Portrait of a Graduate

Portrait of a Graduate: Reflection

Portrait of a Graduate (POG) was an initiative founded over a decade ago by a national non-profit called Batelle for Kids. It has now been adopted by over 230 school districts in the country who are redesigning their systems to better address the needs of students in today’s rapidly changing world (Batelle for Kids, n.d.). The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is presently engaged in changing its focus in order to produce students who will graduate well- prepared to enter the work force or enroll in higher education. Additionally, the VDOE is revamping its Standards of Learning testing, recognizing that these tests are a snapshot in time, and are looking to include more authentic assessments. The VDOE has focused on the essential skills needed by our graduates, the 5 C’s: creative and critical thinking, communication, collaboration and citizenship (VDOE, 2016a). There is increased recognition that expertise in content is no longer enough if a graduate does not have the “soft skills” needed to effectively apply that knowledge in a rapidly changing world. This is equally important for students entering the work force or those pursuing technical training or higher education. “Education is our most effective tool to reduce poverty, address racism, and sustain economic advancement for all Virginians” (VDOE, 2019). The inclusion of POG in or education system is a step in the right direction.

The question then becomes what can we, as teachers, do to prepare our students for this complex and rapidly changing world they are being released into. Two essential questions that every teacher should ask themselves are: “What is it like to be a learner in my class?” and “What kind of graduates do we hope to send out into the world” (Perrier, 2020). It is not enough to believe that every student can learn; we need to address what we can do to help every student learn. Teachers can and must create a learning environment that embraces diversity and models compassion (Wiggins, 2018). Knowing and understanding our students while differentiating for different learners can work toward narrowing the opportunity/achievement gap and building equity. Teachers must continually grow in their own self-awareness and not only develop their own pedagogy, but also the “cultural competency needed to develop trust and understanding with students, and the courage to take risks and be vulnerable” (Sacks, 2019). Providing many opportunities for collaborative and cooperative work, and teaching both written and verbal communication skills across content areas are vital for the future of our students in today’s workplace. Project based and inquiry-based learning lead to critical thinking and problem solving. When combined with authentic assessments, they more effectively prepare students for the “real world” compared to purely content-based instruction and assessment. Furthermore, our students must use and explore technology with purposeful 21^st century skills in mind and gain a global perspective and understanding of our fellow humans.

Currently, employers, military recruiters, colleges and universities report that our graduates lack the “soft skills” needed to be successful workers and citizens (VDOE, 2016b). However, there is hope. The embedding of Portrait of a Graduate goals into our education system, may lead to more competent and compassionate citizens who are so badly needed today.

References

Batelle for Kids (n.d.). Portrait of a graduate: A first step in transforming your school system. https://portraitofagraduate.org/

Perrier, C. (2020). Profile of a graduate. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sQQrbWjGfJdI8ohJkSqdT9aWeGWBTQcYXt9_wivS9p4/edit#slide=id.p2

Sacks, A. (2019). What makes a great teacher: pedagogy or personality? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2019/09/25/what-makes-a-great-teacher-pedagogy-or.html

VDOE. (2016b). Profile of a graduate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAkALn4mF1g

VDOE. (2016a). Profile of a Virginia graduate. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/profile-grad/index.shtml

VDOE. (2019). Preparing every student to succeed. Virginia is For Lovers https://www.virginiaisforlearners.virginia.gov/.

Wiggins, A. (2018). Lessons learned from shadowing students-three years later. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kIFRa0ips2NAFPokIqkGE0H3y5LVikQlsnt6HIDPooE/edit