HUNTERDON CENTRAL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Catherine Stutzman
“I used my experience with the Competition Project to develop a learning progression for my students in
American Lit. However, in addition to using the learning progression to develop skills and content specific to
English, I used it to develop curiosity and inquiry over the course of 9 weeks. I started by listing things that the
students would need in order to design their own learning plans, and Heather and I created activities to lead
them there.
For the first time I also worked with an English teacher from a completely different course to develop our
approach. We co-designed learning plans and we worked to revise our courses by using student feedback and
input. My favorite learning experience this year was the professional day that Meg and I used to meet with
Heather, Marci, and two students to rework our assignments and expectations.”
AlinVaks
“Students grouped in small clusters, net-books and novels open on the desks before them, some speaking and
listening, others reading and jotting notes down on post-its, and still others writing and posting to the wiki site
the class is creating. This is a snapshot picture of my English 1 class as the students work on their analysis of
The Secret Life of Bees and the creation of our Wiki project. The students are engaged in the learning process,
working collaboratively to develop their understanding, that of their classmates and peers, and even the outside
world.”
Dan VanAntwerp
I am always comfortable and at home in the classroom. For me, classroom management feels like a very
natural, organic outgrowth of human behavior rather than a separate component of teaching. I believe that,
especially in my “workshop classes” (Hon. English I, Honors Expos, HIP) a culture of learning exists, and
students work cooperatively and effectively toward reaching their goals. I haven’t had to write up a student in
year, and I believe that much of this is due to a relaxed but respectful classroom atmosphere.
In terms of instruction, I am happy with my questioning techniques and student engagement, but am always on
a quest to find better and more efficient methods. I am very interested in increasing student decision-making
and reflection, in order to get students to take even greater ownership of their learning. I am experimenting with
a new final project in HIP this year that will hopefully achieve this end.”
Penny Wintermute
“Many of the resources I’ve sought in professional development have been in pursuit of engaging students in
learning. The practices of writing to think that I’ve learned at Bard College and at the National Writing Project
at Rutgers have helped me give my students a voice in classroom discussions. I also concentrate heavily on
questioning techniques; not mine, but the students. I have learned to use formative assessment to guide my
instruction as well. One area that I am exploring is giving students choice in reading materials and having them
create their own learning plans. This seems like it would truly engage students in their learning and I am
looking forward to working with those concepts.”
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