I have now finished my Master of Arts in Education Administration. It feels good to say that.
What I have learned in the past two years about leading a community of learners is exciting in theory but without hands on, daily practice and continued learning, anything I gained will eventually become useless. That is the nature of our world, and education is not without its own evolution. It is ever changing. It should be. The reality for schools is found in increased pressure for rises in achievement data, shortsighted budgeting, and the challenge of meeting each learner daily. However bleak it might sound for educators, there is so much to be excited about every day. Since it is nearing the end of 2011 and everyone seems to be posting the "Top Ten..." of whatever, it may well be a good use of my time to list my "Top Five Challenges for Educators in 2012."
5. Don't Do It Alone.
PLN's, PLC's, PD...all acronyms, all start with P. These are all rooted in Professionalism. Being a teacher, an administrator, a para educator...no matter what part of school life one is in, he/she is a professional. It isn't a job for a paycheck or a standby, "just in case I don't find anything else." It is a profession and it can feel so very isolated in your room with 30 kids. Principal's can't lead the school alone. Teacher's can't feel satisfied in being alone. Talk to a colleague. Bounce ideas off your teacher friends in the lounge rather than wishing it was Friday (I know, we all do it). Use PLN's to connect with other professional educators to share resources and reflect. Many good teachers are lost in the first five years because they feel alone and are just trying to survive. Many veteran teachers feel comfortable and stick with what works. Branch out, break the barriers, and learn with someone.
4. Try Something Tech Based.
This doesn't mean making your worksheet in to a Google doc. Helpful, but not quite the idea. Use a technology tool to help kids engage and grow. I have listed websites and tools in previous posts. My student's favorites are Prezi, PhotoPeach, and Glogster. The best part about those tools are that the students are creating the product. I have limited control and leave them to their own resourcefulness to create something awesome and I am proud that so often their original creation is so much richer than a lecture I could have given. They get to go deeper and love it! I have colleagues who use Edmodo to connect and share information with their students. Kids use twitter...what can that do for your classroom and learning beyond the walls? What can any technology tool do for learning beyond the walls? Email and chalkboards are fine but meeting kids where they are is essential.
3. Keep Learning.
Practice makes perfect. Even if that isn't true, practice does make better. The more time and effort we invest in taking a class, attending a conference, searching the web for a strategy...whatever learning is for you...the more we do those things, the better we are becoming as professionals. If we adopt the idea that "Everything I need to know I learned with my BA in teaching," then you are not only hurting yourself but your students as well. Subscribe to a professional association, which have phenomenal resources and keep you on top of new data about your field. Classes cost money but find one that is really worth it and will enhance your teaching. The payoff is greater than the tuition cost. Believe me...I'll pay off my debt until my kids are 40. My motto that I have stolen from a wise colleague is, "When you stop learning, get out of my profession." She is right and I keep that at the front of my mind.
2. Make the Learning Accessible.
Let students collaborate. Let students know what they are going to know and be able to do by the end of the lesson/unit. Give students the chance to experiment, fail, and try again. Show students why they should care about what you have to teach. Don't tell them they are learning something "because it's good for you." Give students the chance to practice the skill in a real world scenario or a mock scenario that tests their understanding of the skill you have focused on. "But I have to get through the whole textbook!?!" you say. So what? Do your students need "Page 30, problems 1-15" to succeed? If so, how can you use the problems to enhance understanding and application of specific skills? Make students aware of the connection between the material and their futures.
1. Make Every Kid Worth It.
We know the challenges that accompany teaching and are so preoccupied by them that we sometimes forget the greatest part of the profession: the kids. We get to spend time with the future. Even the kids that drive us nuts...whose parents we wait for at conferences so we can glean some understanding for why they are the way they are...even those kids deserve our best. See what your students can do. Help them find their strengths and positively encourage them to beef up their weaknesses. Remind yourself why you chose this profession and why you are good at it!
Happy New Year and bring on 2012!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Finding the Good: Each Child, Every Day
Ok...let me forewarn you that religion will be mentioned briefly. The connectedness of my experience at mass this morning and the life and work of educators is too immense to ignore.
In my first two years of teaching, I had the privilege to work in a Catholic middle school, teaching seventh grade. Anyone who has spent time with one, let alone 150 seventh grade students, can appreciate the challenges that accompany the daily task of reigning in the hormonal sea of middle schoolers and getting down to actually teaching. I'm making this sound worse than it actually was, but not by much. Those first years as a teacher were particularly enriching for me. I had a supportive team of colleagues who quickly became my friends. I had the joy of working with kids who were willing to explore, play, and have fun- all while learning. Even today as I see former students, there is the joy of reminiscing about a project or something they recall me saying or doing that I have since filed away in the back forty of my mind. I approached my career with joy then, as I do now, with a key point in mind: find God in every child. This is where today's mass connects to teaching. Father was emphasizing the importance of finding God in the people we meet each day, as hard as that may be.
I recall having to write my philosophy of education in my first course in education at Mount Mercy College. As a part of my philosophy that "Kids are always worth it," I also wrote about the importance of finding the "sacred worth" of each child. This was not a religious piece and I did not intend to employ a religious tone, but the words carry with them a certain element of faith. More important than any element of religion (whether or not it is your cup of tea) is the critical realization that good teaching, while rooted in strong classroom management and your knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, good teaching is the ability to reach each child. I have tried. I will continue to try. The relationship of teacher-student is too great to sacrifice to chance... "I hope these kids are better than last year's," "I wish they would just do their assignments," "I can't believe these quiz scores...don't they listen?!" We get out of our relationships what we put in to them. Perhaps not in quantity but in quality. This is where finding the sacred worth, the good, in each child is critical.
So, whether or not my priest knew how closely I was listening today, the message was clear. These next few weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break can be hectic, to say the least. The sun is usually breaking through when we get to school in the morning and is gone by the time we leave the building at night. The kids are ready for a break, teachers are ready for the end of the semester, and the excitement of the holiday's reaches a peak with the first lasting snowfall (unless that happened to you already or by some chance you live in a place where you escape it all together...lucky).
My goal for myself and my hope for my colleagues is that we all take time to find the good in ourselves, each other, and our students. Be thankful and catch them being good.
In my first two years of teaching, I had the privilege to work in a Catholic middle school, teaching seventh grade. Anyone who has spent time with one, let alone 150 seventh grade students, can appreciate the challenges that accompany the daily task of reigning in the hormonal sea of middle schoolers and getting down to actually teaching. I'm making this sound worse than it actually was, but not by much. Those first years as a teacher were particularly enriching for me. I had a supportive team of colleagues who quickly became my friends. I had the joy of working with kids who were willing to explore, play, and have fun- all while learning. Even today as I see former students, there is the joy of reminiscing about a project or something they recall me saying or doing that I have since filed away in the back forty of my mind. I approached my career with joy then, as I do now, with a key point in mind: find God in every child. This is where today's mass connects to teaching. Father was emphasizing the importance of finding God in the people we meet each day, as hard as that may be.
I recall having to write my philosophy of education in my first course in education at Mount Mercy College. As a part of my philosophy that "Kids are always worth it," I also wrote about the importance of finding the "sacred worth" of each child. This was not a religious piece and I did not intend to employ a religious tone, but the words carry with them a certain element of faith. More important than any element of religion (whether or not it is your cup of tea) is the critical realization that good teaching, while rooted in strong classroom management and your knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, good teaching is the ability to reach each child. I have tried. I will continue to try. The relationship of teacher-student is too great to sacrifice to chance... "I hope these kids are better than last year's," "I wish they would just do their assignments," "I can't believe these quiz scores...don't they listen?!" We get out of our relationships what we put in to them. Perhaps not in quantity but in quality. This is where finding the sacred worth, the good, in each child is critical.
So, whether or not my priest knew how closely I was listening today, the message was clear. These next few weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break can be hectic, to say the least. The sun is usually breaking through when we get to school in the morning and is gone by the time we leave the building at night. The kids are ready for a break, teachers are ready for the end of the semester, and the excitement of the holiday's reaches a peak with the first lasting snowfall (unless that happened to you already or by some chance you live in a place where you escape it all together...lucky).
My goal for myself and my hope for my colleagues is that we all take time to find the good in ourselves, each other, and our students. Be thankful and catch them being good.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
More New to Me Tech Tools
I have come down with a cold. This allows me the excuse to sit and browse the web for more tools to use in my classroom. While my wife doesn't entirely agree with my logic...neither of us wants me moving around the house and spreading germs.
With a classroom set of laptops, I am always searching for new ways to integrate technology in to my English classes. It is my philosophy that kids are always worth my time, effort, and dedication. This is why I spend such a great deal of time researching online tools for use in the classroom. This last week, we used PhotoPeach to construct a digital family photo story as we continued our study of the American family in literature. Some students took pictures of their families, while others brought in photos to scan and upload to Picasa for editing. We looked at our American families and compared our traditions, values, and beliefs to what was said in some nonfiction readings about the family. This was especially meaningful as we have a high number of migrant students from Texas who join us for a short time at the beginning and end of the school year to work for an agricultural research company. We now transition to a unit on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I feel is appropriate as Huck redefines what family is and how a family operates, first with Widow Douglas, then Pap, Jim, Duke and King, the Grangerfords, and finally Silas and Sally Phelps.
Today, I have been enjoying pearltrees. What a great web resource for teachers to find, organize, and share resources. I have not yet signed up but spent time searching "Educational technology" and have been entirely jazzed by the resources I have found. One of the sites I discovered was emergingedtech.com. Talk about a great resource to find tips on teaching with technology. The 100 ways to use teach with Twitter was especially cool. If only Twitter wasn't blocked in so many schools...
Pearltrees is just fantastic. I am able to search and find hundreds of helpful websites, tips, blogs, vlogs, and other resources. Think of how great this would be to provide for students while doing research. Add an even deeper 21st Century Skill spin to it and have your students create one of these websites, blogs, vlogs, prezis, etc. and share them via a pearl on the website! Holy cow!
Of course there are great social media sites that have been around for a while too: edmodo, diigo, prezi, ning. I think it comes down to what you are comfortable with as an educator and finding the time to play around with the tools. Many offer special pricing or free accounts for educators (who doesn't love free?!?).
There are always blogs and resources to search to find new ideas. Good teaching = ability to adapt and do what we know is right for kids. That's all I'm trying to do...and get over this cold.
With a classroom set of laptops, I am always searching for new ways to integrate technology in to my English classes. It is my philosophy that kids are always worth my time, effort, and dedication. This is why I spend such a great deal of time researching online tools for use in the classroom. This last week, we used PhotoPeach to construct a digital family photo story as we continued our study of the American family in literature. Some students took pictures of their families, while others brought in photos to scan and upload to Picasa for editing. We looked at our American families and compared our traditions, values, and beliefs to what was said in some nonfiction readings about the family. This was especially meaningful as we have a high number of migrant students from Texas who join us for a short time at the beginning and end of the school year to work for an agricultural research company. We now transition to a unit on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I feel is appropriate as Huck redefines what family is and how a family operates, first with Widow Douglas, then Pap, Jim, Duke and King, the Grangerfords, and finally Silas and Sally Phelps.
Today, I have been enjoying pearltrees. What a great web resource for teachers to find, organize, and share resources. I have not yet signed up but spent time searching "Educational technology" and have been entirely jazzed by the resources I have found. One of the sites I discovered was emergingedtech.com. Talk about a great resource to find tips on teaching with technology. The 100 ways to use teach with Twitter was especially cool. If only Twitter wasn't blocked in so many schools...
Pearltrees is just fantastic. I am able to search and find hundreds of helpful websites, tips, blogs, vlogs, and other resources. Think of how great this would be to provide for students while doing research. Add an even deeper 21st Century Skill spin to it and have your students create one of these websites, blogs, vlogs, prezis, etc. and share them via a pearl on the website! Holy cow!
Of course there are great social media sites that have been around for a while too: edmodo, diigo, prezi, ning. I think it comes down to what you are comfortable with as an educator and finding the time to play around with the tools. Many offer special pricing or free accounts for educators (who doesn't love free?!?).
There are always blogs and resources to search to find new ideas. Good teaching = ability to adapt and do what we know is right for kids. That's all I'm trying to do...and get over this cold.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Need for Balanced Reading in ALL Content Areas
There has been some contention on the idea that teachers of all content areas must teach reading. As an English/Language Arts teacher, I know that the expectation is for our department to do the heavy lifting when it comes to literacy instruction. However, as our students emerge from our schools to a drastically different world than we were exposed to as students, it is incumbent for educators to rally together and find new ways to increase attainment and the retention of new knowledge.
It has long been a belief of mine that textbooks aren't sufficient for building skill and understanding. If I could spend textbook money to give every kid a laptop and access to wireless high-speed internet, I would. Textbooks are helpful, of course, but we know they should not be the sole instructional tool. Furthermore, textbooks reinforce the concept of coverage. One might take the book and divide it by the units, divide the units by the number of days to spend on the unit, and assign those pages for homework each night. You mean last night's reading cut off in the middle of a paragraph? Oh well, at least we covered it! Wrong!
What a student needs is the exposure to a balance of reading. In my English 10 course, which focuses on American literature, my sophomores read a balance of fiction and nonfiction. In terms of nonfiction we read journal articles, online articles, newspaper archives, legal documents, editorials, and reviews...for each unit. I have structured the course by conceptual units. Immigration: we study The Crucible and the migration of many cultures to America through a research project on immigration and the American dream, students uncover facts about the world in which we live and why people still choose America as the place to be. The American Family: Death of A Salesman, family dynamics, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and some classic American family sit-coms. Civil Rights: students select to read one of the following: Mississippi Trial 1955, The Color Purple, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. We operate in literature circles but in the midst of reading separate novels, we will read a balance of non-fiction and watch the film "Mississippi Burning." Finally, we spend a unit on Making it Big: Students read The Great Gatsby and a study of the 1920's along with the recent stories about big business and the bailouts of gigantic corporations and the housing crisis. My intention is to balance their literary diets through choice, fiction, nonfiction, levels of readability, and the old classics with a touch of some more recent works. So far, it has worked wonderfully.
I know what those who teach anything outside of English are likely saying, "Yeah but English is all about reading!" "I don't have time to read a novel in Algebra!" "Where do I find the time to pick up a short story in my Auto Mechanics course?" Believe me, I understand. Yet in my English class, I weave in history, economics, art, and math although I don't have a degree in any of those areas.
Literacy is more than just decoding. Literacy is the ability to understand. Literacy is the ability to apply what you understand. You have technical writing, instruction manuals, and a plethora of articles that could be tied to career and technical education. Music and art are about the aesthetic experience and the experience can be enhanced through sharing a review of the piece or a profile of the artist to understand why and how the creation is unique to that individual. Reading a science book is vastly different from reading a recipe. Reading a novel is nothing like reading a color wheel or a piece of music. Every content area has a need for literacy instruction. Good teachers model good reading and as we know, good readers excel in school.
I recommend the book Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content Area Reading by Harvey Daniels and Steven Zemelman. ISBN: 0-325-00595-8. This book has classroom reading strategies for all content areas and an excellent list of novels for the content areas. This book has not only enhanced my teaching but has allowed me to assist my colleagues in understanding some of the most effective reading strategies. Also on the list of good resources: I Don't Get It: Helping Students Understand What They Read by Judy Tilton Brunner. ISBN: 978-1-61048-003-1. A great resource for reading comprehension and vocabulary strategies that identify the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy for the activity.
Do you want to teach or do you want to cover the material? Do you want kids to fill out their homework, or do you want them to learn something. I choose teaching and learning every time.
It has long been a belief of mine that textbooks aren't sufficient for building skill and understanding. If I could spend textbook money to give every kid a laptop and access to wireless high-speed internet, I would. Textbooks are helpful, of course, but we know they should not be the sole instructional tool. Furthermore, textbooks reinforce the concept of coverage. One might take the book and divide it by the units, divide the units by the number of days to spend on the unit, and assign those pages for homework each night. You mean last night's reading cut off in the middle of a paragraph? Oh well, at least we covered it! Wrong!
What a student needs is the exposure to a balance of reading. In my English 10 course, which focuses on American literature, my sophomores read a balance of fiction and nonfiction. In terms of nonfiction we read journal articles, online articles, newspaper archives, legal documents, editorials, and reviews...for each unit. I have structured the course by conceptual units. Immigration: we study The Crucible and the migration of many cultures to America through a research project on immigration and the American dream, students uncover facts about the world in which we live and why people still choose America as the place to be. The American Family: Death of A Salesman, family dynamics, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and some classic American family sit-coms. Civil Rights: students select to read one of the following: Mississippi Trial 1955, The Color Purple, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. We operate in literature circles but in the midst of reading separate novels, we will read a balance of non-fiction and watch the film "Mississippi Burning." Finally, we spend a unit on Making it Big: Students read The Great Gatsby and a study of the 1920's along with the recent stories about big business and the bailouts of gigantic corporations and the housing crisis. My intention is to balance their literary diets through choice, fiction, nonfiction, levels of readability, and the old classics with a touch of some more recent works. So far, it has worked wonderfully.
I know what those who teach anything outside of English are likely saying, "Yeah but English is all about reading!" "I don't have time to read a novel in Algebra!" "Where do I find the time to pick up a short story in my Auto Mechanics course?" Believe me, I understand. Yet in my English class, I weave in history, economics, art, and math although I don't have a degree in any of those areas.
Literacy is more than just decoding. Literacy is the ability to understand. Literacy is the ability to apply what you understand. You have technical writing, instruction manuals, and a plethora of articles that could be tied to career and technical education. Music and art are about the aesthetic experience and the experience can be enhanced through sharing a review of the piece or a profile of the artist to understand why and how the creation is unique to that individual. Reading a science book is vastly different from reading a recipe. Reading a novel is nothing like reading a color wheel or a piece of music. Every content area has a need for literacy instruction. Good teachers model good reading and as we know, good readers excel in school.
I recommend the book Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content Area Reading by Harvey Daniels and Steven Zemelman. ISBN: 0-325-00595-8. This book has classroom reading strategies for all content areas and an excellent list of novels for the content areas. This book has not only enhanced my teaching but has allowed me to assist my colleagues in understanding some of the most effective reading strategies. Also on the list of good resources: I Don't Get It: Helping Students Understand What They Read by Judy Tilton Brunner. ISBN: 978-1-61048-003-1. A great resource for reading comprehension and vocabulary strategies that identify the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy for the activity.
Do you want to teach or do you want to cover the material? Do you want kids to fill out their homework, or do you want them to learn something. I choose teaching and learning every time.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
I See You and You Are Important
"Kids tend to know who I am." This isn't an ego-stroking statement but rather a statement to reflect, positively or otherwise, upon how your students perceive you.
It is a point of mine to stand in the hallway during passing time. We know it's good supervision practice, but I have other reasons. Working in a rural district in the 7-12 building, there are more than 500 faces to see throughout the day. Teaching primarily sophomores, I like to get in the hall to see former students as well as some of the students I haven't yet had an opportunity to teach. By standing in the doorway of my classroom, I also set the tone for the day by giving each student a positive greeting to the learning environment. I am greeted with pleasantries, high-fives, handshakes and smiles. I also am able to gauge how students are feeling by their response. This gives me a heads-up if a student is having a bad day.
I tend to make students notice that I am there. Most days I have in hand my coffee mug and a meter stick (the spear of knowledge) while students pass my room. I attempt to give each kid a "Hello! How are you?" If they are rushing in order to avoid a tardy, I'll shout a simple "Good day!" Between my colleagues across the hall and me, we will occasionally sing, dance, or do something to share the excitement of being at school. Some days we do this just to stay sane...crazy as it sounds. I don't stand there to force the children to acknowledge me. In fact, some pick up their pace so I don't sing at them. My purpose is to make sure the students passing by understand a simple, significant fact: I see you and you are important. My greeting may not mean much to some; but each kid deserves, at the very least, to be acknowledged.
So when I say, "Kids tend to know who I am," I am confident because little 7th grade students I have never met will greet me with a "Hey Duffy!" A bit informal, but I am okay with that. Some teachers pride themselves on the certain attributes that make them unique. Maybe they are the tough-grader. Maybe they are the teacher who has students hang out in their room after school. Maybe they are the teacher who only gives 5 A's each term. Maybe they are the teacher who changed a kid's life. It is less important to be proud of what we are known as than it is to be authentically present and powerfully positive.
I had the privilege to play the role of principal in mock interviews with student teachers for the last two years. One thing each of them acknowledged was their passion for teaching and kids. Passion is important and perhaps fuels good teaching if the passion is for the elements of being a successful educator. Putting the kids in the best place to succeed and ensuring that they are safe and well cared for trump being really jazzed about my unit on "The Great Gatsby." I can have all the content knowledge in the world and the most gloriously aligned lesson plans but if I am inaccessible to my students through my personality or my teaching style, I have lost the entire point.
Consider...
How do kids know you?
Would you want to be a student in your class?
See how students warm up to you by being present, providing a smile and reminding them that they are important and you see them rather than vice versa. I plan to carry this practice in to my career when I arrive at the role of administrator so that teachers and students know that they are seen and supported by a caring educator. We all deserve that.
It is a point of mine to stand in the hallway during passing time. We know it's good supervision practice, but I have other reasons. Working in a rural district in the 7-12 building, there are more than 500 faces to see throughout the day. Teaching primarily sophomores, I like to get in the hall to see former students as well as some of the students I haven't yet had an opportunity to teach. By standing in the doorway of my classroom, I also set the tone for the day by giving each student a positive greeting to the learning environment. I am greeted with pleasantries, high-fives, handshakes and smiles. I also am able to gauge how students are feeling by their response. This gives me a heads-up if a student is having a bad day.
I tend to make students notice that I am there. Most days I have in hand my coffee mug and a meter stick (the spear of knowledge) while students pass my room. I attempt to give each kid a "Hello! How are you?" If they are rushing in order to avoid a tardy, I'll shout a simple "Good day!" Between my colleagues across the hall and me, we will occasionally sing, dance, or do something to share the excitement of being at school. Some days we do this just to stay sane...crazy as it sounds. I don't stand there to force the children to acknowledge me. In fact, some pick up their pace so I don't sing at them. My purpose is to make sure the students passing by understand a simple, significant fact: I see you and you are important. My greeting may not mean much to some; but each kid deserves, at the very least, to be acknowledged.
So when I say, "Kids tend to know who I am," I am confident because little 7th grade students I have never met will greet me with a "Hey Duffy!" A bit informal, but I am okay with that. Some teachers pride themselves on the certain attributes that make them unique. Maybe they are the tough-grader. Maybe they are the teacher who has students hang out in their room after school. Maybe they are the teacher who only gives 5 A's each term. Maybe they are the teacher who changed a kid's life. It is less important to be proud of what we are known as than it is to be authentically present and powerfully positive.
I had the privilege to play the role of principal in mock interviews with student teachers for the last two years. One thing each of them acknowledged was their passion for teaching and kids. Passion is important and perhaps fuels good teaching if the passion is for the elements of being a successful educator. Putting the kids in the best place to succeed and ensuring that they are safe and well cared for trump being really jazzed about my unit on "The Great Gatsby." I can have all the content knowledge in the world and the most gloriously aligned lesson plans but if I am inaccessible to my students through my personality or my teaching style, I have lost the entire point.
Consider...
How do kids know you?
Would you want to be a student in your class?
See how students warm up to you by being present, providing a smile and reminding them that they are important and you see them rather than vice versa. I plan to carry this practice in to my career when I arrive at the role of administrator so that teachers and students know that they are seen and supported by a caring educator. We all deserve that.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
PD: Productive Discussions
I'm not going to lie...I like meetings.
That's not entirely true...I like productive meetings. I tend to view meetings as unique learning opportunities. They are learning opportunities when we get to talk to each other about issues that are critical to the success of our profession and the betterment of the learning environment. My perspective is that if the material could have been covered in an email, that is how it should be distributed.
Thankfully, I had such learning opportunities today during our professional development. This morning, our Lead Learning Team met with Heather Feuerhelm, our Area Education Agency Literacy Consultant who, quite honestly, is a wealth of knowledge and resources and nothing short of the most passionate educator I know. I may be biased because she was my high school teacher, college professor, role model, and our AEA consultant in my previous school. What can I say? AEA folks are highly valuable and I appreciate the knowledge they are able to share. Needless to say, our time was used wisely as we planned our afternoon of leading discussion groups centered on the use of think-alouds.
Our afternoon was spent in several groups of 8-10 teachers, all of whom had been previously asked in professional development to use the think-aloud reading strategy in a lesson. Each group contained educators from all content areas in our K-12 district. In my room we had a spectrum from high school PE to kindergarten to elementary music. I never know what to expect when I have such a wide range of teacher talent and areas of experience. I was completely impressed today. Each educator brought a great example of how to use the think-aloud reading strategy. It is simply telling your thought process as you read, view, or experience something in your content area. Yes even the "non-reading" content areas of music, art, technology education, and career/technical educators do this too...and well...even though they may not have a prescribed "text." After all, when I look at a painting or hear music, I think and feel things that I can share with my students. Text isn't just words on a page and reading isn't restricted to books. Not surprisingly, we used all of our time together to share, critique, and converse with our colleagues. It was delightful!
A critical component of professional development is the opportunity to engage in a productive, professional discussion. When given the chance to talk, teachers have a great deal to say. These discussions are cathartic, inspiring, and in some cases, all too infrequent. Time to talk, reflect, collaborate, and research are critical to providing meaningful professional development. Lunch isn't enough time for this. In fact, lunch is the one place many educators go for a rest in the middle of the day and the last thing they want to talk about is education theory. Providing these unique learning opportunities for productive discussions should be a focus for those in charge of planning PD. With that in mind, I offer some guiding thoughts on participating in productive discussions.
1. Does the discussion provide a path to improving instruction?
2. Are the ideas shared free of bias or marginalization?
3. Is the discussion accessible for teachers of many content areas?
If you can answer yes to these, the conversation will likely be more beneficial than a complaint session (which may also be cathartic but may not productive). Providing time and resources for our colleagues to discuss professional issues is critical to maintaining professional health and improving the culture of the craft.
That's not entirely true...I like productive meetings. I tend to view meetings as unique learning opportunities. They are learning opportunities when we get to talk to each other about issues that are critical to the success of our profession and the betterment of the learning environment. My perspective is that if the material could have been covered in an email, that is how it should be distributed.
Thankfully, I had such learning opportunities today during our professional development. This morning, our Lead Learning Team met with Heather Feuerhelm, our Area Education Agency Literacy Consultant who, quite honestly, is a wealth of knowledge and resources and nothing short of the most passionate educator I know. I may be biased because she was my high school teacher, college professor, role model, and our AEA consultant in my previous school. What can I say? AEA folks are highly valuable and I appreciate the knowledge they are able to share. Needless to say, our time was used wisely as we planned our afternoon of leading discussion groups centered on the use of think-alouds.
Our afternoon was spent in several groups of 8-10 teachers, all of whom had been previously asked in professional development to use the think-aloud reading strategy in a lesson. Each group contained educators from all content areas in our K-12 district. In my room we had a spectrum from high school PE to kindergarten to elementary music. I never know what to expect when I have such a wide range of teacher talent and areas of experience. I was completely impressed today. Each educator brought a great example of how to use the think-aloud reading strategy. It is simply telling your thought process as you read, view, or experience something in your content area. Yes even the "non-reading" content areas of music, art, technology education, and career/technical educators do this too...and well...even though they may not have a prescribed "text." After all, when I look at a painting or hear music, I think and feel things that I can share with my students. Text isn't just words on a page and reading isn't restricted to books. Not surprisingly, we used all of our time together to share, critique, and converse with our colleagues. It was delightful!
A critical component of professional development is the opportunity to engage in a productive, professional discussion. When given the chance to talk, teachers have a great deal to say. These discussions are cathartic, inspiring, and in some cases, all too infrequent. Time to talk, reflect, collaborate, and research are critical to providing meaningful professional development. Lunch isn't enough time for this. In fact, lunch is the one place many educators go for a rest in the middle of the day and the last thing they want to talk about is education theory. Providing these unique learning opportunities for productive discussions should be a focus for those in charge of planning PD. With that in mind, I offer some guiding thoughts on participating in productive discussions.
1. Does the discussion provide a path to improving instruction?
2. Are the ideas shared free of bias or marginalization?
3. Is the discussion accessible for teachers of many content areas?
If you can answer yes to these, the conversation will likely be more beneficial than a complaint session (which may also be cathartic but may not productive). Providing time and resources for our colleagues to discuss professional issues is critical to maintaining professional health and improving the culture of the craft.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Duffy's Classroom: Waiver-ing on NCLB
Duffy's Classroom: Waiver-ing on NCLB: I have to admit, I was not yet a teacher nor even a high school graduate when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was amended and rea...
Waiver-ing on NCLB
I have to admit, I was not yet a teacher nor even a high school graduate when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was amended and reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. I was, however, an attentive student with the goal of becoming a high school teacher. I was blessed to have a passionate educator when ESEA was revamped with the goals of school improvement in mind. She spent time discussing the implications of this new law with our English class. Not all of my peers had an interest in this but I knew that perhaps this would someday impact me as a teacher. I am thankful that she was willing to be open with us about issues that would impact our learning environment. In this same way, I talk openly with my students about that which we must learn to be productive contributors in the 21st Century.
Now that I am within inches of finishing graduate work in education administration and have a good foundation of teaching experience, I am beginning to understand just how the re-authorization of the NCLB Act will set the tone for the next era of education in our country.
But summer came and went and while our elected officials spent an inordinate amount of time arguing along partisan lines, the opportunity to do some overhaul on NCLB's misguided and unrealistic mandate was ultimately ignored. Now the opportunity exists for schools to apply for waivers if schools are unable to meet the proficiency threshold. Jason Glass, the State of Iowa's Director of Education, is seeking to apply for these waivers. In a report that identifies over 400 Iowa public schools as "In Need of Assistance" it is a critical juncture for educators, parents, communities, and the elected leaders to carefully consider what to do to provide the optimal learning environment for students and commit the necessary supports for getting our schools to be at their best.
Penalization of low performing schools based solely on test scores seemed foolish even to my high school mind back in 2002. Fear of being on the "watch list" was evident in schools and the policies seemed more focused on sanctions rather than support. The opportunity to overhaul failed education policies is presenting itself and the people we trust to make decisions in the best interest of all are not doing their homework. It will be interesting to see how many states align with the others who have already requested waivers.
I don't know that the waivers will solve any problems. Are we simply going to ignore the schools that need more resources because we can waiver out of having to make significant gains? Are we going to measure student progress in new ways with a wide variety of assessments to show that students are making critical growth? I want to see kids and schools succeed. However, the attacks upon teachers and schools seems to me a sign that many do not respect the hard work that educators and students put in to each day's work. It is a vast and daunting future that awaits all educators and policy makers. For the work to be fruitful, there need to be many partnerships formed; between those who create policy and those who must meet the provisions in the policy, between schools and communities, between parents and educators, and between all levels of educators. This might not be the final answer, but working together to propel our schools in to the future rather than for the past is essential in bringing our society in to a better place. On that, I cannot waver.
Now that I am within inches of finishing graduate work in education administration and have a good foundation of teaching experience, I am beginning to understand just how the re-authorization of the NCLB Act will set the tone for the next era of education in our country.
But summer came and went and while our elected officials spent an inordinate amount of time arguing along partisan lines, the opportunity to do some overhaul on NCLB's misguided and unrealistic mandate was ultimately ignored. Now the opportunity exists for schools to apply for waivers if schools are unable to meet the proficiency threshold. Jason Glass, the State of Iowa's Director of Education, is seeking to apply for these waivers. In a report that identifies over 400 Iowa public schools as "In Need of Assistance" it is a critical juncture for educators, parents, communities, and the elected leaders to carefully consider what to do to provide the optimal learning environment for students and commit the necessary supports for getting our schools to be at their best.
Penalization of low performing schools based solely on test scores seemed foolish even to my high school mind back in 2002. Fear of being on the "watch list" was evident in schools and the policies seemed more focused on sanctions rather than support. The opportunity to overhaul failed education policies is presenting itself and the people we trust to make decisions in the best interest of all are not doing their homework. It will be interesting to see how many states align with the others who have already requested waivers.
I don't know that the waivers will solve any problems. Are we simply going to ignore the schools that need more resources because we can waiver out of having to make significant gains? Are we going to measure student progress in new ways with a wide variety of assessments to show that students are making critical growth? I want to see kids and schools succeed. However, the attacks upon teachers and schools seems to me a sign that many do not respect the hard work that educators and students put in to each day's work. It is a vast and daunting future that awaits all educators and policy makers. For the work to be fruitful, there need to be many partnerships formed; between those who create policy and those who must meet the provisions in the policy, between schools and communities, between parents and educators, and between all levels of educators. This might not be the final answer, but working together to propel our schools in to the future rather than for the past is essential in bringing our society in to a better place. On that, I cannot waver.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Trying New (to me) Tech Tools
It is hard to believe that a month ago, I was getting ready to start in-service meetings once more for another new school year. I didn't bemoan the fact that summer flew by or that I only accomplished a handful of projects around the house. As August began, I was excited to see familiar faces and get back in my classroom and start rearranging the furniture. More importantly, I was excited to get kids back in the classroom and try some new units and learning tools with them.
I have found some great tools thanks to the 21st Century Learning Institute at Grant Wood Area Education Agency. Along with some other staff from my building, we are attending the sessions to better prepare ourselves and our students for effective 21st century learning. Below is a reflection on three of these tools.
TodaysMeet.com is awesome for allowing everyone to have a voice without calling on every student. Students simply join the room created by the teacher and suddenly they are able to express their thoughts and feelings in no more than 140 characters. Many of my students are used to Twitter so the cap of 140 is not a barrier. I have used this for warm-up activities, asking students who they thought was to blame for the hysteria in "The Crucible." Students aren't limited to one response. It is a real time conversation in which everyone can offer their opinion. It is important to note that as the facilitator of the conversation, you may need to bring students back to the starting point if they start to wander.
Bubbl.us has been helpful in creating concept maps for relationships in reading. As my English 10 students move toward a unit on "The American Family in Literature and Art" I am looking forward to using this site to allow students to create a family tree in addition to comparing/contrasting the pieces the pieces we read and view. I am excited to see how else I could use this tool.
PhotoPeach allows the creation of digital photo albums that you can add text and music to. We will be using this tool as we study the American family and create digital photo albums of the American family today in the town in which I teach. I will update as we complete this project to share how it worked.
I love trying new tech tools in the classroom. I have come to the realization that it is necessary for me to challenge myself and try new things for me to stay current for my students. They deserve the effort.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Oh Blog...I've Neglected You
Dearest Blog,
I am negligent. This shall change.
Now that we have passed July 4th, it feels as though summer is on its downward slide. That's fine by me.
I have checked many things off of the to-do list left by my wife. I have enjoyed many evenings with friends and family refreshing and rejuvenating my soul. I have even taken time to do some curriculum work...not as much as I planned to, but there are still some weeks left until we return to our offices and classrooms.
When the end of July comes, I am always ready to get back and see the kids. Whether or not they are ready to see me is a different story. It is my hope that by the end of the semester, they have gained so much, been challenged so greatly, and found in me a teacher who they know cares about each of them that they don't want to leave. Unrealistic? Perhaps. I guess I will just have to make it reality.
Another reality that I will create is blogging more frequently. Three months of digital silence is too much for me.
I am negligent. This shall change.
Now that we have passed July 4th, it feels as though summer is on its downward slide. That's fine by me.
I have checked many things off of the to-do list left by my wife. I have enjoyed many evenings with friends and family refreshing and rejuvenating my soul. I have even taken time to do some curriculum work...not as much as I planned to, but there are still some weeks left until we return to our offices and classrooms.
When the end of July comes, I am always ready to get back and see the kids. Whether or not they are ready to see me is a different story. It is my hope that by the end of the semester, they have gained so much, been challenged so greatly, and found in me a teacher who they know cares about each of them that they don't want to leave. Unrealistic? Perhaps. I guess I will just have to make it reality.
Another reality that I will create is blogging more frequently. Three months of digital silence is too much for me.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Making Each Other Better
I had a great opportunity this week to conduct a walk-through of my school. I wanted to put to use some of what I had learned in my class for my Iowa Evaluator Approval. I did not know what I was going to see but I had a hunch that most of it was going to be good. I am thrilled to say, I was right in my prediction.
Developing my own walk-through form, I decided to look for what I had identified as key indicators: classroom arrangement, student engagement, instructional method, assessment techniques, and the Iowa Teaching Standards I felt were being met. While I only observed for five minutes at most, I felt I got a pretty clear picture in each classroom of how the instructional time is spent. I saw: large group, direct instruction; individualized instruction; collaboration with peers; use of technology- not just using Word, by the way; and best of all...some higher order thinking skills. Now I don't want to say that every class was perfect...but in the majority of classrooms, kids were engaged, adults were sharing the stage, and learning was taking place.
I had an opportunity that too often we don't afford our teachers: the chance to see what good teaching looks like. In our departmentalized world of education, it becomes increasingly simple to stick to our old way of doing things because it has "worked" for us. Just because it works for us, as content specialists, doesn't mean it works in any way for our students. If we have visual learners or kids who need to have their hands busy, daily lecture is leaving your kids behind. Oh and just a reminder...WORKSHEETS AREN'T THE ANSWER!
I was lucky to see what good teachers do and how good instruction benefits the students in those classrooms. Let's face it, we can spend all the money we want on new textbooks, new technology, new playground balls, new whatever...but if the instructional strategies and delivery of instruction is awful or even marginally okay, we are doing our kids and ourselves a disservice. No new item can replace effective instruction. Knowing how to teach effectively, manage a classroom, assess for learning, and teach so that each kid gets it...that is what matters. Some teachers will refuse to change to be the best possible version of themselves. However, I want to steal a great quotation that I heard from a principal of another school: "Teachers won't be replaced by technology. But teachers who use technology will replace those who don't." I would amend that slightly to be, "Teachers who understand effective instruction and assessment will replace those who don't." And they should.
We can make ourselves better and our weakest teachers better by getting out of the safe classrooms we call home and watching other rock-star teachers do their thing. If you don't have time to invest in being the best possible teacher around...consider what you would do if it were your child, your niece, your cousin, your neighbor kid, sitting in your classroom getting the lessons you teach. Would you pass the test?
Kids should know what they are expected to do, how they are going to be assessed, and how it applies to their lives once they leave the classroom. Here's to another great week of school up ahead! Get out and see what there is to see!
Developing my own walk-through form, I decided to look for what I had identified as key indicators: classroom arrangement, student engagement, instructional method, assessment techniques, and the Iowa Teaching Standards I felt were being met. While I only observed for five minutes at most, I felt I got a pretty clear picture in each classroom of how the instructional time is spent. I saw: large group, direct instruction; individualized instruction; collaboration with peers; use of technology- not just using Word, by the way; and best of all...some higher order thinking skills. Now I don't want to say that every class was perfect...but in the majority of classrooms, kids were engaged, adults were sharing the stage, and learning was taking place.
I had an opportunity that too often we don't afford our teachers: the chance to see what good teaching looks like. In our departmentalized world of education, it becomes increasingly simple to stick to our old way of doing things because it has "worked" for us. Just because it works for us, as content specialists, doesn't mean it works in any way for our students. If we have visual learners or kids who need to have their hands busy, daily lecture is leaving your kids behind. Oh and just a reminder...WORKSHEETS AREN'T THE ANSWER!
I was lucky to see what good teachers do and how good instruction benefits the students in those classrooms. Let's face it, we can spend all the money we want on new textbooks, new technology, new playground balls, new whatever...but if the instructional strategies and delivery of instruction is awful or even marginally okay, we are doing our kids and ourselves a disservice. No new item can replace effective instruction. Knowing how to teach effectively, manage a classroom, assess for learning, and teach so that each kid gets it...that is what matters. Some teachers will refuse to change to be the best possible version of themselves. However, I want to steal a great quotation that I heard from a principal of another school: "Teachers won't be replaced by technology. But teachers who use technology will replace those who don't." I would amend that slightly to be, "Teachers who understand effective instruction and assessment will replace those who don't." And they should.
We can make ourselves better and our weakest teachers better by getting out of the safe classrooms we call home and watching other rock-star teachers do their thing. If you don't have time to invest in being the best possible teacher around...consider what you would do if it were your child, your niece, your cousin, your neighbor kid, sitting in your classroom getting the lessons you teach. Would you pass the test?
Kids should know what they are expected to do, how they are going to be assessed, and how it applies to their lives once they leave the classroom. Here's to another great week of school up ahead! Get out and see what there is to see!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Why Are We Doing This?
I will admit that I probably made some mistakes in my first years of teaching. I was most likely caught in survival mode at some points, assigning a worksheet because that is what the district curriculum gave me to work with and would be easier to check than an actual assignment. However, I learned quickly that a worksheet is hardly work at all. I was asking myself, on too frequent a basis, "Why am I teaching this?" "When will kids actually use this?" It was when I wasn't able to rationalize teaching the content that I made the choice to change how and what I was teaching and what I was doing to assess student learning.
Too often, we don't share good information with each other. It is one of those problems that has emerged from what Mike Schmoker (2006) calls "the buffer." We isolate ourselves and are not pushed to work collaboratively, mainly because the teaching profession has adopted the point of view that we should just be left alone and allowed to teach. I have heard some of my favorite teachers offer that perspective, "Why can't they just leave me alone and let me teach? They're never going to see if I am actually doing this in the classroom." This is what we need to confront. The culture of isolation in terms of teacher collaboration and the culture of isolation in terms of administrator isolation.
The problem is clear: if teachers are left to always do what they've always done, how do our most ineffective teachers get better? I'll allow some Madeline Hunter "wait time"...the answer: they don't! The teacher who has no idea how to create a learning target, how to assess student work, how to provide effective feedback, how to respond to a parent's inquiry...none of these things are improved upon. The administrator relies on his/her once a year formal observation or walk-through and identifies that there is a problem. However, five minutes down the hall, another pressing management issue arises and the administrator is immediately side-tracked from focusing on how to assist the teacher. The teacher continues to teach the same way, the administrator fills out the reporting form, forgetting the issues, and everyone continues on their merry way. Except who? The students. The student has been poorly instructed and we get to the center of what is wrong with schools...bad instruction.
If stellar instruction was our focus and we invested the time, resources, and effort to combat ineffective teaching practices, some of the biggest hurdles in terms of low achievement, student misbehavior, and teacher turnover would begin to evaporate. Until we admit that our school has a problem, we remain ineffective and our attempts to enact a thousand new programs that will cure the problems will do what they have always done: fail. There is hope in the use of research proven strategies, monitoring and evaluating the learning environment, team planning for common assessments, shared learning goals, and guiding colleagues toward better instructional practices. However, we have to be honest and real with some people. This may involve administrators feeling uncomfortable in a conversation where they bring up a teacher's lack of understanding for how to teach effectively. You aren't going to come right out and say, "Boy, do you suck at your job. I can't believe we've let you stay and harm kids for this long. Pack up your things." You might want to say that but there are plans to help teachers strengthen weak areas and focus on what can be done better.
To work on improving the instructional environment, the administrator needs to shift from the manager to the instructional leader. This might not be possible in all districts. If it is not, it is important to ask a critical question, "Do you want us to really continue graduating students who have no hope of confronting the challenges of their world?" No superintendent will say, "That's exactly what I want you to do! Get out there and maintain the status quo!" Then again, some superintendents don't have to say anything...it is evident in their actions and words. I am lucky to have a superintendent who stops in and observes instruction...a pleasant change. I have administrators who understand what is important in schools and know what to do to improve the learning environment. We can still improve though. So we don't stop working.
Do yourself and your school a favor, pick up Mike Schmoker's "Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning." Read it, talk about it, and most importantly, start focusing on instruction and supervision of instruction. Teachers need to watch expert teachers. Administrators need to observe classrooms daily, not always in a formal setting. We all need to shift how we think about teaching and learning before we can start solving the problems that are roadblocks for our profession.
Too often, we don't share good information with each other. It is one of those problems that has emerged from what Mike Schmoker (2006) calls "the buffer." We isolate ourselves and are not pushed to work collaboratively, mainly because the teaching profession has adopted the point of view that we should just be left alone and allowed to teach. I have heard some of my favorite teachers offer that perspective, "Why can't they just leave me alone and let me teach? They're never going to see if I am actually doing this in the classroom." This is what we need to confront. The culture of isolation in terms of teacher collaboration and the culture of isolation in terms of administrator isolation.
The problem is clear: if teachers are left to always do what they've always done, how do our most ineffective teachers get better? I'll allow some Madeline Hunter "wait time"...the answer: they don't! The teacher who has no idea how to create a learning target, how to assess student work, how to provide effective feedback, how to respond to a parent's inquiry...none of these things are improved upon. The administrator relies on his/her once a year formal observation or walk-through and identifies that there is a problem. However, five minutes down the hall, another pressing management issue arises and the administrator is immediately side-tracked from focusing on how to assist the teacher. The teacher continues to teach the same way, the administrator fills out the reporting form, forgetting the issues, and everyone continues on their merry way. Except who? The students. The student has been poorly instructed and we get to the center of what is wrong with schools...bad instruction.
If stellar instruction was our focus and we invested the time, resources, and effort to combat ineffective teaching practices, some of the biggest hurdles in terms of low achievement, student misbehavior, and teacher turnover would begin to evaporate. Until we admit that our school has a problem, we remain ineffective and our attempts to enact a thousand new programs that will cure the problems will do what they have always done: fail. There is hope in the use of research proven strategies, monitoring and evaluating the learning environment, team planning for common assessments, shared learning goals, and guiding colleagues toward better instructional practices. However, we have to be honest and real with some people. This may involve administrators feeling uncomfortable in a conversation where they bring up a teacher's lack of understanding for how to teach effectively. You aren't going to come right out and say, "Boy, do you suck at your job. I can't believe we've let you stay and harm kids for this long. Pack up your things." You might want to say that but there are plans to help teachers strengthen weak areas and focus on what can be done better.
To work on improving the instructional environment, the administrator needs to shift from the manager to the instructional leader. This might not be possible in all districts. If it is not, it is important to ask a critical question, "Do you want us to really continue graduating students who have no hope of confronting the challenges of their world?" No superintendent will say, "That's exactly what I want you to do! Get out there and maintain the status quo!" Then again, some superintendents don't have to say anything...it is evident in their actions and words. I am lucky to have a superintendent who stops in and observes instruction...a pleasant change. I have administrators who understand what is important in schools and know what to do to improve the learning environment. We can still improve though. So we don't stop working.
Do yourself and your school a favor, pick up Mike Schmoker's "Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning." Read it, talk about it, and most importantly, start focusing on instruction and supervision of instruction. Teachers need to watch expert teachers. Administrators need to observe classrooms daily, not always in a formal setting. We all need to shift how we think about teaching and learning before we can start solving the problems that are roadblocks for our profession.
References
Schmoker, M. J. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bond Issues...Keeping the Community Engaged
Until the community understands the depth of problems faced in an older building, it is highly unlikely that those community members, especially those who may no longer have children attending the school, will see a need for it to be replaced. Therefore, it is necessary for the school district to create a well developed plan for communicating the needs, costs, and benefits for the greater community if the project were completed. Without this plan in place, it will be difficult for all community members to find a reason to support the project.
A number of factors may influence the opinions of the community against the proposal. Issues such as salaries for teachers and administrators, negative interactions with students from the school, reduction in staff, declining enrollment, political viewpoints, and previous communication/interactions with the school or district are all potential hurdles for the administration and staff to handle in preparation for suggesting a bond issue. It becomes necessary then to counteract these potential hazards and begin creating a positive, welcoming, and demonstrated concern for the community the school serves. Still, confusion remains regarding school finance. This issue will also need to be addressed before a community will willingly raise property taxes or begin paying more in sales tax.
Solutions
In order to create an environment that supports the school and the needs faced by the district, I recommend the following actions.
First, demonstrate the need to the community for the intended improvements. Communicate these needs in as many ways as possible. Hold open houses for the community where information can be shared; send a newsletter to the community explaining various facets of school funding and finance; call on community leaders to tour the facility when students are there; have students or parents write to the local newspaper explaining how learning is impacted, and utilize local media such as radio and television or the school website. The focus is to garner support through demonstrating the need. While this is being done, consider opportunities for new community partnerships and the possibility of opening the school to community organizations that could utilize the new school or space. This should also be done to demonstrate the importance of allowing the school to be a community gathering space.
Second, create a citizen’s advisory group. This group should be representative of as many demographic groups as possible including variations on age, race, income, and gender throughout the community the school serves. This group will be instrumental in communicating with the public through surveys, canvassing, and assisting in the creation of recommendations brought before the community. Though it need not be a large group, it should be clear that there is not a small group of select individuals making all of the decisions. This group should be as well versed in the issues facing the school as the administration and staff is so it will be important for leaders to provide additional understanding of finance and public relations. If someone in the group says or does something to upset others in the community, it may not help the intended project come to fruition.
Third, consider other key factors that might cause the public to vote against the issue. This is where public input will become increasingly important. The school should communicate to the community and ask for input on the issue. Provide opportunities for the community to view potential building locations. If the community thinks the building will be built in an unsuitable area, they should be allowed to have their voices heard and provide options for consideration. Demonstrate willingness to increase community usage of the school. Providing classes in the evenings for adults, recreation programs for the community, and use of school space for community meetings and gatherings may help gain support. If the school can be seen as a community organization, the community may be supportive of the current needs and opportunities a new building may create. Also, consider the elderly of the community. Many of these individuals live on a fixed income. Therefore it becomes necessary to demonstrate the needs of today’s student and how their support can ensure a bright future for the community. Even providing discounted admission to athletic or performing arts functions may help the elderly in the community see the school as a living place in need.
Finally, keep the people involved in the planning and execution of the campaign and process. If the community feels that the school/district is being open and honest, that will do more for them than if they suspect they are being presented with false information or half-truths. Through fostering positive communication with the community, the school may see a much better result.
Will everyone be happy and vote for the proposal? No. Surely, some will still see the topic as a frill or unnecessary spending. People are right to have their objections, especially since the school district is using their tax dollars. However, getting the information to the people and remembering that this project is about the community will be essential. The community should be viewed as our partner, not just a donor we schmooze when we need some extra cash. If people feel like they are voting against the community, they may hesitate before they check the “no” box on the ballot.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Why Relationships Matter
One of the most important elements of being a school administrator or being a professional in a learning community are the relationships with those around you. Consider the following...how often or to whom do you say "Hello" to in your school? How many people greet you on a daily basis? What do your conversations center around? What stories does your school tell?
I am sure we can all think of a colleague who is somewhat recluse. I don't have a problem with that. Some folks prefer to work on their own and have limited interactions with others. However, as a member of the school community, be aware of these people and make it a point to also seek them out and greet them. You don't have to go over the top but when people feel welcome and appreciated it can do good things. Today's SmartBrief on Leadership had an important message...respect matters.
The blog (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) points out seven ways managers can improve relations with their employees. None of these tactics are new or revolutionary but are important to keep in mind. Timely and effective feedback, collaboration, affirmation...all of these are necessary for improving working conditions with others. One of the points that sticks out to me most, at least as an aspiring administrator, is the importance of empowerment. Marzano (2005) identifies this as Resources. This includes providing the necessary time, resources, training, etc. to assist others in effectively carrying out their jobs.
Professional development can improve relationships. When your culture is one of high expectations and the principal consistently monitors and evaluates the life of the school, professional development can be a great tool for initiating and maintaining critical conversations between colleagues. This isn't saying that we will all agree on everything, but through understanding where we are in agreement and where we are in disharmony, we can begin to work with each other to move toward our common goals.
Sometimes it is the simple things: recognition for earning advanced degrees; recognizing birthdays; sharing with others when a colleague has attended a conference or presentation that may improve instructional practices; the birth of a child; sending flowers to a staff member when they have experienced the death of a loved one. The list could go on. I am sure you do many of these things already.
Marzano (2005) recommends "being informed about significant personal issues within the lives of staff members; being aware of the personal needs of teachers; acknowledging significant events in the lives of staff members; maintaining personal relationships with teachers" (59).
So here is my goal: say hello to every staff member in the building at least once a day and when asking "How are you doing" make sure that they know you truly care about how they are. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Resources
Marciano, Paul. (2011) Engaging employees with respect. (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) March 15, 2011.
Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
I am sure we can all think of a colleague who is somewhat recluse. I don't have a problem with that. Some folks prefer to work on their own and have limited interactions with others. However, as a member of the school community, be aware of these people and make it a point to also seek them out and greet them. You don't have to go over the top but when people feel welcome and appreciated it can do good things. Today's SmartBrief on Leadership had an important message...respect matters.
The blog (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) points out seven ways managers can improve relations with their employees. None of these tactics are new or revolutionary but are important to keep in mind. Timely and effective feedback, collaboration, affirmation...all of these are necessary for improving working conditions with others. One of the points that sticks out to me most, at least as an aspiring administrator, is the importance of empowerment. Marzano (2005) identifies this as Resources. This includes providing the necessary time, resources, training, etc. to assist others in effectively carrying out their jobs.
Professional development can improve relationships. When your culture is one of high expectations and the principal consistently monitors and evaluates the life of the school, professional development can be a great tool for initiating and maintaining critical conversations between colleagues. This isn't saying that we will all agree on everything, but through understanding where we are in agreement and where we are in disharmony, we can begin to work with each other to move toward our common goals.
Sometimes it is the simple things: recognition for earning advanced degrees; recognizing birthdays; sharing with others when a colleague has attended a conference or presentation that may improve instructional practices; the birth of a child; sending flowers to a staff member when they have experienced the death of a loved one. The list could go on. I am sure you do many of these things already.
Marzano (2005) recommends "being informed about significant personal issues within the lives of staff members; being aware of the personal needs of teachers; acknowledging significant events in the lives of staff members; maintaining personal relationships with teachers" (59).
So here is my goal: say hello to every staff member in the building at least once a day and when asking "How are you doing" make sure that they know you truly care about how they are. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Resources
Marciano, Paul. (2011) Engaging employees with respect. (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) March 15, 2011.
Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
If 82% of My Students Failed...
I would do something differently. That would be my second thought after, "Oh no..."
If my students did not do well on a test or assignment, and 82% of them received a failing grade, you had better believe that I would be changing my strategies, my instructional delivery, and would be making some accommodations to assist my students to do better when we tested again. I would also expect my colleagues, as a community of professionals, to help me get better and do more for the sake of kids.
As an administrator, if my teachers had 82% of students failing, I would be providing all of the support needed to help the teacher address the rate of student achievement, including helping the teacher teach the content or finding someone who could assist the learning community. No more are the days in which we can dismiss lagging student achievement as "kids being lazy." What needs to be wrestled with is how we motivate the unmotivated learner. This takes some work. We need time to get to know our kids, what they enjoy, and how to make what they are learning apply to what they perceive to be critical for survival. It might be outside of our comfort zone...but we will survive. Teachers and administrators know this.
When it comes to student achievement and accountability, we cannot forget the important role of relationships- parent and community involvement as well as supporting and encouraging teachers. Connecting with parents and community resources is necessary not only for maintaining good rapport with our shareholders but also for creating some excellent learning opportunities for the students and allowing parents and community to interact within the structure of a school day. Communicating the successes and challenges of the school as a whole or your classroom is something that we can do for our parents and community shareholders. Address what is great and going well. Reflect upon areas for growth and how we can work together or are working to strengthen our instructional program. What remains important is that the relationship is cared for and given the attention it needs. Put information about your student achievement data in sports and arts event programs so that as your community pages through to see who is playing first base or singing a solo, they can also see that your 11th Grade reading scores increased to 85% proficiency. Allow people to interact with the data and provide a summary of what the scores mean. Keep student achievement at the front of the minds of your community.
I mention 82% failure rate in light of today's news from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, that this many American schools could be failing as measured by high stakes tests and increasing standards. So I return to my original thought..."Oh no." Followed by, "now what?" NCLB has been a difficult dance partner since it became law. In particular, as I reviewed our district data, I chuckled at the fact that schools are supposed to go from 80% proficient in 2010 to 100% by 2014. Meanwhile, we have been allowed to improve at small increments every four years from 2002 to 2010. Apparently something magical is going to happen in the next four years.
The call for education reform has been loud and growing louder for years. I happen to agree that effective instruction and assessment tools are necessary, along with a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The answer is not to fire the administrators or half of the teachers, or close the school and reopen as a charter. Those are not solutions. Those are reactionary band-aids to a serious problem. We don't need to kick troubled schools while they are down. Perhaps providing the necessary tools, like funding and resources such as professional development and increased supports for struggling schools from the local, state, and federal level would do more. "We don't have the money" the states will cry. What else would we expect, especially since NCLB has yet to be properly funded? Perhaps as administrators, we do more frequent and beneficial observations and provide timely and effective feedback. Through this action, we are able to identify struggling or ineffective teaching techniques and can provide the assistance these teachers need to improve in their craft.
Addressing achievement is critical. There needs to be a real conversation with all sides respectfully participating and being focused around common goals: helping kids learn, achieve, and succeed. However, passing the blame to teachers and administrators, especially at a time when teachers (and other public employees) are being stripped of bargaining rights and given little respect for their time, talent, and dedication, is unnecessary and counterproductive.
If you are one of the 82% I guess the sarcastic-optimist in me says, "Hey, at least you aren't alone." Hopefully you won't be alone as you work to strengthen student achievement and the quality of your instructional program.
If my students did not do well on a test or assignment, and 82% of them received a failing grade, you had better believe that I would be changing my strategies, my instructional delivery, and would be making some accommodations to assist my students to do better when we tested again. I would also expect my colleagues, as a community of professionals, to help me get better and do more for the sake of kids.
As an administrator, if my teachers had 82% of students failing, I would be providing all of the support needed to help the teacher address the rate of student achievement, including helping the teacher teach the content or finding someone who could assist the learning community. No more are the days in which we can dismiss lagging student achievement as "kids being lazy." What needs to be wrestled with is how we motivate the unmotivated learner. This takes some work. We need time to get to know our kids, what they enjoy, and how to make what they are learning apply to what they perceive to be critical for survival. It might be outside of our comfort zone...but we will survive. Teachers and administrators know this.
When it comes to student achievement and accountability, we cannot forget the important role of relationships- parent and community involvement as well as supporting and encouraging teachers. Connecting with parents and community resources is necessary not only for maintaining good rapport with our shareholders but also for creating some excellent learning opportunities for the students and allowing parents and community to interact within the structure of a school day. Communicating the successes and challenges of the school as a whole or your classroom is something that we can do for our parents and community shareholders. Address what is great and going well. Reflect upon areas for growth and how we can work together or are working to strengthen our instructional program. What remains important is that the relationship is cared for and given the attention it needs. Put information about your student achievement data in sports and arts event programs so that as your community pages through to see who is playing first base or singing a solo, they can also see that your 11th Grade reading scores increased to 85% proficiency. Allow people to interact with the data and provide a summary of what the scores mean. Keep student achievement at the front of the minds of your community.
I mention 82% failure rate in light of today's news from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, that this many American schools could be failing as measured by high stakes tests and increasing standards. So I return to my original thought..."Oh no." Followed by, "now what?" NCLB has been a difficult dance partner since it became law. In particular, as I reviewed our district data, I chuckled at the fact that schools are supposed to go from 80% proficient in 2010 to 100% by 2014. Meanwhile, we have been allowed to improve at small increments every four years from 2002 to 2010. Apparently something magical is going to happen in the next four years.
The call for education reform has been loud and growing louder for years. I happen to agree that effective instruction and assessment tools are necessary, along with a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The answer is not to fire the administrators or half of the teachers, or close the school and reopen as a charter. Those are not solutions. Those are reactionary band-aids to a serious problem. We don't need to kick troubled schools while they are down. Perhaps providing the necessary tools, like funding and resources such as professional development and increased supports for struggling schools from the local, state, and federal level would do more. "We don't have the money" the states will cry. What else would we expect, especially since NCLB has yet to be properly funded? Perhaps as administrators, we do more frequent and beneficial observations and provide timely and effective feedback. Through this action, we are able to identify struggling or ineffective teaching techniques and can provide the assistance these teachers need to improve in their craft.
Addressing achievement is critical. There needs to be a real conversation with all sides respectfully participating and being focused around common goals: helping kids learn, achieve, and succeed. However, passing the blame to teachers and administrators, especially at a time when teachers (and other public employees) are being stripped of bargaining rights and given little respect for their time, talent, and dedication, is unnecessary and counterproductive.
If you are one of the 82% I guess the sarcastic-optimist in me says, "Hey, at least you aren't alone." Hopefully you won't be alone as you work to strengthen student achievement and the quality of your instructional program.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Duffy's Classroom: Advocating for Professional Development
Duffy's Classroom: Advocating for Professional Development: "'Why do those teachers need meetings during the school year, they don't work all summer. Can't they meet then?' 'I know. It's ha..."
Advocating for Professional Development
"Why do those teachers need meetings during the school year, they don't work all summer. Can't they meet then?"
"I know. It's hard to shuffle the schedule around all the time and get someone to watch (name of child)."
I heard this exchange as I was attempting to find a birthday card recently. I was in the card aisle at the neighborhood grocery store, last minute of course, before heading to a little get together. I am rarely good at gifts and I always buy cards last minute. It gives me a sense of adventure. I know...living dangerously.
Let me clarify something for a moment, I don't always eavesdrop. However, as an educator, it has become somewhat second-nature to listen to the conversations of others and monitor whether or not they are appropriate. Maybe that is just a lame excuse. Either way, you do it too. The two women conversing about the dreadful number of in-service days made me forget my initial search for a card and enter in to a monitoring mode. As I pretended to look at cards, I listened to these parents lament about the uselessness of teacher work days. I could have easily jumped in to the conversation and stuck up for my comrades. However, I wanted to understand what their particular beef was with professional development. Then it came to me...
"We never do anything in our meetings. We meet for a few minutes but then get back to our rooms as fast as we can to catch up on work."
What?! Have my ears lied to me? One of these women was also a teacher?! How could this be? She doesn't like PD?
Let's be realistic...teachers across the quality spectrum struggle with PD. When in-service time is used wisely, is designed with the goal of teacher quality and improvement, and inspires the teacher to set new goals and find pathways to achieving said goals, PD is a powerful tool. It is increasingly powerful when teachers have input regarding the structure of the professional learning time and a role in knowledge sharing with their peers. If it is like PD that the card-aisle-lady has experienced, it is easy to view it as useless, time wasting, and leaves teachers wishing they had time to work in their rooms. PD that is just thrown together is similar to the kid who hands in a "midnight special," something they clearly stayed up late working on, because they thought it was due next week, with little to brag about as an end result.
I am lucky to work in a school district that utilizes faculty input, through a leadership team, in developing the scope and sequence of professional learning. Using your resources, connections, and in-house experts can be the beginning of building a solid, enjoyable, and most importantly, useful learning experience for teachers and staff. Going one step further and creating a Professional Learning Community can be an even more powerful opportunity for educators to collaborate and challenge each other to grow and learn. However, PLC's, like other PD tasks, will become useless if the time is not used in the best possible way. If you are an administrator in these settings, providing a focus for the groups, monitoring and evaluating the learning groups effectiveness, and providing opportunities for input will all assist in creating a culture where professional learning is valued and used wisely.
It may be a great idea as well to share with parents and community members what is done on learning days for staff. If you have a website, maybe you would like to post pictures or video of these groups in action. Perhaps you can include a summary of the activities in your weekly newsletter home to parents. Perhaps through bringing in community agencies to work alongside these learning groups, you will be able to strengthen your relationship with these shareholders and showcase your talented staff. When parents and community members are in the know about professional learning and its importance to keeping faculty and staff at their best, then everyone wins. Kids win through teachers who try something new in the classroom. Teachers win as they collaborate and share knowledge with each other. Administrators win because they are able to learn alongside their colleagues and see the benefits. Parents win because their children are learning from the best educators around. When we are moving together, I doubt we will hear the complaints echoed in the voice of the frazzled parents that I listened to in the card aisle. Good day!
"I know. It's hard to shuffle the schedule around all the time and get someone to watch (name of child)."
I heard this exchange as I was attempting to find a birthday card recently. I was in the card aisle at the neighborhood grocery store, last minute of course, before heading to a little get together. I am rarely good at gifts and I always buy cards last minute. It gives me a sense of adventure. I know...living dangerously.
Let me clarify something for a moment, I don't always eavesdrop. However, as an educator, it has become somewhat second-nature to listen to the conversations of others and monitor whether or not they are appropriate. Maybe that is just a lame excuse. Either way, you do it too. The two women conversing about the dreadful number of in-service days made me forget my initial search for a card and enter in to a monitoring mode. As I pretended to look at cards, I listened to these parents lament about the uselessness of teacher work days. I could have easily jumped in to the conversation and stuck up for my comrades. However, I wanted to understand what their particular beef was with professional development. Then it came to me...
"We never do anything in our meetings. We meet for a few minutes but then get back to our rooms as fast as we can to catch up on work."
What?! Have my ears lied to me? One of these women was also a teacher?! How could this be? She doesn't like PD?
Let's be realistic...teachers across the quality spectrum struggle with PD. When in-service time is used wisely, is designed with the goal of teacher quality and improvement, and inspires the teacher to set new goals and find pathways to achieving said goals, PD is a powerful tool. It is increasingly powerful when teachers have input regarding the structure of the professional learning time and a role in knowledge sharing with their peers. If it is like PD that the card-aisle-lady has experienced, it is easy to view it as useless, time wasting, and leaves teachers wishing they had time to work in their rooms. PD that is just thrown together is similar to the kid who hands in a "midnight special," something they clearly stayed up late working on, because they thought it was due next week, with little to brag about as an end result.
I am lucky to work in a school district that utilizes faculty input, through a leadership team, in developing the scope and sequence of professional learning. Using your resources, connections, and in-house experts can be the beginning of building a solid, enjoyable, and most importantly, useful learning experience for teachers and staff. Going one step further and creating a Professional Learning Community can be an even more powerful opportunity for educators to collaborate and challenge each other to grow and learn. However, PLC's, like other PD tasks, will become useless if the time is not used in the best possible way. If you are an administrator in these settings, providing a focus for the groups, monitoring and evaluating the learning groups effectiveness, and providing opportunities for input will all assist in creating a culture where professional learning is valued and used wisely.
It may be a great idea as well to share with parents and community members what is done on learning days for staff. If you have a website, maybe you would like to post pictures or video of these groups in action. Perhaps you can include a summary of the activities in your weekly newsletter home to parents. Perhaps through bringing in community agencies to work alongside these learning groups, you will be able to strengthen your relationship with these shareholders and showcase your talented staff. When parents and community members are in the know about professional learning and its importance to keeping faculty and staff at their best, then everyone wins. Kids win through teachers who try something new in the classroom. Teachers win as they collaborate and share knowledge with each other. Administrators win because they are able to learn alongside their colleagues and see the benefits. Parents win because their children are learning from the best educators around. When we are moving together, I doubt we will hear the complaints echoed in the voice of the frazzled parents that I listened to in the card aisle. Good day!
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