Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You...

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me…No, this blog post is not a musical theatre sing-along (but how fun would that be?? Bonus points if you knew this was a King and I reference!). What I want to talk about is getting to know your students, and I figured this was a pretty good topic to devote my first post of the 2013-2014 school year to. (By the way, welcome back, readers!)

The “Why”

Just why should we take time at the beginning of the school year to get to know our students anyway? Well, there are lots of reasons  -- many of which I’m sure you can name – but the one that stands out most to me relates to differentiation. If we’re going to devote ourselves to differentiating our instruction with our students’ interests, learning styles, and readiness in mind, then we need to invest some time learning about our students’ interests, learning styles, and readiness.

Carol Ann Tomlinson, guru of differentiated instruction, adds a few more items to the “why” list in her book, Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom (2010):

·      “It sends a message to each student that the teacher sees him or her as an individual, and it also suggests that he or she is interesting enough for an adult to want to know better” (p. 78). We all want to feel like more than a number, right? It’s this kind of interest shown by a teacher that helps a student begin to trust that teacher and begin to see that teacher as a “support system in the classroom” (p.78). The student is not anonymous anymore – anonymity is not even an option in this type of classroom.

·      If a teacher shows an interest in getting to know her students, she is showing her students that she values them. And guess who students are inclined to work for? “People they value (i.e., people who value them)” (p. 79).

·      Getting to know our students helps us as teachers to invest in them; we invest most deeply in “those who are ‘three dimensional’ to us” (p. 79).

The “How”

What are some ways in which we can get to know our students? Every classroom teacher has his or her own methods of doing this, but it’s always nice to add to our repertoires. One important way to get to know our students is to use a pre-assessment at the start of a unit. We can determine a student’s existing background knowledge about the topic, as well as any misconceptions he or she may have; we can see if the student has any particular interests or questions relating to this topic. As such, we are already preparing ourselves to possibly differentiate our instruction within this unit based on readiness and/or interest. We can add learning style into the mix by asking students to complete a learning style survey or inventory at the beginning of the year (there are plenty of these available online, some of which also relate to Gardner’s multiple intelligences).

Tomlinson makes some suggestions for the “how” as well:

·      Greet your students at the door as they enter your classroom. A quick greeting (“How’d the homework go last night?,” “How’s soccer practice?,” “Are those new shoes?”) can go a long way in helping a teacher determine valuable information about a student’s daily life, mood, and attitude and can help make the student feel like a valued individual (p. 82).

·      Ask your students to bring in “All About Me” bags filled with five objects that help the teacher and the other students learn more about them (p. 82).

·      Use note-taking as a way to keep track of things you learn about students on the fly. As you circulate during a lesson, you can learn a lot about students – with whom they work well (and with whom they don’t), what their learning preferences are (do they like to work alone, with others, in silence, etc.).  Having a way to quickly jot down this type of information will help inform your instruction (p. 82).

·      Use surveys to “ask students to share their sense of themselves as learners in a particular subject, their interests, and their methods for learning effectively” (p. 82).

·      Create a number line and label it 1 to 10. Title it How do you feel about _____? The topic can change depending on the day. “For example, one day students might be asked how they feel about a book they read yesterday in class, and another day they might be asked how they feel about starting a new math unit” (p. 82). Students then place small sticky notes or stickers beneath the appropriate number that represents their feelings on that particular topic. This can be a great, quick way to take the pulse of a class.

Some Final Tips

These come from my own experiences, and the experiences of colleagues, in the classroom:

1.    Once you’ve collected this kind of “getting to know you” information from your students, use it. If the information remains in a folder that gets other paperwork piled on top of it, then it’s not going to assist you in planning for differentiation.

2.   When you do use this “getting to know you” information, go ahead and share this with students. Let them know, for example, when you have incorporated certain aspects into a lesson based on what you know about students’ preferred ways of learning. This will go a long way in building a culture of respect and trust in your classroom.

3.   Get to know your students yourself. Yes, we can often receive quite valuable information about a student from a colleague, but we have to avoid becoming “overly swayed by a student’s record from previous school years” (Tomlinson, 2010, p. 83). Recognize that students can change, and that we want to challenge them to grow, which is hard to do if we’ve got a fixed vision of who they are.

4.   “Remember that students are your best source of information” (p. 84). Use formative assessment tools such as tickets-to-leave or surveys to check in with students occasionally and ask them to “share their sense of how they’re doing” (p. 84). And use what you learn!

I hope everyone’s school year is off to a great start! My “blogging schedule” is now officially back in motion, so expect a post from me towards the end of each week.

It's Time to Reflect (Part 2)

Last week I wrote about the importance of reflection, especially at the end of the school year. So, this week I’ll be practicing what I preach and using this blog post as an opportunity to reflect a bit myself.

This was my first year as an instructional coach. As the only instructional coach in my district (and as the first ever instructional coach in the district), I relied heavily on my own reflective practices to help me learn and set goals for myself. Every day, I wrote down my thoughts and my experiences. Some days I wrote very little, and some days I wrote volumes. I’ve just looked through the entire document, which has added up to about 80 typed pages. It was funny and interesting to see the range of my emotions displayed in these pages: excited, optimistic, nervous, self-doubting, curious, triumphant, confused, proud, bold, timid.

Here are some of my take-aways:

·      Working with teachers who want to improve their practice in some way is a lot like what I used to do in my “former life” as an ELA teacher – working with students who are striving to improve some aspect of their reading or writing. The key is: one step at a time. Sometimes it’s easy to get really into goal-setting – I’d work with a teacher this year and we’d build off of each other’s excitement, brainstorming all sorts of goals and new things to try. Eventually, I learned to step back from this sort of manic goal-setting, and require both myself and the teacher I was working with to zoom in on one particular goal, to narrow our focus so that we were being realistic and so that we could establish an action plan that would not overwhelm. We know as teachers that we’re not going to give our students 12 aspects of their writing to improve upon by their next paper; we’re going to give them 1 or 2 areas to focus on. We need to give ourselves the same permission, the same freedom to slowly focus on one area of our teaching, to delve in and really get into in-depth reflection and growth.

·      Thanks to all my reading up on instructional coaching last summer (especially all of Jim Knight’s work), I was fully anticipating my role as instructional coach to be a reciprocal one, where I learned from those I was coaching in addition to them learning from me. But even though I saw it coming, I didn’t realize the extent to which this would happen. I learned TONS from being in elementary classrooms, especially since this job has provided me with my first extended exposure to the world of K-5. I became fascinated with the workshop structure, reading all I could about it and becoming convinced that this structure doesn’t need to go away as students age – I can see it working for students of all ages, and for their teachers. I learned volumes from being in secondary classrooms, where I watched teachers struggling with some of the same instructional challenges I myself used to struggle with. I had so many “aha” moments while watching high school teachers teach, thinking, “Oh! I used to do that, too.” But this time, as a neutral, objective observer, I could begin to pinpoint specific instructional moves the teacher could make, tweaks here and there that would help him or her accomplish that day’s objective with students. (I often found myself wanting to go back in time after these “ahas” to correct some of my past lessons!)

·      I learned that kids can and will rise to the occasion when we present them with challenging, thought-provoking tasks that stretch them as learners. Kindergartners do, fifth graders do, eighth graders do, sophomores and seniors in high school do. 

·      I learned how to be a second set of eyes for a teacher in her classroom, and I learned how to later discuss what I had seen. I learned how to model for teachers with their own students, and I learned how to co-teach. 

·      I learned that almost none of this job called teaching comes easy, to any of us. No matter how long we’ve been in the classroom, or what grade we teach, or how many students we have, we are all still learning how best to teach. I don’t think there’s a magical year where it just all clicks and comes together, where it all just flows easily. I actually don’t think that’s really supposed to happen (as much as we dream of it during our first few years in the classroom). This is an important job for so many reasons, and it’s challenging and sometimes difficult because it’s so important. But I also learned that we are learners, that teachers want to learn, want to grow, want to stretch themselves.

·      I learned that I have quite a bunch of goals for myself for next year:

o   I’d like to continue to build trusting relationships with the five staffs in my district, and to find new ways to establish and reinforce this trust.

o   I’d like to delve deeply into differentiated instruction, and hope that some teachers will establish coaching relationships with me in order to do so.

o   I’d like to learn all I can about the new SMART goals educators in my state will be implementing as part of their own evaluation system next year so that I can work with teachers on developing these goals and reflecting on them throughout the year as they try new instructional strategies in their classrooms to achieve them.

o   I’d like to work with teachers on some of the “little” instructional strategies that we sometimes take for granted but that can be so important and effective, like: how we ask questions during our lessons; how we check for understanding during our lessons and formatively assess (both formally and informally); how we use pre-assessment data to guide our planning…

o   I’d like to continue to learn all I can about the art and science of teaching and learning, both through research and through my work with the teachers and students of my district.

Readers, it’s been a pleasure sharing my thoughts with you via this forum throughout the past school year. Summer vacation is now almost upon us, and I’ll most likely be suspending my blogging until the end of August or so. I hope you’ll pick back up with me then, and we’ll continue to explore and think about education together.

Have a lovely summer!

It's Time to Reflect (Part 1)

     As we rapidly approach summer break, I find myself reflecting on the past school year more and more each day. This is definitely not a new practice for me; during my twelve years in the classroom I always found the end of the year a valuable time for "big picture" reflection. "Big picture" reflection is slightly different than the types of reflection we should be doing throughout the school year. Those daily reflections tend to zero in on what went right and what went wrong on that particular day, whereas an end-of-the-year reflection tends to focus on the goals we had set for ourselves at the start of the year -- did we meet them? Why or why not? Did these goals change as the year progressed? How come? Do we have new goals for next year? 

     I came across a blog this morning by Heather Skipworth Craven of "Inspiring Teachers" in which she articulates exactly how I feel about end-of-year reflecting, along with some guiding questions to help you get started. I encourage you to read her blog post here. 

     I especially like that Craven points out the value of reflecting with another teacher -- it can be so helpful to share our thoughts, questions, struggles, and triumphs with a trusted colleague (perhaps an instructional coach?). Craven also insists on the need for teachers to purposely set aside time specifically for reflection. I couldn't agree more! We all know how busy a teacher's day is, and how easy it is to get swept up in grading, lesson planning, meeting with a student for extra help (all very important tasks, to be sure!). That's why it's key to schedule in reflection time for ourselves. I like to type up my thoughts on a daily reflection log saved on my desktop. Some days I type for quite awhile, and I find it really helps me to put some things into perspective, to come up with action plans to solve problems, to vent, to breathe. Other days, I type my reflection into the log in a total of 5 minutes because that's all I have that day. Don't let reflection overwhelm you or stress you out, but don't sweep it under the carpet, either. Try to get into a daily or at least weekly habit of sitting with your thoughts, whether you put them on paper or discuss them with a colleague, or think through them during your afternoon jog.

     And, certainly, take advantage of this time of year to reflect on the big picture.

Summer Reading....For Teachers!

     It's about that time, teachers! Looking for some great reads this summer to help energize you and give you ideas for what will surely be a quickly-approaching September? Then look no further; I've got a teacher's summer reading list right here. (Sorry, these are probably not what you'd consider "beach reads," but they are educational books that I really enjoy. Just mix one or two of them in with your novels and magazines!)

     I'm thinking you can find most of these on Amazon, but if it gets tricky, just contact me and I'll give you more detailed information to help refine your search...

• So What Do They Really Know? Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning -- Cris Tovani 

This is a great read for secondary teachers. Tovani is writing primarily about ELA classes, but I say anyone who is interested in how a workshop structure could work at the secondary level should read this book. (By the way, workshop structures effectively allow the teacher to differentiate, to conference, to assess students' individual strengths and weaknesses formatively...)

• The Daily 5 -- Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (aka "The Sisters") 

Disclaimer: I got kind of sort of OBSESSED with The Sisters this year. Elementary teachers -- if you are looking for a system that will help you establish routines, build student stamina, and set expectations for ELA workshops, this is the book for you. (Also, as a former secondary person, I must say that if you are interested in the workshop structure at the secondary level, I'd still recommend this book. Just read it with your "secondary eyes" and "translate" the material up a few grades!)

• The CAFE Book -- Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (aka "The Sisters")

See above. Same lovely ladies. I'd recommend reading The Daily 5 first, then delving into The Sisters' CAFE system. This book is FULL of so many great resources: specific and detailed ideas for setting up a conferencing notebook and record-keeping system, specific reading strategy lessons in the areas of comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary....It is a great read!

• Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom -- Rick Wormeli

This book rocked my world! Rick Wormeli (who happens to be the silver fox of differentiation) is a straight shooter and really tells it like it is. While reading, I was forced to confront some of my own past assessment practices that I had to admit were not effective or purposeful. Wormeli truly changed my way of looking at assessment, for the better!

• Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom -- Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey

Yes! This book was such a useful read. Lots of practical suggestions of ways to consistently, regularly, and effectively check your students' understanding. I think it applies to all grade levels.

• Differentiation: From Planning to Practice, Grades 6-12 -- Rick Wormeli

Here he is again! This is definitely geared towards secondary teachers, mostly due to the content of the sample lessons and units Wormeli discusses (but I think elementary teachers could "translate" what it is he's doing to their own grade levels). Wormeli walks you through the stages of planning a differentiated lesson. Very useful information!

• Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids -- Carol Ann Tomlinson & Jay McTighe

Disclaimer: This is only my second favorite text involving Carol Ann Tomlinson (for my first, see below...). The bridge between DI and UbD is specifically laid out in this text. I'd recommend it to anyone who has a strong understanding of one, but perhaps not of the other. 

• Learning Targets: Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today's Lesson -- Connie M. Moss & Susan M. Brookhart 

This book can honestly be a bit "dry," but the idea of learning targets is so important! Basically, Moss and Brookhart advocate for a more student-friendly lesson objective to share with students and recommend that this learning target be stated as what the student will be able to do by the end of the lesson, from the student's own perspective (i.e., "I will be able to identify three traits of the main character. I will use words from our character traits word wall to do so. I will be able to provide evidence from the text that supports each of these three traits."). Learning targets can help students self-assess and can give them a purpose for learning.

• Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom -- Carol Ann Tomlinson & Marcia B. Imbeau

LOVE this one! If you are interested in the philosophy behind DI, then this book is for you. Even more so, if you are interested in helping your students understand and be a part of a differentiated classroom community, then this book is definitely for you. Tomlinson and Imbeau provide specific lesson ideas for teaching students how (and why) to be members of a differentiated learning environment.

HAPPY READING!

Everything I Learned About Teaching I Learned in Kindergarten

     Have you ever seen that poster that claims that everything you need to know in life you learned in Kindergarten? It lists examples like "share everything," "play fair," and "warm cookies & cold milk are good for you." Words to live by.

     Well, this week's post title is inspired by this concept, and here's why: I spent twelve years as a high school ELA teacher before becoming a K-12 instructional coach last year. Over this past year as an IC, I have spent way more time in elementary classrooms than I ever have before (except when I was an actual elementary school student myself). And it's been exciting to realize how much someone with a secondary background can learn from what goes on in an elementary classroom. (The opposite, I'm sure, is true as well. There's lots elementary teachers could learn by spending time in secondary classrooms, too. But, since that wasn't my experience, being a former high school teacher myself, that's not what I'm going to focus on here.)

     I've honestly been thinking that everything I've learned from my experiences in elementary classrooms as a former "secondary person" could be the fodder for a great book! Heck, I'd read that! But, for today, I'm just going to highlight one thing that's really been sticking out to me lately: the workshop. Now I know, I know that the workshop structure is used in secondary classrooms, too -- we only need look as far as Cris Tovani's shining example as proof -- but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a lot of secondary teachers don't use the structure and aren't overly aware of it, whereas as many elementary teachers do and are. 

     Here's the structure (and some running commentary throughout since I can't help gushing about how wonderful workshops are!):

The Mini-lesson

     Workshop begins with a mini-lesson. The teacher gathers his or her students together -- in elementary school this is usually done on a carpet in a particular location of the classroom; secondary teachers might have to get a bit more creative with how to do this since most don't have sectioned-off areas of their classrooms. Or it can be done with students at their desks...the main point is that you do it! Mini-lessons should last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the age and attention span of the students and depending on the task for that particular day.

     The topic covered during the mini-lesson should stem from what the teacher has noticed his or her students need. For example, if it's a Reading Workshop, the teacher might decide to conduct a mini-lesson on retelling because he or she has observed that most of his or her students are struggling with this and it is impacting their comprehension. 

     A vital part of the mini-lesson is that it should contain a guided release of responsibility (also popularly referred to as "I Do, We Do, You Do"). This means that first the teacher models the skill or strategy. Next (and this part is the most often skipped and possibly the most important!!) comes the "We Do." Here, the teacher guides the class as a whole in using the strategy. This can involve asking the students to Think, Pair, Share; asking students questions; adding to a whole-class anchor chart together; etc. Last but not least, it's time for "You Do," some independent practice. Typically, in a workshop structure, this independent practice occurs during work time (covered next). But sometimes, in order to even further check for understanding, the teacher may do a quick "You Do" while still all together for the mini-lesson.

     Are you still with me or have I lost you?? Luckily, I found a GREAT clip that shows all of this in action. Just click here and scroll down to Classroom Program 14, then click on the little box off to the right that says VoD (the link may bring you straight to a video; if it does, close out of that page and the page I'm talking about should pop up!). (Heads-up: the first five minutes of this video show a morning meeting in a 5th grade classroom; the mini-lesson -- and, thus, the workshop itself -- begins after this.) Take a look at what this skilled teacher does during her mini-lesson (you can stop at around minute 22:15 if you don't want to get ahead of yourself and see the rest of the workshop just yet!). Pay attention to how she uses a gradual release of responsibility to ensure her students are all with her. Good stuff!

Work Time

     Next up in the workshop structure is work time. This typically consists of independent work (the "You Do" I referred to in the previous section). It also provides the teacher a chance to work with a small group of students (this could be a group that needs some extension, or a group that needs some support, or just a group of heterogeneously-mixed students that the teacher wishes to assess), and/or to confer with individual students as they work. What's great about this is that teachers can work with students in what I call "real time," right as they are performing the skills and strategies you've taught them. So, teachers can formatively assess in real time as well. **It is vital that the teacher has established routines and expectations for students regarding how to behave during all steps of the workshop structure. Routines need to be practiced and reinforced consistently so that students are able to work independently and in small groups and so that they know how to transition into and out of each stage of the workshop.** Boushey and Moser, authors of The Daily 5 and CAFE books, have some great ideas for how to establish and practice such routines, and their ideas can certainly be translated to the secondary experience.

     Check out minutes 22:15 to 25:30 in the clip I shared above for a quick glimpse at what work time can look like (but keep in mind that work time can function in many different ways).

Sharing/Debriefing

     Finally, the workshop ends with time to share and debrief. It's important not to neglect this last stage of the workshop, because it can be a great opportunity to assess, check for understanding, and inform the next day's instruction. Sharing of students' work accomplished during the work time occurs, and the teacher guides this sharing, pointing out instances of and asking questions about how students used particular strategies, any stumbling blocks they experienced, and successes they had along the way. 

     From minute 25:30 until the end of the video I shared with you above, you can see how this teacher wraps up the workshop (NOTE: she does a lot of sharing of independent work at the end of her mini-lesson, since she included a little "You Do" at that portion of the workshop; had she not, the sharing time in the clip would most likely be a bit longer.)

     

So, there you have it. Let's not limit workshop structures to the elementary level. There is so much potential for these types of lessons at the secondary level as well. What kind of potential? Differentiation, formative assessment, checks for understanding, flexible grouping, independent work, sharing, modeling, scaffolding.........

Want to use this in your classroom but struggling a bit with the concept? If you work in the same district as me, then give me a holler! I'd LOVE to collaborate with you on this!!

Annotation Nation: Using Annotations as Pre-Assessments

     I've got news for you, readers. Annotating's not just for English class anymore. 

     For those of you not already as nerdily familiar with annotation as me, it's basically just a fancy term for marking up the text, scribbling down notes, thoughts, ideas, and questions in the margins. In some ways, it's like having a conversation, a little chit chat if you will, with the text and the information you're reading about.

     But, just when I thought I knew all there was to know about annotation and how it can be used to assess student comprehension of text across content areas, Cris Tovani, author of So What Do They Really Know? Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning, thrilled me with another way to assess via annotation -- using annotations as a pre-test or pre-assessment! (I know, I know, it blew my mind, too!!)

     Here's what Tovani suggests. Ask students to annotate their thinking at the beginning of a unit to assess "what they know and what skills and information they need" (2011, p. 88). Something really cool to think about is actually giving students the unit test the very day the class starts the unit. WHAT?!?!? Be totally upfront with students about exactly what they are supposed to learn by the end of the unit and about exactly what they'll be assessed on? Craziness! It might seem crazy at first, but, readers, think about it: This isn't cheating. This is being super clear and transparent; this is helping students set learning goals and targets. But I digress...

     So, give students the unit test on day one. Ask them to do their best, explaining that this is a pre-assessment and will not be used to penalize them. Students should answer or solve the questions or problems they can, and (here's my favorite part!!), on those they can't, students should record annotations including questions or confusions they have. What great insight this can provide for the teacher! As Tovani suggests, "these annotations help the teacher figure out what is causing difficulty for the student so he or she can better target what the student needs" (p. 89).

     Boom! Now, as the teacher, you know what concepts and/or skills the entire class needs, you know whether any pieces of the unit can be skipped because all your students already know it, and you know how you might need to differentiate your instruction based on any variety of readiness you come across on the pre-tests (who will need enrichment? who will need support?). 

     So exciting, right?

     If you're starting to think more and more about how to use assessment data to inform your instruction, or about how to differentiate based on this data, then (shameless plug alert!) check out my summer workshop on practical approaches to differentiation in the classroom. It's at the very end of June, and I believe you can still sign up. Contact me if you need more information!

Taking a Page from Cris Tovani's Book

     In the district where I am an instructional coach, I am consistently impressed by how many teachers directly inform their students of the objectives of the day’s lesson. Providing students with a road map like this is essential; what better way to begin a lesson than to know what it is you’ll be learning, what it is you’ll be able to do by the end of the lesson?

     Well, with this post, I’d like to take our thinking about sharing objectives with students one step further. I’ve been re-reading a favorite educational text of mine lately by Cris Tovani, So What Do They Really Know? Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning (2011). In it, she shares what students see written on the whiteboard as they enter her ELA classroom. Here’s a sample from p. 48 of this great book:

Learning Targets	Assessments
I can show how I am thinking about a text in a variety of ways.	inner-voice sheets
Instead of saying, “I don’t get it,” I can ask a question of the text that might help me build background knowledge to answer my question.	sticky notes

     The first thing I’ll point out is the slight difference between what most of us know as lesson objectives (which usually sound much like standards) and learning targets, which Tovani employs. Posting learning targets basically has the same function as posting objectives – it lets students know what they should know or be able to do by the lesson’s end. I just happen to like how learning targets are student-friendly and are written from the perspective of the student him- or herself. 

     The second thing to take from Tovani’s chart is the real meat and potatoes, though (the difference between objectives and learning targets was just an appetizer, so I hope you’re hungry!). Tovani shares with her students how each learning target of the lesson will be assessed. I won’t go into huge detail explaining what inner-voice sheets or sticky notes are, but suffice it to say they are useful, if not “unfancy,” assessments Tovani uses on a regular basis with her students. The important thing here is that not only has Tovani planned out exactly how she will assess students on each of her lesson’s learning targets (and what tools she will use to conduct said assessments) – this is huge enough on its own, honestly! – but that she is also sharing this information with students. So, when her students begin filling out that inner-voice sheet or jotting down a question on a sticky note, they know why Tovani is asking them to do these things. They know what the tasks relate to in terms of their learning, and they know Tovani will use the data to determine how they are each doing in terms of that day’s learning targets (actually, for that matter, the students themselves can also self-assess whether or not they’ve met the learning targets based on how they felt they did with the assessments).

     If you’re a teacher who regularly posts daily objectives or learning targets, how hard would it be to take the extra step and also post the corresponding assessments? How much would this extra step help you and your students to be aware of the link between instruction and assessment?