazing book! Danielson has been working in teacher evaluation for decades, and this book is a comprehensive study of what good teaching looks like. It's an accessible read, very user-friendly. It invites teachers to reflect on their practice, using the rubrics that describe different levels of accomplishment. When I think about the complex work of teaching, I am grateful that there is such a framework to help us get a handle on its complexity. Danielson divides the work of teaching into four domains:

• 1. Planning and Preparation
• 2. The Classroom Environment
• 3. Instruction
• 4. Professional Responsibilities

Each domain has five or six components (22 total), and under those, elements, totaling 76! It sounds overwhelming, and it is! But each element is important to the overall work. To me, the real value lies in the rubrics, which take each element and describe four levels of performance:

1. Unsatisfactory
2. Basic
3. Proficient
4. Distinguished 

South Dakota is adopting the framework and is requiring districts to use the framework as they design teacher evaluation systems. It's a good idea to have a statewide, consistent model for people to agree on and work towards. The rubric requires evaluators (typically a principal) to cite evidence during classroom observations. Having such clear rubrics and requiring evidence helps principals and other evaluators or supervisors be more purposeful and objective in their judgments. It will take some investment of time and effort, though, to thoroughly understand the framework. As schools take on this work of understanding the framework, they will naturally develop common vocabulary about teaching. And fostering conversations about what excellent teaching looks like, is always a great use of professional development time.

It's interesting that the constructivist theory underpins the framework. Based on how students learn and construct understanding, the framework is soundly based on research. Also interesting is the fact that major themes are integrated into the domains as seamlessly as possible, rather than singled out as separate elements. These integrated themes include:

1. equity
2. cultural competence and sensitivity
3. high expectations
4. developmental appropriateness
5. attention to individual students, including those with special needs
6. appropriate use of technology
7. student assumption of responsibilities

I'm teaching an online class that is a book study on this framework. I'm looking forward to learning how the 27 teachers and administrators in my class will respond to the framework and how they will plan to implement it in their districts.