I Will Survive!

Learning Teams

Curriculum

Formative Assessments

Advisement

Oh MY!

There are days that feel as if you are in survival mode; I'm sure.  We ask a lot of you and so do your students.  However, there is light at the end of the tunnel; one that is guaranteed not to fall on top of you and smash you flat.  It is the shining light of student self-regulation and higher achievement.  How can you tell?  How will you know?  Just look at your latest District or formative assessment results.  If they are less than what you expect; you have the time, knowledge and ability to change the bottom line.  

Your efforts in learning team will be the difference.

Michael Fullan has written a book titled The Six Secrets of Change.  All Council Bluffs administrators are currently doing it as a book study.  Secret two states: Connect Peers with Purpose.  He says that"the key to achieving a high functioning team lies more in purposeful peer interaction."  You are in groups created for purposeful peer interaction.  One of these groups at Wilson is our sixth grade literacy team.  They move simultaneously with each individual contributing with their own voice and practical application.  An observer can walk into their classroom and see clear evidence of a learning target.  They have seamlessly threaded the target throughout the gradual release process.  You can see Carly deliver a mini lesson with a mentor text, Cassie confer, Brittany comment on writing or Christina lead a group and tell that they are inked arm in arm through the learning team process.  You will notice the target in their language and student work.  Students are knowledgeable and can explain their learning.

Wilson 13-14 look fors re:  Learning Team Process and Student Work.  Evidence can be found the minute you walk into their rooms.  Think about your implementation as compared to this chart.

Element                            Teacher Behavior                Student Behavior              Artifacts

Curriculum/plan implementation/GRR (Phase 1)	I can utilize the workshop model I can collaborate in learning teams I can use the curriculum to plan differentiate, meaningful tasks	Students can participate and collaborate in all settings Students can use accountable talk	goals posted backward plans students can restate purpose and objective common assessments co constructed anchors
Assessment/Student Work/Feedback (Phase II)	Teachers will confer and give written and/or oral feedback based on rubrics.	Students will respond to teacher’s comments, edit the product, justify their responses,and self assess using rubrics.	Student work displays will have a clearly posted focus,rubric and student and/or teacher comments.
Response/Non-proficient/Tier I/Guide Groups (Phase III)	Teachers will use a variety of the following in order to respond to non-proficient students: guided groups, reteaching in groups, use assessment data for grouping, refer to backward plan, implementing Tier 1 interventions.	Students will peer and self assess, self reflect, restate the learning expectations, and be able to communicate content goals and clarifying questions with the teacher.	co-constructed anchor charts, student work display with feedback, records that record growth and/or areas of struggle.

 The difference in this team is their cohesive plan and meaningful direction.  They navigate the curriculum with laser focus and guide kids to higher achievement.  They react with purpose.   Their results are consistently rising.  They will not rest until they've reached their goals.

Our sixth grade team is engaging in the same process as you are.  You have the capabilities to achieve this level of implementation also.

Individuals working alone are sometimes better at solving simple problems, but well-functioning groups are always better at addressing challenging tasks, and there are few things as complex as making systems work." Fullan  Our problems are not simple.  They are serious and complex and must be solved.

You have the power to make this system work.

Our goal is clear.  

Our path is drawn; the measures designed.  

Use the learning team process and link arms with your colleagues.

You will survive and reach the light!

CHARGE!

BRING IT ON

As we reflect on our impact this trimester we need to focus on the growth we've made at Wilson.  After a quick analysis of independent reading pass rates and casual observation of the number of students at celebration yesterday; I've surmised that we have reached nearly 70% pass rate!  This represents a 20% improvement over last year.  Our behavior/referral data is on track for a 80% decrease in the number of incidents since 2011.  Our administrative team shared this data with our school board last night.  I assure you they were impressed!  CONGRATULATIONS TEAM!

We can't stop here, however.  Our efforts need to continue as we capitalize on our success.  Fullan advocates that the change process is inclusive of all stakeholders.  He states, "effective change concerns the involvement of everyone in an effort of meaningful pursuits."  Transparency means being open about results and practices.  Our goal is to collectively identify issues regarding behavior, achievement or climate and respond immediately to them.  It is my job to be forthcoming about data and support you in an effort to make this school more efficient and successful.  WE can not accomplish this alone or in a vacuum.  Through the learning team process, our curriculum and use of formative assessment we intentionally prepare to change the 'bottom line'.  Our response and daily core instruction transforms our profile into that of high implementation/high impact.  It is our duty to continue the charge toward April and the high stakes tests.  Our resolve to improve will sustain us through out the year.  Our trust and relationships in/with one another will support our efforts day to day.  

There is an Irish Blessing that states:

"When I count my blessings; I count you twice."  

This saying is so meaningful and relevant to the work you do each day at Wilson.  There are many students saying this about you also!

What excitement awaits us in the second trimester.  We will reach greater heights then those we've accomplish to date.  What a wonderful reason to be thankful.

Enjoy your much-deserved five day break! 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

 

Picture Created by Nick Davis

A picture is worth a thousand words" refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. It also aptly characterizes one of the main goals of visualization, namely making it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly. (Wikipedia).

Learning teams are indeed complicated and require so many variations and interpretations.  The main outcome, however, is higher student achievement.  Our goal is to create a collaborative culture that your teams works interdependently to achieve the common goal of learning for all.  There are many examples of momentum building at Wilson.  Consider the 7th grade language arts team who have developed a common set of criteria around their I can statements.  Their structure is clear and targets specific area of proficiency and areas that may present an issue for common misconception.

	Advanced	Proficient	Basic	Below Basic
Analysis of Text (thinking) I can analysis implicitly and explicitly. I can inference when I read text	evidence is synthesized and relevant to claim or analysis identifying the how  and why the author used specific technique to create meaning can communicate the reading strategies used based on the author’s craft to develop deeper meaning	evidence is relevant to claim or analysis determine essential details and facts and the relationship to author’s purpose identifying how  the author used specific technique to create meaning shows evidence of using reading strategies for deeper meaning	irrelevant or random evidence may or may not use a strategy to support thinking lists facts or details but doesn’t support author’s purpose	Evidence is not applicable to claim or analysis. Little to no evidence of using a reading strategy to support thinking. Random facts or details.
Cite Evidence I can cite evidence implicitly and explicitly.	evidence specific or inferred evidence based on analysis evidence is woven or synthesized implicit notation (majority)	makes inferences using textual evidence evidence connects to the analysis and is relevant implicit and explicit notation i.e. pg etc	unclear inference made with or without evidence explicit notation i.e. pg etc	pull any quote or detail with the character’s name cite page no written text
write a response	synthesized or woven structure throughout that includes summary, theme, evidence and thinking/application	structure includes summary, theme, evidence and thinking/application	omits elements of summary, theme, evidence, thinking (2 of 4)	omits elements of summary, theme, evidence, thinking (0 -1 of 4)

This collaborative effort created a fundamental building block forming the basis of their backward plan for their unit.  Teachers will have clear targets to determine what proficiency "looks like" as well as goals areas for flexible grouping.

You need to ask yourself "What is the impact of your work?"  Will students have success as a result of your teaching?  Look for evidence of your efforts in student work and prepare for high impact!

Feedback is Our Life

Click on the link and view Bill Gates take on Feedback.

Feedback through Common Formative Assessment created by Learning Teams

"One of the most powerful, high-leverage strategies for improving student learning available to schools is the creation of frequent, common, high-quality formative assessments by teachers who are working collaboratively to help a group of students develop agree-upon knowledge and skills (Fullan, Hargreaves & Fink)  We can no wait for District assessment results or IAS results to develop a plan of action to change the outcome of achievement.  This can only be accomplished through a structured look at student achievement through student work and assessments.  These assessment serve the purpose that others can not.  They measure learning and help to create targets for you.  You will have the direction to identify which students have learned the skill or strategy (GLE) and which have not.  You will them be able to create an action plan that creates intentional direction toward intervention.  These team assessments when combined with your daily checks create a "powerful synergy for learning."  Dufour states in Learning by Doing  "Common, team-developed formative assessments are such a powerful tool in school improvement that, once again, no team of teachers should be allowed to opt out of creating them."  What do you assessments look like?  Do they directly measure an I can statement targeting specific skills or strategies like those created by  6th and 7th grade mathematics teams? or Do have you created a common formative assessment measure a variety of GLE (I can) statements like those developed by 6-8 language arts teams.  Consider either option and report to your team weekly the results you gather.  Most importantly ask yourself what are you doing with the results.  Measuring student achievement is not enough you must develop an international plan of action that will change the outcome at the next assessment event.  Common assessments facilitate a systematic, collective response to student who are experience difficulty.  If you have developed a common understanding of proficiency and misconception you have created a road map to guide students with support and toward achieving proficiency.

Don't hesitate or underestimate the power of feedback in your instructional plan!

True Grit

Thank you Rochelle for finding this inspiring video! Click to view!

What does it Take?  

Accepting the Challenge requires that you take action.

Teaching is a hard job on a good day.   Each day you must be ready to say "I will be highly successful"  Many of us spend most of our lives or career waiting the an opportunity and great things to happen.  We shouldn't wait we must "carpe diem" "Seize the Day!"   If with do this the optimism and excitement we are happier and more productive.  In the next few weeks we will be receiving our Humanex results.  It is an opportunity for us to reflect on our culture and determine what we can do to improve it.  Frankly, we spend a great majority of our waking day together and it is beneficial to us to make the most of our time.  If you accept the challenge each and every day and look for your success within the results gleaned from students you will find a great sense of empowerment and satisfaction.  Really, we can not hesitate; there is not time like the present to make a difference in the lives of the children you work with each day.

What Great Teachers Do Differently Todd Whittiker

1)   It's the People, Not the Programs:  

• Great Teacher equate to a great school.  Great teacher don't rely on a program to improve they focus on improving their level of implementation

2)   The Power of Expectations

• Great Teachers are clear about their approach to student behavior.  Their expectations are clear and enforced from the beginning of the school year.  They are consistent and fair

3)   Prevention vs. Revenge

• Great teachers have one goal when a student misbehaves:  Prevent it from happening again.

4)   High Expectations

• The best teachers have high expectations for students and for themselves.

5)   The Teacher is the Variable 

• Great teachers know that the most important variable in the classroom is the teacher, him/herself.

6) Ten Days out of Ten

• Respect for all 24/7 every day, consistently.

7) The Teacher is the Filter

• Great teachers know that their behavior sets the tone for student each day.

8) Don't Need to Repair--Always do Repair

• The best teachers compliment and praise students consistently.

9) Ability to Ignore

• The ability to be aware and choose to ignore rather than expecting perfection is the difference between an average and a great teacher.

10)  Random vs Plandom

• Intentional planning and language choice is the difference!

11)  Base Every Decision on the Best People

• Great teachers teach to the top!

12)  In Every Situation, Ask "Who is most comfortable, Who is least comfortable?"

• Treat all students as if they have the greatest intention and not assuming intentional misbehavior.

13)  What About those Standardized Tests?

• Great teachers don't let these matters distract from their focus from what really matters.

14)  Making it Cool to Care

• Great Teachers understand that behavior and belief are tied to emotion; they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

Student Work Display: Build them; Use Them

Student Work Displays

Display to focus on teaching and learning.

Student Work in Phases with Feedback

"I Can" Chart

          




         
 A great example of a student work display is one that demonstrates the process of reading, language study and writing. The teacher's use of wall space as a portfolio indicates an understanding of how language-based behaviors influence comprehension. The unique approach is worth noting. This display illustrates how a teacher can use the curricular GLEs and 'I Can' statements that weave into a deeper connection of comprehension, persuasion and voice in writing.   This eighth grade example is one which you should find and review.  It clearly outlines the process and the teacher has given specific feedback throughout.  Student work is staged and you will clearly see how students independently uncovered the information to form a persuasive argument.  The work and teaching are authentic and engaging.  I look forward to reading the final pieces once they are displayed.
It would be easy and quite direct to teach the individual skill of comma, equivilency or organelle. However, that would be a surface structure and we are after deep structures!  The students discovered how a writer uses persuasive technique and organization to convince his/her audience of their purpose.

 Student Work  displays that teach and self-regulate

Social Studies Outlining Note Display

         This display can be found in a social studies class.  Student work displays can be an area where students can find answers to questions independently.  The teacher explicitly describes the process through a co-constructed chart and specific description.  The student work to the left of the description has ties to areas of the rubric that demonstrated quality.  It's a clever way to give feedback and point students in the direction to help themselves when taking notes or completing inquiry.

It's the Feedback that makes the difference

Feedback to reinforce and lift

          Feedback can be easily overlooked.  It is the critical ingredient for a student work display.  Students can reflect on the feedback and know what is it that made this piece quality and how can it be improved.     These two examples, 7th grade math and 8th grade science, illustrate that feedback can come in many forms.  These teachers found their own voice and made it work for them and their students.

Answering a feedback question

I've been in every classroom looking at student work.  I found that 100% of the classrooms 6-8 had a display.  Two were under construction and will be finished.  There are sixteen examples that are exemplary.  There are examples to be found in the exploratory classrooms also.  You should find you way to guidance, business and spanish to see them.  They are also a unique representation of the work students do in those classrooms.  If you haven't gotten a display up please remember that we all teach and student work display is how we demonstrate the value and purpose of instruction.

          During professional development you will be asked to look  for the eleven and give the teacher positive feedback.  You will find that you will see that no two are exactly alike but each have their own unique flavor and the teacher made sense of it.

Don't just tell me; show me!" YOU DID THAT! Congratulations!!  I'm very impressed with the level of implementation.  Thank you.

Reflect on your student work display. Use it as an opportunity to analyze your practices and work to implement at deeper levels during this genre study.

Prompt for response: Reflect on what have you planned this week that demonstrates the integration of strategic learning behaviors and it's influence on curriculum. What evidence are you collecting and how will you know kids are reaching your target?

Kids Will Do Well if we teach them

Kids Do Well if they Can  Please click link to view

Kids Do Well if they Can! WE can do well too!

I would like you to view this video.  It will only take about 4 minutes.  It is powerful professional development and the foundation of our work.  If we are to guide our students on a path of maturity and productivity we have to be the change we want to see in them.  

Kids do well if they can is a difficult concept to operationalize.  

What challenges to you face to bring this concept into your paradigm?  Why is understanding the rationale critical when working with our students?

Bring It On! I can make a difference in the school: one independent reader at a time.

Patience is Good!

Richard Allington states:  "Failure to maintain an on-schedule pace of reading acquisition is the most frequent basis to a referral to an instructional support program."  Translation:  if kids do not read they will be referred for reading support or fail to reach proficiency.

Patience will be the key in making a difference in our overall achievement!

Your role in this fight is critical!  You are the difference maker in motivating kids to read independently.  This means more than asking for volume.  It is the focused conversation around what they are reading and the impact it is having on their ability to achieve in school.    You are the person who will develop our culture into a literate culture.  . Students who reach middle or high school and are still struggling to read for meaning should serve as a red flag to educators. We must move away from this is the way we have always taught our subject and instead commit to what can I do to help my students read and comprehend the required reading.
ALA study:

The common sense notion that students who do a substantial amount of voluntary reading demonstrate a positive attitude toward reading is upheld in both qualitative and quantitative research (Long and Henderson 1973; Greaney 1980; Hepler and Hickman 1982; Greaney and Hegarty 1987; Reutzel and Hollingsworth 1991; Shapiro and White 1991; Mathewson 1994; Barbieri 1995; Short 1995). Students’ reading achievement has been shown to correlate with success in school and the amount of independent reading they do (Greaney 1980; Anderson, Fielding and Wilson 1988). This affirms the predictability of a success cycle: we become more proficient at what we practice (Cullinan 1992).  

The amount of free reading done outside of school has consistently been found to relate to growth in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general information (Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding 1988; Greaney 1980; Guthrie and Greaney 1991; Taylor, Frye, and Maruyama 1990). Students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not (Krashen 1993; Cunningham and Stanovich 1991; Stanovich and Cunningham 1993). Although the correlations are steady, determining the appropriate causal interpretation of the relationships is problematic. 

Make a difference; be patient.  You will be able to support students through independent reading.  Just wait and see!

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!

The A Team: Love when a Plan Comes Together

What Does It Look Like when a  Backward Plan Comes Together?

     This video clip if from a television show from the 80's, the A-Team.  Yes, it was a bit violent and cheesy but was one of only three shows on network TV when I was a kid.  Often the team had to overcome great challenges and solve a crime or dilemma.  Every week there was a plan developed.  George Peppard was the brains and always saw the solution first and then created the plan.  At the end of each episode where all was resolved he'd say, "I love it when a plan comes together."  As I reflected on the recent walkthrough with Dr. Mausbach I thought about this quote and realized that we are working our plan.  I believe positive result is on the horizon.

     Successful middle school engage student in all aspects of their learning.  The answer to this is to balance bother summative and formative classroom assessment practices and information gathering about students.  The key is to think of summative assessment as a means to gauge, at a particular point in time, student learning relative to content standards.  Summative assessments happen too far down the learning path to provide information at the classroom level and to make instructional adjustments and interventions during the learning process. It takes formative assessment to accomplish this.  Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. Our school improvement plan has focused on using formative assessment to guide Tier I intervention.  While we may not have seen it come to full fruition with our Iowa Assessment Result we have seen huge changes in the assessment culture within our classrooms.  

     Specifically, evidence of strong alignment to curriculum was seen in 7th and 8th grade social studies classrooms.  The seventh grade examples had written response using evidence from text to support their answers.  The teacher asked kids to persuade their audience.  This use of close reading gave students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a relevant way.  The second seventh grade example also asked students to respond constructively to a specific prompt.  Again, students were asked to cite evidence to support their answer.  Most importantly, it was clear that these teachers used their common planning with a mindset of backward design to develop their lessons.  These student work displays were excellent examples that should be reviewed by staff.

     I also want to highlight an 8th grade example also.  Again, curricular alignment was evident.  The teacher had highlighted anchors and student models with cited evidence.  The work was clearly tied to the rubric that was used for assessment.  The student work was rigorous and specifically tied to a relevant task.

Backward Design Graphic

Ask yourself how did your student work display align with this view?  When you compare it and what you ask students to do daily; does it align with our lookfors?  Backward planning is the key to reaching A-Team status with highly engaged students and higher achievement.

  Let's get this plan to come together!