June 12

7 Active Reviews that Engage Students

I have a friend who is an elementary teacher, and she’ll ask me for math review games on occasion. One day, I was sharing one and she said, “Seriously, you need to make a list of all these games/reviews.”  So, here it is.  Let me begin by saying, I believe MOST if not all of these were stolen from other sources.  I’m simply compiling them nicely for you (and for me) to reference in a pinch.

All of the games below can be done with a question stack or a review sheet broken into four or five slips.  For that reason, they are quick and don’t need a ton of prep.

Connect 4 – Place a grid on the board.  As each team (I suggest 3-4 in a group) completes the required problems and checks them either with you or a key, they can select a spot on the board using a symbol or initials.  The goal is for a team to connect 4 diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.  This game gets competitive when a team has lost any chance to win so they try to “block” others.  In the end, typically only one team wins.  Thanks go to my co-teacher Kayla Shivley for this one!

Gambler’s Review – Similar to the previous game, you place a numbered grid on the board, students complete required problems and mark initials on a number they consider “lucky.”  The only differences are I typically have students work in pairs on this task and at the end I use a random number generator to select winners.  I think I learned this one from colleague Allison Tuleo.

Trashketball – Similar to the previous two games, students complete problems in teams or partners and then check them.  Each team earns two points for an accurately completed problem set with a chance to shoot for 1 or 2 BONUS points depending on where they choose to shoot their trashketball from (close or far from the line).  Watch Trashketball in action HERE.   This is a FAVE among my students.  It literally requires a paper ball, masking tape and two baskets and they’re thrilled.

Four in a Row –  This game I took from Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove) which she gleaned from Fawn Nguyen (@fawnpnguyen).  I  took a review sheet and removed all the space for work.   I wrote the answers on the back of the worksheet.  On

a separate sheet there is a numbered grid with the same number of problems as on the worksheet.  Students are paired and “compete” against one another.  One student starts by choosing a number.  Both students work on that problem.  When they both agree on the answer, they check to see if it’s correct. If it is correct, the student who chose that number puts his/her initials in the box.  Then, the next student selects a box/problem.  The first to get four in a row wins.  This is a review I used for an Algebra II Trig Unit.

The games below work best if you have a list of prepared problems on a PowerPoint for review or you can just write the problem on the board.

Risk – Students partner or team with a markerboard.  After they complete the problem, they decide how much of the beginning balance of $100 they’d like to gamble that their answer is correct.  At the end of the set of problems, the team with the most money in their bank wins.  A few hacks:  1) I have students in tables of four.  I pair them and tell them the team with the most money at EACH TABLE wins.  This means that each half of the table will keep the other honest.  Students are typically generous and say “close enough” when I wouldn’t agree.  2)  If a team loses all their money, they can get a loan for $10 to stay in the game.  This review is from Julie Morgan via Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove).

Unfair Game  – This is a game I have NOT tried yet and just learned about from former student and excellent young educator, Kayla Lewandowski, at a professional development workshop.  How cool, right? Anyways, this game is so unfair!  The rules are all in this presentation, but I’ll give you the gist.  After teams do the problem, they are randomly selected to share their response. If their answer is accurate, they can decide if they want to earn the points or give them to another team.  The point value is then revealed and sometimes it’s positive and sometimes it’s negative.  So unfair, right? 🙂

MATHO – Like the old staple BINGO, you create a MATHO board by randomly placing answers on your board BEFORE you begin.  Then, you would place a problem on the board and students solve it.  Next, they look for that answer on the board and mark it off.  They hope to get five in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally (you can also allow four corners).

These tasks require a bit more prep, but are powerful review tasks for their own reasons.  

Speed Dating – I’ve tried this one in the past and it hadn’t worked well for me.  But, I think I’ve finally got it down!  I have tables now, so that has helped. I placed the tables in a circle in my room.  On the outside of the circle I’d place students who performed best on the last

 formative assessment and everyone else on the inside.  On each table I place a problem for all four people to work on.  Once all 4 students agree on the solution, they can look at the solution on the back of the paper the problem is on (I typically type all the problems onto a PowerPoint and print the whole slide to put on each table).  I use an online timer and project it on the board–typically for 3 minutes, but it depends on the type of problems I’m asking students to do.  For that reason, you may want to make sure you give tasks that will last approximately the same amount of time.  For easier problems, for example, add more of them to take longer.  Then, have everyone move right one table and complete the next task.  Do this until all your task are completed.  I have 8 tables and 32 students, so I typically have 8 tasks.   One hack:  I typically assign students to their first table since I found when I just told students to find a spot to where they were assigned (inside or outside), they’d sit by their friend and it wasn’t as effective as it could be.

Sum ‘Em Up – This requires the most prep work, but it really checks a lot of boxes:  Differentiation, critiquing the work of others, accountability, and collaboration.  There are several variations.  My favorite is to create one task like this one.  Students choose which task they complete based on the fact the problems are increasingly in difficulty from A-D.  Then, they sum up their answers.  They can self-check with the answer (which is the sum of their individual answers) on the back of the task (or the next task) or can check with you.  If it’s not correct, they’ll have to look at one another’s work and determine which solution is incorrect.  Often times kids will say, “I wasn’t super confident about my answer.”  Once they get the correct sum, they move on to the next task.  I typically color code the tasks so that I can see if a group is falling behind and needs redirection or additional academic support.  Hack:  You can find a bunch of these on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Also, here’s how I quickly group students–often assigning a “coach” who performed well on the formative assessment.  I hope it’s helpful to have a “bank” or reviews.  I’d love to learn some new reviews if you have any to share :).  Please share below…

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January 1

3 Reflections from a Standards Based Grading Rookie

Students at work in my Geometry classroom!

This fall, not only did I return to the classroom after a 2 year hiatus as an instructional coach, but I joined and led an Algebra II team that had agreed to launch Standards Based Grading.  We were given a week over the summer to upend our current curriculum and start from scratch with the Common Core State Math Standards.  With the help of our instructional coach, we had developed a strong curriculum map and began writing our first assessments, rubrics and lessons.  We weren’t the first team to take the leap.  The previous year, the Geometry team was not only the inaugural team to take the Standards Based Grading jump in our department, but also our school.  While it wasn’t easy and took a great deal of time and effort to redesign the curriculum and assessments, it was deemed, overall, a success.

  1.  Room for Growth At the end of the semester I had students reflect on our classroom norms as they related to themselves as a student and as a classmate and, of course, my instruction.  On the back of the evaluation, I had them also share their thoughts on Standards Based Grading.  I was particularly impressed with the thoughtful reflection of one student, “It favors the students’ education over their grade and the work they complete.”  Yes!  Another student wrote “(I like how) we retake the test we do to better ourselves.”  They’re really starting to get the basic values that are the foundation of our practice: prioritizing learning over grades, and growth over time.  But, in reflection, I’d like to continue to prioritize growth mindset language in my classroom.  For example, I give pencils that say “Got an A with Mrs. J” for students who receive an “exceeding the standard” rating of a 3.5 or 4/4.  I was thinking that I should also give a prize to those who’ve most improved from the first standard to the second in an effort to honor growth.  My colleague, Patrick, also suggested that we call the second assessment we give for each standard as the “Growth Assessment.”  I like that, too.
  2. Struggle with Student Motivation By far the biggest struggle that’s been voiced among my colleagues is the frustration over the lack of student homework completion.  Math is a skill and, like any other skill, requires practice. I’ve told students more times than I can remember that mentally assenting to mathematics done correctly does not mean that you can perform the skill as well.  You can’t just watch football and think you’re ready for the NFL.  Nonetheless students think they can.  We’ve talked about counting homework for points, but the teachers in Algebra I remind us that student work in their classes reflect little effort and, sadly, copying.  They cringe at the thought of giving that caliber of work points towards their final grade.  So, we return to making the argument to students about the importance of homework to improve understanding and summative performance. I would LOVE any insight any of you might have!
  3. Admiration and Respect for My Team  I wasn’t the only one without experience in Standards Based Grading.  On the team, which comprised 8 teachers, there was only one who was also on the Geometry team and he was a huge contributor, helping us to avoid pitfalls and encouraging us to focus on what he felt would give us the strongest start.  That being said, everyone embraced the challenge and appeared eager to contribute to the major undertaking, which included a division of labor and group edits.  While we certainly believed in the tenants of Standards Based Grading, that is, a student’s grade should reflect what they can perform, articulate and understand and not a student’s behavior, we had to be honest about the practical rubber-meets-the-road type pitfalls, such as student motivation.  We also needed to reflect on the flow of curriculum, the shifts in our pedagogy, and our team dynamics.   We didn’t always agree.  In fact, often we didn’t.  But, our team is professional, reflective and fun.  We tangled until we could live with the outcome and may revisit it again.  We are currently on the “act – reflect – new action” cycle of education and are content with that.  Truly, I feel blessed to work with such a thoughtful team of educators.

Overall, I would deem semester I a moderate success with room for my personal growth.  I hope to move forward in shifting mindsets towards growth and away from a focus on grades.  I want students to know what they know and what they don’t know.  I want them to learn the benefits of practice towards peek performance.  And I want to continue the good work of a team that cares about what’s best for students, even if we don’t always agree on how.  Also, I’m grateful to have the privilege to work with students.  Teaching isn’t for the weak, but it’s the most rewarding job there is.  It never gets boring, to be sure.  Here’s  to the future–have a great 2019!

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August 1

4 Reflections from a Classroom Teacher on Restorative Practices

For the last two days I engaged in a voluntary training on restorative practices.  Let me first say, that my pool of friends in the world of education is not small. I’ve heard all the opinions on restorative practices ranging from complete buy in to full on skepticism.  I appreciated the first words from the presenters mouth, “Whatever you’ve googled or heard about restorative, put those out of your mind.”   I wrestled with how to frame what I had learned in those two powerful days.  

I think perhaps, restorative practices are best described by what they are NOT:

Used Exclusively by Dean’s for Conflict Resolution  The presenters suggested that we think of restorative practices on a Restorative Practices Continuum that begins with using Affective “I” Statements all the way to formal conferencing for conflict resolution.  

The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) also suggests that we spend 80% of our time in practices working proactively and 20% reactively.  How do we do that? Restorative practices start and end with relationships. I recently wrote a blogpost on the importance of building relationships and followed up with an additional post on helpful relationship building strategies. 

One powerful tool that IIRP recommends is the use of Circles.  Circles are simple to practice.

  1. Place your students in a circle and join them.
  2. Ask a question.
  3. Have a talking piece that you pass around the circle to students to signify whose turn it is to speak and whose it is to listen.

While we spent a great deal of time talking about a lot of the nuances:  the importance of starting with a low risk question, facilitation rules, setting norms, etc. These are the key steps.

Like sitting around a campfire, circles create a safe and intimate place for each student to have a voice.  It removes barriers like tables and corners of the room, which are ideal for hiding. While often used for conflict resolution among a smaller group, when used consistently with agreed upon norms it can be a powerful force for relationship building in the classroom.

Everyone Gets a Trophy  IIRP recommends that you separate the child’s behavior from the child.  That is “I like you, but I do not accept your behavior.” The power here is that students need to feel loved and accepted for who they are.  When they do, they often change their behavior to be acceptable to those who love them most.

Recently I saw Will You Be My Neighbor at the movie theater.  According to the film, there was a backlash from groups who decided that Mr. Rodgers was preaching an empty self-esteem message by saying to that children that they “special.”  What a sad paradigm. The truth is that everyone has inherent value and is special because they are people, God’s creation.  So often we say that students are “bad,” “naughty,” etc. When we label students, we forget their inherent value and worth as human beings and leave all hope for any positive change in them at the door.  

Rejection of Consequences I have to admit that I was surprised by the general appearance of the two facilitators.  They were not school psychologists equipped with data and little in the trenches experience.  Rather, they were two men, one black one white, who had physiques similar to WWF wrestlers. Both had a background as deans and had worked in one of the most difficult schools outside the city of Chicago, Maywood, IL. These men knew how to transform the behavior and culture of a school and they had seen it first hand.  They were tough guys.  Tough guys who believed in the message they were preaching.  

They shared story after compelling story.  One particular story I found extremely convincing was related to two students who were fighting.  In the past, they would have each received a suspension and would have returned 5 days later still fuming and ready to go another round.  Now, while students might still receive a suspension, they are required to face one another and walk through a series of restorative practice questions that lead to reconciliation so that when they returned there would be a change in behavior.   One consequence certainly more work and more fruitful than another.  

Later we watched a video about a student who had been bullied.   The headmaster explained how the two students were able to talk through their difficulties and the students had decided on an agreed upon consequence by working through the “Affective/Restorative Questions.  One teacher in our training asked, “Would the parents of the offended boy be angry that there was not a more punitive response?” Another teacher in our training responded with a genuine and heartbreaking story about a time when her daughter had been bullied.  While the offender had received a consequence, he never had to apologize to her or think through the damage he had caused. She said she would have found that much more satisfying to her and her daughter. Interesting…

Lowering of Behavioral Expectations  One framework that I found particularly helpful related to expectations and supports related to student behavioral  is called the Social Discipline Window.  On the vertical axis, is the level of expectations and on the horizontal, the level of support we provide students to meet the expectations.  We want to work WITH students to improve the behavior to meet high standards. To be honest, I can excuse behaviors at times. Rather, I want to work with students to reach a high standard of behavior that will be expected of them in life beyond my classroom doors.

What now?  Personally speaking, I left with a renewed commitment for building relationships and plans to practice using “I” statements and implement circles.  I’m not sure what that will look like really, but I’m excited to try.  I’m thrilled to have the support of our entire administration, who not only participated in this training on a different date, but included the practice in our District Strategic Plan.  

At the end of the two day training spent entirely sitting in a circle, all 40 of us felt a unique warmth and intimacy with people who had been either strangers or acquaintances to us before we began.  We had practiced circles to learn how to implement restorative practices and it had a powerful effect on a group of people with different perspectives and ideas. We closed by sharing something we had appreciated about each person in the room.  I felt feeling more hopeful for our country. After all, working through differences hasn’t been our strength lately. But, if we could teach the next generation to work through conflict respectfully…we might just have a bright future and grow in our ability to have a healthy debate and exchange of ideas.  Ahhh…hope.

Sources:

International Institute of Restorative Practice Website; https://www.iirp.edu/schools

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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.  

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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.

 

 

 

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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 Kushner. Educational Leadership, 56(4), 18–22.

 

 

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January 8

These are a FEW of my Favorite Things… I’ve used in my math classroom. Thank #MTBoS!

I am a member of the #MTBoS (Math Twitter Blog-O-Sphere).  If you are a math teacher, you are too!  To find them, you need only jump on Twitter (@ExploreMTBoS) or search the #MTBoS hashstag and enjoy all that is available to you.  #MTBoS teachers share everything from their philosophy on what is BEST Math Teaching PRACTICE to the details of the lesson they did TODAY. The #MTBoS has challenged its members to blog once a week for the next month.  This week, the challenge is to blog about our favorite thing(s).  Here are some of my FAVORITE THINGS I’ve learned about/stolen from this group.

  1.  WODB (@WODB) or “Which one doesn’t belong?” has been a fabulous resource for eliciting high level discourse with students.

    This puzzle can be found on the WODB website and also on Chris Hunter’s “Reflection in the Why” blog.

    These WODB K-12 puzzles are low entry/high ceiling problems that will meet your students exactly at their level of understanding.  Your job is to push their thinking by asking questions.  I’ve shown an Algebra example to the right, but there are graphs, number, shape puzzles, etc.  Enjoy them!

  2. Class Norms Signs – If you’re looking for GREAT classroom signs and resources, Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove) is your girl!  She makes some SNAZZY stuff!  But, these signs definitely served

    Here you can see “Class Norms” above my board in my classroom.

    two purposes in my classroom.  ONE:  They are darling and decorated my room nicely and TWO (and most importantly):  They served as principles that guided the collaborative work in my group.  I only had to say “Helping is not the same as giving answers!” or “Can you read the green sign I am pointing to?  What does that mean?  Please be a respectful group member and do that now.”  I LOVED having them to point to!

  3. Sum ‘Em Up – This is a game/activity that requires both individual and group accountability from your math students.  The idea is from #MTBoS’s Kate Nowak’s (@k8nowak)
    “Function of Time” blog.  For each skill, you make four problems of various degrees of difficulty and for students you’ve placed in a heterogeneous grouping.  Each student works individually and then, students sum up their totals.  At that time, they can ask the teacher if they are correct.  If they are NOT correct, the students have to decide which student(s) made the error and why.  This leads to great mathematical discourse and “critiquing the reasoning of others.”  You can find more details to this fabulous activity in the link above.

Obviously, this is just a taste of what you can find from teachers on Twitter, but I wanted to whet your appetite for more.  The treasure of #MTBoS is yours (and mine)…enjoy!  Go, search #MTBoS and see what happens…

 

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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.  

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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.”

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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 :).

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September 11

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun!

“What?  Class is almost over?” 

If I heard that from a student, I knew that we were heading in the right direction.  Psychologists call it “flow.”  I’m sure you’ve experienced it.  That moment when you realized that you’ve lost several hours because you became so caught up in your work or play.  Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, who is most identified with Flow Theory described  “flow” as  “An optimal psychological state that people experience when engaged in an activity that is both appropriately challenging to one’s skill level, often resulting in immersion and concentrated focus on a task. This can result in deep learning and high levels of personal and work satisfaction.”

Yes!  “High levels of personal and work satisfaction.”  Exactly!  But how do we get our students to a state of flow?  Here are a few thoughts I’ve been tossing around:

Give the students the PlayDoh.  Let me explain.  I think that the content we hope to impart to our students IS the PlayDoh.  If we hold it in front of the room, explain how it feels, describe its general shape and color, our students will learn a few things about it.  Imagine, instead, that we give them each their own PlayDoh.  They feel it in their hands, pull it to see how far it will stretch, create new things out of it, then surely they will have a greater sense of what they are holding in their hands.  They may get so caught up with it, they forget to pack up their bags before the bell rings.  That’s flow!

Plan the party.  Okay, is it wrong to have two metaphors in one post?  Well, I’m gonna…When you plan a party you need to create an environment of structured freedom.  That may sound like an oxymoron.  You wouldn’t invite 10 eight year olds to a party and say “Have at it!”  They might get bored or worse-naughty!  We plan games, activities and we manage them loosely so as to not be the party police.  We structure the play, but let them play!

Likewise, in order to send students in the right direction and give them an opportunity to play with our content in a productive way, we have to use some sound research-based structures:  collaboration (“Let’s talk about the Playdoh and make a plan to build something great.”), asking higher order thinking questions (“What impact has Playdoh had on children around the world?”),  and graphic organizers (“How does this Playdoh experience relate to other information I know?”).    One caveat:  Your activities must be “appropriately challenging to one’s skill level.”  Be mindful of that when you’re planning the party.  You wouldn’t plan a rollerskating party for toddlers.  You wouldn’t, right?

Watch it unfold.  Usually it looks busy.   It can be loud.  It’s marked by “high levels of personal and work satisfaction.” Personally, this is the point where I find greatest joy in my teaching.  Ironically, students oftentimes forget you are there. Don’t feel as though you aren’t working.  You’ve done amazing work behind the scenes, Party Planner!  As long as they have “Playdoh” in their hands and they are talking about it, writing about it and playing with it.  Your mission is accomplished!  They’ll be late to their next class because they lost track of time.  That’s okay.  Your class wins!  They’ll be sad the party’s over.

References 

Flow (Csíkszentmihályi) – Learning Theories. (2016). Retrieved September 11, 2016, from https://www.learning-theories.com/flow-csikszentmihalyi.html

 

 

 

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September 4

WHY did you become a teacher?

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to teach.  Since I was a young girl.  My dad had discovered a desk in the garbage at his work that was an exact replica of my teacher’s desk at school.  I was thrilled.  He also found a chalkboard which he mounted in the basement next to my recycled desk in my make-shift classroom.  My sister was four and a half years younger than I.  My curriculum, however, consisted of recouped purple dittos from my teacher’s garbage can.  Therefore, as my pupil learning what I had just learned, she was well ahead of grade level.  Her willingness to please her older sister made her a highly motivated student.  Her kindergarten teacher reported to my mom that her writing was exclusively in cursive and could she be convinced to print, thank you.

 
I love it all, the lessons, the learning, the art projects.  I was hooked.  However, who and what to teach was still a question mark for me all the way until I entered college.  I loved learning and typically I wanted to teach whatever subject I loved most and at my current age.  Since my last stint in school was in high school, I selected teaching high school.  After all the content was so challenging and interesting.  I was torn, however, between History, Spanish and Math.  You might be surprised that I selected Math.  Well, at least based on the responses I get from EVERYONE I tell that I teach high school Math.  I loved that it was so clear cut.  I could clearly discern whether a student understood the content or did not understand the content.  It was step by step procedure and seemed “easier” to teach.  Since then, I’ve changed my mind about Math’s predictability, methodology and the importance of unscripted rich problem solving.  But, that’s for another time–this is the BEGINNING of my story.  

For approximately every 30 children in the US, there is a teacher.  We are an army of face wipers, coaches, and empathetic ears.  We deliver content, challenge, tutor and seek to inspire.   But, what brought us to this point?  What drove us to do, what I believe, is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs?  I’d love to hear your story!  Please share in the comments below.  Include in your response if you would have chosen the same age & subject if you could do it all again.

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August 15

A Co-Teaching “First Date”

Last year was the first time I co-taught Geometry with a Special Ed teacher.  While originally hesitant to share my classroom (I definitely have control freak tendencies), I LOVED it!  It was wonderful to have two professionals in the room to instruct, assess and care for our room full of kiddos. You can read a bit about my co-teaching reflections here.

While my experience was extremely positive, that might not always be the case for all co-teachers.  For some, relationships between co-teachers can seem like an awkward partnership.  Some are just “playing nice for the kids.”  We can do SO much better than that!

Co-teaching workshop 3 - Copy

In an attempt to get a jump start on establishing solid co-teaching relationships, the instructional coaches provided a Co-Teaching workshop on the first inservice day of the new school year.  After a brief presentation given by my co-teacher Jeff and I, and our new instructional coach Emily (who is a huge advocate for co-teaching) we provided an opportunity for a co-teaching “first date.”  The “first date” consisted of  a list of conversational topics from personaCo-teaching workshop 1lity type to classroom management styles.  The main objective was for teachers to find a common, workable ground for their classrooms.

I’ve included both the presentation and the “first date” discussion sheet.  Perhaps you and your co-teacher might want to have a “first date” as well?

Best wishes to all those co-teachers out there partnering to provide the best possible experience for those sweet faces in their classrooms!  Make this the #bestyearever .

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December 31

This Teacher’s 5 New Year’s Resolutions

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This post could also be entitled:  “Stuff I learned from Twitter over Christmas Break.”  One of the things I love about break is the chance blog binge and peruse twitter for ideas.  I have a folder in my g-mail entitled “Read over break” and LOVE when I get to crack it open.  I bore easily and without new ideas, (gulp!) even teaching might become stale for me.

1.  Wingman  I watched a great little video regarding a strategy called Wingman from the Teaching Channel.  Here the most pensive and quiet student is asked to engage by observing  the group and giving feedback later.  I highly value student to student communication in the process of learning.  That being said, I know that my class must be an introvert’s nightmare.  This will allow the introvert to be an observer and  still participate in the learning.  The video demonstrated the Wingman strategy in an ELA class but I would give it a little twist in my HS Math classroom.  I’d most likely hand the “wingman” a sheet to keep a record of when students apply one of the 8  mathematical practices and encourage groups to make sure they touch on at least four or five of them.  At the end the “wingman” could give a report to the group on their progress and point out individual strengths.

2.  Closure Strategies  I found this great article on Edutopia on 22 Powerful Closure Activities by Todd Finley.  While quite of few of them were either ELA or elementary in nature, here are a few I’d like to try:

High-Five Hustle

Ask students to stand up, raise their hands and high-five a peer — their short-term hustle buddy. When there are no hands left, ask a question for them to discuss. Solicit answers. Then play “Do the Hustle” as a signal for them to raise their hands and high-five a different partner for the next question. (Source: Gretchen Bridgers)

Exit Ticket Folder

Ask students to write their name, what they learned, and any lingering questions on a blank card or “ticket.” Before they leave class, direct them to deposit their exit tickets in a folder or bin labeled either “Got It,” “More Practice, Please,” or “I Need Some Help!” — whichever label best represents their relationship to the day’s content. (Source: Erika Savage)

3.  Kick me.  The first rule of “kick me” is NO KICKING.  Good to know.  I found this great strategy on the Teaching Channel as well.  I teach Geometry and this strategy allows me to help them solidify their understanding of the plethora of vocabulary associated with the topic.  I would probably create a sheet that includes several figures that demonstrate the vocabulary word.  Students would have the vocabulary words taped to their backs and would have to search out the matching vocabulary.  This might be a great “beginning of the school year” activity that would allow them to mingle AND give me some idea what geometry concepts that they brought with them from middle school.

4.  Better Quiz Corrections  Okay, this one I THUNK up myself…well, sort of.  It started when I began only highlighting errors on quizzes and giving students 5-10 minutes to make corrections after they were returned as a result of watching this fabulous video from…the Teaching Channel (have I mentioned how much I LOVE this Twitter follow?).  I thought that I might make a half slip that students can fill out that might give them (and me) more feedback: You can view that here.

5.  Reflecting on Student Work.  This idea came also from a video from Teaching Channel but I can’t seem to find it.  The idea is to take two students from the class and follow their work throughout the year.   I would love if several of my colleagues could join me in this.  We can see the types of errors our students are making and what antidotes we have, as a team, to counteract them.   Since PLCs seem to be a major goal in our district and school this year, this sounds like a good place to start.

Well, here’s to a fabulous 2016!  Wishing teacherdom all the best!  What are your resolutions?  Please share! 🙂

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September 13

Jumping aboard the Co-Teaching Train

 

This is my first year that I’ve had the privilege to co-teach a class.  After reflecting on the first 2 1/2 weeks, here are some thoughts:

Things going well:

1.  Formative Assessment – My co-teacher and I have freedom to regulaIMG_2283rly require students to do a problem on a 1/2 sheet and turn it in.  One of us can walk around to make sure students are on task and available for students with questions.  The other can collect the sheets and offer quick feedback.  We do this, typically at the beginning and end of class.

2.  Yin and Yang – My co-teacher has a great calming affect on our classroom.  This is especially good for students who panic when they don’t understand.  I can think of one student, in particular, who needs regular reassurance.  I, on the other hand, can best be described in three words, “too much caffeine.”

3.  Foldables – I think these have been helpful to all of my students for taking down key information and/or formulas.  In addition, students with IEPs may be allowed to use them on quizzes and tests.

4.  Planning – We have a common plan!  Though my co-teacher is often running around meeting with students during this period, he usually makes time to meet with me briefly to go over the next day’s lesson.  That’s been fabulous!

  Under Construction:

1.  Differentiation – It is still a difficult balance to not overwhelm some and bore others.  One day, as an exit slip, we gave a more challenging problem to about 5 students that I had printed out earlier.  It’s progress, but we’ve got a ways to go.

2.  Grouping – Though it is nice to be able to group students who are stronger with some who are weaker in order to explain misconceptions etc., some of the stronger students are leaving the weaker in the dust.  Should we group our weakest students together with either my co-teacher or I to coach them?  Not sure.

3.  Collaboration – There is not enough collaboration in this group yet.  I’m not sure if weaker students are intimidated by the stronger or just have lost interest.  I could also do more to encourage the communication.  I thought about doing some brain-based instruction.  Thoughts?

As I mentioned, this is my first year as a co-teacher and I’d love some feedback.  Those who have been doing it forever, fill me in! 🙂

 

 

 

 

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August 6

Why I hate the first week of school (and other positive thoughts)

Typically, I would say that I am a POSITIVE person–cup half full.  You know the type…annoyingly so.  In fact, I’m absolutely sure that there are some teachers that are curmudgeons by nature at my school that find it difficult to even be in the same room  as me.  That being said, last year I finally admitted it:  I HATE the first week of school!  It’s not that I lack excitement about new possibilities or methods I might try.  I do!  That makes me excited about the school YEAR.  I’m talking about the first WEEK.  Here’s why:

They don’t know me.  My students, that is.  We haven’t established trust and rapport–we aren’t family yet.  I’m some stranger to them.  They may have heard about me.  I don’t know…they just seem cynical at first.  Like they’re saying, “Sure you care…prove it!”  That’s exactly what I go about doing day in and day out until the work of trust is firmly established.  But it’s hard work and it is just a given later in the year.  I remember, on the third day of school last year, one of my students said (read in teenage girl voice), “Are we going to do any lessons?  Like, will there be PowerPoints?”  I thought to myself, “Have I not been teaching for the last three days?”  It takes time for them to get to know me and how I operate–which is often different from their previous teachers, which only makes them even MORE skeptical of me.  Most importantly, I have to convince them that what I do is good.  I start to doubt myself and think, “By the end of the year, they’ll get me and, hopefully, math! RIGHT?”

A lost puppy.  Just as much as being positive is my nature, I’m a girl of routine.  I need to know where to be to be productive during prep and lunch periods.  I spend the first week, looking for those places–access to copier, not too many people so that I get caught up in nonsense chatter (which I am also VERY good at!).  I’m like a lost puppy and each night I go home saying, “I got nothing done at school today!”  Augh…Can’t wait!

Unrealistic expectations.  I think it’s a “mom thing,” but each new year I tell myself that I’ll be able to still make dinner nightly, workout, have quiet time, etc once school starts.  For the first week or so, I try to make sure that is the case.  By late September, I’ve long given up the dream.  My children return to their self-proclaimed status as “dinner orphans” and honestly, we’re all happier for it!  But that first week, I kill myself trying to add in an after school workout, making dinner and doing school work I neglected to do while wandering the building looking for a place to work.

No worries, though.  I know that the first week in each new year is like a newborn baby.  I will get to that happy place where they KNOW me…no more proving myself, I’ll stop spinning my wheels and, maybe this year, I’ll leave dinner up to my kids on that first week.  You’d think I’d learn after all these years!  Here’s to realistic expectations and a great SECOND week :).

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December 30

Stop the Politicking–The Supreme Court of Education

While I’m no expert on politics, I feel their impact daily with the new federal and state mandates that trickle down into my classroom.  Each new president is the “education president” and has a plan that will turn around a fledgling American education system.  No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, Common Core, VAM for teacher evaluations, charter schools–all valiant efforts to be the equivalent “get rich quick scheme” of public education.  What anyone who works in a classroom knows, is that the problems are too deep, too complicated, too sweeping to be fixed so easily.  Each President and appointed Secretary of State has, at best, 8 years to return the US to its former educational glory. He/she must present his/her education agenda du jour before he/she enters office and must stand by it even if, after time in office, one has a change of heart, for fear of flip-flopping (see Peter Green article linked for more on that).

What I propose is a new decision making body for education in Washington.  What if we didn’t move the cheese for teachers and administrators across the country every 4-8 years?  It may sound crazy to you but it makes perfect sense to this teacher in suburban Illinois:  A “Supreme Court” of Education.  Like the Supreme Court, presidents could appoint men/women (hopefully educators–perhaps each National Teacher of the Year?) to a body that would right the ship of public education that would serve 10 years?  15 years?  life?  The implications of each important, but worth a discussion.  Let’s think outside the current constraints of the political box.

What has each successive regime brought us (both democratic and republican)?  Heavy standardized testing, school closings that (in Chicago) break the hearts of students and have families taking to the streets in protests, public funding going to private for profit schools that show not to be any more effective except for those who champion their for profit cause,  teacher shortages due to teacher disillusionment and distrust…Should we continue the course?  Top performing schools on PISA exams (International Exams) like those in Canada and Finland are doing the exact opposite!  Read more on that in the link attached.

From one of the greatest minds in the 20th Century:

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”    –  Albert Einstein

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October 5

Keeping from Disillusionment Amidst Constant Educational Reform

How it all began  When I was just a little girl, I began stealing extra dittos out of the garbage can at school.  These blue, fragrant copies became the basis for the curriculum for the home school I conducted in my basement.  The school had one pupil, my sister.  Who, I must say, was a willing participant and excellent student.  As such, I take full—no (insert conversation with said sister) partial–credit for her academic and personal success.

I’ve always known that I wanted to be a teacher.  As I progressed through each new grade it became the grade that I hoped to teach.  This continued through high school.  Although I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, my commitment to subject matter fluctuated from foreign language, to social studies, to mathematics, and back again.  To be honest, I can not remember how I settled on mathematics.  Perhaps it was the concrete nature of the subject or my success in mathematics.  I do, however, remember that one of the teachers I most admired during my high school years was also a mathematics teacher.

My first teaching experience began quickly after graduation nearly 20 years ago at  a medium sized high school in a rural community in the far far northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Excited and nervous to begin a career I’ve spent years training for, I entered the classroom of a teacher who had given up on the field altogether and was leaving for work in the private sector.  I wish I would have asked her why.  Though I had much theoretical training, I had very little experience, practically speaking.  My best education was about to begin.

What I lacked in experience, I made up in earnestness.  I asked teachers about their practices and ideas.  During those early years, I focused primarily on classroom management.  I knew if I could not engage my students in productive learning activities, our time together would be wasted.  During those years, I taught Algebra, Geometry and Sequential Algebra (the first part of a two year algebra program—as was the trend for lower-achieving students at that time).  Now, almost half of our students take Algebra in 8th grade.  I spent two years at my first position.

I began teaching part-time at a high school in a northwest suburb of Chicago after my daughter was born.  The community is affluent and teachers’ salaries in this district are among the highest in the state.  I taught Algebra and Geometry to lower-leveled students.  I found that I worked well with these students.  They responded well to my methods and I was pleased.

At that time I took a sabbatical from teaching to stay home to care for my two small children.  7 years later, I accepted my current teaching position at the fastest growing district in the state, where I taught remedial Geometry and Geometry.  It was interesting to step into a school that was hiring, on average, 2 new math teachers a year.

 I returned to the classroom to find that the world of education had changed.  The focus had shifted to standardized testing and the No Child Left Behind legislation.  In addition, terms like “best practices,” “PLCs” and “RtI” were thrown around.  I left with the odd feeling that, although I had stopped teaching, the world of academia had certainly not stopped spinning.  Education reform, as is the norm, was still at work, but had taken a new direction while I was gone.

I was adamant that I would return and find success in the classroom, after all it was a passion that was birthed early in my childhood.  I joined committees and did my best to catch up with both pedagogical and ed tech trends.  It wasn’t easy–but I did it.  I caught up, primarily with the help from a teacher who was younger and more current than I.  I’m so grateful for the help of good colleagues who were generous with their time and talents–creating an amazing atmosphere for collaboration and school pride.  Before long I was as current as the next educator.

I ALMOST caught my breath–but then, bad news regarding US performance on international PISA exams and a demand for new more rigorous standards resulted in the Common Core Standards.  Don’t get me wrong–I certainly want to be part of the solution and I believe the Common Core has so much to offer our students in depth of understanding.  But, yet again, the cheese has been moved.  It is easy to become disillusioned as a teacher–content and instruction will have to be overhauled.

One thing remains constant in education:  Change.  That’s it!  That’s what I’ve learned.  Teaching is the most political position outside of Washington and each new administration will have its own spin on how it will reform American education.  We have to run each reform through the filter of good pedagogy and a heart that wants what is best for our students.  Some things will pass the test & some will not.  However, I will never know unless I’m open to change.  It is SO easy to see what is already working and hold too tightly to it–missing out on the opportunity to go from good to great.

How do I keep from disillusionment?  I remember why I became a teacher.  I accept change as an educational lifestyle.  I love kids–I can’t lose focus of those things.  How do you do it?

 

    

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September 28

My 10 Commandments of Teaching and Learning

This year I have a student teacher.  She’s fabulous–eager, positive, motivated!  One of her assignments was to ask my partner in crime and I about our “philosophy of teaching.”  I told her, “Actually–I wrote a paper as an assignment for a graduate class I took several years ago!”  Bringing it up again, it remains true today.  I have changed A LOT of things about my instructional strategies but these values I still hold true.

  1. Students must believe that you care.  By way of introduction, in my class, I tell all students that I am a member of their team.  Their success is my success and vice versa.  It is amazing to me that any student would think that a teacher is “out to get them.”  I want my students to believe that, more than anything, I want them to shine.  If I can get each one of them to believe that he or she is my favorite, I’ve done just that!
  2. Active students are thinking students.  Although I avoid lecture as much as absolutely possible, there are times when I believe direct instruction is the clearest method of instruction.  I want students to be sorting, moving, thinking, describing, hypothesizing…active!
  3. Never waste a minute.  In my classroom, everyone (including me) is working hard from bell to bell.  There is so much to think about and discuss, I don’t want to waste even a minute…and I don’t!  When students say that my class is the fastest class in the day, I know that I must be doing something right.  After all, time flies when you’re having fun.
  4. Students want to succeed.  Many of my colleagues have said that students don’t care.  They are lazy and uncooperative.  On the contrary, every student I have ever had has wanted to learn.  Some students have become experts at masking the desire to learn because they’ve been unsuccessful for so long, it is easier to pretend like you don’t care than to admit failure.  I truly believe that if students are convinced that you believe they can learn, they’ll start believing, too.
  5. Students have learned when they can show you they have learned.  Over the years I have become a huge advocate of the use of exit slips.  In my class, I refer to them as the “Ticket to Leave.”  I tie the question strictly to the objective for the day.  The exit slips have become an accurate litmus test regarding the success or failure of all of my instruction.  I also love being able to have one on one contact with each and every student.
  6. Be silly!  Though I am, without a doubt, a type A person, I am also very silly—particularly in front of my students.  When I let my guard down, so do they and we become like family.  By the end of each year, I truly love my students and I’m convinced I will never love another group as much…that is, until next year.
  7. Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.  I’m not sure who first coined the phrase, but I believe it!  Shhh!  Don’t tell my boss, but there are days that I think I’d do my job for free.  Everyday, I have eager students with a desire to learn and provide me with more encouragement that any person deserves.  I hope my students can find a similar passion in life.
  8. Everything that is self-fulfilling follows hard work.  I might have been a Puritan in another life.  I believe in a hard day’s work and feeling good after a hard day’s work. Sure, my students can take an easy class where they can simply breathe and earn an A or they can challenge themselves.  Though it may require more work, in the end, the payoff is a better education and the ability to think critically.
  9. Model good character.  I’m certainly not perfect, nor do I pretend to be.  However, I believe maturity is measured by progress in the qualities of goodness, honesty, integrity and humility.  In addition to the Pythagorean Theorem Corollary, I would hope my students would walk away from my classroom with a lesson on these critical character traits.
  10. Praise!  Praise!  Praise!  While I don’t feel students should receive hollow compliments, a thoughtful word of encouragement can change someone’s life.  Critics of this generation say that they’ve received too much praise.  I disagree.  The truth is that the world regularly beats us down.  We never feel smart or attractive enough.  Insecurity is the unfortunate mantra of every teenager.  During a time when parent-child relationships are strained, an uplifting word from a trusted adult is just what the doctor ordered!

How about you?  What would you add as one of your Ten Commandments?

 

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September 7

Happy Surprises from “You, You all, We” in the Classroom

I wrote earlier in my blog about an article I had read on “Why Americans Stink at Math” by the New York Times (you can read both the post and the article by following the blog roll to the right) and how it just may have revolutionized how I teach.  Well, I’ve been continuing to use this method and I’ve stumbled upon some happy surprises. Here are a few:

Everyone’s engaged.  Yep!  Everyone!  I ask students to work individually on each problem and I walk around.  This frees me up to see who is staring into space–which rarely happens. Most students have some ideas about where to start.  They also want to be ready to share something with their partner when we switch to “You all.”  It’s amazing!  If students are stuck, I’m freed up to ask them questions about the problem that might trigger a thought.  From my Honors Pre-Calculus class to my average Geometry class–it seems to put everyone to work.  During the “You All” talk time, students seem to all be talking to each other ABOUT MATH.  Awesome!

Problematic thinking is head off early.  Because students generate the ideas, the most common misconceptions quickly come to light during our “We” discussion.  We are able to discuss each of them and why the idea might not work.  In addition we tackle, as a group, the points where students get “stuck” and identify why it is a difficulty.  At that point, we generate ideas to respond to the difficulty until every student is satisfied with the solution.

I facilitate, they solve.  By the time we finally get to the “We” discussion, I am able to direct the discussion so that students alone are able to (1) solve the problem and satisfy student curiosity about the problem  and (2) flesh out all the faulty thinking and “stuck” points.

Obviously, I’m sold.  The one down side is that each problem takes longer.  As a result,  I’m trying to find the perfect problems that generate the discussion I want.  I end up doing about 3-4 examples only.  In the past I would have done 5-7, but I don’t think I had the engagement or understanding I am getting now.  It’s a trade off–one that I’m convinced I should take.

Have you tried it?  What do you think?

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