This week I worked with a group of teacher leaders at a school district in our county. I wonder why I am surprised that after a few weeks of working together with a focused purpose, a group begins to bond. Watching the transformation from I can do this alone to I am a part of a system is a rewarding experience because it provides the HOPE we need for education and our nation.
The success of a learning community depends upon the level of trust that builds over time. My bigger question is why do we NOT trust one another enough to take that leap of faith and say. "Count me in. I believe I can make a more significant difference by working collaboratively toward a focused goal than I could by working alone. "
What holds us back?
Another Question: Why don't we trust that in our everyday lives (at our jobs or in our homes), we can accomplish more collaboratively than individually? I would love to hear your thoughts.
In education, I have seen successful collaboration with adults AND students. There is research and information to support the effectiveness of learning communities. On Common Ground edited by Rick Dufour, Rebecca Dufour and Robert Eaker sites many examples and researchers on how to and why to work in professional learning communities.
Margaret Mead said, " Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (The Hole In Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns. 2009, World Visions, Inc., p. 241.)
I see our education and our country learning together, but we must stop the polarization created by two groups opposing one another. Each fighting for the title of being "right." The more diverse people, problem solvers, creative and critical thinkers we can bring to the table, the greater the possibility that a nation of learners will emerge. The key to effective collaboration is LISTENING.
Who has effective strategies for teaching others to listen that you are willing to share?
This blog is about teaching with HOPE and understanding that Everyone is a teacher.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Time for Reflection
"See everything; overlook a great deal; correct a little." Pope John XXIII
I HOPE you had a joyous Christmas and are looking forward to a new year! Isn't that what teaching is about? Each new day, month, and year you look forward to another opportunity to reach students that you felt you had not reached. Keep Christmas alive by giving the gift of education to ensure that your students have a brighter future, a new begining and HOPE that they too will grow up to make a difference in the world.
One of the best professional development opportunities I know of and have used often is reflection. It doesn't cost your district anything and you can do this in five minutes at the end of the day. Often educators reflect by sharing stories with the teacher next door, husbands or friends who are close by, or a relative who has the ability to listen and understand. How often do teachers process those thoughts by writing them down, to look for patterns in their own teachings? This is an effective way to see your strengths and weaknesses. You can say, "AHA! I see what I did or can do." Looking in a mirror reflects your appearance and sometimes feelings. Recording your actions will also give you a look at yourself in the same light. How do you see yourself? That is YOUR reflection.
Taking time to look at your strengths helps to step back into the classroom each day and know you are doing something well. Keep doing that. It works! You can also step into your classrooms and look at one thing you can improve. Just one! That one change will alter your teaching for ALL students. Until you feel good about that weakness, keep working on it. When you see improvement, then you can discover another area to improve. Sometimes you think you are not teaching well because you have bad days. Reflect.
I remember a day when I thought I was the worst teacher alive. I had a bad day and nothing went right. I went home and before I went to sleep, I pulled my journal from the night stand and began to write about my day. When I was finished I looked over the notes about the student who said I was her favorite teacher, the student who said, "Thank you I learned so much today." There was a student who I took time to talk about her story during writing conference time. A boy came to me at the end of the day and shared that he had a good day. He said, "The time went by so fast." I remembered smiles and activities that we completed during the day.
I also remembered that one of my students continually caused me trouble. He had once again challenged me with his continuous calling out the answers before anyone else had a chance to respond. Because I had not responded with the appropriate solution, I felt I had been a failure and had let my other students down. Now that I was aware that the day had not been a total waste and I could think clearly about the real problem. I began to plan the next day and how I could prevent the student from hijacking my class. I thought of who he was and why he might be yelling out the answers even when I said, "Raise your hand." I decided that the next day I would have the students write their answers on paper and turn to a partner and share their responses. In the future, I would use more group work and less teacher directed lessons.
The next day, I asked the boy to be the leader of his group and to make sure everyone had a chance in his group to respond to the written instructions and questions related to the lesson.
I discovered that allowing my students to talk to one another and giving my problem student responsibility for making sure everyone talked, gave the students the opportunity to participate and listen when others were talking. It also took away the forum for getting attention with inappropriate remarks.
By reflecting in my journal for 5 minutes each night, I saw through my strengths and weaknesses and solved issues of classroom management. I learned to change one day at a time.
Keep the HOPE alive by reflecting on the positive. Don't give up on yourself or your students. Each day is a new beginning. Happy New Year. Make this your best year ever.
I HOPE you had a joyous Christmas and are looking forward to a new year! Isn't that what teaching is about? Each new day, month, and year you look forward to another opportunity to reach students that you felt you had not reached. Keep Christmas alive by giving the gift of education to ensure that your students have a brighter future, a new begining and HOPE that they too will grow up to make a difference in the world.
One of the best professional development opportunities I know of and have used often is reflection. It doesn't cost your district anything and you can do this in five minutes at the end of the day. Often educators reflect by sharing stories with the teacher next door, husbands or friends who are close by, or a relative who has the ability to listen and understand. How often do teachers process those thoughts by writing them down, to look for patterns in their own teachings? This is an effective way to see your strengths and weaknesses. You can say, "AHA! I see what I did or can do." Looking in a mirror reflects your appearance and sometimes feelings. Recording your actions will also give you a look at yourself in the same light. How do you see yourself? That is YOUR reflection.
Taking time to look at your strengths helps to step back into the classroom each day and know you are doing something well. Keep doing that. It works! You can also step into your classrooms and look at one thing you can improve. Just one! That one change will alter your teaching for ALL students. Until you feel good about that weakness, keep working on it. When you see improvement, then you can discover another area to improve. Sometimes you think you are not teaching well because you have bad days. Reflect.
I remember a day when I thought I was the worst teacher alive. I had a bad day and nothing went right. I went home and before I went to sleep, I pulled my journal from the night stand and began to write about my day. When I was finished I looked over the notes about the student who said I was her favorite teacher, the student who said, "Thank you I learned so much today." There was a student who I took time to talk about her story during writing conference time. A boy came to me at the end of the day and shared that he had a good day. He said, "The time went by so fast." I remembered smiles and activities that we completed during the day.
I also remembered that one of my students continually caused me trouble. He had once again challenged me with his continuous calling out the answers before anyone else had a chance to respond. Because I had not responded with the appropriate solution, I felt I had been a failure and had let my other students down. Now that I was aware that the day had not been a total waste and I could think clearly about the real problem. I began to plan the next day and how I could prevent the student from hijacking my class. I thought of who he was and why he might be yelling out the answers even when I said, "Raise your hand." I decided that the next day I would have the students write their answers on paper and turn to a partner and share their responses. In the future, I would use more group work and less teacher directed lessons.
The next day, I asked the boy to be the leader of his group and to make sure everyone had a chance in his group to respond to the written instructions and questions related to the lesson.
I discovered that allowing my students to talk to one another and giving my problem student responsibility for making sure everyone talked, gave the students the opportunity to participate and listen when others were talking. It also took away the forum for getting attention with inappropriate remarks.
By reflecting in my journal for 5 minutes each night, I saw through my strengths and weaknesses and solved issues of classroom management. I learned to change one day at a time.
Keep the HOPE alive by reflecting on the positive. Don't give up on yourself or your students. Each day is a new beginning. Happy New Year. Make this your best year ever.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Project Learning and Critical Thinking Video
Since yesterday's post, I have been exploring the internet for ideas for student projects that will prepare them for the 21st century. I found this video prepared by Association of Supervisors for Curriculum Development (ASCD) called Learning Through Projects. Though the projects I worked on in 6th grade in the 1990's included some technology that was available at that time, today, technology rules our students' lives. Because of their experiences with and understanding of technology, it becomes an excellent tool to motivate students in the classroom.
Recognizing the interest level of the students is key to learning. In the video, students are learning and applying high order thinking skills. Critical thinking and problem solving are both among the six universal skills that will be included in the new academic content standards in Ohio.
http://www.newtechfoundation.org/video2.html
Watch and comment. Please include any ideas you have used to engage your students in their own learning. If you are not a teacher, you may remember activities that included higher order thinking. Your ideas are valued and will be helpful to others who read this blog. Through collaboration we can provide HOPE and support to both students and teachers. Everyone is a teacher.
Recognizing the interest level of the students is key to learning. In the video, students are learning and applying high order thinking skills. Critical thinking and problem solving are both among the six universal skills that will be included in the new academic content standards in Ohio.
http://www.newtechfoundation.org/video2.html
Watch and comment. Please include any ideas you have used to engage your students in their own learning. If you are not a teacher, you may remember activities that included higher order thinking. Your ideas are valued and will be helpful to others who read this blog. Through collaboration we can provide HOPE and support to both students and teachers. Everyone is a teacher.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Teaching With Hope
I have been reading a book called the The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. He is the president of World Vision. World Vision works with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. He shares stories of many people who are without hope in the 100 countries served by World Vision. The connection I am making to this book is the role of HOPE in education.
As I read other teacher blogs, I am struck by the sense of hopelessness among our teachers. There is a common feeling that standardized tests have dominated schools and teaching. There seems to be a belief that there is no place for educators to use their creativity and natural desire to teach children what they need to know. I feel the pain and in many cases the anger of these educators.
Being the eternal optimist, I believe that creativity and preparing students for standardized tests can go hand in hand.
I would like to discuss formative assessments as a way to prepare for the BIG test. Formative assessments are not the one shot and you are "labeled for life" kind of test. Without some form of assessment, it would be difficult to know if students are learning what is being taught. Formative assessments can be given daily and can include observations. Using formative assessments is a process of acquiring information (data) to guide instruction.
When I taught 6th grade for 8 years, I discovered that projects can provide an excellent way to facilitate and evaluate learning. Students within each group assignment had choices of roles they played inside the group. I didn't know the word differentiation or that I was doing this, but it motivated the students and they had fun learning.
I wouldn't change the lessons on Rome. At the end of the unit, we had a toga party that included a debate between the Athenians and the Spartans to compare their beliefs (those who believed in war and trained their children to fight at a very young age (7) and those who believed in educating children and allowing women to run businesses). We had cheese, pita bread and grape juice and of course we all wore togas. The spectators voted for the team who had the best supported arguments to win the debate.
For a research unit, the students created Nobel Peace Prize Winner displays for the academic fair. I prepared research material for the students because I knew they would not have access or the time to find the materials on their own.
To address persuasive writing (and speaking) the students wrote letters and video taped messages to the president of the United States providing arguments for a social cause of their choice. While rehearsing their speeches, they listened to provide feedback and support for one another.
They also formed a round table discussion group on Fridays. After reading Scholastic News that included current world events, they shared their opinions respectfully and thoughtfully as they learned about the world of Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Art, Music and Sports. They also exhibited 21st century skills: (in the 1990's) communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving.
Through the years, I discovered activities that worked with different groups of students and "weeded" out the activities that didn't work as a result of monitoring and assessing. I didn't add to what I was doing. I replaced instruction that didn't work with instruction that did.
Would my students have passed the OAT? If I knew then what I know now, I would say yes...IF I had not reminded them so often that we had to get ready for the test. They had to review in class and take home packets with study guides. I discovered that giving the students the questions to review before the test does not motivate. It actually decreased the motivation. I undermined their intelligence and acted as though I had all the answers. As a result, they waited for me to give them the answers as they wasted their time in a class that expected lock step movement toward passing the standardized tests.
When we were not preparing for the standardized tests, I monitored the learning that was taking place by using formative assessments. Some days, I asked my students to reflect before leaving my class or write a paragraph before starting the class the next day. This helped them processed what they learned. I used this data to drive my instruction and make changes for future lessons. When they wrote and shared summaries of an article of their choice from Scholastic News on Friday in their round table discussion group, I was able to facilitate and assess their writing, reading and comprehension skills.
Friday, was a test day, but it was not a formal spelling, multiple choice, fill in the blank kind of test. It was formative, because I could see which students needed extra help. I was evaluating my teaching and revising the instructions based upon the students' successes.
Until this blog, I had not taken the time to reflect on the things that I did well (my strengths) and the things I could have done better (my weaknesses). I believe unless educators take time to reflect (assess themselves), they will feel hopeless when thrown into the test taking frenzy. Money will not fix the feelings of teachers. Just as in the other parts of the world, giving money will not bring back their hope. Only compassion and caring for those in need can do that. By working collaboratively to share feelings, ideas for assessing and challenging students to be creative, and by reflecting on their own strengths, teachers can regain the hope and belief that they are making a difference in the lives of children. After all, isn't that THE reason for choosing teaching as a career? With HOPE all things are possible. In the words of another optimistic leader, "Yes we can!"
If you have other ways of teaching creatively while preparing for standardized tests, please share your ideas on this blog.
As I read other teacher blogs, I am struck by the sense of hopelessness among our teachers. There is a common feeling that standardized tests have dominated schools and teaching. There seems to be a belief that there is no place for educators to use their creativity and natural desire to teach children what they need to know. I feel the pain and in many cases the anger of these educators.
Being the eternal optimist, I believe that creativity and preparing students for standardized tests can go hand in hand.
I would like to discuss formative assessments as a way to prepare for the BIG test. Formative assessments are not the one shot and you are "labeled for life" kind of test. Without some form of assessment, it would be difficult to know if students are learning what is being taught. Formative assessments can be given daily and can include observations. Using formative assessments is a process of acquiring information (data) to guide instruction.
When I taught 6th grade for 8 years, I discovered that projects can provide an excellent way to facilitate and evaluate learning. Students within each group assignment had choices of roles they played inside the group. I didn't know the word differentiation or that I was doing this, but it motivated the students and they had fun learning.
I wouldn't change the lessons on Rome. At the end of the unit, we had a toga party that included a debate between the Athenians and the Spartans to compare their beliefs (those who believed in war and trained their children to fight at a very young age (7) and those who believed in educating children and allowing women to run businesses). We had cheese, pita bread and grape juice and of course we all wore togas. The spectators voted for the team who had the best supported arguments to win the debate.
For a research unit, the students created Nobel Peace Prize Winner displays for the academic fair. I prepared research material for the students because I knew they would not have access or the time to find the materials on their own.
To address persuasive writing (and speaking) the students wrote letters and video taped messages to the president of the United States providing arguments for a social cause of their choice. While rehearsing their speeches, they listened to provide feedback and support for one another.
They also formed a round table discussion group on Fridays. After reading Scholastic News that included current world events, they shared their opinions respectfully and thoughtfully as they learned about the world of Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Art, Music and Sports. They also exhibited 21st century skills: (in the 1990's) communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving.
Through the years, I discovered activities that worked with different groups of students and "weeded" out the activities that didn't work as a result of monitoring and assessing. I didn't add to what I was doing. I replaced instruction that didn't work with instruction that did.
Would my students have passed the OAT? If I knew then what I know now, I would say yes...IF I had not reminded them so often that we had to get ready for the test. They had to review in class and take home packets with study guides. I discovered that giving the students the questions to review before the test does not motivate. It actually decreased the motivation. I undermined their intelligence and acted as though I had all the answers. As a result, they waited for me to give them the answers as they wasted their time in a class that expected lock step movement toward passing the standardized tests.
When we were not preparing for the standardized tests, I monitored the learning that was taking place by using formative assessments. Some days, I asked my students to reflect before leaving my class or write a paragraph before starting the class the next day. This helped them processed what they learned. I used this data to drive my instruction and make changes for future lessons. When they wrote and shared summaries of an article of their choice from Scholastic News on Friday in their round table discussion group, I was able to facilitate and assess their writing, reading and comprehension skills.
Friday, was a test day, but it was not a formal spelling, multiple choice, fill in the blank kind of test. It was formative, because I could see which students needed extra help. I was evaluating my teaching and revising the instructions based upon the students' successes.
Until this blog, I had not taken the time to reflect on the things that I did well (my strengths) and the things I could have done better (my weaknesses). I believe unless educators take time to reflect (assess themselves), they will feel hopeless when thrown into the test taking frenzy. Money will not fix the feelings of teachers. Just as in the other parts of the world, giving money will not bring back their hope. Only compassion and caring for those in need can do that. By working collaboratively to share feelings, ideas for assessing and challenging students to be creative, and by reflecting on their own strengths, teachers can regain the hope and belief that they are making a difference in the lives of children. After all, isn't that THE reason for choosing teaching as a career? With HOPE all things are possible. In the words of another optimistic leader, "Yes we can!"
If you have other ways of teaching creatively while preparing for standardized tests, please share your ideas on this blog.
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