Take Your Students on a Cruise in 2015!!!

What if all our students got to take a cruise during the course of the school year?  Now before you worry about your average daily attendance or all the missed assignments RELAX and let me explain.  All over education these days, educators and non-educators alike are calling for student choice and engagement for students and nothing provides more opportunity for both than a cruise ship.  If you have ever been on a cruise, you know what I mean, there are countless opportunities to explore interests, learn new things, and collaborate with others.  You also probably jump on a cruise with a ton of excitement and anticipation of things to come.  Nobody goes on a cruise and expects to be bored!  Wouldn’t it be great if our students looked forward to school in the same way?  They would know they were going to have fun and enjoy their learning, but would also anticipate a certain amount of choice and adventure.

However, there is more to it than choice and fun and games. The thing about a cruise is that everybody on the boat has the same destination!  Everyone gets on in the same place and everyone get off at the same place; it is what happens in between that differentiates their experience.  As a teacher, or cruise director, the responsibility is to make sure everyone has a great experience (no matter what baggage they bring on board with them), while taking them all to the same place.  Is the destination the end of the school year? Is it graduation? College? Whatever the port of call may be, the teacher’s (cruise director) job is to find out what students’ likes/dislikes are, push them to try new things, encourage them to meet/work with others, and provide a dynamic learning experience. 

So as we start 2015, take your kids on a cruise!  It will be an experience they will never forget!!

Are we talking or planning in our PLCs?

This week as I visited a campus, a teacher shared something that really resonated with me.  As we discussed the strengths of her campus she talked about how far her particular team had come in the area of planning lessons together.  She was proud of her PLC and shared that they had realized that last year they were “just talking” but when they really focused on things that mattered, like planning for the learning by looking at data that included student work and results from classroom formatives.  She also talked of studying the content and talking about what the expectations for students will be for the lesson.

What a genuine moment!!  And what I loved most about it was the real connection she had made from focused lesson planning to student learning. 

She was excited and so was I!! 

On many campuses this year, I have spoken with teacher teams about four characteristics of effective schools outlined in Jim Knight’s book, Impact Schools.  These traits provide a focus for campuses as they strive for increased student achievement.

1.       Content Planning- Do the teachers know exactly what is supposed to be taught and how they are planning to teach it?  Are they planning collaboratively or in isolation?  Are they just “talking” or are they designing lessons together?

2.       Instruction- How are the plans being implemented? Having an effective PLC is like having an effective game plan, but teachers still must execute the plan.  If teachers cannot effectively facilitate the learning, they will not have near the impact that they could have.

3.       Assessing for Learning- How do we know the students have actually acquired the knowledge that was expected?  Maybe the most difficult thing a teacher does is correctly diagnose students’ learning, but it is also the most important.  How well we assess our students learning is the ultimate measure of a school’s success.

4.       Community Building- This can be defined in a variety of ways.  Relationships among students, parents, teachers, etc. can define a school and have a great impact on the learning.  The best schools capitalize on positive relationships to make their planning and instructions stronger.

I have no doubts that the teacher I spoke to this week was part of a school that had all four of these traits.  I also have no doubts that it didn’t come easy….she talked about going through the motions of compliance and spinning the wheels of mediocrity, but once it clicked and “talking” turned to “planning” the sky is now the limit!

Managing a Baseball Team is Alot like Managing a Classroom

1954 World Series

Those that know me best know that I am a huge baseball fan.  I don’t follow it day to day like I used to, but after years of playing it as a kid, I have always been fascinated by the game.   I actually credit baseball for my love of reading.  I can still remember reading “The Baseball Life of Willie Mays” over and over when I was in third grade.  I remain convinced he was and is the best baseball player that ever lived and the main reason I was rooting for the Giants in World Series this year.  Once in college, I was fortunate enough to take a class called, “Baseball as a Metaphor for Life”.  It didn’t matter that it was an 8:00 AM class, I never missed it. It is with this theme that I will share my view of baseball with my passion for education.

Besides being fun to play and great to watch, real fans know there are two distinct philosophies  that separate baseball from other sports.  The first is “the book”.  You can’t really define “the book” but in your gut, you know what is right and what is wrong.  If you are around the game for any length of time you will hear someone talk about “playing by the book” and what they really mean is they are doing things that have been commonly accepted and therefore their decisions would not be questioned by others even if they don’t work.  Many teams and managers have been quite successful over time, by playing by the book.  Their decisions are sound because they are based on their own experiences and those around them.  They make decisions with their gut.  Many of our schools function in the same exact way….we do things because we have, over time, been successful and gained experience that allows us to make decisions because “we know best.”  However, there are times when our gut feeling or doing something the way it has always been done does not produce the best results.  For baseball traditionalists, this can be hard to swallow…it can be hard for educators to swallow too.

A second way of looking at the game, some call it “moneyball”, is to strictly look at the game through a numbers lens. Advocates of “moneyball” constantly look at data to make decisions. They do not base their decisions on their own experiences or gut feelings, but instead use numerical data trends to determine which players to use and when.  True disciples of this philosophy trust statistics rather than instincts to make decisions.  Sometimes these decisions go against traditional baseball moves (“the book”) and therefore many hardcore baseball people find them difficult to depend on.  Many would argue this approach has depersonalized the game and taken away the human side of decision making. Schools face the same dilemma. Teachers and Administrators are faced with an enormous amount of data and are asked/forced to make decisions in their classrooms and schools based on numbers rather than relationships. Sometimes the data forces us to admit that decisions and beliefs we have appear to be less effective than we would like to admit.

Thus a struggle between the two philosophies exists. In fact, it has torn apart organizations that trust one version over another and can’t seem to find a way to reconcile the two.  The truth is, the most successful baseball teams and the most successful classrooms must use both!!  We can’t forget about “playing by the book” because we are teaching kids, not robots. People bring variables that numbers just can’t predict.  However, gone are the days when numbers don’t matter.  It would be foolish for a baseball manager or an educator to not access the data that is available to them to help them make the  best decisions for their students.  The best and most successful baseball managers and teachers are the ones that can balance the humans as well as the numbers. 

I encourage educators everywhere….use your instincts and experience to make great teaching decisions, but don’t ignore the trends and results in your data.  We all owe ALL our students that….

Who Expects You To Be Somebody?

“Nobody Rises to Low Expectations”

As we close the end of the first six weeks of school, it is amazing to think that the school year is one-sixth of the way complete.  It may feel like it just started, but in truth we have learned a lot about ourselves and our students already.  Of course our students have learned a lot about us too!  They know what we will and will not accept, both in behaviors and with assignments (even in kindergarten!).  They have a pretty good idea of who the teachers’ pets are and where the popular kids sit at lunch. And above all, they have already decided if their teachers care about them or not.  I am not questioning if teachers care about their students.  I can honestly say I have never met a teacher that didn’t, but I do believe there are students that come to school every day that aren’t sure if their teacher cares about them and their success.  The point is, it doesn’t matter how you feel about someone, if THEY don’t know how you feel, they are left to their own perceptions and some of our students may not perceive the best.

A recent “Student Voice” survey of over 65,000 students conducted by the Quaglia Institute (www.qisa.org) showed that only 34%  of students believed that their teachers knew “their hopes, dreams, and aspirations”!  What a discouraging number!!  A lot of research has also been conducted about the value of high expectations as a vital tool for success. They have shown it will push us to do things we were not sure we were capable.  How and Why do we do this? Often we do it because someone else is counting on us. The question I have posed to kids as I have traveled to schools the last couple of weeks is one I read about in a story of highly successful people that came from less than stellar backgrounds.  It is a simple question:  Who Expects You to Be Somebody? 

As you can imagine, many students pick their family members, but often it is one of their teachers that students tell me about as the person that expects the most out of them.  I had one student tell me that they try to do their best because they don’t want to let their teacher down.  That is a huge impact. Our Superintendent recently showed the District Leadership team a short video clip of a brain surgeon who credits his middle school science teacher with “inspiring” him to be a doctor just by telling him he had “the hands for it”.  It was one comment to one child, but it had an enormous impact on him and his future.  Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFs8P_TrAVQ

So as we near the end of the first six weeks, stop and reflect about the students you see every day.  Some of them are already behind the class academically. Some are struggling to fit in and belong. Some you have identified which ones need extra attention. No matter what you think you know about your students already, ask yourself: Who expects them to be somebody?  Is it you?  Do they know it?

“Teachers effect eternity, no one can tell where their influence stops.”

What is a “dynamic learning experience”?



Middle school dance!!  Hands to yourself!

Middle Schools sharing thoughts on 9/11

Sometimes we get so busy doing our “school work” that it can be easy to miss all the wonderful things going on around us every single day.  Don’t!!  Stop and think about the many great things your campus and teachers are doing every day to create a “dynamic learning experience” for your students. In the past week, I have seen or heard about so many wonderful experiences for our kids that I have lost count.  My own daughter “experienced” her first middle school dance, while also completing her summer reading project as well as the joys of math and science tests.  Later she got to watch as some of her friends performed in the District’s middle school musical “The Little Mermaid”.  Somewhere in the middle of all that, she got feedback from one of her teachers about a writing assignment and the opportunity to make corrections!  If engagement is part of the school experience, she is getting it!  Fortunately, it is not just my own children that are receiving a dynamic learning experience.  Did you hear about STEM kids at the OLC? Check out their blog:

http://itjustcomesnaturally.blogspot.com/

5th grade student learning 7th PAP math
via Skype

#wildcatway

All over NISD, authentic learning is taking place daily.  Teachers and students working together to create an instructional culture that is pushing them past their previous best!  I received a picture this week from a teacher whose students were selecting their own learning targets and working towards mastery.  In the high schools: two of our high school students at BNHS were recognized at a national advertising competition, the NHS Debate team recently took home numerous recognitions at a regional meet that involved over 100 teams from 14 states, and don’t forget to make an appointment at the salon at SteeleAccelerated High School to get your nails and hair done!

Kinder Students at Granger using QR codes

Recently, each campus created a bulletin board around the simple theme, “Tell Your Story”.  I have been fascinated and impressed with the numerous activities that our students experience and the opportunities our teachers give them. Some schools chose to show their history; while others designed a presentation with their eyes on the future.  No matter what school you attend or what your interests may be, there is no doubt NISD campuses have a dynamic experience waiting for you!!

Is it a choice to be “Great” at your school?

Middle School Self-Assessment
on a Learning Target!

Self-Assessment in 3rd grade!

One of the wonderful things about the start of the school year is the many new ideas and concepts teacher are trying in their classrooms.  Many of you spent the summer in professional development or at the very least thinking of ways to make your classrooms more exciting and engaging for your students.  Around our District (not to mention on twitter), I have been encouraged to see many of our teachers speaking a common language about student learning.  You don’t have to go very far into any of our schools to see authentic examples of students using technology, self-assessing their work, and giving each other feedback.  In addition, teachers are introducing the concept of learning targets, setting up rituals and routines, and working with each other to design lessons for their students.  All of these things have us well on our way to a wonderful school year.



CTMS PLC "learning with and through others"

At our Administrator Academy this year, a focus was the importance of developing an effective school rather than just an effective classroom.  Campus leadership teams were challenged to insist upon structures that allowed everyone to improve. The point was obvious, a great teacher can have a huge influence on students, but schools that surround students with many great teachers have a sustaining impact on every student, every day. 

In class "twitter"

So as we move through the first portion of the school year and the ideas are fresh and the possibilities are endless, I can’t help but ask, is being “great” at your school a choice? When new, effective things are rolled out on campus, are they presented as “try this you might like it” or “we need to do this”? Is professional learning and participation optional?  Is expanding your teaching toolkit necessary to keep up? How many out there are going through the motions in PLCs and faculty meetings only to return to their rooms and teach in isolation?  My hope is that the numbers are very low, but truthfully it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a good teacher and a great one. What I hope we all aspire to, is working in a place where “great” is not a choice…A place where if you are not “great” you stand out as an outlier.  In Jim Collins book, “Good to Great” he talks about how there is no way to “fake it” in effective organizations because the climate won’t stand for it. 

Does this mean that everyone should teach exactly the same? NO!  We are not wired that way.  However, if we are truly striving to be the best and believe that continuous learning is part of that process, then being “great” everyday cannot be a choice.  It must be an expectation for all!

Are we on target? You bet we are!!

Thermometer or a Thermostat?

“We can never predict with absolute certainty the future but we are always in control of how we prepare for it.”

Most organizations, successful or not, have two types of people: Thermometers and Thermostats. How do you know which one you are?  That is easy, what do you do to contribute to the success of your organization?  Are you one of the leaders that help set the tone, or do you sit back and wait to see what happens?  The difference is much like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat.  A thermometer is a very useful tool.  It measures the temperature and can tell you if something is too hot or too cold. However, it is limited in its usefulness…it does nothing to effect a change of temperature when needed.  There are many people that play this role in an organization.  They are useful, very good at what they do, and even necessary to provide valuable information in making decisions, but they are not the small percentage of movers and shakers needed to keep an organization on the cutting edge.

Thermostats are much different.  Thermostats can tell you the temperature, but perhaps more importantly, they have the ability to control the temperature.  They make the climate comfortable or uncomfortable, hot or cold.  They have the power and ability to change the climate to a more desirable or effective one! These people have the unique ability to adapt the climate to what it needs to be for a given situation.

 Most successful schools share a common thread at the center of all they do…an effective instructional climate guided by highly engaged instructional leaders.  This is often the principal, but the principal can’t be the only thermostat. The climate is different in every classroom and they can’t be everywhere so it also takes assistant principals, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, or just someone willing to step up and be a leader.  These leaders must be thermostats.  They need to be able to gauge the temperature and effect change as needed.  Without them, the status quo will remain and only fluctuate by chance…just like the temperature.

So the question remains, are you a thermometer that just measures the temperature of your classroom or your school?  Or are you a thermostat that controls the climate and makes the necessary changes that are needed? Everyone has the power to be both.