Reflection 2015

The conclusion of another calendar year is always a great time to celebrate successes while reflecting on how to improve our craft as we make resolutions for 2015.  We continually reflect on the effectiveness of our building school improvement plans, culture and climate, instructional strategies, district initiatives, curriculum and assessment, etc. Our Professional Learning Committees do an amazing job collaborating while setting and monitoring goals that supports learning.  I also believe the success of a building depends greatly on self-reflection, asking questions that hit the core of our professional growth.    

Any job needs honest self-reflection.  Asking profound self-reflection questions, while understanding yourself and how stakeholders might view you, will truly improve your performance and maybe even the quality of your work experience. Examples of profound self-reflection questions:

• Do my students like me?  Do I like my students?  Do I connect with them by creating positive relationships?
• Do I create a collaborative culture of safety and empowerment within the learning process, where students can be risk-takers?
• Do I automatically go to a negative place when hearing about new initiatives or do I consider the positives aspects that might support my craft?  
• Do I let disappointment in educational politics and uncertainties creep into the classroom?
• Do I find the professional growth process (evaluation) as a nuisance or a chance to grow and develop my craft?
• Am I defensive when receiving constructive criticism?  Do I make excuses, or use constructive criticism as a chance to grow professionally?
• Do I take instructional conferencing with my principal seriously?
• Do my parents like me?  Do they know how much I care for their children and enjoy teaching? What would they say about my ability to communicate with them?
• Do I surround myself with positive people?  Do I like my job?  Can I do better?
• Do my colleagues like me?  Do they feel supported by me, or do I create anxiety for them?  How do I respond to others that are negative?
• Do I create my own stress?  Are my greatest strengths creating weakness?  Am I blinded by my own ambition?
• If everyone at my place of work had my attitude, what kind of work environment would it be? Do I have a growth or fixed mindset? Do I create opportunities to grow professionally (through professional development, twitter chats, professional reading, etc.), or do I think it is someone else’s job to seek out opportunities for me?
• Am I the voice of “all good things” in education or the echo of what is bad?

I feel extremely fortunate to work in a positive building, with an amazing staff; however, even the most positive educators should ask these questions from time to time.  These are questions that I utilize when reflecting, which sustains my focus of being the best that I can be for our school community and ultimately our students.  If one truly want to sustain professional growth, I believe that you need to think deeper than traditional performance reflection questions.  One must self-reflect, getting to to core of professional growth, knowing that you are the only one who can truly answer these questions.

As you reflect and set goals for 2015, start thinking about deeper self-reflection questions that will support your motivation and positively carry you into a new calendar year.  Pick one or two that might resonate with you and try to improve by giving the “extra degree.” Always remember the importance of being the “positive voice” in education!  Continue to grow and embrace change, creating opportunities for professional growth, while enjoying the best job in the world… teaching children!

Thanks for reading and make this holiday season a time for family, friends and reflection.

Enjoy the conclusion to another great year!  

Think Through Math

For the past couple of years, our building has been utilizing Think Through Math (TTM) as a supplemental tool in conjunction with our district math curriculum.  We have found it to be extremely beneficial.

Think Through Math does exactly what its name suggests. It provides students with opportunity to understand mathematical concepts rather than just getting to a final answer.   The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Communication Standards indicate that instructional programs, prekindergarten through grade 12, should enable all students to do the following:

·         Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication.

·         Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others.

·         Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others.

·         Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely. 

TTM understands the importance of these principles to improve math instruction through research-based best practices combined with advanced technology.  TTM utilizes adaptive software to target individual gaps in knowledge while providing immediate corrective feedback, correcting misconceptions, and delivering quality differentiated instruction.  As student’s mathematical skills progress, TTM meets them at their level, providing new concepts and related enrichment so they are continually engaged, supporting their individualized instructional level.  The uniqueness of TTM is that students can connect with a LIVE certified teacher when they are unable manage a problem on their own.  TTM understands the importance of immediate support when a student is struggling with a new concept.  Connecting and interacting with a live teacher enhances the likelihood for student success while taking their mathematical skills to the next level. The Foundational Principles of TTM:

·         Motivate & Engage

·         Utilize Adaptive Placement &Personalized Instruction

·         Provide Opportunities for Learning Autonomy & Ownership

·         Create Meaningful Practice

·         Implement Higher Leverage Teaching Practices

These foundational principles are what drive TTM, while providing fun differentiated instruction along the way, with on-the-spot support from certified teachers.  Monteith teachers and students continue to benefit from TTM’s pedagogical practices. 

What our teachers at Monteith are saying about TTM:

The Think Through Math Program helps me in the classroom in many ways.  First, it provides me with the opportunity to provide differentiated instruction.  Students can work at their own levels, while still getting teacher support as needed.  I can monitor and change pathways as I see fit to help students reach their individual math goals. Another way it is helpful is that it provides the class with a common goal.  Students earn points and achieve a team prize of their choice. Lastly, it helps boost children's confidence in math!  Students are working at their own pace to achieve rewards for skills they accomplish, no matter at what level they are working at.  Overall, I feel TTM is a great addition to my 5th grade classroom.  5^th grade teacher

Kids like the autonomy of going back to where they left off… without having to “check in“ with the teacher. They like that nobody else (except the teacher) can see what lessons they are on, how they scored on the pre quiz, post quiz, etc.   They like being able to have extra lab time during the week for TTM, and the chance to work on it at home. Last year, with our class/grade/school goal of completing 30 lessons, it became an opportunity to encourage our classmates… applauding those who made it into the “30 Club” and receiving praise from the teacher (either when I typed a comment to them on TTM or mentioned it in person) that I was proud of their progress, hard work, extra time using the program at home, etc. 5^th grade teacher

My students…benefited greatly.  They LOVED the challenge and the ability to work through problems at their own speed.  …loved the competition part too.  …Students were thrilled to know that they were really high in the school and the state.  3^rd grade teacher

Students love selecting an avatar that they can personalize as they gain points.  The more points earned through passing lessons allows students to modify their avatar with new features.  Perfect motivational tool for students!  Principal

Monteith has enjoyed the opportunity to work with Think Through Math.  It is supporting our ongoing school improvement efforts, providing students with deeper understanding of mathematical concepts while motivating and empowering them to be life-long learners. 

We truly appreciate the financial support of our PTO who provided funding for TTM.  Thank you for being our partner in education!  Your support is always appreciated! 

Have a great week! 

Keith 

To learning more about TTM, check out this video which highlights the following:

Think Through Math is America’s premier math differentiation system—a Web-based curriculum proven to raise math achievement for students in grades 3 through Algebra I. The program is designed to meet the rigors of the Common Core and accelerate students to grade level. Students who complete at least 30 lessons in their targeted pathway are proven to make measureable gains on standardized tests.

http://vimeo.com/71113604

For additional information about TTM contact:

Matt Young

Regional Manager - Midwest

Think Through Math

Cell: 586.713.7513

myoung@thinkthroughmath.com

22 more days to make a positive difference in a child's life... enjoy each one of them!

Can you believe we only have 22 more school days until the end of the year?  It is amazing how quickly a school year can come to a conclusion.  During these final days it is easy for teachers and students to forget what is truly important due to end of the year parties, paperwork, field trips, assemblies, fundraisers, etc… you get the idea!  We are busy this time of year.  With that said,  we still need to finish strong and focus on the truly important aspects of learning:

Building relationships that support a culture of learning, while motivating students to be excited to continue learning during the summer and next school year!

Below is a list of 10 relationship building ideas that will support a great finish to the school year.   We have 22 days to make a positive difference in a child’s life… enjoy each one of them!

1.     Morning Circle Time (reflecting on the year) – Many of our teachers have morning meetings to start the school day.  Creating a morning meeting, allowing for students to learn about each other beyond school life, builds a classroom community of genuine respect and rapport.  Daily questions can focus on student backgrounds, culture, interests, events of the weekend, favorite foods/music/movies/games, special events, etc.  Becoming familiar with each other on a deeper level will support student self-awareness and acceptance of differences, which will decrease the likelihood of relationship issues during the school year.  During the last 22 days of school you can utilize this time to reflect on learning from the school year.  Daily questions can focus on favorite experiences, field trips, project based learning activities, individual/class accomplishment or anything that was unique to your classroom.  You can even create a top 10 list of learning activities for the summer, reflecting on the importance of finishing strong and continuing learning during the summer.

2.     Classroom Motto (finish the year strong) – One teacher at our school starts the day by reciting the classroom motto.  He tells the students to push the button on their desk and all student proudly recites together, “feel good about yourself!”  Students truly feel good about themselves… not because they say it… because of the sustained teaching that goes along with saying it, creating a community of students who feel good about themselves.  His students feel good about: being a good classmate/friend, the effort they put into an assignment, learning new vocabulary words, solving problems on their own, being a good son/daughter/sibling, improving their writing skills, understanding their target learning, etc.  It works because it is a consistent approach implemented with empathy and support.  

3.     The Unlikely Student (extremely important to connect with these students as much as possible during the final few weeks) – It is “easy to connect” with students who demand your attention due to an outgoing personality, academic needs, or behavioral problems.  Something to consider, write one student’s name in your plan book each day (those who do not demand your time).  Make sure you are connecting with that child throughout the day by noticing their effort:  “Wow! Johnny did a great job on the writing assignment because he added exceptional detail”… and share those accolades with the class.  Notice things that go beyond school life: new shoes/shirt/haircut, asking about weekend, sporting event, video game, recess, family, etc.  It is important that you have a plan to connect, because if you don’t… the “easy to connect” students will demand that time and the “unlikely” student will not be noticed.

4.     Student Inventory – Look for the uniqueness of each child – Did something happen during the school year that sparked a new interest?  Revisit the student inventory that students provided you throughout the year.  Did anything change?  Student inventory example is below:

·         What do you like to do outside of school?

·         What is your favorite season?

·         List 2 of your favorite foods.

·         List 3 games you like to play.

·         What is your favorite animal, color, sport?

·         List your favorite type of music.

·         Do you like to read? What type of books do you like?

·         List 3 movies you like to watch.

·         Who do you like to play with/why?  Friend, parents, grandparents, sister, brother, other.

·         What is your favorite part of the school day?

·         What is your least favorite part of the school day?

·         What is your favorite special/subject?

Higher level inventory questions:

·         What are your dreams?

·         What do you want to be when you grow up?

·         Who would you consider to be your hero and why?

·         If you had unlimited money and could only use it to help people… who would you help and why?

It will be fun for you and your students to see how they have changed or stayed the same over the school year! 

5.     Positive Proximity – Greet your students each morning with a smile and a friendly hello.  Seems simple because it is!   It is also much better than asking “do you have your homework?”  Be present during independent work, supporting students and noticing their efforts throughout the day.  It is even ok to stop by the cafeteria (gym is where we eat lunch) or even shoot a basket or two during recess, positive proximity doesn't need to stop in the classroom.  The extra 2-3 minutes of positive proximity outside your classroom will enhance the community feeling that you are establishing in your classroom. 

6.     Active Listening (It is easy to forget about this during these busy final days) – When we are busy it is easy to send students on their way with a quick response, knowing that you would give a better response if you had the time... we do this as parents too!  Next time try saying this:  “Your question/need/etc. is really important to me and you deserve more time than I can give right now… can you hold on for a few minutes/after lunch/until tomorrow/etc. and I will give you the attention you deserve.”  If you say this with empathy, the child will usually feel validated and will (most likely) wait for your attention… sometimes it gives them time to problem solve on their own. Obviously, don't use this approach if there is an emergency or safety issues. 

7.     Tone of Voice  – Be aware of tone, volume and cadence when teaching and managing your classroom.  Use a softer delivery when managing behaviors and classroom procedures, planning and using nonverbal cues.   Use voice fluctuation, storytelling (instead of lecturing), and suspense during your classroom discussions.  Students will love it!  I have been in a lot of classroom where I didn’t want to leave because the tone was so engaging.  Your voice can set the relationship tone (positively or negatively) within a classroom.  Charlie Brown’s teachers were funny but I don’t think they were building any relationships with their tone of voice.

8.  “I noticed” notes - How it works:  Simply place post-it notes on student’s desk when they least expect it!

I noticed you finished your project today… nice work with great detail!

I noticed you are being a good friend to Johnny… you are kind!

I noticed you helping Sally with her math at lunch… you are a good friend!

I noticed you put great voice in your writing today… nice focus on our target learning!

I noticed you being a good listener… you rock!

I noticed you asking for help on your assignment… way to take charge of your learning!

I noticed you using "active listening" strategies with Sally during turn and talk… keep it up!

You get the idea!  I wouldn’t walk around the room giving “I noticed” notes all day… it could decrease the value.  Use it sparingly, maybe three to five per day and keep track, making sure you are noticing everyone over time.  This also works well with number three from above - The Unlikely Student.  I love this strategy because it provides encouragement and accolades to support a positive relationship between you and your students.  It will also teach students to self-regulate their behaviors, assuming responsibility to academic and social learning.  Students will love it and so will you! 

9.     Humor – It is ok to laugh, smile, and tell an appropriate joke from time to time.  Children want to see us having fun during the final couple of weeks!  A morning joke can go a long way to support positive feelings.  We have children telling Friday jokes on the morning announcements, it’s a lot of fun!

Q: What did the math book say to the other math book?

A: I have a lot of problems!

I love a good joke and so will your students!

10. Closure to the day and year – Facilitate a reflection discussion at the end of each day, showcasing the academic and social learning that took place.  Give accolades to individuals for positive effort and remember the happy and/or humorous moments during the day… maybe even tell your corny joke again.  Set goals for tomorrow and end the day by saying “be kind to one another,” supporting and modeling the positive feelings you are establishing within your classroom.  Make this a consistent conclusion to your day and they will be eager to return in the morning.

Relationship building is the most important thing we can do for learning.  Please add a comment, highlighting your relationship building ideas so that we can learn together!  

Remember to finish strong!  We have 22 days to make a positive difference in a child’s life… enjoy each one of them!

Keith Howell

What are you selling in your classroom? Are your students pressured or empowered to learn?

My wife and I finally purchased a camper!  (Shhhh, don’t tell our kids… we plan to surprise them before our first trip!)  We have been talking about buying a camper for the last couple of years.  We visited the local RV dealership and looked at campers online, not knowing what to expect or what we were doing.  Last week we did the same, visiting the local dealership and another that was bit further from our house.  Stay with me… I will connect this to educating children as you read on.  Our experience…

Dealer one:

·         Salesperson asked for contact information, our intent on buying, and wrote it on an invoice before showing campers.

·         Salesperson showed us two different campers that represented our desired options, stating that they only carry this brand because it is “topnotch.” 

·         Salesperson needed to get price from manager… the price was a secret. 

·         After showing the two campers, (which we liked) the salesperson didn’t give us any privacy to discuss.

·         Before leaving, the salesperson asked us to meet the manager.

·         Manager comments:

o   Why are you leaving so soon?

o   What can we do to get you into a camper today?

o   When do you plan on purchasing?

o   Which one are you leaning towards?

o   What is your timeframe?

o   We could probably do something to bring the price down.

o   Why don’t you come by this weekend and we can get you into one of those campers?

·         We asked for a copy of paperwork, with price listed; however, we were told that the paperwork is only for internal use. 

Don’t get me wrong, they were nice; however, they lacked genuine relationship skills and we felt a bit uncomfortable as we walked out of the dealership.  My wife and I walked in with a mindset to buy and walked out feeling pressured to buy. 

Dealer two:

·         Salesperson welcomed us into their shop, never asking for contact information.

·         Salesperson had five different campers that represented our desired options, stating that he can get any other campers that might fit our family camping specifications.   

·         All prices, options, and camper information was posted… prices and options were not a secret. 

·         Salesperson allowed us to tour all campers without hovering or asking us to make a decision. 

·         After seeing all five campers (which we liked), the salesperson answered our questions, gave us additional information and wished us luck, telling us to give him a call if we had any questions.  At no time did he ask us to make a purchase, give a timeframe for making a purchase, or make us feel uncomfortable with a process that should be exciting.  He even let us take his paperwork, which had all options and prices listed, unlike the first dealership salesperson and manager. 

What an excellent experience!  We felt great about discussing our options and dealer two empowered us throughout the purchasing process. 

It got me thinking… what are we “selling” in our classrooms and schools? 

Do we pressure or empower students to “buy” into learning?

·         Do we provide limited choices to learning, or do we give a multitude of choices of how a task can be completed?

·         Do we make learning a secret, or do we provide appropriate scaffolding to promote deeper levels of learning, tailored to individual student needs?

·         Do we hover over students, or do we facilitate intentional space to experience learning and collaborate with each other, providing supports along the way?

·         Do we put a timeframe on learning, or do we allow for it to happen when developmentally appropriate, while motivating students to love their learning experience?

·         Do we send students to the principal (manager) to pressure them into learning, or do we give students brain breaks when needed to reflect and consolidate their understanding to get back into a learning (purchasing) zone?

·         Do we say, “We could probably do something more to help you,” or do we try every possible strategy to help our students during the learning process?

·         When students ask questions about their learning, do we tell them it is not necessary for them to know (only for internal use), or do we provide them with a multitude of suggestions and information to support, better yet, empower them to learn and ask more questions?

·         Do we force students to learn, or do we motivate them while creating a culture that is conducive to taking risks throughout the learning process?

Our camper buying experience varied greatly between these two dealerships.  It was obvious…

Dealer one wanted to make a sale and dealer two wanted to create a situation where we would have a great family experience.  This salesperson at had a genuine passion for selling campers, but more importantly, a calling to support people along the way, helping us to make an informed and comfortable decision.  It was obvious that he enjoyed his job and helping others. 

As you move towards the final couple months of the school year, ask yourself… Are your students feeling pressured or empowered to “buy” what you are “selling?” Do we show genuine warmth and care for our students, exhibiting a genuine passion for our craft - teaching children? 

Make the end of the school year something your students want to “buy,” while giving them the motivation to be empowered to learn throughout the summer!

Enjoy making a difference!

Keith

Achievement & Student Growth Philosophy - What is truly important?

It is inevitable, teacher evaluations are becoming increasingly important at the state level and it filters down to districts and school buildings where principals and teaching faculty are expressing varied opinions.  No matter the opinion, we are in the thick of the evaluation process and this is the time of year when many of us are in the final stages.  As I was working on my own evaluation I noticed some common “catch phrases” and “acronyms” regarding achievement data and student growth.  I am sure you could guess what they are: 

·        Data Drives Instruction – I say that a lot…

·        RTI approach to differentiation

·        Achievement dashboards

·        Progress monitoring with fidelity – My RTI committee loves this! 

·        SMART Goals

·        Data Binders to triangulate data… I think I just like saying triangulation!

·        Standard Based Grading

·        F&P tracking documents

·        Digging Deeper Assessments

·        Data Notebooks created by students

·        MEAP, NWEA, GPWA, FASTT, TTM, GES3, MLPP, Class A… ok, you get it!

It really got me thinking… what do I want to showcase in my evaluation regarding my achievement and student growth philosophy?  I summarized with the following:

There are many phrases and acronyms that educators utilize when talking about assessment data and student growth.  Many of them are stated within my evaluation.  Simply measuring student learning and reviewing data does not increase learning… Good Instruction Increases Learning!  Data should inform our decisions; however, educators need to be careful, not to get hung up on chasing classroom/building data, but to focus on the following:

-          Building relationships that support a culture of learning

-          Motivating and creating a love for learning

-          Maximizing instructional time

-          Increasing student engagement, empowering to be life-long learners

Rather than chasing data we should be focused on creating a culture of achievement, one where assessment data is used to gauge how to create lessons that maximize effectiveness of student engagement and learning.  Educators should utilize assessment strategies that are informal in nature; and that drive decision making, emphasizing flexibility and responsiveness to individuals during the learning process.  The most important informal assessment data educators should be looking at is student engagement and excitement for learning.  If educators are able to build positive relationships, maximize instructional time, and create a love for learning that motivates students to be cognitively engaged throughout the day then we should not need to worry about summative achievement data… they will achieve! 

I feel this sums up my assessment philosophy for my evaluation.  So, as you think about the many summative assessments we give each school year; I want you to focus on what is truly important:

-           Building relationships that support a culture of learning

-           Motivating and creating a love for learning

-           Maximizing instructional time

-           Increasing student engagement, empowering to be life-long learners

Thank you for always putting students first and not thinking they are a number, recognizing their individual needs!  Educators are the best!

Have a great week of teaching and learning! 

Keith