OUR JOURNEY TIMELINE

YEAR ONE: 2012-2013

The CoT Team mapped out a plan for year two of our
Culture of Thinking journey. Copies of Making Thinking
Visible were purchased for each staff member to use in
next years book study.

MAY 30
2013

The Compass Points thinking routine was used to structure a

data dig on the ACT Explore results during PD. In addition, a
Chalk Talk was utilized to introduce new SIP teams for the next
school year.

MAY 3
2013

MAR 21

Today our seven member Cohort team (Cheryl Gambaro, Melina

Chynoweth, Deanna Knox, Erica Rossell, Jen Steffes, Bill Staugaard,
and Nick Ontiveros) began a two-day seminar with Ron Ritchhart.
These seminars continued monthly for April and May. These teachers
began using thinking routines in their own classroom.

2013
The production of various resources began as the COT Team
discussed ways to roll-out Visible Thinking to the entire staff. The
following items were created:

Thinking Routine signs for classrooms

Thinking Routine videos of classrooms in action
Visible Thinking Video for Reuther Middle School webpage
Teachers' Lounge Chalk Talk on various topics
Toolbox Cards for each thinking routine

FEB 25
2013

NOV 19

Principal Cheryl Gambaro and SIP Co-Chairs Melina Chynoweth and

Deanna Knox participated in a Ghost Walk at Wass Elementary in the
Troy School District. Wass was in their second year of the Cultures of
Thinking Project, and it was very apparent that the thinking routines
were being embedded into every classroom and grade level at the
school. A See-Think-Wonder was used to conduct the Ghost Walk.

2012
A group of Reuther Middle School staff members attended the Project Zero
Conference hosted by Clarkston Community Schools. The group participated in
classroom visits at Sashabaw Middle School where thinking routines were in
action. In addition, the Sashabaw administrators, Todd Bidlack and Jennifer
Johnson, shared how thinking routines were being utilized to facilitate
professional development in their building. Keynote speakers Ron Ritchhart
and Howard Gardner shared insight on visible thinking and habits of the mind.

NOV 1-3
2012

START
SEPT 28

Principal Cheryl Gambaro and School Improvement Co-Chairs

Melina Chynoweth and Deanna Knox began the Cultrues of
Thinking journey by attending the first Leadership Foundations
Program facilitated by Ron Ritchhart and Lauren Childs at
South Lyon East High School.

2012

designed by Rachel Mainero // Reuther Middle School

icons made by freepik from flaticon.com

OUR JOURNEY TIMELINE

YEAR TWO: 2013-2014

MAY 13, 2014

Staff members used the MYST
thinking routine to reflect upon their
classrooms and ways that thinking
was made visible. In addition, staff
completed the Development of a
Culture of Thinking in My Classroom
self-assessment. This selfassessment will be used as a
springboard in Fall 2014 to begin the
year with the 8 Cultural Forces.

MAR 4, 2014
All four middle schools came together for a
collaborative PD centered around visible
thinking. The day started with Adam Scher,
Principal of Way Elementary in Bloomfield
Hills, as the keynote speaker. Representatives
from each school presented on various
Cultures of Thinking topics.

FEB 13, 2014

JAN 14, 2014
The final vision statement was presented to staff.
Our students will reach their full potential through
the development of a strong work ethic, effective
problem solving skills, and positive relationships.

Staff members engaged in the LAST

Protocol to look at the thinking in
student artifacts.
Thinking Move posters were distributed
to encourage teachers to name and
notice thinking during lessons.

NOV 5, 2013
NOV 12, 2013
Staff members shared testimonials about the
culture within their classroom and the routines
used to foster meaningful interactions.
In addition, staff members engaged in the
Connect-Extend-Challenge routine to further
discuss dispositions.

Staff members conducted a Gallery Walk

in three rounds which allowed for every
staff member to introduce and explain
their experience with a routine of their
choice. The I Used to Think, Now I Think
routine was used as a personal refection.
The Understanding Map was shared as a
resource for unit planning. CIA team time
was provided to develop a unit centered
on the types of thinking desired.
Chapters 5 & 6 of MTV were assigned for
Feb 13.

OCT 8, 2013
The staff was presented with two different
stories of education: one of work and one of
learning. Staff members reflected on their
experience with school and how they can rewrite the story of education.
Additionally, staff members narrowed down
the dispositions for the revised school vision
statement.

OCT 28, 2013

Reuther hosted Harvard Project Zero Researcher
Ron Ritchhart during a Making Thinking Visible
Parent Night. Ritchhart introduced Reuthers
parents to the Cultures of Thinking concepts while
several staff members conducted break-out
sessions focused on thinking routines.

OCT 4, 2013
Deanna Knox and Rachel Mainero unveiled
Reuthers Cultures of Thinking Website.

AUG 28, 2013

Staff was also re-introduced to the Teacher Lab

concept that provides opportunities for staff to
grow professionally from one another.

The year began with a re-examination of our

schools vision. The Chalk Talk routine was
used to explore the dispositions we want
our students to have as adults.

The Sentence, Phrase, Word routine was used to

dig deeper into the ideas presented in chapters
1 & 2 of MTV.

Each staff member received a Making

Thinking Visible book for our book study
that took place throughout the school year.

Chapters 3 & 4 were assigned for Nov 5.

Chapters 1 & 2 were assigned for Oct 4.

Rachel Mainero // Reuther Middle School

icons made by freepik from flaticon.com

MAY 5

Growing our Culture

2015

Environment, Modeling & Interactions

ment goals set last month. Departments met to set next years
STAGES 2 goal to align with one
or more of the cultural forces.

OUR JOURNEY TIMELINE

APR 18

2015

3rd Teacher Contd

Routines, Environments
& Interactions

Based on the personal environment reflection in journals, staff

wrote I Used to Think Now I
Think summaries. From there,

MAR 3

2015

each person set three goals to

strive for in order to enhance the
classroom environment and the
interactions that occur within it.

The 3rd Teacher

Expectations, Environment,
Routines & Interactions

The student thinking continuum

was used to analyze routines and
the depth of student thinking.
Staff members rotated to five

classrooms and observed how

environments facilitate thoughtful interactions. A reflection of
ones environment was assigned.

NOV 4

Gallery Walk

2014

Routines & Expectations

Each staff member brought a

sample of student artifacts to
display for our gallery walk.
Staff reflected on the students

OCT 13

8 Cultural Forces

2014

Lets see them in action!

To gain a better understanding

of how the cultural forces work
together, staff members rotated
to five different classrooms and

thinking and discussed with colleagues ways to bump-up the

routine/lesson to create stronger thinking opportunities.

YEAR THREE:2014-2015

Staff members participated in an

Environment Auction and acquired new items that will help
them reach the three environ-

observed the forces in action.

They identified which forces
were in play during each lesson
and how the forces interact.

AUG 27

The Whole Pie

2014

There is more than just Routines.

The 8 cultural forces that define

our classrooms were introduced
with our new pie analogy. Staff
members learned that routines

are just one slice of the pie that

creates a cultures of thinking
environment.

Rachel Mainero // Reuther Middle School