0 Withstanding Pushback Related to New Ideas

It's natural for new ideas to be met with pushback, in a sense it's a natural process of editing, revision, and contradiction that occurs--a process that actually serves to make the idea better in the end. Yet, withstanding that pushback can be a painful and lonely process. What is one to do?

First, if an idea persists, it's likely that the idea is a good one. Hence, nurture the idea with research, trial, discussion, and promotion. Listen to the naysayers, cull the idea, and grow it with effect. Don't lose hope, beat yourself up, or become angry--the truth is that all good ideas go through a process of resistance, and all good ideas end up rising to the top eventually.

Hence, dance the dance of new ideas rather than meeting an idea's natural journey with combat. Expect naysayers, criticism, and loneliness as that's part of the new idea journey. Don't get angry at those who resist you, instead look for any nuggets of wisdom in their negativity and glimpses of support in their retort, then move on and/or away. Seek out others who love the idea as you do. Be critical often of the new idea yourself making sure that the new idea has integrity and will, and as the Constitution of the Iroquois Nation promoted, "Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground--the unborn of the future Nation." Also, be aware of the role you play in others' new ideas with positive debate, discussion, and collaboration.

As a lover of new ideas and the promise ideas hold for better lives and a better world, only now am I really beginning to understand that ideas take on a life and journey, and understanding that path well helps one to nurture, navigate, and promote ideas that matter and contribute to positive growth and change.

0 Building Learning Communities: Powerful #satchat

This morning's #satchat initially focused on the faculty meeting, but quickly turned into a powerful discussion about learning communities. I want to capture the essential points I gained so that I can reflect on these issues more in days to come.

First, do we consider schools learning communities?  
In a learning community, all are considered learners who learn together by regularly sharing knowledge, gifts, skills, questions, ideas, and needs to move the collective community forward.

Next, in your learning community, are ideas, information, and process shared in a fluid, positive, open-minded manner? 
Secrets are few. Mission, vision, and goals are created with the systematic, transparent input of all, and are regularly reviewed and revised to meet the learning community's growth and work.

Also, in your learning community, is time treated with care, and not wasted with meetings that aren't well planned?
Crowdshare documents and systems are used with lead time to cull conversations down to the most essential points, and real-time is used for our most worthy discussion in effective, efficient, and inclusive ways--ways where no one voice dominates, but all have a chance to participate.

In addition, do leaders model what they expect in the community with regard to communication, share, growth, and learning?
Leaders readily share their learning in effective and efficient ways promoting a culture of learners and responsive action. Leaders, whether they be student leaders, classroom leaders, school leaders, parent group leaders, or system leaders, adopt growth mindsets looking for ways to build and develop their practice in transparent ways for best effect. Servant leadership is a powerful model for learning communities. Authors and books recommended during the #satchat including Deming and Senge, Greenleaf, Musashi, Book of 5 Rings, Napolean Hill, Carnegie, Godin, Sun Tsu, “All Systems Go”, “The Fifth Discipline”, and “If You Don’t feed the T’s they Eat the S’s,"

Is your learning community effective, and are systems streamlined and transparent?
Efficient and effective learning communities that serve mission and vision rather than the system itself make a difference. In schools that means that most time is spent serving children with quality time-on-task efforts and work. Additional time is spent in worthy, effective collaborative learning design in order to produce the best possible programs for children.

What can you do?
From where you sit in your learning community, what do these notes mean to you? For me the #satchat discussion and these notes point to the following actions:

1. Know others well and expect best intentions. As a veteran teacher, I've often been disappointed with the inefficiency and sometimes oppression inherent in schools, but as we move forward I want to relay my questions, thoughts, and ideas with positive intent, a sense of camaraderie, and promise with an eye on future growth, collaboration, and serving children well.

2. I want to continue to learn about and strengthen my ability to be a servant leader in my role as teacher. With this in mind, I will continue to find ways to study, hear, observe, and respond to my learners' needs and interests with strength, care, and deliberate action.

3. As a member of the learning team, I want to find ways to hear my colleague's ideas, and work together to build effective collaborative teaching and learning initiatives. Our PLC gives us an opportunity to do this with strength.

That's my initial response to this morning's powerful, global chat. Thanks to the wonderful moderators who encourage this think and work every Saturday morning: Brad Currie and Scott Rocco, and the many other moderators of #satchat including Shelley Burgess, David Culberhouse, Darrin Jolly, Amy Illingworth, Billy Krawkower Jay Graham (Indonesia), Holly Fairbrother (Singapore), and Andrea Stringer (Australia).  I appreciate. 

0 The Fourth Grade Journey Continues

Multiple/Factor Card Activity

Today we turned the curriculum page as we culminated our place value and persuasive writing units. We cleaned the room, sent home unit assessments, and had some time to learn and explore in relaxed and enjoyable ways.

When Monday arrives, we'll embark on the following units:

• Multiples and Factors
• Large Number Multiplication
• The Culture Project
• Book Groups, Read Aloud, and Independent Reading and Research
• Completion of the Animal Adaptation Unit

I'll begin this new leg of the year with a reminder of what "real learning" is--the kind of learning journey we took with the persuasive writing unit including initial assessments and review, a focus on the goal (standard), and strategizing, adapting, and assessing as we moved towards the goal. 

Today as I passed out the initial, middle, and end assessments for the persuasive unit, I heard students remarking about their growth and pointing out how their first persuasive essays were so short while their final pieces were long and detailed. They also discussed the particulars such as the specific details, language, paragraphs, and reasons--the elements we emphasized throughout the unit. They happily noticed their progress, and demonstrated pride as they held up their work for others to see. I told them that their assessments were also assessments for me demonstrating successful teaching and areas that I still have to work at to teach both standards and students well. I like to share this information as one way to build the understanding that together we are a learning community, a team of learners including students and teachers. 

Next week as I introduce the culture project and multiples/factors unit, I want to enlist the same understanding and investment in the learning cycle from assessment and goal setting to effective learning and mastery. With this in mind, I am reminded of how important the introductory phase of a unit is, and how rushing does not serve the unit teaching and goals well.  Hence, I'll take the time needed for a good start to both units.

Finally, the more I embrace new tools, standards, and strategies, the more I'm enjoying the act of teaching and learning--it is definitely where I want to invest my energy.  Hence, I'll work with care to make a commitment to my classcentric goals, leaving the big picture issues and events to those in that realm.

Step-by-step, strategy-by-strategy, the fourth grade year typically moves quickly.  Even more important than the strategies, standards, and goals is taking the time to hear, respond, and enjoy these young children that I teach and serve each day. Onward.

0 Caring for a Creative Community

Angela's amazing cartoon--humorous and informative at the same time. 

My class is a creative community, and it is my job to care for them.

During tech workshop yesterday children were completing comics, Google presentations, puppet shows, story threads, and more. There wasn't a corner of the room that wasn't buzzing with activity. Twenty-three bright, creative, energetic students can create quite a stir.

It's another turning point for my classroom community.  They've learned how to use multiple tools for presentation and communication. They have developed classroom friendships, and opened their eyes to the endless field of learning.  And, they've proved that they can truly attend to lengthy learning tasks and assessments. For example, they all spent up to two hours of sustained attention writing an end of a unit persuasive essay assessment yesterday--amazing!

So how do I care for this sparky, spunky team?

I'll start with yet another room overhaul by going in early this morning to quickly reorganize the many classroom centers and supply areas to make more room for the latest projects and our upcoming Culture Celebration. Also, in response to the upcoming holiday season, I'll simplify the schedule to a "less is more" focus including daily reading, writing, math, and tech workshops plus read aloud. I find that the holidays are a good time for more routine and focused activities since many children are busy with outside-of-school recitals, celebrations, and special events. Finally, it's a time for another round of student reviews.  Hence, I'll copy a number of checklists, review recent assignments, and determine direction for individuals too.

The teaching year remains a journey of both expected and unexpected twists and turns--the key is to keep the children center stage in the journey. That's what matters.

0 What Matters: Scores?

In many respects it feels like scores take top priority in schools today?

What is your score as a teacher?

What is your score as a student?

If scores are dealt with using disrespect, they can have a dehumanizing affect.

What does it take to get good scores?

For some students, the good scores come easy. For other students, the good scores are difficult to reach. For teachers, the scores depend on many factors including teaching support, family support, classroom materials, time-on-task, and student numbers.

The scores are mainly based on ELA and math multiple choice and written responses, tests that in many ways are troubling to some for multiple reasons. To do well on scores also means that the curriculum for the most challenged in those areas may become lots and lots of same kind of teaching rather than the creative, project base learning that's enticing, engaging, and exciting for students--project/problem base learning that replicates the kind of work students will do later on in life, and the work that keeps students invested.

For young fourth graders in Massachusetts the scores depend on the ability to handwrite a very long draft and final story that takes about a day's work--that's a lot of writing for one day, and writing that is done in a way that few real-time writers embrace as most real time writers type a draft, let it simmer, edit, then publish with care. The standards in both ELA and math are broad and deep equaling more than a year's teaching for some children.

So with this reality in mind, what is a teacher to do?

I will continue my commitment this year to trying to get good scores and teach an engaging, interactive program too. It is challenging to do anything new as there is a lot of fear related to these scores and the practices that support them, but I'll go forward each day trying to do both--new and invigorating plus tried and true to reach scores and teach well too.

I will work with my grade-level team to share ideas, and teach children well. We have a dedicated team of teachers who are willing to share their ideas and focus.

I will remain mostly class- and team-centered as to do this work well takes focus, time, and care.

I will not see students as a "score" and continue to foster team, a love of learning, and academic mastery in child-centered, caring ways.

Can I achieve this goal?

What makes this more complicated is that my students' achievement is dependent on so many more than me, and there's lots that we can all do to help students achieve in schools including the following:

• Lessen disruptions: We need thoughtful time-on-task to do our jobs well.
• Interdisciplinary study: If specialists and others that serve our students employ some of the standards too that will help with scores. 
• Keep classroom numbers and make-up reasonable: Think about students' needs and numbers when making class assignments. For example fourth students at grade four, seven, and ten are responsible for long essays as part of their tests--this teaching takes lots of individual coaching, editing, and support--perhaps the teacher:student ratios for ELA should be lower at these grade levels so that teachers have time to coach writing well. 
• Coach teachers too with care and support. Rather than making teachers  "numbers," use the best leadership practices to create team, shared investment, and optimal programming so that all are invested in the goal of getting good scores and teaching students well.
• All hands on deck: As much as possible foster high-quality, time-on-task teaching and efforts with students with as many professional educators as possible.
• Strategic, Targeted,  Efforts: Support teaching teams with their ideas and efforts to teach well which includes knowing students' needs through formative and summative assessment, strategies and adaptation, and worthy, engaging, productive learning experiences. 
• Transparency and Accuracy: Report scores in timely, transparent, and accurate ways.  Heresay and inaccurate score reporting will serve to create frustration, ineffective efforts, and lack of team. 
• Feedback: Provide feedback regularly to foster student learning, family involvement, and growth.
• Family Support: Regularly communicate goals, efforts, and coaching tips to families.
• Teach the Standards: Know and teach all standards. The language of the standards for my grade level are rich and deep, worthy learning goals that can be embedded into engaging study. 

If used well, the scores can be a source of effective discussion, effort, and education.  However, if used with inaccuracy, lack of transparency, and disrespect, scores can serve to demean both children and educators thus creating schools that are unhappy, stressful, and ineffective.

Let's strike the right balance. 

0 What do you notice? Prepping for Math Talk

I've started using Google conversation/writing threads to foster community, develop writing skill, and share ideas. I post a thread or presentation and invite all the students in.  Each child adds to the thread with a post. I offer a comment or place a "sticker" on the page to respond to the child's work.  Children who are uncomfortable with the share may write their own document.

This week I'll post the math chart below and ask students to share what they notice.  This thread will help students to prepare for Friday's Math Talk, an introduction to multiplication facts, multiples, and factors.  I know that I don't like to attend a talk cold, instead I like to warm up to the idea with pre-reading, writing, and thought.  This thread will give students the same opportunity.  I'm excited to see what happens.

Students will comment on a thread similar to the chart below to prepare for Friday's Math Talk.

Students will add to the Google doc during homework time and class tech time.  I will print and hand out copies of this document to support our Friday morning Math Talk. 

0 Asking Questions

Many don't like questions, and I ask a lot of them.

Recently I received a host of answers for questions I was wondering about.  The answers served to inform my work.

In one area, the answer pointed to lots and lots of extra work if I want to try something new--I'm shelving that new work for a while since the answer pointed to something I don't think will last. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm not ready to invest yet as I don't see the connection between the system and apt student learning.

In another area, the answer was ever so helpful as it will help us to save time by traveling a learning/teaching path with important knowledge.

A third answer will help me to be ready for both a personal and professional event.

A fourth answer could mean support for a new event, or not--we'll see.

Even though some shun questions, it's your right to ask, and by asking questions we better understand the supports around us, the needed information and items to travel the teaching/learning path well, and a better sense of the time line we'll follow to do our work well.

0 SRSD: Writing Well

We've adopted SRSD: Self-Regulated Strategy Development as part of our writing program. Essentially, I see SRSD as a "coach yourself" model of learning, performance, and production which includes an awareness of what's expected and the steps necessary to get there.

So far students have embraced this model by memorizing mnemonics, practicing/learning the steps to good writing, and realizing the ways to edit and analyze writing to inform edits and revision.

The more I learn about this model, the more I like it because it emphasizes the role that students play in their own work and learning thus maximizing their ability to regulate their strategies and effort.

Like any good teaching strategy, it takes time to figure out how to employ SRSD with effect in your classroom, synthesizing the approach with other successful strategies. This week my students will take the final assessment related to the SRSD approach with persuasive writing. Prior to the final assessment I'll give the children a chance to think and write about the mnemonic, process, edits, and revision.  Then the students will have about an hour to "show off" their best persuasive writing skills.

In a sense, the final assessment is similar to the end of a session swim test.  You practice and learn the strokes during the entire session, and then at the end you take the test to see if you've moved up to the next group. Similarly my students will take the test, and I'll be able to see who learned the approach and genre well, and who still needs further coaching.  I'll also be able to determine the strength of my teaching--where did I hit the mark, and where can I improve during the next writing unit focused on narrative.

Do you use SRSD in your writing program? If so, what have you found most helpful about the approach?  How do you plan a unit with SRSD in mind?  What are the steps, and how much time do you devote to each step?

SRSD is one more tool for the teacher's toolkit, an important tool because it serves to develop students' academic independence and success.

0 Learning Paths Model: How Do You Depict Learning Today?

We know that learning is a life-long endeavor.

We understand that we travel multiple learning paths, and on each path we find ourselves in different positions. For some paths we excel and move quickly, and for others we struggle and move slowly.

How would you depict your learning path life?  How do accelerate and enrich the paths that are most meaningful to you, and how to you coach yourself along that paths that are necessary, but challenging and cumbersome?

As you teach, how do you help students understand the multiple paths in their learning life, and the role they play when it comes to moving along those paths?  How do you engender a sense of team and collaboration when it comes to respecting and assisting each individual's path profile, needs, and success?

Teaching today, more than ever before, is an act of coaching children to travel paths of learning success. As you think about that, how would you draw a diagram that depicts the paths you support and direct with children?  I've made a first attempt below.  Let me know what you think, or share you're own illustration.

How could I draw this so that I also reflect the interdisciplinary nature of paths, the way paths intersect to effect growth and synthesis?  Also note that the lines should be wavy--learning is not a straight path. 

Note: It would be interesting to have children draw a picture of what they think learning is, then share the illustrations and talk about the nature, action, and emotion of learning.  I believe that would build capacity.

0 Caring Commitment: Big Sister Association Celebration

"We are what we do for each other."

- Elizabeth Warren

Last night I had the chance to attend a celebration of the Big Sister Organization of Boston. It was a wonderful event held at Boston's magnificent Museum of Fine Arts. The event served to once again remind me of how important it is for educators to leave education circles regularly to interact with other agencies, organizations, and systems for inspiration, learning, and outreach.

For starters, the organization's story including the specific story of Colleen, a young woman from South Boston, whose life was greatly impacted by her big sister Gretchen, inspired me and reminded me of the tremendous impact that positive time and care have on children. These stories exemplified the night's theme, Big in Boston: Every Girl, A Masterpiece.

Further, the night was dedicated to Mayor Menino, Boston's long term mayor who is leaving office at the end of the year. Menino has been an avid supporter of the Big Sister Organization, and has made a point to recruit Boston area woman to serve. After his retirement he will serve on Big Sister's board. A highlight of the night for me was the chance to say thank you to Mayor Menino, a leader I've looked up to for a long, long time, and an example of someone who really cares about his job, and puts his best effort forward each and every day for the people of Boston--an effort that resonates in the community and beyond.

The evening was moderated with charm and humor by Charlie Baker, a candidate for Massachusetts' 2014 gubernatorial campaign, and Jack Connors, benefactor of many Boston organizations and co-founder of Boston's ad agency Hill Holliday. Senator Elizabeth Warren also spoke recounting her own amazing journey from humble beginnings to the United Senates Senate as an example of the incredible possibilities that exist for girls today. A local newswoman and Big Sister supporter, Lisa Hughes, began the event with enthusiasm. Thoughtfully orchestrating the event from the background was Big Sister's chief executive officer, Deborah Re, and her team. Karen Kaplan received the Big Sister's "Believe in Girls" award, and shared her story of the encouragement and efforts that led to her success as she rose from receptionist to Hill Holliday's CEO. She acknowledged the role that Jack Connors played in her success with reference to the fact that kindness, care, support, and believing in yourself are key factors in the success of any individual and organization.

In all, the night left me with the following ideas--ideas that will impact my work as an educator:

• Commitment to your work matters, and in the end that is what you will take away.  Do you do your best work each day? 
• Humor and charm lighten and brighten events.
• Story brings people together and inspires.
• Contribution to positive endeavor beyond your own home, work, and family are important. Choose where you will contribute that effort and make it count.
• There's a big world of opportunity out there; make sure that your students are aware of this world, and know that they can contribute to, engage, and lead in this world. 
• The possibilities are extraordinary if you're willing to believe.
• How do we serve each child with the thought: "Every Child, a Masterpiece."
• We need to stop now and then to celebrate, and if you have the chance to celebrate choose a magnificent location if possible.

What events outside of your school and family life impact the work you do each day as an educator?  How do you reach out beyond the school walls to develop your teaching/learning repertoire so that you bring a broader, deeper experience to the students you teach?  Do you make the time to celebrate positive endeavor, action, and results with others? These are questions I want to ponder more as I continue on the education road.