|
Recent Comments About Seminars & Staff Development Sessions
From School Superintendents:
“ Dr. Queen's work with the three high schools in Lincoln County has produced dramatic and enduring changes in our school culture and instructional practices. Student discipline problems have decreased, student performance has increased, and the climate in all of our schools is more personalized. Teachers particularly like the 90-minute planning period which can be used for staff development, meetings, and other educational related activities. Dr. Queen has remained available for advice and support to see that problems arising from our transition are resolved in an immediate and effective manner. He has truly been an agent for positive change in our school.”
Superintendent, North Carolina
“Dr. Allen Queen provided staff development on block scheduling for our faculty. His knowledge and insight were invaluable to us as we implemented this new schedule for the school year. I am certain that this staff development was a major factor in making block scheduling work so well for our school and its students”.
Assistant Superintendent
Louisiana
From School Principals:
“ I want you to know that both staff and administrators have used and referred to your in-service presentation and comments many times to help in developing our instruction and procedures for block. Thank you again for the expertise and time you have provided to us on block scheduling. It has certainly helped facilitate a great start to the block scheduling in our building.”
Principal
North Carolina
“ As a principal of a high school with over 2200 students and six programs including IB, AP, International Studies, AVID, ESL and EC, Dr. Queen has been instrumental in helping to make it all work. His knowledge, dedication, and ability to see the entire composition of a school allows him to be an asset to schools, such as mine, which needs cutting edge information to remain functional and competitive. Working with new teachers, as well as seasoned ones, Dr. Queen has gained the admiration in my building - not only as an expert in the field of block scheduling - but as a cohort in the field of educating children. He has worked with our school for the past three years and will continue. His presence has become a demand of our staff and I value his input and purpose.”
Principal
North Carolina
“ As a high school principal, moving into our new 4X4 block scheduling format has been at times rather challenging. Teachers, as a whole it seems, are inherently resistant to change. As we move into the block, it's clear that we've done a lot to prepare our teachers towards a positive and effective transition. Throughout this process, we had the opportunity to draw upon the knowledge and expertise of Dr. J. Allen Queen. He recently conducted a two-day workshop with our teachers on expanding classroom instructional strategies. In a word, this seminar was outstanding! He covered topics we wanted him to cover, and our teachers' readiness towards being effective instructors under the block has been greatly furthered. If we are successful in making our block scheduling format (and I believe we will be), much of our success can be traced back to the assistance and support given to us by Dr. Queen. In fact, I can't imagine having achieved the amount and type of success we've experienced thus far without him. Thanks, Dr. Queen.”
Principal
Ohio
From Classroom Teachers:
“ Dr. Queen presented examples straight from the classroom. He did not wholly rely on theory to lecture us but gave us ideas to use the first week at school. I feel ready to teach a 90-minute block with a variety of strategies the first day of class. He did emphasize the need for a balance of strategies. Using only one is not good for student learning or motivation. Each teacher needs to experiment and find the right balance for himself/herself and for the students. As a mathematics teacher, I did not honestly think that some of Dr. Queen's strategies would work for me, but the time, presentation and examples from him showed me otherwise. The Socratic Seminar seemed like a literature or social studies strategy. With Dr. Queen's examples and his encouragement to brainstorm with our peers, we discovered math topics appropriate for this strategy. The Synectics Strategy, particularly using analogies, also seemed very humanities oriented. But we discovered the strength that this strategy has in all subjects for student review. Dr. Queen modeled the strategies so we could see the time element, areas for increased or decreased classroom management, and set up for the use of each strategy. He led us to pull out our pacing guides and insert specific strategies into our lessons we had already planned. From Dr. Queen, we received: (1) Research basis to use a variety of strategies and for changing focus in the classroom every 15-20 minutes; (2) Encouragement to work together in preparing lessons and to network with teachers in a block schedule in other districts; (3) Permission to fail as long as we try again; (4) A portfolio of strategies; and (5) Emphasis on asking higher order questions.”
Math Teacher/Department Chair
New Hampshire
| Dr. Queen's Block Schedule Seminar goes beyond the mere logistical issues of block scheduling and planning to cover the most effective means of using the longer instructional time to advantage. The flexibility Block Scheduling affords allows for more creative instruction, processing, and evaluation.|
Teacher
Georgia
“ Dr. Queen's presentation are like a 'box of chocolates' - he provided a variety of instructional activities to expand the staff's classroom teaching strategies. I'm looking forward to 'sampling' the various 'pieces' as I strive for a more student-centered learning environment. Very informative and innovative seminar. Dr. Queen kept us involved the entire time.”
English Teacher/Department Chair
Ohio
“ During his workshop, Dr. Queen showed us different ways to present material and we actually did the activities. he allowed us to work with our content areas and discover new ideas and methods. The amount of information was great, but he encouraged us to find out what works for us and to keep trying new things! I am excited to try these various instructional strategies to make education more student-centered.”
Career Education Teacher/Department Chair
Tennessee
“ Dr. Queen's workshop has given me many ideas to use in my teaching. As we were participating in the actual lessons during the workshop, I found myself thinking of how I could use each method in my own classroom and where I could plug them into my pacing guides. The two days were rewarding but went much too quickly. It helped to create enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming year as our school begins to implement the methods learned.”
Business Teacher
Mississippi
Thank you, Dr. Queen, for one of the most professional and enthusiastic training sessions I have ever attended. I have been teaching for almost 25 years, and I have been trying to convince my colleagues that the four-block curriculum can have a significant, positive impact on the students. Your presentation was just what the faculty needed to hear, and I am personally much more positive about our chances for making the four-block schedule work at Sherrard. Your style is refreshing, your knowledge is impressive, and your material is superb. Any school thinking about moving into a four-block curriculum should have you spend a day or two with them, for I guarantee they will walk away with the confidence needed to successfully implement this approach. I am impressed with the pacing guide approach, and I am confident the guides you assisted me in preparing will allow me to utilize the 90 minutes in a very productive manner. I appreciate your down-to-earth instructional style - theory has its place, but it is nice to receive practical information that I know has been tested and proven to be effective. Many of the teachers in my department were very excited about the methodology you offered; in fact, the attitude in the entire English department is much more positive about upcoming change to the four-block. Please let me know if I can ever provide you with endorsements - rarely have I ever received so much valuable information at a training seminar.
High School AP English Teacher/Department Chair
Ohio
I had some serious reservations about going to the four-block schedule. Dr. Queen's presentations and seminars were tremendous, and after only two days, I had developed a level of confidence that surprised even me. Not only did I feel better about being able to teach for a full 90 minutes, but I learned some new methods that I am convinced will improve my teaching, regardless of whether or not I am in a four-block schedule.
High School Math Teacher/Department Chair
Virginia
I've been teaching for over 15 years, and I was really comfortable with the traditional schedule of seven 45-minute classes. I was very skeptical about trying to maintain the interest of 7th graders for 90 minutes- some days I have trouble keeping them on task for the 45-minute period. I'm still somewhat nervous about this upcoming year, but Dr. Queen's enthusiasm and knowledge has at least made me feel as though this might actually work. His presentation was clear and I have never enjoyed a training session more. He gave the entire faculty some great ideas, and he convinced me this approach can and will work. My students are going to be pleasantly surprised this year.
High and Junior High School Teacher- Health Classes Ohio
Dr. Queen's presentation was terrific! As a science teacher, I am really looking forward to the extended time in each class, for now we will be able to complete many of the labs at one setting. And the transitions Dr. Queen demonstrated should keep even the most uninspired student motivated. I am really excited about this new schedule - and thanks to Dr. Queen, I feel as though I will be totally prepared.
High School Science Teacher/Department Chair
Illinois
This was a great three days, and I feel much better about switching to the four-block curriculum. Dr. Queen's suggestions and positive approach, always offering encouragement, was infectious, and I find myself looking forward to the beginning of the school year with the same zeal and zest I had when I first began teaching about 15 years ago. The variety of material was also impressive, and Dr. Queen made sure that every discipline was discussed - nobody left the training feeling left out. My entire department was impressed with this man's professionalism and enthusiasm.
High School History Teacher/Department Chair
Kentucky
This seminar has enabled us to further refine our teaching strategies on order to accommodate the changing students needs and time restraints associated with block scheduling. We are more aware that the ultimate success of the block schedule rests with us as we begin to change our school culture. Dr. Queen has shown us how to adapt our curriculum and pace it accordingly so that it is both effective and meaningful.
Nader Twai, English Teacher
Fiona Mackert and Sharna Murphy, Science Teachers
California
Even though I have taught on the block schedule on the block schedule for a number of years. I found Dr. Queen's well-paced and organized in-service to be extremely helpful. His suggestions for implementing instructional strategies
and planning can be incorporated by teachers of all disciplines and levels of experience.
Math Teacher
California
Very informative! This workshop forced me to look at the details of block scheduling and how to restructure curriculum and teaching strategies accordingly.
Math Teacher
New Mexico
|
