Grades 9-12  •  Cranford, New Jersey

For one week in February, teachers at Cranford High School showcase their classes for their colleagues through Celebration of Learning. Each day, the focus is on a different teaching method. In the past, topics have included technology infusion, differentiation, assessment, and questioning. A "mixed bag" day features specific classroom practices, such as problem-based learning, in-class support, or learning by discovery. Teachers volunteer to present their classes via sign-up sheets, and their colleagues later select the classes they are interested in visiting. Although the administration prefers that teachers visit their colleagues during their planning periods, they do provide two substitutes each day to cover for any teachers who would like to observe a class during one of their teaching periods. Students collaborate with teachers to plan the presentations, and may be integrated into the lesson itself or participate in a pre-planned workshop instead of a lesson. For instance, one teacher advocated use of literature circles to improve student reading, using the lower-ability students as participants to demonstrate the effectiveness of the practice. District administrators and Board of Education members are also invited to the school for these observation days.