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

Tips for Open House

Open House is right around the corner!  If you’re like many teachers, you have some concerns about how to make this a positive experience for you, your students, and their parents.  Here are some tips that might help make your evening go a bit smoother.  Pick and choose which ideas fit your personality, teaching situation, and timetable.

I.                   Make Parents Feel Welcome (Remember...They Get Nervous, Too!)
Smile and greet them at the door. Let each parent know how happy you are that he or she could come.

a.       Have students introduce their parents. Prior to Open House, teach and practice proper introductions with your students.

b.      Invite parents' input. Give parents an information sheet to fill out that asks for information such as “Three strengths my child has are...” and “Three things I would like to see my child learn this year are...”

c.       Let parents get to know you. Make a small display with your own family photos, favorite books, travel mementos, and so on.

d.      Send thank you notes. To simplify this task, write a letter and photocopy it.  Have parents write their addresses on envelopes during the visit.  Another option would be to create an e-mail distribution list of parents and send a group thank you.

 II.                Three Things Every Parent Is Looking For  

a.       A Supportive Environment. Parents want to know that your classroom is a positive and friendly place.

b.      A Sense of Your Expectations. Share with parents the classroom rules that you and your students have created together. Give them a hand-out that clearly states what you want your students to learn by the end of the year.

c.       Open Communication. Let parents know that you consider them equal partners in their children's education. Tell them how you will keep in touch (e.g., newsletters, quarterly reports). Hand out cards with your contact information, and the best times to call.

III.             Veteran Teachers Share Open House "Don'ts"

a.       Don't conference. Make yourself available to parents, but do not discuss individual students' progress or grades. Respect their privacy and the time of the others who are there. Invite parents to schedule a phone call or meeting at another time.

b.      Don't make it too formal. Like you, parents have already put in a full day. Make it fun. Keep presentations brief, informative, and enjoyable. What's most important is for parents to get a chance to see the classroom and ask their own questions.

c.       Don't assign homework. Both your students and their parents will appreciate the consideration. Try to plan a light day to follow Open House for your own sanity!

d.      Don't try to do too much!  Relax and enjoy meeting everyone.

IV.               And finally…

a.       Save some energy. Take a break, if at all possible, between the end of the school day and the start of your Open House to rest and recharge.

b.      Smile. Smiles mean a lot. When you smile, you let parents know you are happy and excited to see them.

c.       Give parents concrete examples of what they can do at home to help their child's education, such as setting a regular homework time.

d.      Be proud of all that you do. Enjoy an evening in the spotlight. Parents come to Open House because they want to experience all the wonderful things going on in their child’s world.

Sounds of Summer: Tefft Edition

by Sarah Logan         

Summertime offers some of our favorite times—baseball game time, relaxing at the pool time, family vacation time….a change of season time for everyone. School may be out for the summer, but for many of us in SPS, summertime offers opportunities to learn and work together in creative and different ways. Taking a cue from the Beach Boys, whose “Sounds of Summer” collection features classic summer tunes, the Tefft team is proud to introduce our Sounds of Summer collection (not available in stores).

Track 1: Be True to Your School Throughout the summer, teachers, administrators, and support staff members representing multiple SPS sites are flocking to Tefft. They are participating in workshops, trainings and sharing their expertise for curriculum and assessment projects. Why? Because what they accomplish this summer will truly benefit our schools in the days that follow!

Track 2: Surfin’Safari Coming soon to an SPS website near you: even MORE resources and features to support your work in the district. Professional learning specialists are working diligently to update and expand online learning opportunities.

Track 3: I Get Around Familiar faces abound this summer! Many people are participating in multiple workshops and trainings or are providing input for our curriculum facilitators. Smiles abound as well, making it clear that we enjoy spending time with colleagues from buildings all around town!

Track 4: Wouldn’t It Be Nice? Yes, it would be nice to launch the 2012-2013 school year with materials and resources aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Thanks to much of the work accomplished at Tefft this summer, our district will accomplish this goal!

Track 5: Good Vibrations If you’re one of the many to attend a professional learning opportunity in the Tefft auditorium this summer, you’ll be sure to pick up some good vibrations from its fresh new look!

Track 6: Fun, Fun, Fun Clearly we have meaningful and enjoyable work happening at Tefft this summer! We look forward to including you!