Episode 5: To Fail Safely:  Teachers’ Creativity as the Lifeblood of Learning

Show Notes

In this fifth episode of Chasing Bailey, we consider the question of curriculum.  What was the curriculum that powered academic success at Bailey and how did it come to be?  The short answer is that teachers created the curriculum on the fly by focusing laser-like on their students’ needs and prior understanding, freed up to do that by a principal who saw brilliance in the teachers and the scholars.  Turns out he was right …

00:00  Introduction:  Teachers’ Creativity as the Lifeblood of Learning

02:06 What about Curriculum? Barbara Stengel

04:06 Failing Safely: STEM at Bailey  Stengel, Teacher/Resident Madison Knowe, Teacher Chrissy Philo, STEM Coordinator Julie Hasfjord, Principal Christian Sawyer

11:36 What Was the Curriculum at Bailey?  Stengel, Philo, Knowe, Hasfjord, Sawyer, Laufman

25:23 Bound by Testing??  Stengel, Sawyer, Knowe, Philo, Hasfjord, ELA Resident Kenan Kerr

31:32 Global Literacy   Stengel, Sawyer, Philo, Kerr 

36:35 Voice and Choice as a Path to Rigor  Knowe, Hasfjord, Philo, Sawyer 

39:16 Voice, Choice, and STEM Electives  Hasfjord, Sawyer, Philo, Knowe

43:29 Accepting Their Own Brilliance Stengel, Math Resident Sam Fout

45:25 A Focus on Acceleration: Algebra for All  Stengel, Knowe, Sawyer, Math Leader Kelly Aldridge

53: 41 Teachers Really Were the Lifeblood of the Curriculum  Stengel

54:54 Next Time:  Hearing from the Bailey Scholars

In this fifth episode, there are references to a variety of social, educational and historical news and commentary. You can find sources to find out more about these at our website:  www.chasingbaileypod.com.

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 for this episode includes Blues Vibes by Michael Kobrin. 

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