Starters/Activators

Weeks of September 10th and 17th:

The Muaither SSO team began using the 55 minute morning Break as the forum for delivering professional development. It gave a solid 30 - 40 minutes in which to present a technique then begin a guided practice activity. The school staff was divided into thirds according to the CSS who worked with the department. To cover Starters and Activators, we planned the sessions with the teachers being greeted at the door, signing in, and being directed to their seats which had name tags. There they found an activity sheet which they were to begin alone before sharing what they had done with their table mates.

As we moved into the instructional portion, we began with three vocabulary words - starters, activators, bellwork. The teachers defined these three words, shared what they knew about them then added other words and phrases which they used to describe the opening of each class. They then wrote what they knew on sticky notes and put them on the "K" chart. There was much discussion as to what each activity "looked" like in a classroom. The science group was adamant in calling the beginning activity as the Arrival, and engaging ways to begin other activities as Starters or Activators. When I became aware of the need for teachers to keep a previously learned term, it was clear that we would need to be sure that the teachers left the two-part training with a solid understanding of the attributes required of the activities/ procedures which would engage the students from the moment they entered the classroom.

The first session ended with the teachers being charged to engage each student as soon as she entered the classroom. They were to bring their ideas to the next week's session.

It was from the discussion, that I was reminded the teachers had received several trainings concerning the need to have engaging activities at the beginning of each class session and each succeeding activity. In some cases, they were determined to hold to their previous knowledge, and I did not want to turn it into a point of contention. Even the Lesson Plan Template which they use asks them to describe the Arrival activities. Therefore, the closing exercise of "What we have learned" was adjusted to focus on the "attributes of the activities and procedures" which begin from the moment a student walks in the door. In using this closure tactic, the teachers articulated well the essence of procedures and opening activities.

We are far from finished with Starters and Activators. CSS and department coordinators are constantly watching for effective engagement of students from the moment they enter a classroom. Carla turned the attributes into a checklist which Daspo turned into an observation chart on which to take notes. It is a slow process when turning "theory" into "practice," thus, the follow-up observations and discussions are even more valuable than the original training.

What was wonderful is that during the discussion of Starters / Activators, the teachers were able to articulate their understanding of the importance of getting students engaged in what they are to learn. With perseverance, this knowledge should transfer from the beginning of the block through other introductory activities.

We now need to move onto reducing the teacher/preacher to the teacher/coach on the side.

Is the weather the key?

Week of 3 September 2006

Is the weather the key?

I have been reading a trilogy which is the follow-up to the story ­Willow which was a movie by George Lucas (Star Wars and Indiana Jones). Willow and the Shadow Trilogy are a collaboration between Lucas and Chris Claremont of X-Men fame. The set of books would equate to The Hobbit followed by The Lord of the Rings. In this series, the heroine is assisted by a diverse group which is comprised by Nelwyn (dwarf-like people), lesser Faerie (brownies, naiads, dryads, etc.), Daikini (men), Wyrn (water/land folk) and even dragons to an extent. The problem is that she is felt to be the Danan, the chosen one, but every place she goes seems to be obliterated from the face of the earth or taken over by the Deceiver. This leads her to doubt herself and her mission, try to make sense of the changing world, and begin a quest for knowledge which might lead her to answers.

During one of her knowledge quests, she is sitting in the professor’s library at the university with documents strewn around her. She keeps trying to take the many pieces of information which she has extracted from the printed text and tie them in some fashion to the experiences and knowledge she has gained.

She asks of her guardian and mentor, Thorn Drumheller, “Is the weather the key?” He answers, “You tell me.” She responds, “I hate it when you answer a question with a question.” His response, “That’s because you’re the one who has to provide the answers.” She quips, “Meaning you already know.” His response, “Meaning you’re the one who needs to know. Understanding the why of a solution – the process of deduction – is far more important than the solution itself.” Her inquiry, “I can’t get away with intuition?” Thorn, “You can, Elora. But how then do you explain to the others?” He becomes very serious then continues, “There will come a time when you go to those who believe in you and say, do such and such a thing for no other reason than that they trust you. But the trust must be earned. They must know your word is good, the instincts sound. And you have to know you’re right. You must inspire men and women to love you, and though I pray the moment never comes to pass, you must then be prepared for the day when you send them to their deaths. And watch, as they do so willingly.”

Though I pray, we in our roles as SMA or CSS will not be sending anyone to their deaths; we are at the same place as Elora. We must be able to take our “intuition” as to what makes a master teachers and put it to words so we can inspire and develop the trust of those who believe we are the “experts.” We are here to mentor and inspire.

The introduction to the Skillful Teacher brought back memories of what I have learned about metacognition (analysis of how we learn or think) and Madeline Hunters (Instructional Theory in Practice – ITIP - http://www.adprima.com/direct.htm). Much like Elora, we want to go on our intuition. The author points out that effortless teaching which is an “unconscious, automatic kind of knowing” or “tacit knowledge” is naturally possessed by only a few. Thus the problem arises, as Thorn adeptly reminds us - we cannot pass on intuition. We need to be able to pass on overt knowledge to develop teachers who are “aware of the complexity of the job,… who try to be conscious and deliberate about what they do.” We have to give them knowledge about the pedagogy of teaching. (“The study of teaching methods, including the aims of education and the ways in which such goals may be achieved. The field relies heavily on educational psychology, or theories about the way in which learning takes place.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary) But, we must also inspire them so they become that Skillful Teacher who is “conscious and deliberate about what they do” so they have “a positive effect on students,… are willing to monitor what they do, get feedback and try different things” to meet student needs.

I love watching coordinators and teachers sitting side by side looking at a computer screen or book to garner ideas or develop teaching moments. The discussion whether in Arabic or English is that magical moment of going beyond intuition to becoming “conscious and deliberate.” I realize that the final product in all cases may not be “pedagogically perfect,” but they lead to a taught lesson which, if followed up with monitoring and feedback, can lead to changes which will improve instruction the next time around.

I am afraid that when I taught, I went very much on intuition and relationships and not always in that order. It was not until I had been teaching for 10 years or so that I really began putting together all of the theory with what I found successful in the classroom. We had no real mentors at that time, but if we had, I’m sure that I would have listened politely then tried it my way. Therefore, when I hear some of the stories from buildings about teachers who do not seem to get it or listen then do things their way, I try not to worry. I just hope that we can find something more than our intuition to fuel the desire in each teacher to learn to discern the success of a lesson then modify it so they become better teachers who inspire students.

Elora, the weather may not be the key. The key may be that you asked the question.