Earlier in my certification course work, we researched the Profile of a Graduate for individual school systems. The resources for this module offered a broader view, and the words of Drexel Harris from this Virginia Department of Education video really spoke to me: students need critical thinking and literacy skills, yes, but in order to carry their ideas and words forward, they need soft skills (Harris, 2017). Reflecting on the Virginia Standards of Learning for English Language Arts, I see multiple opportunities to weave reading, writing, and speaking activities throughout the curriculum. For example, within the classroom, students write every day to include low-stakes, high-impact writing (Fletcher, 2017). They write for assignments and to learn, and they also write because it’s a way to think, to process, and to communicate.

Almarode says graduates with true proficiency “know what to do when they don’t know what to do and the teacher is not around” (Almarode, 2018). In other words, they know how to get unstuck, how to self-regulate their learning to close gaps in knowledge. When a student can do this, they are ready for the next step in learning, be it college, trade school, or a career. To get to this point, teachers should ask essential questions across content areas. In the book Understanding by Design, the authors list a handful of general, transferable questions for each area. When planning lessons, teachers who start with this list in mind as answerable by graduates have the edge: they plan units and lessons to guide students into true literacy. “Effective curriculum is planned “backward” from long-term desired results” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011, p. 4) These essential questions keep the long-term bigger portrait of a graduate in mind. Along the way, engaging students in “Visible Thinking Routines” to build critical thinking, speaking, writing and reading skills is essential (Ritchhart & Church, 2020). Multiple opportunities to use student voice as part of every class helps normalize thoughtful, clear speaking as part of a good education (Bowe, 2020). Graduates need thinking and communication skills in order to succeed. Educators and staff who hold the Portrait of a Graduate in mind as they plan daily learning targets, activities, and assessments help guide students equitably toward graduation and success.

References

Almarode, J. (2018). John Almarode: Effective feedback matters [Video]. Vimeo: Professional Learning Supports. https://vimeo.com/251681942

Bowe, J. (2020). I Have Something to Say. Random House Publishing Group.

Brookhart, S. M. (2017). How to give effective feedback to your students (2nd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Fletcher, R. J. (2017). Joy write: Cultivating high-impact, low-stakes writing. Heinemann.

Harris, D. (2017). Profile of a graduate [Video]. Virginia Department of Education on You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAkALn4mF1g

Ritchhart, R., & Church, M. (2020). The power of making thinking visible: Practices to engage and empower all learners. Jossey-Bass.

Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-literacy/assessment-resources/english-sol-writing-resources

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2011). The understanding by design guide to creating high-quality units. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

– Cheryl Sabo, for Educate VA CT&I Module on April 30, 2023