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.