July 3

5 Reasons I’m Heading Back to the Classroom (After Instructional Coaching)

This year I have the opportunity to transition back to the math classroom after two years of instructional coaching, and I’m taking it!  While the decision was not easy, I felt a longing to return to the classroom since the day I left. I wondered if the feelings stemmed from a lack of experience and transitioning from being a veteran teacher to a novice coach.  I had shared with my team 

and administration that I wanted to return after the first year, but after listening attentively to me, they encouraged me to stay saying they felt I was well-suited for the role and perhaps with more experience and confidence, I might feel differently.  However, my administration said they’d support my decision to return, if that’s what I wanted.I decided to spend another year serving my school as a coach.  There were MANY things I enjoyed about instructional coaching, and I plan to share them in another blog post.  But, let me share the key reasons I’m returning to the classroom.

  1. Kids  Without a doubt, the number ONE reason I want to return to the classroom is my desire to work with kids.  When I walk down the hallway, I well up with the empathy I feel for students whose eyes reveal their insecurities.  I want to engage in their conversations; speak truth and encouragement into their lives. But, I’m always one step removed.  Even when working in classrooms, I was the lady who came into their class for a day, and at most, a few days. It’s hard to build drive by relationships.  After being out of the classroom for two years, the number of students with whom I had relationships had significantly dwindled and the thought of getting to a point where there were none was devastating to me.  
  2. Party Planning  While I’m no Angela Martin (Office reference), I love planning the party and watching the magic of learning happen.  In coaching, you help to plan someone else’s party for someone else’s students. I miss designing creative ways to engage MY students and watching the joy of MY students as they learn.  It’s entirely selfish, I know. Perhaps a person who is more selfless would be more comfortable riding in the sidecar, but it was a tough transition for me.
  3. Focus I LOVE to learn, and coaching allowed me to open up my learning to include all content areas.  I have an increased passion for literacy strategies, the NGSS practices, best practices in co-teaching and other content areas as well.  But, I miss being able to have one focused passion.  I LOVE MATH! A colleague once shared with me how she remembered when I was in the classroom, I had made students love math, too.  Yes! That’s what I want–for them to love it with me; to build their confidence in a content area that opens countless lucrative opportunities for them.   
  4. A Full Toolbox While I am nowhere close to being a perfect teacher, I’ve spent the last two years building my toolbox of strategies.  You know what’s no fun? Having a lot of tools without being able to use them. In coaching, I’d share the strategies I’d learn and watch other people use them.  That always brought me joy. But, I’d like to give them a whirl myself. Again…selfish, I know…
  5. Beginnings and Endings  Yes.  In coaching we have a beginning and end to each year and there are timely PD opportunities we like to offer teachers.  But, there is nothing like a brand new class list, planning for community building, and getting excited for a first day.  Likewise, there is no greater relief for a teacher than closing the books on the year, knowing you’ve poured yourself out as best you could for students.  I love a clean slate. I missed it in coaching.

All this being said, I hope my school knows that I have loved serving them as an instructional coach the past two years and am so grateful to have had the opportunity.  I appreciate my administration’s encouragement and the confidence they’ve had in me. I’ve grown so much as an educator and I hope to share my experience as a coach in my next blog post.  

January 3

5 Simple Questioning Techniques that Transform Classrooms

“Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?!”  That iconic line from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off demonstrates the futile nature of asking unanswered questions to a group of disinterested students.  But, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?  We wonder if it’s the question, our instruction, the students?  Whatever it is, it is not the Dead Poet’s Society classroom we had envisioned when choosing teaching as a profession.  We’d like to craft the questions that draw students to engage in lively debate.  How do teachers do that?  What is the magic spell they cast over their students?

While I can’t promise to make your classroom performance Oscar worthy, there are some strategies that WILL get your students talking.  Here are five:

  1.  Ask questions worth asking.   Oftentimes our questions aren’t that interesting or just rote drill.  Ask questions that require students to explain concepts, their thinking or personal connection to the content.  Questions that include verbs at a higher Depth of Knowledge level typically are “discussion worthy” and will lead to greater debate, discussion and engagement.   Also, asking more open ended questions, for example, instead of asking “What is the first step here?” you might ask “How might you solve this problem?” which provides students the opportunity to make their thinking transparent to the class.
  2. Prime the pump.   After asking a question, require ALL students to respond to the question with a partner, on paper, or in some way in order to commit to a response, and THEN pose the question for class discussion.  You’ll find that your students will be MUCH more eager to respond.
  3. Declare a minimum.  Wait time is important for students to formulate an answer (6-10 seconds is ideal), but saying something like “I need at least 8 hands” OR “Raise your hand when you know,” which implies that everyone should raise their hand at some point, often yields great results.
  4. Catch and release.  When a student responds to a question, avoid the urge to either approve or disapprove of the response.  When a teacher declares something right or wrong, the conversation is over.  Rather, ask the rest of the class if they agree or disagree with that student’s response and explain their reasoning.  You can also ask, “Does anyone want to add on to that or amend it?  If so, in what way and why?”  That keeps the discussion flowing and engages the class.
  5. Declare no student off limits.  We want all students to formulate an answer to our questions, not just a select few.  If it’s worth asking during class time, then it is a valuable exercise for all students.  One of the areas that new teachers, in particular, struggle philosophically is calling on students who don’t volunteer.  Often they share that they are worried that they might embarrass a student who doesn’t know the answer.  I will encourage them with this, “If you allow students to prime the pump and ask open ended questions worth asking, students will be much more comfortable responding.”  If you find a student answers, “I don’t know.” You can respond with, “What did you and your partner discuss?” or “Tell me what thoughts you had when thinking about the question.”  If we create an environment that only tolerates correct answers and does not make transparent the conceptions and misconceptions around ideas, then students won’t risk sharing ideas at all.  It’s up to teachers to make sure students know that it is natural part of learning to process to expose and refine ideas.

Like all new routines in classrooms, these questioning shifts will take a few days to a week to hone.  But, if you are faithful in implementing them, you WILL transform your classroom discussions!  If you have an instructional coach in your building, invite him/her to observe you and help you tweak your mad questioning skills.  A second set of eyes always helps.

Let’s do it, “O Captain, my Captain!”  Get them talking!

As always, I’d love to hear what works for you (and might for me 🙂 ).

Resources:

Depth of Knowledge Wheel Webb, Norman L. and others. “Web Alignment Tool” 24 July 2005. Wisconsin Center of Educational Research. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 2 Feb. 2006.

 

 

 

October 7

Equipping Students in the Era of Fake News

The term “fake news” was introduced to every day vernacular by our current president.  Since then, it has been assigned to just about any reporting that was unfavorable or news that did not support one’s personal world view.

Rather to dismiss these claims, however, we can teach students what constitutes “Fake News.”  Let’s focus primarily on web sources, since our students will typically begin their research there.

Determining what news is fake or real is harder than we think.  I read an article by Tennessee Watson entitled “To Test Your Fake News Judgement, Play this Game.”  The game, Factitious allows you to test your fake news radar.  Sadly, not even this educator (two thumbs pointing at self) could successfully detect real from fake news.  Go ahead, you give it a try!  See if your fake news radar is better than mine.  Difficult?  I know!  My thoughts began to center around the danger this posed for students in what seems to be a post-truth world of information.

If YOU don’t teach them, who will?  Oftentimes, I think research skills are dismissed by content area teachers outside of English or Social Studies.  If your students use the internet to gather information (and they SHOULD), this falls on your shoulders as well.  We tend to over-scaffold our students, sending them to sources that have already been vetted.  While that will provide them with reliable information for now, it will not prepare students for life beyond the classroom.  Without the appropriate skills to equip students with discernment, the internet is the modern day equivalent to the Wild, Wild West.  We are sending them unarmed, vulnerable to sites that appear factual, but present “alternative facts” upon which they will build their beliefs and world views.

Media Bias  and Fact Checkers  After playing Factitious, I realized that I could not discern fact from fiction based on the title alone, rather the reliability of the internet source was much more likely to influence whether the information was reliable.   Since then, I’ve used Media Bias/Fact Check  which offers researchers a rating on two key indicators: bias and factual reporting.  While every source typically has some bias, the factual reporting can help readers to determine the factual reliability of the source.  Since the website seemed difficult for me to navigate, I found the quickest way to check a source like, for example CNN, would be to type “media bias fact check CNN” in the Google search bar, where you’d see this report which rated CNN a left bias with mixed factual reporting, similar to it’s conservative counterpart FOX News.  What is particularly helpful is that propagandist news sources such as the Conservative Daily and it’s liberal counterpart, the Democratic Review, are reviewed and clearly deemed “Questionable Sources” by the site.

A Powerful Exercise in Media Review  If students are always given texts that are reliable by teachers, they will come to the conclusion that all text is innately reliable.  To convince students otherwise, you might engage in research on a topic in which there is an abundance of research on all sides of the issue.  Assign students different articles from all along the spectrum.  Create a horizontal line placing opposing views on either extreme.  Have students determine where to place their assigned article based on what they deem is it’s appropriate place based on evidence from the article.  This exercise would not only allows students the opportunity to reflect on bias and opposing viewpoints, but also would prepare students to make well-informed claims on the topic based on a plethora of evidence from all points of view.  For teachers to quickly access texts representing multiple views all along the spectrum they can use a web resource called All Sides which allows users to search a topic and sorts web resources by left, center and right.

Another Powerful Exercise in Media Review  In order to help students to reflect on how they search, ask them to engage in this meta cognitive exercise.  Here’s what this might look like.

The teacher asks students,  “Which is better, to study in the morning or at night?” and then, follow up with these instructions:

  1.  Quick write a few personal thoughts in response to the question.
  2. Search the internet for an answer.
  3. Write down ALL the steps you took to find your answer.

Students can share each step and categorize it is a good or questionable practice for internet searches.  After that, the teacher engages students in a conversation about how each of the topics can influence how they might search for information on the internet.

  • URL Common Sense  Which sites are typically more believable:  those ending in .org or .com?  Students think that .org is typically more believable. After all, pbs.org is a fabulous, altruistic site that students enjoy.  I wonder if they would maintain that opinions if they knew that Neo Nazi  websites would also typically carry a .org URL?  Also, they typically believe .com must be unreliable since it is typically associated with commercial use, therefore sites bearing it’s name are trying to sell us something, right?  Keep in mind that most mainstream news sources carry that domain extension.  This is certainly a conversation worth having with our students.
  • First is Not Always Best  The website that tops the list of our Google searches is chosen not because it is the best or most reliable source, rather it is the most popular source.  That is, it has received the most “clicks.”  With concern about bots and political activism, we cannot rely on the fact that what is most popular is also most reliable.
  • Authority of Source  When students research for answers, they may stop the search at the title.  In order to access the evidence and reasoning upon which the claim was built, students must read, or at least skim, the article.  Is the conclusion based on the work of an expert in the field?  What makes someone an expert in a field?  Was quantitative or qualitative data used to reach that conclusion?  All of these questions must be answered before a student can accept the claim upon which the title was built.

Early and Often  In order for students to learn how to discern facts from fake news, we’re going to have to start teaching students digital literacy the moment they begin to use the internet to obtain information.  And, like most learning, teaching students to be wise consumers of the internet will have to be a recurring theme throughout their academic career.  We (I teach Math) content area teachers can’t place all the responsibility on literacy teachers.   For example, science teachers might have additional concerns about search results.  For example, scientists would want teachers to consider if the research is peer reviewed.  All educators must own and prioritize wise internet use as a skill that will empower students far beyond their years with us.   #Kidsdeserveit

I’d like to thank Patricia Tylka for the two very practical strategies in this article.  She presented a fabulous session entitled Coaching Digital Natives through Research in the Age of Google at the Illinois Reading Council’s Annual Conference this weekend.

August 3

2 Days of Relationships Building – But, why?

A colleague of mine once taught in a school where teachers received a directive to spend the first two days of school working exclusively on relationships.   Why?

Yale educated child psychologist James Comer claimed that “no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.”  I believe that truth and hold it as a personal value.  Might I suggest, however, that relationships are even MORE important now than in generations past?  

If you haven’t noticed there has been a MONUMENTAL shift in education.  After all, for most of the history of American schooling has been centered around providing, what was deemed, important information.  In the era of the internet, students find themselves with a plentiful supply of information.   It is readily available at overwhelming quantities and speed.  That being said, the lower parts of Bloom’s Taxonomy are becoming increasingly less relevant.  Rather, the world and workplace demands we ask students to engage with information at much higher levels.   Consider the 4 Cs of the 21st Century Skills and how they might influence the value of interpersonal relationships in the classroom.

Collaboration  I’m sure when the great minds behind the Partnership for 21st Century Learning formulated the 21st Century Skills, they did not simply intend for students to sit in close approximation while independently looking at their phones or working on their projects.  Rather, they envisioned lively debate, discussion, and a greater product for having worked together.  Asking students to engage at this level is no easy task.  However it begins with building relationships.  After all, I do not risk sharing ideas, let alone dare to disagree with others, if I do not feel the trust and safety to do so.  Think of your best collaborative piece of work.  Did you accomplish it with virtual strangers? OR people with whom you shared a trusting relationship?

Critical Thinking  In the CCSS Mathematical Practices, this might manifest itself in the 3rd Mathematical Practice which includes “critiquing the reasoning of others.”  Yep!  I’m not doing that! I don’t feel comfortable correcting the work of a complete stranger.  Might they be offended?  Will I look like a know it all?  The safety to do so, my fellow educators, is a culture we must build in our classrooms.  We must communicate to students that whether they be right or wrong, we debate ideas.  This is a safe place to do so.  We must have an engineering mindset.  Let’s share ideas and then improve upon them with each iteration!

Creativity Let’s face it–we need people to find solutions to serious problems we face.   Information is not the problem.  We need people who can look at them with a new and creative lens.  That being said, some ideas will sound crazy–until they are crazy good. Someone will have to be the first to throw the spaghetti on the wall to see if it sticks.  After all, Rutherford B. Hayes scoffed at Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, saying “Who would ever want to use such a thing!”   Your classroom has to be a safe place to openly share ideas.  Oftentimes, the most creative people are often the most quiet in the classroom.  Getting them to speak and risk the sharing of ideas, will take some cajoling on both the part of the teacher and encouraging peers.  We must daily put relational deposits in the emotional bank of introverts.

Communication After 23 1/2 years of marriage, I think my husband and I have mastered communication.  It took about 10 of those years for us to really make it work.  It’s getting more difficult now that we are both older and our hearing is waning.  It is not unusual to hear one of us screaming “What?” from another room.  That being said, communication is one of the most relevant skills for one’s personal and work life.  It allows us to deeply know and understand another person and their ideas.  It also helps us to accurately communicate our thoughts and feelings, in order to avoid the unnecessary and emotionally draining drama of being misunderstood.  That being said, face-to-face communication is becoming a lost art.  I’m not judging.  I, too, have caught the smart phone bug.   As educators, we must realize as information has become more accessible, opportunities for our students to engage in face-to-face communication is decreasing at alarming rates; and not without consequence.   Our classrooms are a laboratory for practicing this essential life skill to build both empathy and understanding.   On this particular “C”  I would say the needs are flip-flopped.  You don’t need relationships to build communication as much as you need communication to build relationships.

So, let’s start there.  Let’s communicate with our students and give  them ample time to communicate thoughts and ideas with one another.  We can teach them the art of active listening, talk moves in response and academic risk taking.  It’s an exciting time to be a teacher, but the demands are different.  Let’s teach them the 4 Cs in the context of our content.  Let them talk about math, create solutions to the world’s science-related problems, let them communicate their thoughts and ideas about the Civil Rights Movement.  All of this will happen more powerfully if we invest in the building of relationships.

If you’re on board but you want some new ideas on how to build those relationships…I’m working on that post next!  If you have ideas, please share!  Just for fun, here’s a fun 4 Cs Poster for your classroom from the Partnership for 21st Century Learning.

References 

Curley, R. (2010). The 100 Most Influential Innovators of All Time. New York, NY: Britannical Educational Publishing .

Scherer, M. (1998, December). Is school the place for spirituality? A conversation with Rabbi Harold KushnerEducational Leadership, 56(4), 18–22.

 

 

July 30

My 8 Pillars of Assessment–for now…

I am instructional coach and challenging thoughts about practice because “that’s what we’ve always done” is part of my job.  I start with my own.  I’m a product of 16 years of traditional US education and, let me tell you, I was GREAT at it.  I loved grades.  They were part of my identity:  hard working, law abiding, bright girl.  How many of my views about grading came simply from my experience?

Assessment is a hot topic at school.  People are asking good questions, but change is scary–and we don’t want to change things for the worse!  It’s time for a thoughtful look at assessment.  To that end, I spent the summer taking an online course on assessment.   My last assignment was to develop my personal philosophy of assessment.

  1.  Grades should measure student performance towards achieving the standards and not behaviors.  To that end, standards must be made clear to students and should be an integral part of the instructional process.  Students learn best what they are expected to learn is clear and they can assess their own progress towards the goal.  That being said, grades should be assigned at the end of learning, that is, for summative assessments, alone.  In addition, since behaviors have nothing to do with the standards, including them in the grade would taint the accuracy of the measure.  Such behaviors include, but are not limited to, late work, absenteeism, and cheating.  Those behaviors deserve a behavioral consequence.
  2. Students should be given ample opportunities to demonstrate their learning.  The shop for learning should remain open as long as is feasibly possible for the teacher and student.  That is, I believe in retakes at any time.  I believe students must earn the right to retake by showing they have done sufficient work to be able to demonstrate mastery for the standard that they were unable to perform previously.  I believe in using a four point scale over 100 since there is greater inter-rater reliability.
  3. Frequent, clear and positive feedback and student reflection are essential to learning.  Formative assessment should be ungraded, provide feedback that a student can act upon, and positive in nature.  It is our instinct to find errors and correct them, and that is important.  However, feedback, particularly in standards that are demonstrated best by writing or presentation, can actually be more powerful when a teacher highlights the strengths of the student’s performance and then make suggestions towards improvement.  Formative feedback may be simply a conversation between teacher and student (conferencing) or can be written feedback on a formative assessment.  Providing time and a structure for student reflection towards his/her own progress towards the standard is a powerful tool for the future, teaching students how to monitor their own learning throughout their lives.
  4. When it comes to standards, less is more.  US math text books contain 175% of the number of German standards and 350% of what Japanese texts cover.  Both countries outperform the US in math (Schmoker).  That being said, we should carefully select which standards are essential for student learning and report on those standards alone.   If time is prioritized to treat each standard with due diligence, students will be able to access the standard at a level of greater understanding and rigor.
  5. Standards should be assessed at an appropriate level of Depth of Knowledge.  If the standard is “to make inferences,” for example, simply identifying a correct inference from a select response item is not asking students to perform the standard as intended.  Rather, asking students to read a passage and then, make an inference providing evidence for their reasoning from the text, is better suited to the standard.
  6. Assessment is best when it is authentic.   For example, asking students to compare and contrast two different systems of government is best done in either a presentation or written form, not a standardized multiple choice test.  When assessing speaking and listening skills, students should be assessed performing those skills in a manner they might be expected to in the future—before a real audience outside the classroom would be even more powerful and would motivate students.   Standards should be assessed more than once and by a variety of means.  In fact, a standard assessed by three different means is ideal and is referred to as a “triangulation of data.”  In addition to written exams, portfolios, blogs, videos, essays, presentations, projects are all viable methods of assessment.
  7. Growth mindset goes hand in hand with standards based assessment.  Students must know that all formative work is to prepare them to master the target.  The focus should be on learning and not on “point getting.”  Initially failing to meet a standard while learning, is expected and normal.  In addition, allowing students to retake assessments in order to improve their performance provides hope and motivation for them to continue to learn.
  8. Differentiation is important for student learning.  That being said, students who are working toward standards that are above or below his/her grade level standard is appropriate, but should be denoted when reporting out to universities.   High school level students who are working towards grade school standards should be measured against those standards alone.  However, it should be noted that they are working at grade 6 standards, for example, on their report card.  Likewise, students taking courses that require students to master more difficult or additional standards should be rewarded as well.  This has traditionally happened through a GPA bump.   **Note:  I’m not sure how grades for special needs students are reported at my school.  This are my thoughts alone.

This is my CURRENT philosophy on assessment.  It is organic and a work in progress.  I’d love to hear from you–feedback?  Questions?  Thoughts?

Bibliography

Schmoker, M. J. (2011). Focus: elevating the essentials to radically improve student learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

June 3

3 Simple Suggestions: Growing as a Team–without derailing it!

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”  – Benjamin Franklin

Growing isn’t easy.  Thus, the phrase “growing pains.”  Yet, we work in a field that is a highly interpersonal, social experiment in learning.  In fact, teams of teachers are assembled to improve teaching and learning, creating opportunities for students to live their best lives possible.  It is noble and important.  That being said, teachers certainly don’t walk out of our teacher training programs and into the classroom as the best version of our teacher selves.  We have to grow!  But, as I mentioned early, growing is painful–especially for groups.  There are several reasons why this is the case.

In the last 10 years, the greatest decisions for change were legislated at the state and federal level  (No Child Left Behind, Response to Intervention, CCSS, NGSS, C3, PBIS, etc).   These sweeping changes cannot be simply adopted overnight.  After all, in order for meaningful change to occur, teachers need to understand the desired change, believe it is what is best for students,  and then be provided time and training to implement the change.  This is no easy feat!

While many districts do their best to provide what is necessary to accomplish those things, what often is not addressed however, is how the stress of change affects a group.  Studies show that people will respond to change in different ways.  A select few will be “Innovators” or “Early Adopters,”  also a small number will be considered “Laggards.”  Most likely your personality will determine where you’ll land.

Imagine now, that these people are all in the same room tasked with change.  The Late Majority and Laggards are often traditional and skeptical.  It takes time to for them to internalize the need for change and make important shifts.  That being said, if they adopt them, they will do so judiciously.  Innovators and Early Adopters are often frustrated with the apparent “unwillingness” to change on the part of Late Majority and Laggards.  This will influence their Image result for early adopted cbamperceptions towards one another negatively and add to the stress of group change.

Innovators and Early Adopters will most likely be eager to get the ball rolling.  After all, why not?  However, to the Late Majority or Laggards, Innovators and Early Adopters can appear “rash or daring.”  The (often necessary GENTLE) pressure to adopt change can be a great source of anxiety to this group, and can manifest itself in anger towards or negative judgments against their colleagues.

Think about it, you can probably graph the faces of your colleagues on this graph right now!  Reflect on how it influences your opinions of one another and how you interact.  So, what now?  How can your group survive the next change that comes their way (Face it!  You’re a teacher–the faster you realize it’s part of the gig, the happier you’ll be!)?  A few things:

Acknowledge it!  Before the next curriculum review or district initiative, admit that change is hard and have a chat about being sensitive to people on both extremes.  After all, we can all understand being frustrated by someone who refuses to budge OR being pushed into something we weren’t comfortable doing, right?  This would be a great time for a pep talk, “Our goal is for all of us to understand, be comfortable with and implement this change–not just a few of us.  We’re in this together!”

Recognize the feelings behind the behavior.  If teachers seem angry or frustrated, there is a reason behind it.  Is it because the teacher is not convinced that the change benefits students?   Are teachers avoiding work because they hope the pressure to change will just disappear if they ignore it?  Are they just overwhelmed by the stress of change?  All of these are normal reactions, but certainly need to be addressed for a group to work effectively and move collectively towards the goal.

Provide time and training to reduce group stress.  As mentioned before, teachers need to understand and believe the innovation is good for students.  I don’t know any teachers who, when convinced that there is a better way to serve students, refuse to do so.  To be convinced, teachers will need to see the innovation in practice and data that supports the need for change.   Meaningful professional development will clearly outline the innovation, rationale for change, and practical strategies towards change.  Also, instructional coaching can play a role in group change.  Instructional coaches can partner with teachers, making the innovation feel less intimidating as teachers bring the change into their classrooms.  Without time and training, the pressure associated with change can feel like a turning vice for a group.

Change in education is inevitable, and need not break your group.  Acknowledging personality differences and group dynamics will help you all to keep your sanity in the pursuit of a better way to serve students.  At the end of the year, take some time to acknowledge all you accomplished and, though difficult, discuss how you are all better for it!

For more information and resources for dealing with stress of change on your PLC, see this fabulous Learning Forward newsletter.

 

 

January 1

6 Steps for a Second Semester Reboot

Okay, it’s time to face reality.  Your winter break is just about over and in a few days you’ll be looking into the faces of your sweet students.  If you’re like me, you’ve been dreaming about how you might do things differently next semester.   Ah, where to start…

  1. Reflection is one of the most difficult but helpful practices for teachers.  Nonetheless, a teacher who wants to make positive changes towards growth, should make it a regular practice.  If you’re looking for a second semester change, ask yourself a few reflective questions about the first semester.          Reflect on WHAT?   How about… 
    • Classroom Management–This is easy!  Ask yourself: what behavior is the most annoying?  Is  it students distracted by cell phones?  Is it language?  Is it off task behavior?  Can you get students undivided attention when you need to?  Do you have a “quiet signal?”
    • Classroom Climate–Does your room have a positive or negative vibe?  Do students want to or even look forward to coming to your class?  Are students kind to one another?
    • Student Collaboration–Are they really collaborating or just seated closely?  Is there individual and group accountability?  Do students hold each other accountable?
    • Instruction–Are you bored by your own lessons?  Is your instruction teacher or student- centered?  Do your lessons require students to go beyond note taking?  Are students invested enough to debate and argue?   Are students given the opportunity to grapple with tough questions and space to problem solve?
    • Assessments–Are your students given opportunities to think critically?  Do your tests reflect higher order thinking?  Is everything on your test “Googleable?”  For more advice on creating questions that are not “Googleable,’ click here.  Do your assessments give students opportunities to demonstrate what they really do know and understand?  Are your assessments tightly aligned to your standards/targets/objectives?
    • Curriculum–Are you “covering” too much?  Does it feel like your students are only getting a superficial understanding instead of a rich understanding?  Is it time to consider removing content that you’ve typically covered?
  2. NEWSBENJIVERTS.  I’m not even sure how that’s spelled.  I was introduced to this acronym while watching this episode of  the Middle where Brick, the little brother, tries to coach his sister, Sue, for her audition for the school newscaster position.  Brick starts with this small acronym to help her to remember key newscaster skills:  NEWS; Natural, Eye contact and Winning Smile. But, Sue needs so much help it grows to NEWSBENJIVERTS.  During her audition, she is so overwhelmed by her the huge acronym that she performs with huge eyeballs, an awkward smile and, frankly, looks ridiculous!  All this to say we often look ridiculous to our students when we tackle more than we can handle.  We end up back-tracking on our commitments, which only breeds a lack of confidence in our words and actions.  Choose ONE, maybe two, things to tackle.  Larger, sweeping adjustments can come next year.  
  3. Ask yourself probing questions to problem solve.  After you determine what you’d like to change, ask yourself how this student behavior, instructional approach, classroom culture, etc.  has become a pattern in your classroom?  What is the root of those behaviors?  Come up with at least several causes beyond student motivation or administrative mandate to these problems. After all, you have no control over them.  Look for causes within your circle of influence.  Make a plan to address them.  This is where the internet and your colleagues are great resources.  If you have instructional coaches in your building like I do, you might want to elicit their help in brainstorming solutions or processing root causes.
  4. Everyone needs a pep talk.  Okay, it’s your first day back.  Imagine your classroom is a locker room full of athletes and they are looking eagerly to you, their coach, as you prepare to give them an inspirational half time pep talk.  Don’t let them down, Coach!  Remind students that you are there for them, care for them, and want them to be successful.  Tell them what they, as a class, did well last semester and point out areas where they are growing but aren’t quite there yet. Tell them second semester offers a fresh slate. Tell them that you expect that second semester will be challenging, but that you’ll get across the finish line together.  However you word it, speak it from your heart.  Kids can smell insincerity a mile away.
  5. Take a moment to reconnect.  Show pictures of how you spent your break.  Give them an opportunity to share about their adventures.  When we do this, we are creating a safe space for students and communicating that we care about them.  It also allows them to open the doors of communication with a topic that is comfortable for them.  This will make it easier when you ask them to engage in content related discussions.
  6. Honesty is the best policy.  Okay, time to get real.  It’s time to make a change.  You don’t have to pretend with students.  Unlike administrators they are there every day and know exactly what it is like to be in your classroom — for real!  Share how you’ve reflected over your break and your plan to reset for second semester.  One caveat:  if you say you are making a change, you have to stand by it.  Telling your students means they WILL hold you accountable–as they should.  When choosing a solution to your problem, choose a plan that you can carry out. Avoid developing systems that will be difficult to manage.  You’re too busy for that!

Who doesn’t love a fresh start?  Let’s make a resolution to keep making resolutions.  After all, the key to our growth as educators (and people) is reflection, plan, change, REPEAT.  Keep fighting the good fight, my friend!  The fruit of growth is always joy.  

September 22

4 Reflections on Authenticity in Instructional Coaching

Always growing.  One of my favorite things about teaching is that it NEVER grows old.  Each year you’ll meet new students, new colleagues, perhaps teach a new course.  Circumstances aren’t the only things that change with each passing year, our thoughts about teaching and learning change, too.  That is, if we continue to grow and learn.  I have a ravenous appetite for new ideas.  Thanks to the internet (predominantly Twitter) there is no end to the creative ways I can teach students.  If it was something that worked well in class, I would burst if I didn’t share them.  As a classroom teacher, I’d like to think I was generous with my findings, but as a coach it’s my job.  The luxury to scour the internet and think systemically on how to best encourage and support good teaching school wide is not lost on me.  I feel blessed.  

img_4503I LOVE to talk shop!  I find most teachers do.  Even teachers who might not admit it if you asked them.  If you start bringing up issues related to teaching and learning (growth mindset, PBL, etc), the ideas and opinions will fly.  Mixed in those opinions are arguments for pedagogy and philosophy that influence practice.  This sharpening of irons spurs growth.  Ironically, at least in my building, there is precious little time for productive teacher talk.  

Coaching lets me talk teaching all day.  The only difficult thing is that by nature people (including yours truly) are reluctant to change and can be initially defensive when their regular practice is challenged in anyway.  However, I’m hoping most teachers ruminate on constructive criticism and come back willing to try new ideas.  I love this quote from Elena Aguilar, “The art of coaching is the art of nudging without leaving bruises.”  So true. I want to push to the point of “cognitive dissonance” but without closing relational doors.  I do believe this is an art and I’m hoping to master it.  I’m nowhere near an artist.  Right now, I’m a two year old with crayons.  

LOVE is my quintessential core value.  “Above all, put on love which binds us together in perfect unity,” Colossians 3:14.  My hope is to be loving and kind in every interaction, to believe the best, seek the best for and encourage the whole teacher.  My motto this year has been “teachers are people, too.”  We have personal battles, health crises, families that need our attention and, let’s face it–teaching is hard!  I hope that teachers feel as though I’m on their team–even when they resist change–I’m FOR them!  Coaching gives me the time to listen and empathize with their concerns.  As a teacher who tried to do that for students all day, I often didn’t have time to stop and give undivided attention to my colleagues.  I can and do make time for that now.

A Unifying Force.  I love how Colossians 3:14 says that love “binds us together in perfect unity.”  As a coach, I can be an agent for positive change.  We can help to resolve relational conflict and find systemic gaps.  The goal–a healthy learning community.  This is the messiest part of coaching.  People and relationships are a mess.  I once read a book entitled Relationships:  A Mess Worth Making.  Isn’t that so true?  We are better when we join forces, but only if we can move in the same positive direction.  We won’t always agree and we’ll be better for it.  I often think of Hegel’s Dialectic:  how the debate of thesis and anti-thesis bring us closer to the truth. We’re better together if we can debate these things in a loving, self-less, humble way.  “Love binds us together in perfect unity.”

September 18

Blogging and My Reflections of the First Month as an #instructionalcoach

One of the best things I’ve ever done as an educator was join Twitter.  I really didn’t understand it at first, but the connections I made over time have impacted my classroom more than any other face to face professional development.  The teachers of the #mtbos (Math Teacher Blog-O-Sphere) have had the greatest impact.  They’ve recently started a blogging initiative and I thought I’d participate, which might be challenging consider that I’ve moved to an instructional coaching position this year.  But, I’ll try to do my best to adapt the questions to my new role.

Blogging helps teachers to be reflective–honestly, a luxury for which few teachers have time.  Nonetheless…important for teacher growth and satisfaction.  If you haven’t started a blog–maybe now is the time!

1) Teachers make a lot of decisions throughout the day. Sometimes we make so many it feels overwhelming. When you think about today, what is a decision/teacher move you made that you are proud of?  What is one you are worried wasn’t ideal? 

In my new role, the most important thing is for me to grow in listening and helping teachers to reflect on their own practice.  My temptation is to say “what I would do” is…  I’m working on that.  At times this week, I’ve done a good job of keeping this is the forefront of my mind.  Other times, I’ve failed.  I am praying that the wonderful teachers I work with will remember I’m a rookie at this and extend grace when necessary while I work to hone my skills.

2) Every person’s life is full of highs and lows. Share with us some of what that is like for a teacher. What are you looking forward to? What has been a challenge for you lately? 

Transitioning to this role was a risk.  After all, I KNOW I LOVE teaching.  Will I enjoy coaching?  I’ve second guessed myself quite a bit in this first month.  Teachers, who I considered my friends, are starting to treat me differently.  While I was told this would be true and would be hurtful, the fact that it was expected doesn’t make it any less hurtful.  If they knew my heart and my intentions, they would never question that they are for the good of all teachers and all students.  I am here for support and encouragement.  I want teachers to love their job, love their school and feel so supported and encouraged that there is no other school they’d rather serve.  None the less, people question my motives and it makes me sad–flat out sad.

3) We are reminded constantly of how relational teaching is. As teachers we work to build relationships with our coworkers and students. Describe a relational moment you had with someone recently.

This has been the biggest challenge for me–relationships are messy!  I have to admit I don’t have the best “filter” when it comes to sharing my thoughts.  What I do have going for me is that I am well-intentioned.  A proverb says “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Since I know I have very little control over my mouth, I’ve committed to work on the nature of my heart.  Are there issues of conflict that are unresolved?  I best resolve those lest something dangerous sneaks right out of my mouth.  Ugh!  For that reason, I’m quick to fix things with others.  I’ve had one misunderstanding this week that I was quick to resolve with a co-worker face to face (I’ve also learned to be careful with e-mail and that some conversations are meant to be face to face).  Another co-worker, where I asked for grace and a second shot.  Both were received gracefully and I’m so grateful that I work with people who can extend forgiveness so generously.

4) Teachers are always working on improving, and often have specific goals for things to work on throughout a year. What is a goal you have for the year?

I have several goals.  Probably my greatest goal professionally is to learn my new job.  I am reading a book called the Art of Coaching by Elena Aguilar.  This has been a great inspiration.  I want to help teachers reflect on their beliefs about students, learning and innovation and not just coach teachers to do “what I would do.”  This is definitely an ART and I am only an apprentice.

My personal goal is to achieve a greater work/life balance.  My daughter left for college this fall.  She isn’t far but she isn’t here either.  I have only three years left with my youngest and I want to make those years count.  In addition, my husband and I will be empty-nesters in 3 years.  I want to pour into us as we reinvent this relationship post-kids in the home.  These are without a doubt my MOST precious priorities.

5) What else happened this month that you would like to share?

I am a person who thrives when given positive feedback.  While I am definitely open to constructive criticism, especially in my new position, the words of encouragement I’ve received from a few teachers has helped to keep me going through this transition.  Perhaps I have made the right move.  Ask me in January :).