Engagement and Discipline

As I contemplate student engagement and behavior, I reflected on my middle school years and the teachers that I had.  Two stuck out most prominently in my memories.  One recognized that a group of us were always finishing first and then would become rather mischievous.  She created a small group and began to give us challenging group projects based on current units of study that we could complete during independent work time.  I remember her encouragement and the freedom that she gave us.  The other teacher was much more traditional.  We read from the textbook, took notes, completed worksheets, and did the occasional structured projects with presentations (create a diorama) – very classic approach.  Surprisingly, my mother received several phone calls from the second teacher and none from the first and I lost several lunches for “too much chatter.”  My point for this story is that if teachers work to create an environment that is engaging and recognize the unique qualities and challenges of his or her students, then positive behavior is a natural consequence.  Voke (2002) found in the research that “engaged students experience greater satisfaction with school experiences, which may in turn, lead to greater school completion and student attendance rates, as well as lower incidents of acting-out behaviors” (Voke, 2002, pg 2).

Another aspect that we need to consider is who are our students.  The students today are different from the students of the past.   “The desire to multitask and be constantly connected to the net and to friends as well as the hunger for immediate results influence how young people today interact with the world – whether in school or at home or while traveling – and must be taken into account by both educators and employers” (Wagner, 2008, pg. 158)

Considering the two concepts of engagement and understanding the student of the 21^st century, how can you implement 21^st century skills through gradual release and productive group work in order to increase engagement and reduce disciplinary incidents? 

Is "Good Job! Good Effort!" Enough?

     *click the link for a 30 second answer

http://youtu.be/ewiQ4LmpiCQ

        
          The truth is that verbal praise is not enough. In their classic and often referenced article, "Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Assessment," Black and Wiliam (1998) conclude that numerous studies have shown formative assessment to be one the most powerful strategies a teacher can implement in her classroom. In fact, "effect sizes" of .4 to .7 (for you research gurus out there... that's means very good news) have been consistently achieved. On the other hand, as they also point out "for assessment to function formatively, the results have to be used to adjust teaching and learning." This idea is related to our work this year; as each of you know from our discussions around our School Improvement plan (SIP), formative assessment will be a main focus.
          The Administrative team has been encouraged, as we have noticed during walkthroughs that several of our team members are already learning about and experimenting with formative assessment and how it can be used to inform their instruction.  As a result, this week would like to highlight one specific example as a good “approximation” of what we are “looking for.”
           It is worth noting that this teacher’s quality use of assessment had several positive components worth mentioning. First, using District Standards this classroom teacher created her own formative assessment with at least two types of questions. In this particular instance, the students had taken the assessment independently, and the teacher had graded and analyzed the results by individual, as well as, by group. In addition, the teacher shared the results in a timely fashion, as they were shared the very next day, instead of several days or even weeks later. Based on the student’s performance, she provided written feedback specific to each individual. Third, oral feedback was also given that centered around whole-class results, which were displayed on the ELMO for all to see. Students could then compare their results to the class strengths and weaknesses as a whole. Between the individual and whole-group feedback, not only did the students know exactly were they stood, but so did the teacher. Last, and arguably most important, the teacher could then use this data to make instructional decisions, just as recommended by the “Black Box” article.
          While on the one hand she did say things similar to what we heard in the video (like “good job” and “good effort”), this teachers obviously knows that verbal praise is not enough to promote learning at deep levels. It takes much more than that to help a student improve their performance! This is because some of our students are like the boy in the video; no matter how many times he is told “good job” or “good effort,” without more specific feedback and without more scaffolded support, it will be a long time, if ever, he will be able to dunk the ball.
          However, with specific feedback (i.e. as you approach the trampoline do…, or as you run and jump do…, etc…) and scaffolded support (i.e bigger trampoline, moving trampoline closer, etc…), in time it may actually be possible --- or at least approximations of much closer than we saw. In the same way, by utilizing specific feedback, using scaffolded support, and by adjusting their instruction (all based on formative assessment), research has shown that teachers can have a positive impact on the learning of even our neediest students.
             Of course, we all realize we are a work in progress and that we will each need to continue to grow if we are to achieve our team goals, but several of us are already well on our way. Over the next couple of months as we learn more about Formative Assessment in P.D., your Administrative Team is looking forward to seeing more and more examples of teachers using formative assessment to drive their instructional decisions. Keep up the good work!

 

Talking About Text

     To kick start our understanding of literature discussion groups, the 6th grade language arts team read a poem in order to illustrate what goes on in the mind of a reader.  Even when the group didn't choose what we read or weren't completely understanding it, our minds were busy attempting to make meaning.  As we read, we were questioning, rereading, using the structure of the text, and connecting our experience to the author's words.  It wasn't until we discussed our thinking that we realized those things were happening for all of us.
     I was reminded of this again over the weekend as I started a new memoir called, A Girl named Zippy by Haven Kimmel.   After a few chapters, I got to thinking that not only was Kimmel's writing style light and humorous, but I was understanding more than just her experiences.  I was getting a peek into 1960's, small town Indiana.  A place and time I am unfamiliar with.  A reminder of a time when men were head of household even when not always gainfully employed and women hung laundry on clothes lines.  My reason for reading suddenly branched out.  I no longer wanted only to understand the events that made Kimmel who she is today, but to know more about the time period and what life in a town of 300 was like.  Realizing that we all bring our own experience and knowledge to what we read, I immediately wanted to talk about the book with someone else.  Somehow guffawing aloud to myself to the point I was scaring people and telling my husband, "You've got to read this paragraph here.  Doesn't this remind of you of....", just wasn't enough.  I wanted to share the connections to my life today with her experiences as a child and her parents' experiences rearing this unique individual.
     Why is this important, you ask?  Research shows that students in middle school almost completely stop reading outside of the school day.  Each of us with a homeroom has an opportunity every day, to talk about text with children.  We can be that ear that reader's crave.  We can listen with wonder as they tell us what they understand and how they've made this particular meaning using their schema.      Showing genuine interest and curiosity as we listen to them share, will encourage them to keep searching out the "good fit" book, reading another book in a much loved series, or branch out to something new.  Zimmerman and Hutchins, authors of 7 Keys to Comprehension agree that we need all of our students reading for life and this is a small, but important way to help them do that.  Listen when they talk and ask to know more!

Momentum: Can you Feel it?

Momentum! Wilson Middle School Can you Feel it?

Getting students to behave daily is hard work.  We set expectations, listen to our peers, gain insight, seek interest, design engaging lessons and monitor it all.  At times you may feel like you are performing in the center ring of a circus.  However, it is with this hard work and investment in your classroom that you begin to see results.  Time spent up front will pay off ten-fold in the future.  Kids will rise to the level you set.

How change does happen (excerpt from Jim Collins Good to Great)

Now picture a huge, heavy flywheel. It’s a massive, metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle. It's about 100 feet in diameter, 10 feet thick, and it weighs about 25 tons. That flywheel is our school. Your job is to get that flywheel to move as fast as possible, because momentum—mass times velocity—is what will generate superior achievement results over time.

Right now, the flywheel is at a standstill. To get it moving, you make a tremendous effort. You push with all your might, and finally you get the flywheel to inch forward. After two or three days of sustained effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster. It takes a lot of work, but at last the flywheel makes a second rotation. You keep pushing steadily. It makes three turns, four turns, five, six. With each turn, it moves faster, and then—at some point, you can’'t say exactly when—you break through. The momentum of the heavy wheel kicks in your favor. It spins faster and faster, with its own weight propelling it. You aren't pushing any harder, but the flywheel is accelerating, its momentum building, its speed increasing.  This is the Flywheel Effect. 

Our daily work can seem daunting.  You are at the beginning stages of the flywheel.  We need to celebrate small victories and large as well.  Take for instance the story of an eighth grade boy who at this time last year had ten referrals to the office.  They varied from minor to severe disruption.  He had a suspension the first week of September.  If we look at this person now, he's being nurtured by his team.  His success being protected.   This year he's earned as many W.O.W. awards as referrals from last year.  He's not perfect; he nearly got into a fight at the football game; but his team and specifically literacy teacher is protecting him, praising him, encouraging him and forgiving his missteps.  They are living the notion that "Kids do well if they Can."   I can see and feel the flywheel moving for this boy.  More importantly he can feel it too!

What will it look, sound and feel like when the flywheel gains it's own energy at Wilson?  How will we know that we are reaching new levels of success?  What will be the naturally occurring payoff?  I look forward to that day!