Intentional Planning - Relationships & Strategies

Welcome Back!!!  I hope everyone enjoyed a well deserved break with family and friends.  As educators return after a long break it is always good to review our intentional plans for sustaining a positive learning environment.  

“A quality teacher-student relationship means more than the combined power of all teaching and discipline techniques known to humankind.”

Love and logic Teacher-ism

I love this quote!  Establishing positive relationships with your students, while creating an atmosphere where children have positive relationships with each other, will truly benefit any classroom, family, or community.  Quality teacher-student and student-student relationships will support and increase a positive community where children want to thrive. It also makes everyone’s experience more enjoyable!  

As we move into the final months of the school year it is important to re-establish classroom expectations and learning missions that will empower students to be their best during warmer months.  

The best managed classrooms and positive learning environments do not happen by accident.  Talented educators are intentional in their planning.  Children, in general, will exhibit some type of minor or major behavior challenge during their childhood.  The key is to keep minor behaviors just that… minor.  As a teacher, administrator, and parent I have experienced a variety of behavior challenges that can be supported with simple Tier 1 redirection and distraction techniques.  Below are two posts that highlight the importance of intentional planning surrounding relationships and distraction, time, and Love and Logic techniques to support learning. Check them out if you are looking for additional strategies.

Before implementing behavior strategies it is important to solidify positive relationships.  Check out a few of my favorite relationship building techniques below:

Intentional Planning Post 1 or 2

Now that relationships are established, distractions techniques have a better chance of being successful.  Check out these techniques that will support learning.

Intentional Planning Post 2 of 2

I hope you find this helpful.  I appreciate everything you do each day to sustain a welcoming environment at our schools and in your classrooms!  Teachers are great!!!!

I will leave you with this Love and Logic Quote:

Rules provided without relationship result in rebellion.

Consequences given without relationship lead to resentment.

Rewards without relationship feel like bribes.

Love and Logic Teacher-isms

Enjoy teaching and learning!

Conferences 2017

When I was a principal, conferences were among my favorite times of the year!  Time after time, they reaffirmed an essential belief that I hold: our teachers are great!  As parents were leaving the building, many would stop by my office to give accolades about our teachers and praise the learning experiences their children were having throughout the year.  This provided terrific informal data that supported the positive relationships and learning environment we created together.  What a great feeling for our teachers and families!

Fall conferences might be the first time teachers are meeting parents, other than a friendly, "hello" during drop off or pick up, and the occasional family night.  Conferences are a time when teachers get 10-15 minutes (depending on the district) to showcase academic, social and emotional learning goals that students are setting and demonstrating progress toward throughout the school year.  Sometimes, parents don’t know what to expect … and neither do teachers!  It is extremely important that we are confident in our abilities to showcase the academic, social, and emotional progress and future goals that empower students to grow throughout the school year.  

The conference is an important event to make a great impression with parents and provide descriptive feedback of their student’s progress and goals.  Please help parents believe what we already know… there is no better teacher for their child!

Our teachers do a great job planning and providing parents with a terrific information and strategies of support; however, at times it is based on what we think parents need to hear rather than what they want to hear.  It is important to have a nice balance of both. So, what questions do you think parents really want answered when attending a conference?  These are the questions parents might not ask …but might just have on their mind.  Below are 10 questions to consider:

1. Is my child safe (socially, emotionally, physically) at school? Do they have friends?
2. Is my child’s teacher a happy person and is my child happy at school?
3. Does my child’s teacher love kids?
4. Does the teacher look for the uniqueness in my child?
5. Is the teacher finding joy within the teaching profession?
6. Is the teacher competent?  Is it evident that the teachers knows curriculum and how to impart knowledge?  
7. Is my child learning … and more importantly, does my child love learning from this teacher?
8. Is the teacher consistent?  Does the teacher do what they say?
9. Does my child’s teacher clearly communicate expectations?
10. Is homework purposeful?  Is homework targeted and differentiated practice, allowing for choice that empowers students to assume responsibility of their own learning?  

I am sure you can think of other questions that parents might consider.  Again, these are questions that may not be asked; however, parents will be thinking about them when sitting across the table from you during conferences. Or at least these were some of the questions my wife and I considered when at parent/teacher conferences.   

Most importantly, make sure parents leave your room with no question in their mind, you are the best teacher for their child!  It all comes down to positive relationships with teachers, parents, and ultimately students, that will enhance success during conferences and throughout the year.  Enjoy conferences, making it a great experience for everyone!

How do you foster a positive learning environment?

School starts Tuesday!!!!  As we look forward to meeting our students it is important to start the year strong, creating positive and long lasting relations with our students.  From my experience, students will have more success if they feel loved, important, and safe.  Below you will find 10 suggesting to get the year started:

1.     Morning Circle Time – 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.  Daily questions can focus on favorite experiences, field trips, project based learning activities, individual/class accomplishment or anything that was unique to your classroom.  

2.     Classroom Motto (start 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 – 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 – Have students fill out a student inventory at the start of the year.  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  – 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 did not 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 would not 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 start of a school year!  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.

I truly believe that children will not learn from people they do not like or if they do not feel safe within their learning environment.  It is important to make connections that will last a school year.  @mathequalslove gets it!  Check out her post: 21 Ideas for the First Week of School.  She provides so many amazing ideas.  How do you foster a positive learning environment?  Share your ideas in the comments!  Let us continue to learn together throughout the year!  

Have great start to the school year!!!!

Keith

Welcome Back!!!!

Only a couple weeks away from students returning. It has been great to see and talk with so many colleagues who are ready to get the year started. As this new year begins, take time to reconnect and develop positive relationship with your colleagues, families, and students.  We truly believe that children will not learn from people they do not like or if they do not feel safe within their learning environment.  It is important to make connections that will last a school year.  We shared this inspirational TED Talk by Rita F. Pierson last year, and it is something we watch from time to time as a reminder of why we are educators:

TED Talks Education: Rita F. Pierson

• Relationships - The Key to Learning
• "Kids don't learn from people they don't like!"
• "You say it long enough it starts to be a part of you."
• "We teach anyway... because that is what we do! We are educators... We are    born to make a difference!"
• "Every kid needs a champion!"

As this new year begins, we encourage you to sustain a relationship goal, which is maintained over time as a focal point to everything you and your students accomplish.  “You say it long enough it starts to be a part of you” and it will be a part of your culture as well.

“Be a champion” for your students and enjoy a wonderful start to the 2017-18 school year!

Tips for Conferences

When I was a principal, conferences were among my favorite times of the year!  Time after time, they reaffirmed a key belief that I hold: our teachers are great!  As parents were leaving the building, many would stop by my office to give accolades about our teachers and praise the learning experiences their children were having throughout the year.  This provided terrific informal data that supported the positive relationships and learning environment we created together.  What a great feeling for our teachers and families!

Fall conferences might be the first time teachers are meeting parents, other than the friendly, "hello" during drop off/pick up, and the occasional family night.  Conferences are a time when teachers get 10-20 minutes (depending on the district) to showcase academic/social/emotional learning goals and experiences that students are setting and demonstrating throughout the school year.  Sometimes, parents don’t know what to expect … and neither do teachers!  It is extremely important that we are confident in our abilities to showcase the academic, social, and emotional progress and future goals that empower students to grow throughout the school year.  

Ten Tips for Productive Parent Conferences  is a timely read with great suggestions to organize successful parent teacher conferences. This article was adapted from Your Best Year Yet! A Guide to Purposeful Planning & Effective Classroom Organization by Shoshana Wolfe, © 2006, published by Scholastic.  There are many takeaways from the article and three resonated the most with me: relationships, concrete examples, and organizing an intentional plan of communicating progress, concerns, and future goals.  

Relationships:

Parents want to know that you love teaching all children and you love their child.  It is important to showcase the positive aspects of our profession, school, and district.  Parent want to know that you love your job and truly know and understand their child.  One great way to create a positive relationship with your parents is by making sure you have great knowledge of their child.  Know your kids, ask them questions, and show that you genuinely care for them.  Ask the following questions of your students:

1.       How do you learn best?

2.       What stops you from learning as well as you could?

3.       What needs to happen in our classroom to help you become a better learner?

Asking these questions of your students will create relational trust within your classroom while providing you with talking points during conferences.  It will also support your understanding of students, allowing you to articulate what their child needs to be successful.  Most importantly, it will show that you involve students in the learning/planning process, allowing your students to assume some responsibility to their own learning. Parents will fully appreciate and know that you understand and care for their child with this approach.  

Concrete examples:

Parents want to see example of their child’s ability and progress.  Have a portfolio of work samples and pre/post assessments.  This will provide concrete talking points surrounding a child’s ability and progress over time. It will also help when establishing future goals and individualized instruction.

Organizing Thoughts:

Going into a conference without a plan can be detrimental to establishing a positive relationship with parents.  To help organize thoughts you can use a Parent Conference Form (PDF).  This can include strengths, concerns, and future goals.  It will also help you stay organized when you are on your 15th conference of the day.  

In conclusion, teachers, as you enter into conferences, make a great impression! Help parents believe what we already know: your classroom and school are the best, with amazing teachers for their children!  Make sure they leave your room with no doubt in their mind.  Parents should be saying, “there is no better teacher and place to learn for my child!!!!!”

It all comes down to positive relationships with teachers, parents, and ultimately students that will enhance success during conferences and throughout the year.  Feel free to share your positive parent/teacher conference experiences and ideas in the comments.  Let’s sustain professional learning together!  

Enjoy conferences, making it a great experience for everyone!

Welcome Back!!!

Summer is a great time to reflect and become rejuvenated to start a new school year.  We hope you all had an amazing summer.  No doubt, you are excited to meet your students and reconnect with colleagues!  This is the time of year when the proverbial slate is wiped clean with the hopes for another amazing year.  It is also when individuals will be setting goals for the upcoming school year.  Most people have New Year’s Resolutions… We have School Year Resolutions.

It is essential that our curricular, instructional and environmental goals and initiatives are clearly developed through the basic question of:  Is it good for children?

We truly believe that children will not learn from people they do not like or if they do not feel safe within their learning environment.  It is important to make connections that will last a school year.  Watch this inspirational TED Talk by Rita F. Pierson, which showcases the importance of making connections.

TED Talks Education: Rita F. Pierson

• Relationships - The Key to Learning
• "Kids don't learn from people they don't like!"
• "You say it long enough it starts to be a part of you."
• "We teach anyway... because that is what we do! We are educators... We are    born to make a difference!"
• "Every kid needs a champion!"

We are fortunate to work with a faculty that views positive relationships as the most important consideration within their classrooms, creating environments where students want to spend their days.  This happens because we have an amazing staff who intentionally builds relationships and genuinely loves educating children.   It also happens because we sustain conversations regarding the importance of relationships throughout our culture and within any new initiative that we establish.

Without relationships you cannot get to content.  Creating a safe environment where students feel loved and important is essential to a successful school year:  Some simple ways to start the school year at any level:

·         Setting expectations together:  Allow students to assume some of the responsibility of creating classroom expectations, promoting respectful, responsible, safe, and kind behaviors.

·         Teaching procedures:  Daily teaching of classroom expectations, rather than relying on rules, will enhance any learning culture.

·         Being consistent: Students will respond to a teacher that is consistent in daily practice.

·         Communicating in positive terms and be intentional about your teacher tone:  “I listen to one person at a time… thanks – works much better than, BE QUIET!”  Love and Logic Teacher-ism.

·         Remaining competent and calm in challenging moments: Modeling that you are in control of your emotions will showcase to students the appropriate response when handling their own emotions.

·         Teaching differentiation:  Let students know that everyone gets what they need.  Students need to feel comfortable knowing that everyone has different needs and it is OK.

·         Enjoying teaching with enthusiasm:   Modeling that you love what you do is contagious and students will feel comfort in knowing their teacher loves to learn.

·         Making and responding to mistakes:  Students need to understand that they can be risk takers within the learning process and mistakes are part of learning.

·         Focusing on teacher proximity:  Be present during independent work, supporting students and noticing their efforts throughout the day.  It is even ok to stop by the cafeteria, be in the halls, go to a game, 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.

·         Encouraging reflection:  When things go wrong, one must encourage reflection rather than scolding for inappropriate behaviors or actions.  Consequences might be necessary; however, make sure students understand that it is the behaviors that you do not like, always showing empathy for the child.

As this new year begins, we encourage you to sustain a relationship goal.  Going to a workshop on relationship building might be beneficial but setting a goal, which is maintained over time and a focal point to everything you accomplish, will provide results.  “You say it long enough it starts to be a part of you” and it will be a part of your culture as well.

“Be a champion” for your students and enjoy a wonderful start to the 2016-17 school year.  Please feel free to contact us if you need anything!  

Rules provided without relationship result in rebellion.

Consequences given without relationship lead to resentment.

Rewards without relationship feel like bribes.

Love and Logic Teacher-isms

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone enjoyed a well deserved holiday break with family and friends.  As educators return to school it is always good to review our intentional plans for sustaining a positive learning environment.  

“A quality teacher-student relationship means more than the combined power of all teaching and discipline techniques known to humankind.”

Love and logic Teacher-ism

I love this quote!  Establishing positive relationships with your students, while creating an atmosphere where children have positive relationships with each other, will truly benefit any classroom, family, or community.  Quality teacher-student and student-student relationships will support and increase a positive community where children want to thrive. It also makes everyone’s experience more enjoyable!  

As we start a new year it is always important to reestablish classroom expectations or learning missions that will empower students to be their best in 2016.  The best managed classrooms and positive learning environments do not happen by accident.  Talented educators are intentional in their planning.  

Children, in general, will exhibit some type of minor or major behavior challenge during their childhood.  The key is to keep minor behaviors just that… minor.  As a teacher, administrator, and parent I have experienced a variety of behavior challenges that can be supported with simple Tier 1 redirection and distraction techniques.  Below are two posts that highlight the importance of intentional planning surrounding relationships and distraction, time, and Love and Logic techniques to support learning.  

Intentional Planning Post 1 or 2

Intentional Planning Post 2 of 2

I hope you find this helpful.  I appreciate everything you do each day to sustain a welcoming environment at our schools and in your classrooms!  Teachers are great!!!!

I will leave you with this Love and Logic Quote:

Rules provided without relationship result in rebellion.

Consequences given without relationship lead to resentment.

Rewards without relationship feel like bribes.

Love and Logic Teacher-isms

Enjoy teaching and Happy New Year!

Keith