One Room Schoolhouses: What Might They Teach Us About Differentiation?
by Alma Pettenger, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Standard #3: Curriculum Implementation 
Quality Indicator #2: Develop lessons for diverse learners

I have fond memories of watching the American television drama Little House on the Prairie when I was a child. I enjoyed learning about the simplicity of life in the 1800’s.  As an educator I marvel at the challenges the teacher, Laura Ingalls, faced in a one room schoolhouse. She had to divide her time, her resources, and the content between students who didn't know the basic skill of holding a pencil and students who were already proficient readers. 

“Students are more diverse than ever – culturally, emotionally, economically, physically, and intellectually” (Wormeli, 2007, p.3).  Although the one room schoolhouse model is almost extinct in the United States, its underlying theme of differentiation is very much alive in our schools today.

Why did one room schoolhouses work?

A safe classroom environment is one of the fundamental building blocks of effective differentiation.  Josh Getlin, a New York City writer, spent some time at a one room schoolhouse in South Dakota. When he asked the teacher this very question, her answer was: “It works because we are basically one large family unit…” (One-Room School – Little School House on the Prairie).  If we are to implement effective differentiated instruction, teachers must learn to build trusting learning environments where students feel free to take risks and make mistakes.  By teaching the value of effort over talent and ability, a teacher creates a safe classroom environment and communicates clearly that every student can succeed. “No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment” (Dweck, p. 20).

Assessment is critical in academically diverse classrooms; it is how teachers know the readiness levels of their students.  Readiness is a student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill (Tomlinson, p. 11).  In the old, one room schoolhouse, students moved on as they mastered goals and skills.   Today, to achieve effective differentiation, assessment must be ongoing and diagnostic (Tomlinson, p. 10). The teacher must ask, “What do my students know before the instructional sequence begins? How is their learning progressing?  How did they measure at the end of the unit? What should I plan next for them? Assessment informs instruction; without it, purposeful differentiation is simply not possible (Heacox, p.25).   

Knowledge of students is what allows effective teachers to make appropriate decisions about the learning experiences that will lead learners to academic achievement.  Keith Hall is a 13 year old boy who attends a one room school house in Alabama.  When asked about his success in his current school compared to his previous school, he said: “This one is different… At my old school, it would take them half the year just to know you.  Here, they keep track of stuff…” (Wilgoren, 2000). In addition to knowing students’ readiness levels, effective teachers seek to know students’ interest and learning profile.  Interest refers to a student’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill while learning profile has to do with how we learn (Tomlinson, p. 11).

Some educators consider differentiation  a passing fad. However, the one room schoolhouse has taught us that effective teachers have long been differentiating instruction. “Going forward, teachers will need the strategies of differentiation until the day they walk into classrooms where all students are at the same readiness level, learn at the same pace in the same way, and exhibit similar interests. Obviously, this day is unlikely to arrive” (Heacox, p. 19).

What might be some changes you could implement in your instruction to meet the diverse needs in your own one room schoolhouse?


Dweck, Carol S (2006). Mindset. The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballatine Books

Getlin, Josh (1997).  One-Room School – Little School House on the Prairie. Deadwood Magazine.  Black Hills, South Dakota.  Web. Nov. 2014.

Heacox, Diane (2007). Making Differentiation a Habit. Free Spirit Publishing.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann (1999). The Differentiated Classroom. ASDC.

Wilgoren, Jodi (August 6, 2000). The one-room schoolhouse. The New York Times on the Web.  Web. Nov. 2014.

Wormeli, Rick (2007). Differentiation: From Planning to Practice. Stenhouse Publishers. 

Standard #3 of the New Missouri Teacher Evaluation System – Curriculum Implementation 
by Hope Gallamore, SPS Secondary Reading Support Specialist and Ann Wallenmeyer, SPS Coordinator, Strategic Instruction

As our world becomes more complex, the expectations for student learning have increased. The sheer quantity of standards our students must “know and be able to do” requires a thoughtful integration of standards across the curriculum. Teachers are called to move from teaching any objectives to intentionally selecting essential national, state and district standards.  

The new Missouri teacher evaluation system captures this expectation for teachers in Standard #3: Curriculum Implementation.  This standard includes three quality indicators:  implementation of curriculum standards, lessons for diverse learners, and instructional goals and differentiated instructional strategies. 

To assist classrooms with the implementation of these rigorous standards, teacher teams in SPS meet to select aligned resources and create curriculum guides.  These guides, created “for teachers, by teachers,” include success criteria, formative and summative assessments, instructional strategies, and differentiated activities.  Teacher teams are also working to identify prioritized standards along with proficiency rubrics to help focus instruction around the curriculum standards.  The guides are housed in Canvas for easy access: https://springfieldpublicschools.instructure.com/courses/181130/pages/curriculum.

In SPS, “learning is personal” and teachers continue to work to integrate process skills seamlessly with content by creating real-world applications that engage students. Teachers are finding additional support for student enrichment and intervention with products such as ALEKS, i-Ready, READ 180, System 44, and supplemental materials found in the current SPS adopted resources.  Teams provide additional support for the workshop model, guided reading, and writing across the content areas to help differentiate learning and engage students. 

The Curriculum Team continues to listen to your input as they seek additional ways to support learning for ALL students.

For your reference, this is the description of Standard #3: Curriculum Implementation:

The teacher recognizes the importance of long-range planning and curriculum development. The teacher develops, implements, and evaluates curriculum based upon student, district and state standards data. [SB 291 Section 160.045.2 (1) Students actively participate and are successful in the learning process; (2) Various forms of assessment are used to monitor and manage student learning; (3) The teacher is prepared and knowledgeable of the content and effectively maintains students’ on-task behavior; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores teaching behaviors that will improve student performance.]

Quality Indicator 1: Implementation of curriculum standards
Quality Indicator 2: Lessons for diverse learners
Quality Indicator 3: Instructional goals and differentiated instructional strategies

Using Student Assessment Data to Analyze and Modify Instruction with a Focus on Collaborative Data Analysis Process
by Jill Palmer, Manager, Quality Improvement & Accountability

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but assessment data can speak volumes. Assessments can provide a snapshot of what students know and what needs to be completed to meet their academic needs. Through analysis of assessment data, educators can make informed decisions that positively impact student achievement. Assessment is an integral part of the instruction process and is crucial for helping students learn.

The steps listed below will assist collaborative teams to evaluate assessment data and guide instructional practices. Leading steps and questions for analyzing assessment data include:

Collect and chart data and results: What do the data say?

• What are we attempting to measure/monitor?
• Did we include too many items on the assessment, or was it the right length?
• Did our assessment measure what we need to monitor?

Analyze strengths and obstacles: Analyze, and then prioritize

• What is an example of a proficient response?
• What learning needs are evident?
• Do any responses standout?

Establish goals: set, review, revise

• Do we complete all the details related to a powerful goal?
• Are we all committed to helping students reach their learning goal?
• What obstacles stand in our way?

Select instructional strategies

• How will we monitor progress and rigor?
• How will we know if we’ve achieved proficiency?
• What strategies will we implement for those students who lack foundational knowledge?

Determine results indicators

• What responses to questions will reveal specific strategies were effective?
• How will we know if students are learning as a result of our specific instructional strategies?
• What questions will reveal specific, but on-target learning?

I encourage you to adopt a systematic process for using data in order to make instructional decisions and meet students' learning needs.  Once the process is in place, the cycle repeats.



Hamilton, L., Halverson, R., Jackson, S. S., Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J. A., & Wayman, J. C. (2009). Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making. IES Practice Guide. NCEE 2009-4067. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

 

 

 

Taking Time to Reflect Supports Learning
by Myki Williamson, Professional Learning Specialist

STANDARD # 7: Student Assessment and Data Analysis
Quality Indicator #2: Assessment data to improve learning

Reflection is a powerful tool for transforming learning beyond isolated skills to integrated understanding.  In their book Data-Driven Dialogue, Bruce Wellman and Laura Lipton write, “Adults do not learn from experience, but from processing experience.”  If we apply this theory to learners of all ages we can conclude that the most significant learning occurs when the learner takes time to process, or reflect on, that new learning.

The power of reflection can support all areas of our lives.  For example, one of my favorite things to do is plan Thanksgiving dinner.  I don’t wait until family members sit down for their first bite to reflect on how everything is going.  The process of reflection begins when I remember what went well, and what didn’t go so well, for previous Thanksgiving meals. Reflection is a continuous part of my process as I plan, cook and share my ideal meal.   I begin by anticipating my ideal meal, and then I actively reflect and adjust as I look for recipes, shop for supplies, and plan the preparation of each dish.  Finally I take time afterwards to recall how the actual event went compared to the picture in my mind.

We can apply the same process to our classroom.  While we are accustomed to reflecting at the end of a lesson, I suggest that doing so before and during the lesson helps create a culture of risk taking and higher level thinking.  Having students reflect at the beginning of a lesson activates prior knowledge.  As the lesson progresses, stopping to process and integrate new understanding with previous learning makes information transferable.  Finally, reflection at the end of the lesson helps students check their thinking and plan where they need to go next with their learning. 

Below is a list of questions from Thomas Farrell's book Reflective Practice in Action: 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers. To support your students as they reflect, consider posing questions from this list based on where in the lesson you want students to pause to process their thinking.

Anticipatory Reflection – This allows students and teachers to plan, decide on a course of action and anticipate outcomes.

• What might be some things I want to be able to do at the end of this lesson/unit/activity?
• How might I be able to show my understanding of new information?
• How could this information help me become a better_______?

Active Reflection – This allows the students and teachers to process new information as the lesson unfolds.

• How is what I’m learning connecting to what I already know?
• How comfortable would I feel explaining this information to a new student?
• What might be some ways I can help myself figure this out?

Recollective Reflection – This allows the students and teachers to make sense of past experiences and create meaning for those experiences.

• What do you think today’s lesson was about?
• Which part of the lesson was the easiest? Hardest?
• What changes could be made to help you as a learner?

As I begin to consider my favorite meal of the year, I hope you too will consider how a regular reflective practice could benefit your students.
 


Farrell, Thomas (2004).  Reflective Practice in Action: 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers, Corwin Press.

Wellman, Bruce and Laura Lipton (2003). Data-Driven Dialogue: A Facilitator’s Guide to Collaborative Inquiry, MiraVia.

 

 

 

Knowing Where You Are Going and How to Get There
by Angela Mansel, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

STANDARD # 7: Student Assessment and Data Analysis
Quality Indicator #2: Assessment data to improve learning

November is the start of what can be a frantic season of traveling to see family and friends. As we prep for trips we not only map out a travel plan but we also consider what to do when there are bumps along the way. What if the flight is delayed or the highway is under construction? What detours will be required?

The journey of learning for our students requires similar planning. What is our destination? How are we going to get there? What detours do we need to be prepared to take?

Formative assessments are the “travel guides” teachers use to help gather the answers to these questions. These assessments offer guidance to teachers on how much more “traveling” students still need. Students also benefit from knowing the results of formative assessments as it stimulates growth and initiates self-regulation within the student. So share formative assessment information with students, and they can also plan for the journey.

Formative assessments are not special quizzes or something extensive that teachers have to add into their lessons. These on-going assessments are simple checks of learning for the purpose of informing students and teachers on what the next steps are in making it to the final destination.

The following are a few examples of informal, formative assessments.

Questioning/Directed Discussion - Ask students questions about what they have learned or what they are to learn. It might be to simply restate in their own words what they have learned, or how it connects to something they have already learned. A variation that allows more students to share answers and to collaborate with a peer is to use the Kagan Cooperative Learning structure Timed Pair Share.

Entry or Exit Slips - Pose a specific question about the content and have students respond in writing.  This can occur as students exit the class or the next day as they enter. The teacher looks for a critical mass in relation to how the majority of students respond.  This information can guide the teacher in making decisions about the next lesson.

Brain Dump – Give students an opportunity to either write down or tell a partner everything they learned during the lesson. The teacher either collects the written information or monitors the partners to see what misconceptions may have occurred.

Rate of Understanding – Ask students to rate how well they understand the lesson.  Here are three methods for rating understanding.

1. Show of fingers, 0-5 (or sometimes called fist to 5)
2. Show of thumbs up, down or sideways
3. Show a colored card.  Red is for “Stop! I don’t understand.”  Yellow stands for “I’m starting to understand but I’m still not completely there.”  Green is for, “Keep going. I understand.”

No matter what type of journey you are planning, knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there helps make the experience not only more efficient, but more enjoyable in the long run. Wishing you all safe travels (both in learning and on the road)!


Black, P., & William, D. (2010). “Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment.” Phi Delta Kappan, 92, 81-90.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Moss, C. M. & Brookhart, S. M. (2009). Advancing formative assessment in every classroom: A guide for instructional leaders. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Sousa, D.A. & Tomlinson, C.A. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience supports the learner-friendly classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Being Sensitive to Cultural, Intellectual, and Physical Differences
by Kim Anderson, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Standard 6: Utilizing Effective Communication
Quality Indicator #1: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Imagine it is noon at Christmas time and the mall parking lot is packed as you struggle to your car with arms full of bags. You notice someone walking up behind you, but it doesn’t faze you as a woman brushes past you to find her parked car among the masses. That same night, however, you are at the same mall at closing time and the parking lot is almost empty. It is dark outside, and no one is around except that one person walking up quickly behind you. Do you feel the same ease you felt earlier that same day? Probably not. Just as adults experience different levels of comfort and anxiety depending on the situation, students feel these same emotions in our classrooms.

Paying attention to how your students feel in each classroom situation can help prevent anxiety and can decrease misunderstandings and missed opportunities for relationship building. Two ways teachers can improve communication is by respecting proxemics and by paying attention to paraverbal messages.

Proxemics is the personal space surrounding a person, a personal bubble. When someone invades another person’s proxemics his anxiety will increase.  This can escalate situations that could have been prevented had the individual’s personal space been respected (Crisis Prevention Institute, 2006). Most students come to us with an ingrained understanding of personal space; however, there will be times when you might have to teach someone that they have a proxemics “bubble.” A kindergarten teacher I once observed used suspenders to put hula hoops on her students for an entire week during their hallway/transition time. The rationale was that every time a student moved too close to a peer the hula hoop would invade someone else’s bubble. For the rest of the year her students respected the personal boundaries and bubbles of their peers.  

Many factors can affect a person’s proxemic needs including gender, age, size, cultural background, position of authority, or familiarity. For example, a kindergarten teacher typically expects students to invade her proxemics with hugs, but a high school teacher would not expect or allow the same behavior from his teenage students.

Being mindful of a person’s proxemics might be all you need to be a support in a stressful situation.  I once worked with a student who was emotionally out of control. He was crying, banging his hands on the wall and kicking his feet while sitting on the floor. Walking into the room I had no idea why he was in distress but I knew standing over him would make him feel threatened and would heighten his anxiety. Instead I sat on the floor beside him with an arm’s length between us for respect and safety. He immediately calmed down, and we were able to process through the situation. Simply getting on his level was all it took to decrease his anxiety. Getting in rapport and respecting a person’s proxemics can help you communicate more effectively with those you encounter each day.

Another important attribute to consider when conveying a message to others is your paraverbal communication. “It is extremely important to not only pay attention to what you say but how you say it. Paraverbal communication is often called the ‘link between nonverbal and verbal communication.’ Only a minute percentage of the message we deliver to a person is delivered through words” (Crisis Prevention Institute, 2006).

Four things you want to remain mindful of in your voice during communication are your tone, pitch, volume, and cadence (the rate in which you speak). Click on this link to hear and see some examples of how these four factors may affect your communication with others.

Taking the time to truly listen to what an individual is saying, not only with his words but also with his non-verbals sends a message of patience, attention and understanding and can often prevent a miscommunication.

Being mindful of proxemics and paraverbal communication is vital to being an effective educator. Being able to understand the messages of others and successfully relaying your own intended message is the very foundation to any positive relationship. Because we know students learn better from those they have positive relationships with we know these elements are essential. Take time to listen not only to the words of your students but notice what they are communicating through their actions.

CPI. (2006). Instructor Manual for the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training Program. Milwaukee, WI: Author.

The Power of Paraphrasing
by Sarah Logan, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Standard 6: Utilizing Effective Communication
Quality Indicator #1: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Superheroes are best known for their extraordinary abilities, exceptional courage, and exceedingly magical powers. Teachers certainly possess a number of qualities that meet the eligibility requirements for becoming a superhero. One of a teacher’s magical powers is the ability to navigate communication with a multitude of customers.   One specific communication tool available achieves immeasurable results time and time again.  This single tool illuminates and shapes thinking, while enhancing relationships.  This tool is paraphrasing.   The power of a paraphrase is unlike anything else known to man. 
In the words of a former 5^th grade student, paraphrasing is “saying the same thing without saying the same thing.” Whereas there is truth to this explanation, a paraphrase can be much more. As a listening tool, a paraphrase demonstrates that you are seeking to understand, that you are interested in hearing what a person has to say. A paraphrase invites the speaker to clarify and refine his thoughts.

Three types of paraphrasing allow teachers to demonstrate superhero qualities:

X-Ray Vision (Acknowledge & Clarify)
In an acknowledging and clarifying paraphrase, you simply offer an emotion or reflection of the person’s thinking. To a student, you might say, “You’re disappointed that your idea ...” To a parent, you might offer, “You’re concerned because your child ...” To a colleague, you could say, “You’re wondering how we can ...” The key to crafting this type of paraphrase is to look for the message beneath the words you’ve heard.

Leaping Tall Buildings in a Single Bound (Summarize & Organize)
Oftentimes, people will give you a lot of verbal information at one time, especially when they are processing complex subjects. When this occurs, it may be helpful to use a summarizing and organizing paraphrase. A summary of key points or organizational framework of ideas may help someone synthesize their thoughts. With a student you could say, “You’re thinking the first step is to _____and from there you would ____.” With a parent it might sound like, “So the goals you have in mind for your child are _____, _____, and _____.” When speaking with a colleague, you might say, “On one hand, we want to _______, but on the other hand, we need to ______.” This type of paraphrase allows you to capture a great deal of information in a succinct way.

Elasticity (Abstracting)
An abstracting paraphrase can identify a particular value or belief underlying a person’s thinking, or it can give a concept label to a recurring pattern of thought. If you’re speaking to a student, it might sound like, “You’re a person who believes that……” If you’re talking with a parent, you could say, “An important value for your family is……” When interacting with a colleague, you might say, “An assumption you’re operating from is that……” The power of an abstracting paraphrase is that it stretches thinking by inviting a different perspective.

When combined with pausing and nonverbal signals that you’re actively listening, a paraphrase just might be one of the most powerful communication tools you can use in your role as a superhero-like educator. (The cape is optional.)

For more information about paraphrasing, please refer to Cognitive Coaching Seminars® Foundation Training Learning Guide 9^th ed.by Arthur L. Costa and Robert J. Garmston and Jane Ellison and Carolee Hayes. (2012). Center for Cognitive Coaching

Student Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement
by Kim Anderson, Professional Learning Specialist

STANDARD #5: Creating a Positive Classroom Learning Environment
Quality Indicator #1: Classroom management, motivation, and engagement

One of the biggest predictors of success and achievement for any given student is how motivated and engaged he is in his own learning. As educators, we all know the best way to engage and motivate students is by building a positive relationship with them. How might you build a positive relationship and rapport with your students? Here are some strategies you might find useful as you embark on your journey to strengthen your teacher-student relationships:

1) Start the day with purpose.

Begin each day using language and questions to illicit high level thinking and relationship building. While the conversation should seem natural and casual to the students, it should actually be very intentional and specific. Preplan what might be high interest and let the students engage in conversation in a purposeful, structured way.

2) Help students and parents get to know you.
Open the lines of communication and establish a relationship with students and their families by writing a letter. Share your summer experience, past education, goals for the year, etc. If the first of the year has come and gone without this type of communication, don’t fear! You can still establish a great relationship by keeping the lines of communication open with phone calls, emails, and notes home to parents on a regular basis. Make a point to let parents know the great things their students are learning and doing in your classroom. The parents will thank you, and the impact this has on students will last the entire year through!

3) Examine and improve nonverbal communication.

Body language and tone of voice can drastically affect how a student perceives his relationship with you. Be sure to teach with an open posture that is welcoming and non-threatening. Make sure to keep an open body posture—hands at your sides and not crossed or clenched. If a student is much smaller than you, be sure to match their height by leaning down or sitting next to them while conversing. When speaking be mindful of your tone, cadence and volume.

A few other thoughts you might want to consider are that your leadership style can be in line with a CEO. A CEO’s role is not a dictatorship. It is a collaboration between many minds. Because you are a collaborative group you can feel free to embrace your students’ individuality. When you do this well, you naturally create a community within your class. Your class is made up of a family of learners and each person plays their part.

As much as you put forth effort trying to get to know your students, you will also want to let your students get to know a part of you. Try to remain open and vulnerable. What do you like to do outside of the classroom? Why do you enjoy teaching? Share a little piece of yourself with your students. When you take the time to get to know each other, your students are far more likely to take time to work hard and engage in learning.

No matter what strategies you decide to implement to develop relationships with students, you can rest assured your students will notice your efforts! The biggest payoff will be seeing your students’ confidence and achievement grow. In the words of Dale Carnegie, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.”

Seamless
by Martha Doennig, Coordinator of Professional Learning

STANDARD #5: Creating a Positive Classroom Learning Environment
Quality Indicator #2: Managing time, space, transitions, and activities

I am certain you have experienced the satisfaction of a smooth day in the classroom, and, on the flip side, have also experienced releasing the breath you held all day wondering what went astray. Both of these feelings are typical of any educator. Countless factors beyond our control affect what might happen in the classroom, but the factors within our control allow smooth days to far outweigh the days needing to be reclaimed. Managing time, space, transitions, and activities are a few of the factors that we can control as we work to exceed the expectations of Missouri Educator Standard #5: Creating a Positive Classroom Learning Environment.

Strong management in the classroom is directly related to a positive learning environment. As noted in Robert Marzano’s book, Classroom Management that Works (2007), attention to classroom management as we begin the school year is a critical ingredient in a well-run classroom. You have likely dedicated much of this school year to building a positive classroom environment through management of time, space, transitions, and activities that support individual and group motivation.  

To complement the efforts you’ve made thus far, numerous research-based strategies exist.

From Teach Like A Champion by Doug LeMov (2010):

• Entry Routine:  Make a habit out of what is efficient, productive, and academically focused as class begins.  Students should know what is expected and routinely adhere to it each day.
• Tight Transitions:  Make the time when students move from place to place or activity to activity efficient: the goal is to achieve the least amount of time is wasted and the least amount of narration by the teacher. 
• Do It Again: Allow ample time to rehearse a routine; more practice encourages improvement.   When attention is needed to increase efficiency in a procedure or routine, do it again and do it right. 
• Seat Signals:  To lessen the time allocated to addressing routine needs such as bathroom usage or pencil sharpening, create signals. The use of these signals contributes to reduced instructional interruptions.  

From Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones (2000):

• Working the Crowd: “Either you work the crowd, or the crowd works you.” Regardless of the space in the classroom, being in contact with students through proximity allows for easiest management. Creating space that is easy to monitor and navigate maximizes opportunity for proximity. 

From Conscious Classroom Management by Rick Smith (2004):

• Settle Down Time:  Determine and adhere to an amount of time that is given to settling into class following any big transition. Use this time to have students “beat the clock” by settling in quicker than the expected time.
• Count backwards from 20 to 1:  Count down from any number to one. Students know what is expected once the teacher arrives at one, and the teacher has control of how quick the transition is based on the speed of the count down. 
• Music/Sounds for Transitions:  You may be familiar with the Quiet Signal, which is modeled in one of the videos in this month’s e-newsletter. You may also wish to play a sound or song for transitions. If using a song, students are seated and ready to go when the song ends. Use different sounds or songs for different transitions throughout the day.

Regardless of the procedural strategies used in the classroom, Harry Wong suggests a simple, effective way to support procedures as they become a routine in The First Days of School (1998):

ERR:
Explain a classroom procedure clearly.
Rehearse a classroom procedure until it becomes routine.
Reinforce a correct procedure or re-teach an incorrect one. 

By providing time for procedures to be perfected, you will ensure that management of time, space, transitions, and activities will run smoothly throughout the year. Interactions and movement in the classroom will appear seamless, making your management invisible. Through this invisibility, a positive classroom learning environment will develop as students are focused on learning. 

 

Jones, Fredric H., Patrick Jones, and Jo Lynne Jones. Tools for Teaching: Discipline, Instruction, Motivation. Santa Cruz, CA: F.H. Jones & Associates, 2000.

Lemov, Doug. Teach like a Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College. San Francisco, CA:    
       Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Marzano, Robert J. The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2007.

Smith, Rick. Conscious Classroom Management. Fairfax, CA: Conscious Teaching Publications, 2004.

Wong, Harry K. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, 1998.

SPS Shifts to New Missouri Educator Standards
by Dr. Brady Quirk, Director of Talent Initiatives

Missouri teachers and school leaders will soon be working from a new set of educator standards designed to promote educator growth and ultimately help students reach higher levels of achievement. The standards fit right in with Springfield Public School’s philosophy of continuous improvement.  Rooted in best practices, the research-based standards are designed along a continuum that illustrates how educators grow and mature professionally throughout their career. These new standards will be the foundation for a new educator evaluation system that will be piloted during the 2014-15 school year and fully implemented for the 2015-16 school year.

The new standards and evaluation system are a result of Missouri’s Senate Bill 291, passed in 2010, which requires districts to adopt revised standards of teaching and learning. The standards were examined by all the primary Missouri educator organizations that represent teachers and leaders, vetted by 32 K-12 districts of various sizes (including SPS), and reviewed by 25 Missouri colleges and universities before being adopted by the state board of education in 2013. Additionally, the standards are cross-referenced with the research-based initiatives of Dr. Robert Marzano (author of Classroom Instruction that Works, among many others), Dr. John Hattie (Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers), and Doug Lemov (Teach like a Champion). 

SPS teachers will find that the new standards support much of what they already do. The emphases on communication, collaboration, and critical thinking align perfectly with the Springfield Public Schools’ Learning Model. Associate Superintendent for Education Services Marty Moore describes the connection: “Our Learning Model captures what effective teachers have always known and, more importantly, DONE in their classrooms: built relationships with their students, communicated high expectations, worked with them to set clear learning targets, and created streams of feedback to guide their progress. The classrooms they lead provide opportunities for students to think critically, collaborate, and communicate about significant, relevant issues that prepare them for THEIR futures, rather than our past.”

Other standards and indicators perfectly match the professional learning training currently facilitated by the Department of Professional Learning, including classroom management, cooperative learning, and differentiated instruction. Director of Professional Learning Kathy Gross comments, “As I read the quality indicators under each standard I make connections to the core, the capabilities, and the processes of our Learning Model. I see the philosophy of being a continuous learner. I am reminded of what we’ve considered the essentials of our induction program. The members of the Department of Professional Learning are anxious to support each professional’s growth plan as we focus on the commitment and practice of professional educators and their impact.”

The new educator evaluation system is based on educator growth over time rather than a “gotcha” style evaluation. The evaluation process involves the principal and teacher collaboratively selecting three indicators that will be the focus for the year, with a growth plan established based on those selections. The nine standards and 36 accompanying indicators offer many venues for teachers to select from when planning their professional learning growth opportunities.

The entire Educational Services Division, including the departments of Professional Learning, Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction, Information Technology, Quality Improvement & Accountability, and Information Literacy will be partnering with sites as the new evaluation process is piloted this school year. Focus on Learning will highlight the standards in each edition throughout the 2014-15 school year to help familiarize teachers with the details.

For more information, please check out the DESEvideo on the creation & implementation of new standards (8 minutes).

Standard #1: Content Knowledge and Perspectives Aligned with Appropriate Instruction

The teacher understands the central concepts, structures and tools of inquiry of the discipline(s) and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful and engaging for all students.

Quality Indicator 1: Content knowledge and academic language
Quality Indicator 2: Engaging students in subject matter
Quality Indicator 3: Disciplinary research and inquiry methodologies
Quality Indicator 4: Interdisciplinary instruction
Quality Indicator 5: Diverse social and cultural perspective

Standard #2: Understanding and Encouraging Student Learning, Growth and Development

The teacher understands how students learn, develop and differ in their approaches to learning. The teacher provides learning opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners and support the intellectual, social and personal development of all students.

Quality Indicator 1: Cognitive, social, emotional and physical development
Quality Indicator 2: Student goals
Quality Indicator 3: Theory of learning
Quality Indicator 4: Meeting the needs of every student
Quality Indicator 5: Prior experiences, learning styles, multiple intelligences, strengths and needs
Quality Indicator 6: Language, culture, family and knowledge of community

Standard #3: Implementing the Curriculum

The teacher recognizes the importance of long-range planning and curriculum development. The teacher develops, implements and evaluates curriculum based upon standards and student needs.

Quality Indicator 1: Implementation of curriculum standards
Quality Indicator 2: Develop lessons for diverse learners
Quality Indicator 3: Analyze instructional goals and differentiated instructional strategies

Standard #4: Teaching for Critical Thinking

The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills including instructional resources.

Quality Indicator 1: Instructional strategies leading to student engagement in problem solving and critical thinking
Quality Indicator 2: Appropriate use of instructional resources to enhance student learning
Quality Indicator 3: Cooperative learning

Standard #5: Creating a Positive Classroom Learning Environment

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages active engagement in learning, positive social interaction and self-motivation.

Quality Indicator 1: Classroom management, motivation and engagement
Quality Indicator 2: Managing time, space, transitions and activities
Quality Indicator 3: Classroom, school and community culture

Standard #6: Utilizing Effective Communication

The teacher models effective verbal, nonverbal and media communication techniques with students and parents to foster active inquiry, collaboration and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Quality Indicator 1: Verbal and nonverbal communication
Quality Indicator 2: Sensitivity to culture, gender, intellectual and physical differences
Quality Indicator 3: Learner expression in speaking, writing and other media
Quality Indicator 4: Technology and media communication tools

Standard #7: Use of Student Assessment Data to Analyze and Modify Instruction

The teacher understands and uses formative and summative assessment strategies to assess the learner’s progress, uses assessment data to plan ongoing instruction, monitors the performance of each student, and devises instruction to enable students to grow and develop.

Quality Indicator 1: Effective use of assessments
Quality Indicator 2: Assessment data to improve learning
Quality Indicator 3: Student-led assessment strategies
Quality Indicator 4: Effect of instruction on individual/class learning
Quality Indicator 5: Communication of student progress and maintaining records
Quality Indicator 6: Collaborative data analysis process

Standard #8: Professional Practice

The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effects of choices and actions on others. The teacher actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally in order to improve learning for all students.

Quality Indicator 1: Self-assessment and improvement
Quality Indicator 2: Professional learning
Quality Indicator 3: Professional rights, responsibilities and ethical practices

Standard #9: Professional Collaboration

The teacher has effective working relationships with students, parents, school colleagues and community members.

Quality Indicator 1: Roles, responsibilities and collegial activities
Quality Indicator 2: Collaborating with historical, cultural, political and social context to meet the needs of students
Quality Indicator 3: Cooperative partnerships in support of student learning

Going Beyond Good Enough
by Curtis Cunningham, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Welcome back to another school year!  We have a clean slate, a fresh start.  What will we do with the time we are given during the 2014-2015 school year? 

If you’ve had much opportunity to engage in professional reading, you’ve probably become familiar with the work of Carol Dweck in the area of mindset.  Simply put, Dweck (2006) learned through her research at Stanford “that there were two meanings to ability, not one: a fixed ability that needs to be proven, and a changeable ability that can be developed through learning” (p. 15).  Our approach to ability can have profound impact on the way in which our students interact with our curriculum, our instructional strategies, our school culture.  The sometimes merciless pursuit of excellence can seem to threaten the slow methodical pace of gradual improvement.  Our students experience this pressure, and it can affect even the most stalwart teachers.

Oftentimes we place a focus on how we want our students to grow.  But what about our personal growth?  What do we want to see in ourselves?  Is there ever a “good enough” when it comes to teaching?  Is this a dangerous term?  We say we’ll never arrive at the destination of becoming a perfect teacher.  Do we sometimes use that as an excuse to stop trying?

In the coming years we will have a unique opportunity to apply a growth mindset to our performance as educators.  The new teacher evaluation system will reflect a continuum of several criteria.  These criteria are indicative of high performing teachers and as such can serve as a useful tool for continued professional growth.  On the other hand, these criteria can serve as a checklist whereby an experienced teacher can satisfy their own fixed mindset and neglect continuous growth.  I suggest the difference comes in the question we ask ourselves.  As we review the criteria, we can ask “Am I doing this in my classroom?” or we can ask “To what degree am I doing this in my classroom?” 

There is little doubt that effective teachers are already implementing many of these criteria.  After all, these criteria are designed to create a picture of effective teaching.  It seems logical that effective teachers would naturally gravitate toward behaviors that support student learning.  If we simply ask “Am I doing this in my classroom?” we are in essence looking for an opportunity to pat ourselves on the back and check the box.

However, if we ask ourselves “To what extent am I meeting this criteria?” we have the opportunity to validate what we are already doing well and recognize what we might need to do more frequently or in greater depth.

At Leadership Institute, Dr. Jungmann asked each leader to write down two roses and two weeds which exist in our district.  Perhaps one weed might be a “good enough” mentality.  Perhaps we need to be intentional to plant a growth mindset each day where we determine that we indeed have a “changeable ability that can be developed through learning” (Dweck, 2006, p. 15).

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.