Sentries Against Hopelessness

Coming to school each day can become a hopeless task for some children unless they succeed at what they do. We teachers are the sentries against that hopelessness.  ~ Robert DeBruyn

Budget cuts, standardized testing, talk of accountability, time constraints, and shifting standards are enough to challenge the morale of the most steadfast, and determined, educator.  Our schools are microcosms of our society, which means that many of our students face challenges that children shouldn't experience -- poverty, abuse, broken families, drugs, neighborhood violence…and the list goes on.  

Adding to the level of frustration, is the fact that many of these factors, that directly impact our students (and our ability to educate), are beyond our control.  So we are left with a choice: to lament the unfairness, and inequity, or be determined to make a positive impact on what is within our sphere of influence.

Each morning, an extremely diverse group of students walks through the front gates of our school.  The differences are staggering, but they all share a need to feel a sense of belonging, to know their existence matters.  Once they set foot on campus, we can do a lot to determine the outcome of their school experience.  Be determined that every word, every interaction, and every lesson is purposeful, and positive.  high expectations with overwhelming support.  Be patient.  Show empathy.  Demonstrate humility.

As you step into your classroom, remember these wise words from Haim Ginot, because they are truth:

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.  It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.  As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.  I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.

You matter.  Be a sentry against hopelessness. 

Fostering a Growth Mindset

Ask "How will they learn best?" Not "Can they learn?" ~ Jaime Escalante

As you begin working with your PUSH list students, you might want to consider the work of Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, on mindset.  Dweck has identified two different mindsets that impact education and student learning -- a fixed mindset, in which an individual believes that intelligence is static (you either have it or you don't), and a growth mindset, where there is a belief that intelligence can be developed by various means.  For an overview, I HIGHLY recommend this article by Dweck: Mind-Sets and Equitable Education.

By the time they have reached seventh grade, many students have experienced multiple years of academic challenge, and even failure.  This is especially true of our most at-risk students.  They exhibit what Carol Dweck would say is a "fixed mindset" about learning.  These students feel like "what you see is what you get," many believing that they have little (or no) control over their level of intelligence.

As educators, our words matter.  The way we talk to our students, the type of feedback we give, and the little things we do to encourage students are essential to helping them acquire a "growth mindset" -- the belief that their intelligence can be developed through hard work, practice, and persistence.  As teachers, it is critical that we work with our students in ways that foster the belief that intelligence is a product of effort, and that we establish classrooms where grit and tenacity are encouraged.  Research has show this to be especially important in the effort to close the achievement gap.

For an another excellent summary of the ideas behind a growth mindset (and the impact that it has in the classroom), check out this brief TED Talk, by Eduardo Briceno.

In the Education Week Article, Classroom Strategies to Foster a Growth Mindset, by Larry Ferlazzo, Professor Carol Dweck and Dr. Lisa Blackwell suggest the following strategies for establishing a classroom environment that encourages growth:

• Establish high expectations
• Create a risk tolerant learning zone
• Give feedback that focuses on process -- the things that students can control, like their effort, challenge-seeking and persistence
• Introduce students to the concept of the malleable mind -- research that indicates that our brains develop through effort and learning

Larry Ferlazzo, has compiled a great list of resources to aid teachers who would like to focus on helping their students develop a growth mindset: The Best Resources on Helping Our Students Develop a Growth Mindset.  You will also want to check out the Mindset Works website, for more ideas of how you can incorporate Carol Dweck's research in your classroom.

(adapted from a post by J. Delp)

PUSH Lists: Frequently Asked Questions

cc flickr photo azjd

It is hard to believe that we are already wrapping up the month of August -- time flies. That also means we only have about five weeks before the end of first quarter, a vacation, and some cooler weather! Now is the time to encourage students who are struggling, and work to get them back on track.

 At this point, everyone should have selected the four students you will be working with as a part of our PUSH project. Remember that your interventions do not have to be "big ideas," or terribly time consuming. I think it is probably more important that you are consistently interacting with these kiddos.  Last week, I shared a list of 60 ideas to get you started with developing connections.  In addition, this weekend I found 500+ Ideas for Developing Positive Connections with Your Class - a Google Spreadsheet initiated by a Twitter acquaintance, Tom Barrett. If you have ideas you would like to add to Tom's list, you can do that using this Google Form.

I have received several questions about this mentoring process, and thought it might be helpful if I answered those in a forum where we could all read, and share ideas.

How do we tell the kids they were selected, in a positive way?

As with all interventions, your approach is probably going to depend on the student.  I think it is probably safe to start by telling them that you are a "go to" person for them -- someone they can come to if they have questions, or concerns.  Give them some compliments, "I really appreciate how you...," or "I enjoy having you in my class, because..."  Let them know that you are there to help make their experience at Willis positive -- socially and academically.  You do not need to use the term "PUSH," talk about grades, or mention AIMS.  Initially, you are simply establishing yourself as an advocate.  Keep your initial conversation light-hearted, and relatively brief.

Should the interview be a "formal" process?

This is going to depend on your comfort level, and the individual personality of your students.  You have been provided with a form to help you identify some of the information you should eventually know about your PUSH students.  This does not mean that you need to (or should) sit down and conduct a "formal" interview and take notes, but the form might help guide your discussion.  Some students will be very comfortable talking to you, at length, about their lives.  Others will need to see that you are someone they can trust -- this will take time.  The important thing to remember is that within the next couple weeks, you should make an initial connection, and begin to get to know your PUSH students.

When can we meet with our PUSH students?

Before school, after school, at lunch, during your prep -- you decide what works best for you, and the student.  It is okay to pull students (for a few minutes) from their class, during your prep.  However, if you do that, be sure that you make arrangements with their teacher so that it is not an imposition to the teacher, or the student.  I would encourage you to vary the times of your interaction.

How should we document what we are doing?

There isn't one specific way you need to do this.  Some information, and data, will be entered into the PUSH spreadsheet provided to your house/department.  However, everyone should keep a journal (or notes) pertaining to their PUSH intervention efforts.  Log student meetings, notes you have written, phone calls, tutoring, etc.  Remember that this is a school wide initiative, and expectation, for ALL teachers.  Your log of PUSH interventions can be used as documentation for several different elements in the iObservation evaluation instrument.  There will also be times when you are given opportunities to share ideas and strategies with your colleagues.

If you have additional questions, or ideas for working with PUSH students, please feel free to add a comment to this post.  Thank you for your efforts on behalf of Willis students!

Coming to school each day can become a hopeless task for some children unless they succeed at what they do.  We teachers are the sentries against that hopelessness.  ~ Robert DeBruyn

School Year's Resolutions

As we approach the the beginning of 2013, our thoughts frequently turn to personal goals and resolutions for the upcoming year.  We spend time reflecting on what has gone well, and what hasn't, and then we develop plans to affect positive change.

One of the great things about school, is that we don't necessarily have to wait for a new "school" year to make changes, or address challenges.  In fact, we probably shouldn't.  Each quarter (sometimes even each week, or each day) offers an opportunity for a fresh start.  It is pretty easy to adopt an attitude that "next year will be different," but if something doesn't seem to be working, it is reasonable, and preferable, to take steps to improve the situation...now.

As a teacher, I can remember one year in particular, when I really struggled with the management of a couple groups of students.  These classes really put a dent in my self-confidence, forced me to change plans frequently, and generally made my days a struggle.  This certainly wasn't the only time that I had challenges, but it stands out.  It was about this time of the school year (December), that my frustration got the best of me and I sought the advice of a veteran teacher on our campus.  I remember she told me that it might be time to hit the "restart" button--time to identify the 3-5 things that really bothered me, and then work with my classes on a fresh start to address those concerns.  I won't say it was perfect, but I can remember making changes (particularly to the way we started class), that made a significant difference in the climate of our classroom...as well as my attitude toward school.

If this sounds familiar to you...if you have a class (or five) that seems to be wearing you out, I would encourage you to spend some time reflecting on what isn't working and try something different.  Don't wait until next school year.  I would suggest you take the advice I was given and choose 3-5 things that really bother, and go to work on those challenges.  You don't have to start from scratch, but make enough changes that students see a noticeable difference.  For example, you might change the way students enter the classroom (i.e. lining up at the door and shaking hands), or begin the period with a few minutes of classical music as students settle in and begin their warm-up.

Please don't hesitate to ask for advice from a trusted colleague, or seek assistance from the administrative staff.  While we don't profess to have the answers, we will gladly assist in brainstorming ideas and providing supports as you implement change.

As you consider possible adjustments to your classroom routines and procedures, here are a few resources that might be helpful:

Ten Ways to Deal With a Hard Year - blog post by John T. Spencer

When A “Good” Class Goes “Bad” (And Back To “Good” Again!) - blog post by Larry Ferlazzo

Discipline with Dignity: New Challenges, New Solutions - book by Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler

Discipline with Dignity for Challenging Youth  - book by Allen N. Mendler

Celebrating Success!

cc flickr photo ktvee

There is a student who approaches me, almost daily, with a complaint.  It's never anything of much substance...I suspect it is usually just an excuse to visit.  Lately, I have been telling the student that I am fine listening to the complaints, but I also want to hear at least one positive comment during each of our conversations.  It has become a game, but one that is forcing a bit of reflection on the positive.

I believe it is human nature to allow our focus to drift toward the challenges and frustrations in our lives.  I also believe it is a more significant struggle for educators because we are problem solvers...and in order to solve problems, you have to spend a lot of time in the "muck and mire", so to speak.  When the problems become too complex, too many in number, or too emotional...stress levels rise and our ability to be optimistic becomes overwhelmed.  I know, because it happens to me more often than I care to admit.

So as we wrap-up a quarter that I know has been very taxing, I want to challenge you to spend a few minutes celebrating the positives...the things that have gone right.  Each one of you have accomplished a great deal this quarter, and as I mentioned at the beginning of the school year...you make a difference!  Don't fall into the trap of equating success with perfection -- it is far to easy to follow examples of progress with a "but" -- but, it needs improvement...but, it isn't working quite right...but, it would be better if..., etc.  A vigilant eye toward improvement is a hallmark of successful people/organizations, but be sure you take time to consider progress and celebrate success as the opportunities arise.

I am confident that each and every one of you have had a hand in many of the following first quarter "wins."  Be proud of what you have accomplished!

• Implementation of a Connections class to help foster effective relationships
• Better understanding of the new evaluation instrument adopted by the district
• Social studies teachers teaching language arts standards
• More students smiling and saying hello
• A great group of new staff members who have jumped right in as advocates for our students
• Integration of technology tools to improve student learning
• Patience...with students, colleagues, administration and district
• Teachers changing grade levels, or curriculum, and meeting the challenge with passion and intensity
• Organized opportunities for our students to interact with students from a feeder elementary school
• A willingness to learn and try new things 
• A new found ability to send and read e-mail in Outlook :)
• Initiation of an after-school homework program that has consistently drawn large numbers of students
• As always, a tremendous display of musical talents during this quarters performances at CCA
• Participation in collaborative learning opportunities and discussions with colleagues
• Surviving a fire alarm in the middle of a rainstorm :)
• Encouraging creativity in classrooms
• A great response to Ambassador's Club, and a successful first dance
• Coaches helping kids on the field, but also providing mentoring related to classroom efforts
• Teaching teams successfully integrating curriculum
• Staff members taking time to visit with kids in the cafeteria during their lunch
• Working with some of our most challenging students, making headway, and smiling in the process
• Changes to campus policies that have been met with a very positive student response (i.e. hats and lunch-time restrictions)
• An increased number of students taking risks to do the right thing
• Combined efforts to improve the physical environment and cleanliness at Willis 
• Overflow crowds at Culinary Club meetings
• Nine students on the Millionaire's Club list for reading over a million words
• Athletic teams that have worked hard and been positive representatives of Willis
• An improving understanding of a new student management system
• A willingness, and ability, to deal with change (even when it isn't fun)
• ...the list could obviously go on and on

Wow!  Please understand that NONE of this happens if not for your commitment and dedication to our students.  Willis staff members are a very special group.  Thank you for towing the line.

You matter!

Monitoring: An Essential Classroom Practice

cc flickr photo by shareski

We have spent some time discussing learning goals and the importance of helping students develop a clear understanding of what they will be learning, and why it is important.  For a quick refresher of what we have discussed, you might review these posts from our professional learning community blog:

• What is the Purpose?
• A "Flipped" Faculty Meeting
• Learning Goals and Scales

While ensuring that students know what they will be learning is important, it is absolutely essential that we monitor lessons/activities to ensure that they are having the intended effect.  Without consistent, and ongoing, formative assessment there is no way of knowing if our instructional methods are effective (until it is too late...after summative assessments).

At our upcoming faculty meeting, we will be spending some time examining the concept of monitoring, developing an understanding of the different goals of monitoring, and sharing techniques for ongoing monitoring (and formative assessment) of student learning.

In order to prepare for this Thursday's faculty meeting, please complete the following, brief, activities:

1.  Take a few minutes to review this presentation in VoiceThread.  As you progress through the slides, you should be able to hear a voice-over with a few of my thoughts about monitoring.  You can also zoom in on various portions of the slide by moving the cursor over the presentation.  If you have trouble accessing the VoiceThread, you can also view the presentation (without listening to me) HERE.
The VoiceThread does allow comments, either by voice, or by typing (just click on the comment button at the bottom of the slide).  If you have any thoughts, or comments, please feel free to add them and engage in a virtual discussion.

2.  Read this blog post on the Edutopia: Do You Check for Understanding Often Enough with Students?  As you read, please jot down a response to the following:

• What is one quote, or concept, from the article that stood out to you?  Why?
• Make a quick list of the formative assessment/monitoring strategies you use to get frequent "snapshots" of student understanding?
• As you consider the idea of frequent formative assessment, what obstacles make this a classroom challenge?
• What questions do you have about monitoring for student understanding?

Please bring your responses to Thursday's meeting and be prepared to discuss.  

Thank you for taking the time for collaborative professional development, and modeling the concept of life-long learning.

What is the Purpose?

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.  ~ John F. Kennedy

As we continue to work on the implementation of learning goals and scales in our classrooms, I thought I would share a few thoughts about why this is important, and how we might realistically embed these concepts in our daily instructional practice.

First and foremost, is the notion of "purpose."  As a staff we have had frequent discussions about purposeful practice, and we have spent time reflecting on our lessons and actions, asking: "what is the purpose?"  Knowing why we are doing something helps us develop activities that support our intended outcome, and it adds a sense of relevance to what we are doing.

The purpose, and power, of learning goals and scales has very little to do with how they are posted.  We need to be cautious about thinking of them as something on a long list of things to be "checked off" in order to have a good lesson.  It is the interactions with these tools (for both teacher's and student's) that will ultimately add value to their value.  Marzano's research (as discussed in both Classroom Instruction that Works, and The Art and Science of Teaching) has indicated a clear, and significant, performance gain when students have a clear understanding of what they are learning, and when they frequently reflect on performance and track their progress.  In fact, of the fifteen classroom strategies included in Marzano's meta-analysis, setting goals and objectives and tracking student progress and scoring scales had the highest percentile gains.

That being said, we don't see that kind of gain by simply posting a learning goal and scale in our classrooms.  There must be purposeful interaction with the instruments.  So how do we accomplish this?

1.  As you plan lessons, always keep your learning goal in mind.  The activities you design should lead students to a better understanding of the concepts identified in the learning goal.  If there is not a significant connection, the activity may not be a good use of time.  Reconsider.  Remember, learning goals aren't just for the kids.

2.  Post your learning goal, but be sure to communicate the goal with students.  This might include referencing the goal at appropriate times during the period, but feel free to be sneaky about it - it probably shouldn't always come from you.  Ask a few students to summarize the goal, include it in your warm-up questions, tie it into a ticket out the door, have kids explain it to each other, etc.  The learning goal should be discussed with enough frequency that a majority of students in class could convey the essence of what they are learning (remember, that is the goal).

3.  Make connections between your daily activities and the learning goal (see point #1).  Students should be able to see how individual classroom activities fit into the learning goal.  For example, students who read/discuss the following statement, written on the board, know that they will be analyzing conflicts and writing a new subplot (activities) in an effort to practice understanding and analyzing the elements that contribute to a story (learning goal).

From the classroom of Monica G.

4.  Finally, spend time allowing students to reflect on their progress.  This is the purpose of scales.  It is also a significant challenge since honest and purposeful reflection does not come easily to junior high students.  As you work with students on this skill, start where you want the majority of them to be in the end (a three...if you are using a four point scale).  Explain what it takes to get to that point.  Have them explain where they think they are.  Ask them to consider parts of the learning goal where they might need additional help.  This is going to take practice...for students and teachers.  [More on scales, later.]

Remember that this is a process.  It is going to take time to develop a clear understanding and become comfortable using learning goals and scales.  I know there are still many questions, but we will continue to discuss, share, collaborate and learn together!

Feel free to post comments or questions.