Choose Your Own Adventure

by Sarah Logan

     Research tells us that educators make literally thousands of decisions per day—a fact that likely comes as no big surprise to those of us in the field. Wouldn’t it be nice if making those decisions could be a little bit more like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series of books for young readers? That way you could explore a variety of paths your decisions have the potential of taking. If you don’t like where one leads, simply go back, select one of the alternatives, and continue the journey.

     Obviously, that will never happen, but we do have the power of making decisions that have a greater chance of putting students on the path to success. Our power rests in the perspective we choose and the expectations we communicate. Failing to make careful decisions in this realm may lead towards a path we’d rather avoid.

     The following scenario invites you to consider where a teacher’s decisions may lead:

Ms. Appleton’s class has turned in a written assignment. There are two papers without names and three students with no score. “Larry” claims one of the no name papers as his own, though Ms. Appleton believes the handwriting to more closely resemble that of one of the other two students.

Option A: In speaking to Larry, Ms. Appleton says, “Larry, I know this is not your work. Why are you lying to me instead of completing the assignment in the first place?”

Option B: In speaking to Larry, Ms. Appleton says, “Larry, I appreciate that it’s important to you to have something turned in. The writing on this page looks a little different from your usual style. What are your thoughts about this?”

     How Larry might respond to either of these options is very likely correlated to the messages embedded in Ms. Appleton’s language. Option A could make Larry defensive because it communicates a negative presupposition that he is not telling the truth. Option B, on the other hand, communicates a positive presupposition that Larry is a student who wants to be responsible. The open-ended question in option B invites Larry to offer an explanation for his actions.

     Regardless of whether Larry has made an honest mistake or if he has knowingly attempted to receive credit for someone else’s work, the option Ms. Appleton chooses will impact Larry’s future behavior in her classroom. Option B has a far greater likelihood of supporting Larry’s growth in responsibility because it communicates that this is what she expects of him.

     In The Power of Our Words*, Paula Denton, Ed.D suggests that teacher language is the key that allows students to envision success for themselves. She encourages teachers to search for an underlying positive value when struggles occur in order to cast vision statements that guide students towards paths of success. These must relate to what Denton refers to as “….larger human aspirations, such as feeling engaged and passionate about something, feeling competent and autonomous, and making important contributions to a community they care about.”

    So, in a sense, we can choose our own adventure. The path towards student success hinges upon the point of view we decide to take and the expectations we decide to express. Having high expectations for our students begins with having high expectations for ourselves. Choose wisely. 

*The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton, EdD. (2007). Northeast Foundation for Children.

Tis’ The Season of Giving (All Year Long!)                     

by Martha Doennig and Debbie Yonke

 

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us, and with that is the season of giving.   For teachers, though, the season of giving is not just limited to the days when holiday music fills retail stores, garland and lights adorn the city, and holiday festivities fill the hours.   Giving is a year-long commitment; a daily practice when it comes to educating our children.   Giving is a natural tendency for educators, and giving is transparent as you walk building to building, classroom to classroom regardless of whether the holiday season has arrived or not.   Springfield Public Schools is filled to the brim with giving; the giving of preparing all of our students to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  This gift has gone unnamed for years in education, but recently SPS colleagues and community members have worked together to give this gift a name--The Springfield Public Schools Learning Model.  The Learning Model serves to connect all the hard work and initiatives we have in place while at the same time challenging us to continuously grow and learn in order to prepare our students for the future. 

As the Learning Model is implemented it is vital we honor the work which has been accomplished in the past and also strive to meet the varied needs of our sites and staff by offering choice in learning.  Elements of the Learning Model have been brought forth through Site Professional Learning System, SPLS district wide.  Within your building, teams committed to the exploration of one of the four processes: Clear Goals and Success Criteria, Effective Feedback, Person-Centered Relationships, and High Expectations.   Through many conversations with teachers, it is evident that SPS is a “community of teachers who can work together to ask questions, evaluate their impact, and decide on optimal next steps” (adapted from Hattie, p. viii).   So based on this, what affirmation or encouragement might we offer you as a gift this holiday season?  We are hopeful to give you a sense of affirmation that the strong foundation which has been laid in the daily work you do, can be integrated into the Learning Model and serve to strengthen our systematic approach.   

In Visible Learning for Teachers, Hattie discusses the relevancy of each of the four processes involved in our learning model.   Below you will find Hattie’s thoughts and the considerations it might have on your classroom.  As you read through this list, consider the initiatives you already have in place in your classroom and how these four processes may already be embedded in daily practice.

 

Hattie’s Thought on the Processes	Considerations for SPS educators
Clear Goals and Success Criteria:    *all involved are clear of the lesson purpose *learning is full of errors *errors should be more than tolerated; they should be welcomed *set learning intentions at appropriate challenging level *provide necessary support to reduce the gaps between what students know and what they can do *set what is desired students will be able to do at the END of a series of lessons; not necessarily after each mini-lesson	*How might your use of clear goals and success criteria impact your efforts in continuous improvement?   *How might this inform your work as you focus on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might clear goals and success criteria relate to your implementation of cooperative learning?
Effective Feedback:   *students know:     Where am I going?     How am I going there?     Where to next? *there are four levels of feedback     Task/product level     Process level     Self-regulation/conditional level     Self level *be mindful of the frequency and timing of feedback	*How might your use of effective feedback impact your efforts in continuous improvement?   *How might this inform your work as you focus on differentiated instruction this year?   *How might effective feedback relate to your implementation of cooperative learning?
Person-Centered Relationships:   *relational trust is classified as all the interpersonal social exchanges that take place in a school community   *relational trust is based on respect, competence, personal regard, and integrity   *relational trust should exist in all our relationships within the school community	*How might this impact your efforts in continuous improvement?    *How might this inform your work as you are focusing on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might your emphasis of person-centered relationships support your implementation of cooperative learning?
High Expectations:   *ignore student labels, but rather consider intelligence is changeable (growth mindset)   *hold high expectations for all students and seek evidence to check and enhance these expectations   *believe that all students can reach the success criteria	*How might this impact your use of goal setting for continuous improvement?    *How might this inform your work as you are focusing on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might you use your implementation of cooperative learning to model high expectations?

 

As you looked through the chart, which is information taken from the Learning Model Resource Guides, you likely noticed that the considerations in the classroom, regardless of the process you are studying, connect to three focuses we have had as a district for years:  Continuous Improvement, Differentiated Instruction, and Cooperative Learning.   The Learning Model is the visual to what we have been gifting to our students for years—strong research based practices which rely on effective teachers knowing their daily impact.  Rather than adding more to our already full plates, The Learning Model gives us the opportunity to look at what we are currently doing and fine-tune our practices so we are able to give our students the opportunity to be the best 21st century learner possible.  Hattie's book Visible Learning for Teachers draws our attention to the research behind what great teachers do and allows us to move forward in giving our students what has the maximum effect.   Through the overlap of the four processes, we truly give our students the opportunity to grow as critical thinkers, communicators, and collaborators. What better gift could we think to give our students than to be proficient 21st century citizens?  Thank you for the positive impact you make on a daily basis and for partnering with us to be continuous learners as we work together to maximize our students’ potential for the future.

 

Hattie, John.   Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. 2011.

 

 

BOY WP  DRA2 Letter ID PLAN

PSA QSI  EXPLORE EMS 

directs ?  

by Martha Doennig, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Puzzled by the meaning of the title?  Curious what these acronyms lead to?   Explore with me.  To date, teachers around Springfield have been collecting data on students using one of the above acronyms and discovering a range of student need.   Now that the data is collected, the expectation is to use the information to support instruction to achieve student growth in a variety of curricular areas.   This expectation can quite possibly be one of the most overwhelming responsibilities of a teacher.   So what strategies can be used to meet the spectrum of needs while effectively moving learning forward for each learner?

?=Differentiated Instruction

"Differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching and learning.  It is also a collection of strategies that help you better address and manage the variety of learning needs in your classroom (Heacox, 2002)."

 

Knowing Differentiated Instruction (DI) is not a new concept to your role in the classroom, please take a moment to refresh your thinking on how you can best implement differentiation using the data that you have collected from a variety of beginning-of-the-year assessments.    

 

To begin with, there are six elements of differentiation that should be considered when developing lessons that will maximize student engagement and growth.  These six can be divided into the following:

 

Teachers can differentiate in three areas:

Content:  “what” students are expected to learn

Process:  “how” students are expected to learn the content

Product:  the end result of the “what is learned” and “how it is learned”

Teachers can differentiate according to students’:

Readiness: the level of preparedness of a student when working with knowledge,

understanding, or skill

Interest: areas of passion for students that can be utilized to push learning beyond

the prescribed curriculum

Learning Profiles: a student’s preferred mode of learning

How you manipulate the elements above is at your discretion based upon the data you have gathered on your students.   Ideally, you will move some part of your instructional class time toward smaller group instruction based on a single or combination of the above elements. 

Regardless of the arrangement of small groups in your classroom, keep in mind that differentiation should be very flexible.  By providing fluid, flexible groups, you are keeping the students’ interests, knowledge, and performance in mind.   In Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All, Gayle Gregory and Carolyn Chapman share an effective tool to check grouping in the classroom, TAPS.  TAPS considers the balance necessary in group configuration to afford students the opportunity to be thinkers in a variety of settings.   The acronym TAPS stands for the following:

T	Total Group	There may be information or new skills that need to be shared or demonstrated to the whole class.
A	Alone	Sometimes students need to practice by working alone.   In life, we often work and think independently of others.
P	Partners	Partnering gives students a narrow audience with whom to share ideas, discuss new information, or process learning.   These partnerships may be random or teacher-constructed.
S	Small Groups	There are many ways to construct small groups; keeping in mind that any group larger than three or four has the potential for off-task behavior or lack of commitment to the goal.

When thinking about your classroom, TAPS is a great reminder of the need for balance.   By providing learners the opportunity to engage in many group configurations within any given day, you are naturally decreasing the attention drawn to the grouping.   This is important so students do not identify themselves or their peers with any particular group.   Depending on the activity and the purpose of the activity, you can group students homogeneously, heterogeneously, randomly, or based on student choice.   Regardless of the grouping method, keep in mind that your decisions for groups should be intentional and flexible.   

I challenge you to take the beginning of year data you have collected on your students and start small.  Don’t attempt a sweeping reform in your classroom if this is all new to you.   Begin with one subject or one project; differentiate the activities.   For those of you already working through a differentiated lens, I challenge you to take your practices to the next level.   Think of new content that would benefit from being differentiated.   In the end, remember that there is no single method to execute DI; Differentiated Instruction is more of a guiding principal that supports you as you adapt or modify curriculum and instruction for the variety of learners in your classroom.   You have the power to meet the needs of all your students as you integrate Differentiated Instruction into your instruction.

The Reality of the Innovation Configuration
by Curtis Cunningham, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

I was looking at the Resulting Student Behaviors section of the Innovation Configuration for 21^st Century Capabilities.  This is located in the resources tab of the SPS Learning Model binder.  Listed in the Ideal column is “students display respectful behaviors toward one another which create a safe climate for intellectual risk taking and collaboration.”  This might be a tall order considering that we are heading into the holiday season.  How do we gently nudge our students toward this worthwhile goal?  I turned a few pages back and looked at the reflective guide, specifically the prompts under the question “Do I behave in ways that support effective communication and collaboration?”  The statements below are taken directly from the 3^rd – 5^th reflective guide:

·         I pause and listen to help myself understand.
·         I ask questions to help myself understand.
·         I respect and appreciate others’ opinions.
·         I take responsibility for my words and actions.
·         I am kind and have a good attitude.
·         I follow group norms.

What impact might these statements have on how I manage student behavior?  If students are not functioning well in my classroom, perhaps the reflective guide will provide some talking points.  Could this reflective guide become an integral part of my classroom management system?

In the book Discipline with Dignity, Richard Corwin et al., suggest that teachers need to use a variety of ways to communicate with students and that we should allow students to be responsible for themselves (Corwin et al., 2008, pg 23-24).  It might be that a teachers use of the reflective guide might provide insights into what they are modeling in the classroom and the students’ use of the reflective guide might allow students to take ownership of their own behavior.

It is typical during the holiday season to feel a little pressed for time.  If students seem to have difficulty with self-regulating, perhaps a few minutes to reflect might help them to identify goals which will help to improve their behavior.  We encourage you to consider how the reflective guide might support you as you continue to build strong relationships in your classroom and encourage your students to become effective communicators and collaborators.

Source:  Curwin, R.L., Mendler, A.N. & Mendler, B.D. (2008). Discipline with Dignity (3rd ed.).   Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Language of Negotiation and Classroom Management

The Language of Negotiation and Classroom Management

In her book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Ruby Payne discusses the correlation between word choice and student discipline problems.  Payne uses Eric Bern’s work on Transactional Analysis to gain an understanding of that correlation.  Bern said that each person has three alter ego states: the child, parent and adult voice. When two people communicate with each other, the voice that is chosen impacts the outcome of the conversation.  A description of each is listed in the graph below.

The Child Voice* Defensive, victimized, emotional whining, losing attitude, strongly negative non-verbal	The Parent Voice* Authoritative, directive, judgmental, evaluative, win-lose mentality, demanding, punitive, sometimes threatening.	The Adult Voice Non-judgmental, free of negative non-verbal, factual, often in question format, attitude of win-win.
·         Quit picking on me. ·         You don’t love me. ·         You want me to leave. ·         I hate you. You are ugly. ·         You make me sick. ·         It is your fault. ·         Don’t blame me. ·         You made me mad ·         You made me do it.	·         You shouldn’t (should) do that. ·         It’s wrong (right) to ____. ·         That’s stupid, immature, out of line, ridiculous. ·         Life is not fair, Get busy. ·         You are good, bad, worthless, and beautiful (any judgmental, evaluative comment.)	•In what ways could this be resolved? •What factors are needed to determine the effectiveness, quality or _____? •I would like to recommend ________. •I am comfortable (uncomfortable) with___. •Options that could be considered are ________. •For me to be comfortable, I need the following things to occur _______. •These are the consequences of that choice/action. •We agree to disagree
*A child’s voice is also playful, spontaneous, curious, etc.  The phrase listed above often occur in conflictual or manipulative situations and impede resolution,	*The parent voice can also be very loving and supportive.  The phrases listed usually occur during conflict and impede resolution.	Taken from the work of Eric Bern’s work on voices

Often individuals who take on the role of being their own parent at a young age often do not have all three internal voices.  They have the child voice and the parent voice and are missing the internal adult voice.  The adult voice provides the language of negotiation and this allows issues to be examined in a non-threatening way and that means those individuals are missing a key skill. Payne feels that when students fall in this category often those students have more discipline problems in the educational system.

            Educators tend to speak to students in a parent voice, particularly in discipline issues.  When the parent voice is used on a student who is taking on the responsibility of an adult, the outcome is often volatile.  Payne explains that the child has to choose to respond with one of the two voices, the child or the parent.  If the student responds in the parent voice the student will get in trouble.  If the student responds in the child voice, he/she will feel helpless, with no control over the situation.

            Students almost always choose to speak with a parent voice in this situation. The hidden rule of poverty that one must always show strength tends to compound the problem. When two people who speak to each other, both use the parent voice, there is an escalation that usually ends in a physical fight or the student receives disciplinary consequences.  A student who lacks access to using an adult voice often gets in trouble in the classroom.

            Teachers can help these students by teaching all students about the three voices. Students should have the opportunity to compare and contrast the differences in the three and to practice using the adult voice Understanding and using an adult voice can provide students with less time in the office and more learning time in the classroom.

            Teachers find it beneficial to use an adult voice when addressing student discipline.  Effective classroom management is dependent upon relationships of mutual respect. Intentionally choosing to use the adult voice is not only respectful, it also provides an example of positive interactions.

            Ruby Payne’s work is often seen as most relevant to children of poverty, it is important to note that her work actually encompasses the mindset of poverty, middle class and wealth.  Children of all economic situations lack the adult voice and as a result also lack the language of negotiation. All students benefit from instruction and practice of using the adult voice in the school setting.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Ruby Payne

Classbuilding and Teambuilding: The Keys to a Caring Cooperative Classroom

Classbuilding and Teambuilding: The Keys to a Caring Cooperative Classroom

 Students have settled into a routine by now. That probably means your classroom procedures are running more smoothly. It could also mean, though, that some less-than-desirable behavior is showing up, too. So how can you promote a harmonious, energized environment in your classroom? How can you recharge your students’ desire to work together? Classbuilding and Teambuilding might just be the solution you’re looking for. (Source for this information is Kagan Cooperative Learning, 2009, Kagan Publishing.)

How Do I Know It’s a Classbuilder or Teambuilder?

Classbuilding                          

Students…

·         Stand Up

·         Move Around

·         Interact with Others

Frequency:

Once a week for fun; as needed for content.

Teambuilding

Must be…

·         Fun

·         Non-academic

·         Easy enough for all learners

Frequency:

Two times a week

Most structures can be completed in five minutes or less. That means that 15 minutes a week can result in all the benefits listed below.

Why Take the Time?

Overlooking Classbuilding and Teambuilding is often the cause of problems when teachers implement cooperative learning. If you’re wavering on your willingness to sacrifice class time, think about the payoff for your students:

·         Getting Acquainted: When students know each other, they feel more empathetic to others, more important, and less isolated.

·         Identity Building: Students have a sense of belonging by discovering the unique identity of their class and team.

·         Mutual Support: By interacting with each other frequently, students learn that they can count on their peers.

·         Valuing Differences: Students who understand and appreciate differences feel more confident to share their unique perspective, which adds depth and richness to class or team discussions.

·         Developing Synergy: Building on each others’ ideas means that students can accomplish more together than they could alone.

Which Structures Should I Use?

Here are just a few options that you may have experienced at the Cooperative Learning module. Pick one according to the challenge you’re ready for or choose another from your Kagan text. (The page numbers listed are in your Kagan Cooperative Learning text.)

	CLASSBUILDING	TEAMBUILDING
EASY	StandUp-HandUp-PairUp 6.36	RoundRobin 6.33
MODERATE	Mix-Pair-Share 6.29	Fan-N-Pick 6.25
COMPLEX	Find Someone Who 6.26	Find-the-Fiction 6.26