Seek ye First

Coaching

2007-04-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

“Change Coaches address whole-school, organizational improvement. Content coaches focus more exclusively on improving teachers’ instructional strategies in specific content areas.” That pretty much sums up what the School Support Organizations are attempting to give their schools. A School Management Advisor to support the administration and pay attention to the over-all school organization and three content area specialists to support primarily English, Science and Math while providing support to all teachers in all content areas.

This supports the information about the elements of teacher professional development: grounded in inquiry, reflection and experimentation; collaborative in sharing knowledge and teachers’ communication; sustained, ongoing, intensive and supported by modeling, coaching and problem solving; connected to work with students; engaging teachers; and connected to school change.

When putting the research into action, it is important to consider the stages of development of the administration and staff and the culture of the community in which the school is located. From limited experience in one school and listening to conversation from other schools, coaches must be constantly aware of the people with whom they work. Is the principal interested in and/or willing to give over instructional leadership to the teachers? Is the principal wanting to build a capacity for shared decision-making which minimizes micromanaging? Does the principal understand the use of data and the importance of asking some tough questions which lead to trends shown in the data? It seems that the culture of the community and the mind set of the principal makes it difficult to create a learning community which values teacher leaders.

At our school, I have witnessed wonderful growth in department coordinators and in teachers working in teams. Coordinators are taking on the challenges of successfully guiding teachers in their unit and lesson planning. The difficulty is moving the lesson plans into action in the classroom. Many teachers are still struggling with examining data and turning the knowledge gleaned into defining classroom organization and selecting teaching strategies.

As this school year moves through the second semester, it will be the goal of the content area specialists to assist coordinators and teachers in using data to truly meet the needs of all students without eliminating their plans for covering the required standards in their content areas. For the SMA, it will be to assist the principal in creating a more open communication line so coordinators and teachers feel that their leadership skills are being considered in the over-all success of the school. It will all require coaching and being a guide-on-the-side who leaves some road maps for the school leadership to follow once the SSO teams have left the building. The change will take beyond this school year, but it is very possible and I see much success in the future of this school.

School Visit

2007-03-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

It was my privilege to make a visit to Qatar Academy with our school librarian and our Study Skills teacher. Our mission was to visit and observe the libraries at the different levels to determine what the librarian taught students, the schedule which students followed and the equipment and materials which were available for students and teachers. We achieved our mission and more.

Our greatest discovery was the atmosphere and climate of the school…

When we entered the school, we were greeted by the guards and assisted in finding our hostess. We felt that we were welcome. Once we arrived at the vice-principal’s office, the room was filled with student projects. These were requirements of the seniors which could be shared with the community. The vice-principal’s team was responsible for critiquing each project with a team. They conveyed a real pride for the accomplishments of the students and of those who had the vision and guided the students through the final product.

As we walked through the school, it looked like a school and felt like a school. Much planning had gone into a celebration of reading. Doors were decorated for a favorite book, bulletin boards were full of student writing and promotions of children’s literature, and children were playing and working in many different settings. We passed kindergarten children having recess in an open area. In the libraries, students moved about selecting books, reading or listening to adults read to them, or working at computers. Adults worked at arranging different areas of the library, interacted quietly with students and attended to administrative tasks at the central desk.

In the secondary library, we spoke with the librarian who shared the areas of the library which included books, computers for locating books, periodicals, etc, multi-media rooms for class instruction and presentations, and a computer lab for teaching and using a variety of technology skills and strategies. During the time we were there, a teacher brought his class into the library to teach a research strategy and have students work on a project.

It reminded me so much of the reading and discussion on atmosphere and school culture. As the morning unfolded, it was obvious that over time, the staff had made conscious decisions on what they wanted the school culture to contain. Since we were in the school to observe the library curriculum and activities, I listened carefully to each librarian as they shared their program, how they assisted students and how they arrived at the level we were observing. It was definitely a process.

The librarians made efforts to learn when grade levels were meeting for planning curriculum / lessons. They attended as many planning meetings as they could. In the beginning, the teachers were not sure how to utilize the services of the librarian beyond taking students to the library each week. This began to change as the librarians set up areas of the library for the different grade levels. These areas contained materials which would support what teachers were covering in the classroom. Slowly, the meetings included more suggestions on how the librarians could support the classroom instruction. The librarians understood more the content of the curriculum at each grade level and materials needed to support the curriculum. The librarian selected materials which they knew would promote the teachers’ efforts.

Creating an atmosphere which supports learning does not happen magically. It takes time, effort and much communication between all members of the school staff. I really hope that the staff members who attended with me can assist their school in bringing about an atmosphere for collaborative teaching which supports learning for all students.

Atmosphere and School Culture

2007-03-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

What kind of school do you want? What does your Ideal School look like?

Back in the 80s when School Improvement was gaining greater attention, I did an extended training on the steps for developing continuous school improvement. This training was focused on all school that did not have a systemic procedure for setting academic goals and determining to what degree students were reaching those goals. From this training, one of my favorite activities to do with large and small groups of school stakeholders (teachers, support staff, parents, and community members) is the Ideal School. The activity is a precursor to defining beliefs and crafting a mission statement.

The concept is simple. You give the participants some basic guidelines on what an Ideal School could contain - the physical plant, the equipment, tools and resources, the students (behavior and academic learning), the teachers (behavior and academic teaching), the administrators and administrative staff, the support staff (anyone doing anything in the building), the parents (behavior and support), and the community (behavior and support). The participants work in groups of 4 – 6 to design with pictures and few words their version of the Ideal School. After about 30 minutes, each group shares with the total group their Vision of the Ideal School.

During the sharing, members of the facilitating team take notes and construct “belief statements” related to reoccurring statements. Example: Most of the groups state that they what a curriculum which required students to solve real world problems. A possible belief statement might read: “We believe that all students will be given many opportunities to work on solving real world problems in all subjects.”

If time permits or in a follow-up session, the Belief Statements are displayed for all to see. As each is read, the groups clarifies the statement then gives a thumbs up or thumbs down to the belief. If significant numbers give a belief statement a thumbs down, it is restated or dropped. Not everyone has to give a statement a thumbs up. It is the consensus of the group. (Yes, this requires some guidelines at the beginning of the exercise.)

Through this procedure our schools create their first Belief and Mission Statements. It was a solid beginning with much work to follow.

We have now done this activity with the teachers at our school in Doha. The teachers and coordinators were absolutely enthusiastic to be asked to give their ideas. They came up with creative ideas which addressed current needs and went beyond individual experiences. They addressed the physical layout of the school, extensions of the curriculum, needs of the staff (Child Care Center), etc. It was wonderful.

If you are truly looking to discover what kind of school your staff, students and parents want, may I suggest such an activity? Just be prepared to hear some pretty excited people sharing some ideas which with will work to bring to fruition.

Gender Specificity in Pedagogy

2007-03-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

The belief that our teaching pedagogy is not very supportive of many of our boys is not a new idea. What amazes me is that we do not have more schools who have addressed the need. We have charter schools which began for the arts and sciences or technology or environmental education… But, how many charter schools promote themselves as striving to meet the needs of a population which brings “impulsivity, single-task focus, spatial-kinesthetic learning and physical aggression?”

Now, let me add that this school would not only meet the needs of our boys. There are some girls who need more experiential and kinesthetic learning opportunities. They need to have nonverbal planning tools to improve their reading and writing. They need to roll up their sleeves, put on their hiking boots, take a sampling bag, and head for the woods or the hills or the stream.

What if we would have a school which is run more like summer camp? Everyone would have blocks of activities throughout the day which are truly active. Math and science would be learned through experimentation, data collection and manipulation of the data and things collected. Reading and writing would be tied to researching and sharing information which supports the current experiment. Social Studies would be learned as students seek to locate similar projects and environments around the world.

What if the school allowed students to let off pent up energy by learning and playing games and sports from all around the world? Coaches and trainers would assist the students in learning about body systems and collecting data related how body systems are impacted by the game or sport being played.

I smile, because I can remember having some of these conversations in the late sixties and early seventies. Even with the research which points to the increase in students who learn in ways other than verbal-linguistic and mathematical-logical, we have not really changed our teaching practices to engage our students who are spatial and kinesthetic learners or naturalists or musical.

I ramble, but I also wonder if some of our non-traditional teachers could create such a learning environment. If there are, I hope I learn about them for I would like to support their efforts!

Using Observation to Build Relationships

2007-03-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

When you observe, slow down, listen, pause and reflect…

What simple words with power which may never be realized…

During this year, I have stood in different locations around the school and watched the students and staff. I have tried to move about making eye contact with students and staff, giving a smile and sharing a cheery hello to all I meet. It has brought some interesting reactions from students. From most, I receive a smile and a “Good morning, teacher.” From a number, especially if they are in groups, I have received giggles and side-wards glances. On several occasions, from the middle of a group comes a comment which is meant to be funny but to some has been perceived to be disrespectful.

Because of this observation, I decided to observe one young lady because she would reply to my “Good morning” with giggles and comments. She always had a bit of a mischievous look in her eye, but was quick to smile. I tried to make some type of contact with her as often as possible. After several weeks, as she passed my office, she often took a moment to look in and say a few words then go giggling off with her friends. I began to try to catch her alone in other parts of the school. Again, I would make eye contact and say hello. It amazed me to watch her eyes brighten, a smile come to her face and a hello from her lips. When alone, she would often ask, “How are you, teacher?” Still, when with others, she would giggle and go off with her friends.

Last week, as I was opening our office and was getting settled, the same young lady appeared at the door with a large bag in her hand. She had a great big smile as she reached into her bag and pulled out her hat for Hat Day. It was decorated with dark colored chicken feathers, ribbons and flowers. It was truly delightful! I asked her about the hat. In her broken English, she shared that her mom had helped her decorate it; the chicken feathers were from their chickens; and she brought it for Hat Day. The following Sunday, she received a certificate for having a special hat. I took time to seek her out and congratulate her.

A couple days later, she stopped me on the stairs. She was with friends, but instead of saying. “Hello, teacher.” and giggling as she walked away, she carefully showed me the pictures in her hand. They were pictures of her dressed in a formal dress and posing for the camera. I am sure it was for a family album. I was honored and told her how much I appreciated that she shared her pictures and how beautiful she looked in them.

Because of an observation, I made a decision to open communication. Through limited and non-verbal communication, a student began to communicate on a new level. I do not know how much more this student will open up and share with me. I do know that she has changed her attitude of “teasing” to an attitude of trusting enough to share.

I truly believe that observation is a very powerful tool, and that even with language barriers, communication can be built and attitudes changed.

Life Signature Stories

2007-03-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

The story of a baby being given his/her own song which goes with him/her throughout life provided an extremely powerful image for me. It may have been so very powerful because I have worked with so many children and families who are concentrating so much of their effort to gain the basic needs of life that they forget they are more than just food, water and clothing. In other words, they have been too tired to recognize that they even have a song. They have forgotten about singing each other’s praises. They have forgotten their worth.

Each person has talents and potential which need to be identified then nurtured and developed. Their “song,” which is truly our song to each person, is the beginning of his/her identity. It is important that we continually assist each person in hearing about his/her basic talents. It is difficult for us as teachers, coordinators and administrators to keep each student’s song in the foreground when they are bringing problems – troubles at home, learning disabilities, chemical imbalances, defiant behaviors, etc. - to the classroom. But, we must continue to work on a school climate and classroom management systems which keeps him/her focused on his/her song and manifests the very best of his/her being.

I have observed teachers who seem effortlessly keep each student in tune with his/her song. They move them forward toward their potential. This requires a wider variety of classroom management and instructional strategies. It required compassion and taking time to really know each student.

Our CSS team has worked hard this year with a number of teachers on classroom management. They have modeled and coached instructional strategies which addressed a variety of learning styles. It has all been great, but I wonder if the key is even more basic than a wealth of “classroom management” or “instructional strategies.”

Are the teachers who struggle with classroom management singing the songs of the students? Can the success of a teacher come down to just two questions - “Do you know the name of each of your students? Do you greet each student at the door each day by calling her by name and acknowledging something special about her?” If we are truly going to reduce negative behaviors and increase student engagement, do we need to learn each student’s song?

Transforming the Pedagogical Dreamfield

2007-03-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Laura Rendon’s essay, “Realizing a Transformed Pedagogical Dreamfield: Recasting Agreements for Teaching and Learning,” opened some avenues of thoughts for me. The six agreements to which Ms. Rendon refers do come into play in the American education to one degree or another. I have even tried assisting teachers and school systems in making some of the transformations suggested by Ms. Rendon. The question then becomes whether these six almost unspoken agreements come into play in the school in which I currently work. If they do, to what extent, and do they need to be transformed before the school can reach its vision for student achievement?

The first agreement to Privilege Mental Knowing is definitely alive and well in the school in which I work. The SSO team works daily to move teachers away from teaching to only two of the identified intelligences. It is time that we also teach to the emotional intelligence. The expansion of teaching strategies needs to address assessments, and how teachers integrate all forms of intelligence for problems solving and/or application to real world situations.

The second agreement of Separation is also alive and well even though we promote learning environments which are student-centered. That is, we encourage the students to take some ownership of their learning as the teachers examine the teaching strategies and activities which involve students through a variety of intelligences and emotions. This would be a second area to examine in light of the culture of the community.

The third agreement is that of Competition. We truly want to move the school closer to the techniques of developing teaming and relationship building which promote productive teams. This would not remove completely competition, but would put the focus on friendly competition which keeps students excited about finding unique ways of applying skills and understanding. Competition seems to be an innate human characteristic which keeps people striving. The type of competition and the reasons for promoting competition need to be examined in our school.

The fourth agreement is that of Perfection which is also alive and well in the minds of the teachers. This unwritten expectation seems to be in how teachers view students, how supervisors view teachers, how administration views all others, and even in how administrators view administrators. This one worries me because it impacts the total school environment. I have been told that our school environment is better than at other schools, but we must address it in terms of what we are trying to promote in our school, and not whether or not we are better or worse than other schools. This is an area upon which the administrations and teacher need to reflect to see how perfection can enhance or deter the total learning environment.

The fifth agreement is Monoculturalism looks at culture through the eyes of the American Dream. Truly, monoculturalism is alive in many parts of our school. It is the Qatari dream to raise educational levels which promote academic standards and in turn will prepare students to become the future leaders of Qatar and the Arab world. There needs to be a balance here which will achieve the goal and promote an understanding of how all cultures found in this area have in the past and can in the future assist Qatar in achieving its vision.

The final agreement is Workaholism. I do not find workaholism to be an agreement in our school or in the basic Qatar culture. It does seem to be an expectation of those who come to the school/country to work, but not viewed in the same degree of those who are citizens. It seems that there needs to be some discussion on the elements of workaholism which can be utilized to reach the school’s vision. In addition, I feel that there needs to be more time spent on the development of Mark Nepo’s elements of love, truth and compassion. Again, the key here is balance which will promote the educational vision and embrace the elements of the culture.

I do not know that I will address each of these agreements in the exact way the author suggests, but they will be addressed in a number of ways as we continue delivering professional development to administrators, coordinators and teachers. Several of the agreements will be addressed during the school self-review and when examining data for determining strategic planning goals.

The 7 P's

2006-12-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

It has been my privilege to have become acquainted with a group who is here in Qatar to train the military on search and rescue. They work from helicopters with a ground crew to do rescue. One of the marvelous things which I have learned from them is the 7 Ps. Now I must admit that I have changed the Ps around and added Ps more to my liking at times, but the original Ps go like this: Proper Prior Planning Prevents “Perfectly” Poor Performance. (Sorry, I had to change the 5th P to make it more presentable on paper. Plus, the words sound far more proper with British accents.) No matter, the essence of the message remains consistent. Take time to plan and to practice the plan.
Someplace I learned that when I have a long list of things to do, I need to put due dates on a calendar. Moral: What gets calendared is more likely to get completed in a timely fashion. Someone also convinced me that I need to breakdown tasks into meaningful, doable pieces. That tick list is important in keeping calendared tasks from becoming overwhelming. Finally, be sure that plans which require the execution of a team are understood by all parties involved. Be sure to walk through the execution of the plan, discuss where things might change along the way, have a plan B in case new information forces the original plan down a new road.
I liked the introduction of different ways to use a translator for presentations. But, to have a smooth presentation, it is important to practice the technique chosen. I also witnessed the immediate use of the Kagan Structures. But, we must encourage teachers to think and talk through the Structure chosen before taking it to the classroom. We need to practice how we respond to students who are off task or angry or refusing to do work. Each action we use when working with staff and students needs a plan for implementation. That desired action must be practiced correctly.
In the beginning, much attention must be given to each step of a task. No step should be omitted and all details must be adhered to very carefully. Once the action becomes a proper habit, it will flow with little thought. But, do not cut corners in the beginning. Do not leave out steps to preparing a classroom, or designing a map of the academic year, or laying out units and daily plans, or choosing the best activities to promote a certain skill. Make sure the Proper Prior Planning is articulated and practiced or rehearsed before taking it live.
Proper planning can certainly prevent poor performance.

What you see…

2006-11-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Week of 8 October 2006

What you see…

I took a walk along the beach below Sealine Resort on sunny Friday. The dunes rising to one side had a variety of vehicles enjoying the thrill of traveling from top to bottom or bottom to top without getting bogged down in the sand or flipping over. Memories of traversing the mountains of Arizona trying not to get a wheel caught in a fissure or mis-negotiating a slope of loose rocks.

My mind was not on the activity around me as much as it was on what the waves kept washing onto then away from the beach. There were tiny shells, though not as numerous as along the Lake Michigan shores, and dollops of translucent, gelatin-looking bubbles. To look at these bubbles, you would think they were just a bubble waiting to burst. On second look, they had a mass much like gelatin. They just sat there glistening in the sun.

If one took time to watch as the waves rippled back up onto the beach, they might see a wave wash over the gelatin-like bubble and carry it away from its sandy resting place. If one looked more closely, they would see that what had looked like a smooth blob of gelatin had sprouted tiny cilia in its water environment. It was not some inanimate object, it was a living organism. It had life and purpose. It could take in nutrients from its environment, enjoy the rays of the sun glistening off its translucent gel, maneuver in water and maybe even be eaten by a passing fish.

Many of the people enjoying the beach on this day did not seem to take any notice of this organism. Yet, here was something with which they co-habited this sunny beach.

How many other things do we see, yet not see? Are there small nuggets of wonder just waiting to be discovered or observed?

Each day as I travel from home to school, around school then home, I try to notice one more quiet discovery - Something just happy to be acknowledge before it moves away to take its place in the greater scheme of life.

We are in such a wonderful position to look between the waves, the traffic cones, the construction, the hectic schedules, and busy children to discover something which we have over-looked but need to acknowledge even if just for a moment. It might even be a student sitting quietly watching others pass by.

We might want to take a moment to take a moment to smile then thank this small wonder for putting touching in our lives.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

2006-11-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Week of 1 October 2006

It has always been my belief that when people put their heads together, they can adequately define a problem and find a resolution. That is just what we faced when we went into the Ramadan schedule at school. First, the day was reduced to four and ¾ hours. Second, many staff members and some students were edgy and worried about their strength because of not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset.

Through this, it was the SSO’s responsibility to continue reviewing deliverables and provide training and coaching for all teachers. The training must be accomplished without the morning break which had previously been used for training.

The decision… offer the training several times each week during regular blocks. This required examining schedules and checking with coordinators to ensure that all teachers could fit into at least one of the training blocks each week.

The first week found the technology training being offered 10 different times. This was too much, so the schedule was reworked, and the second week, the 2nd phase of technology training was offered during 7 blocks. By the third and fourth weeks, the selected blocks were reduced to five when the CSS team trained teachers in the Attention Continuum the 3rd week and the Kagan structures of Corners and Line Up the 4th week. All of these workshops were well received by teachers, but not without adjustments.

There were times when adjustments were required as the technology coordinator was called from the training to respond to a building issue. CSS team members stepped in and began the training as planned. It was amazing to observe a team of trainers and a team of teachers who were willing to follow a problem solving process to reach a productive solution.

If you have not utilized a systematic method for problem solving, you might try the one used in the Second Step Program which was designed by the Committee for Children in Seattle, Washington:
1. Identify the problem without placing blame on anyone or anything - just the facts, please.
2. Brainstorm as many solutions as can be imagined - do not eliminate a possible solution because someone says it can’t be done.
3. Examine the suggested solutions asking the questions: Is it safe? Is it possible? Can it be done in the time span? What kind of resources will be required? Etc.
4. Choose one of the possible solutions and work on it as a team. (There can be no undermining of the decision.) Decide how to implement the decision and begin the process.
5. Within a appropriate amount of time (It may be several hours, a day, several days, a week - depending upon the situations.), gather again to assess how the solution is working at correcting the original problem.

Remember: Some solutions may need adjusting more than once, and that the original problem may change once it has been addressed. It may even bring to light another problem. Then, the process begins again.

This process is taught to children and used consistently in solving student problems.

Problems will always be in our lives… it is how we address them that determine our success.

The Question of Technology

2006-10-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Question of Technology

Week of September 24th:

As I began asking the administrators in our building what they felt the professional development needs were, each of them had technology on the list of “needs.” As I asked more about what aspects of technology the teachers needed to explore, I received everything from “Everything. We are an ICT school.” to “The teachers need to learn to take care of their machines because when the computers begin to work slowly, the teachers want the IT to fix it when it is something simple.” I never heard anything about helping the teachers know when, how and what technology is appropriate for increasing student engagement in a lesson, or to extend learning for all students.

Many of our schools have more technology than they have knowledge to use it effectively. It is one area which requires differentiation in the workshops to meet the levels of teacher competence in the basic use of a computer, and the level of understanding of what technology can do to enhance instruction.

Then again, when one hears “technology,” how does one define it? Is technology a computer, or the computer and peripherals which can be added? Does it include an overhead projector, or scissors, or a protractor and compass, or… ?

Merriam-Webster defines technology as,
“Etymology: Greek technologia systematic treatment of an art, from technE art, skill + -o- + -logia -logy1 a : the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area : ENGINEERING 2 b : a capability given by the practical application of knowledge 2 : a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge 3 : the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor ”

As our CSS team discerns the “technology” needs of our staff, we will need to work through layers of perception and knowledge. We will definitely keep in mind that each tool in teaching is used purposely to capture students’ attention and keep them engaged in learning, and hopefully this learning extends beyond the classroom.

Starters/Activators

2006-09-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

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.

organizing

2006-08-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

It seems that no matter what I do, I need to find a system of organization which will allow me not only the ability to retrieve information but to add the information to my previous knowledge bank in my brain. Some days this seems so simple... others, I begin wondering when the men in white coats will carry me away. TMI and no way to organize it for further use.

In working with teachers on writing across the curriculum, I attended several workshops. What came across loud and clear from each presenter was the sequence they recommended for the Writing Process. It was always important to keep a brainstorming list of possible topics on which to work. The next step was to pick a topic and make a list, or cards, of what is known about the topic. This information may be from previous experience or from the text or from an expert. This definitely sounds familiar - the "K" in KWL, or KTW.

The next step was not to move onto the "W" or "T" but to take a look at the "K" list. The presenters, all teachers, listed the next step as "organize." That is right - organize. Take time to look at that list of what you think you know and see how items in the list are related. Matter of fact... see if there are different ways to catagorize the items in the list. Why?

The organization of thoughts assists the participant(s) in recognizing when information is missing or question the truth of listed information. This leads to the questions which will be explored to fill in gaps in knowledge. (I have heard more than one person reiterate that we must teach our children, and ourselves, how to ask questions before we can expect them to be life-long learners.)

The next step is to take the organized information and begin writing a paragraph - Solid topic sentence with the catagory topics punctuating the other sentences.

These steps are to be done many time with many lists of "knowledge." This is the first step to organizing thoughts. As the thoughts are organized, questions begin appearing. Once questions begin appearing, the need/desire to find the answers begin to emerge.

An example: You ask a group to compare/contrast the Disney story of "The Little Mermaid" with the original story. (Don't do this will lower elementary students unless you can handle their disgust with the ending of the original story.) Once the students are familar with both stories, ask them to list the similarities and differences of each. (No peeking) Have them organize the first list into catagories. Then, have them organize the second list using the same catagories. (characters, setting, sequence of events, problems, solutions, whatever...) Each time someone seems to question the accuracy of something on the list or can't remember, help them turn the thought into a question and put the question in another list. Questions can go beyond the text itself to author purpose: Why did they change the movie? Why were the original authors so dark? These questions lead to investigations to find the missing pieces.

All of this comes back to organization: Taking time to organize what is known so it can be examined for holes and formulated into questions; Taking those questions to seek answers related to the topic at hand; Giving students a system for using current information to formulate an investigation which can lead to facts which can be organized on paper or in conversation or to give directions...

How many times do we get into situations and find that we have to watch and listen to collect information. Then, we must organize what we think we are seeing/hearing before we can even formulate intelligent questions? The answers of which seem to lead to more questions.

As you continue your days, may you always come to enjoy the cycle of organizing what you know/sense to the point of having questions which require answers which add knowledge which propagates more questions...

August 20, 2006

2006-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

In moving into working with a new group, I definitely believe in finding the positive deviants then building on those deviants by adding tried-and-true strategies/skills as needed. What is difficult in education is that there are so many pieces in the puzzle. I never stop being amazed at what I don't know and/or what I cannot easily explain. How does a good education know where to begin teaching? How does an educator balance all of the pieces of a lesson so it blends together seamlessly to gring a relevant piece of learning to students who may, or may not, wish to apply themselves to the learning.

So it is with the current tasks. How do you go about asking teachers with varying understanding of the planning process, plan in depth? How do you assist teachers in choosing the correct place to begin when they look at a standard? How do you assist them in building a deeper understanding and love of their content through the process of planning?

This is what I will wrestle with for the next few weeks... Starting at the beginning even though some seem to understand the previous teaching but many do not...

August 18th

2006-08-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

First posting of news from Doha and classes with Keith.

Now, all I do is have to find this posting again. :-)