Power With

Fast Llamas,

 

I found a strategy from Jim Knight called, "Power With Rather than Power Over" and I was intrigued by it. The strategy speaks to having high effect sizes for goal setting, building student relationships and improving classroom behaviors and management.  In speaking about negative behaviors there is good new and there is bad news.  The bad news is if you ask any teacher, they will tell you that negative interactions with students is the most frustrating thing about our roles as educators.  And negative student behaviors show up in many differents ways on the spectrum, from outbursts to shutting down.  The good news is there are ideas and strategies that we can use to change our students behaviors.  We have a lot of power over our students, and we can use this to our advantage and inevitably our students favor.  This strategy keeps us on what Doug Curry says is the "side of hope" for all kids.  

Let's think about it:

1. few people have more direct power over others than teachers.  Don't think this is a bad thing, we are in the job of changing lives!

2. Students are served well when a teacher recognizes students need for autonomy against their own need for power over them (even when we are trying to change their behavior for good)

3.  Teachers can avoid the idea of "Power Over" when they reflect on how their students see their classroom culture and see it through "others' eyes"

Power Over can show up as:

1. subtle ridicule or talking about a kid's behavior like they are not in the room

2. lecturing students on "who is the boss" - "this is my classroom"

3. using the "teacher glare" - the kid already thinks you don't like them...

4. "show up" students when they show they have greater knowledge and experience in a debate

5. not allowing students to have roles in the classroom and carry some of the workload

6. not allowing students to have a say in the norms, procedures or systems

7. "Rounding Up"... this is when a teacher finishes a kids answer or adds to their answer instead of just eliciting more from the kid... Sometimes this shows up as being in a hurry to move the conversation along, or as excitement... the teacher is so excited that the kid is correct they join in... stop doing this

8. being inconsistent with affirmations.  If you say "great job" to one kid, and "wow, that was fantastic" to another, it sends a message that you have favorites, or that some answers are better than others... this is why giving snaps is so good, can't judge it... I guess avoid giving one kid one snap and another 25... 

All of these actions breakdown relationships with kids and make kids lose their desire to learn.  They will not work for you if they think you do not like them. And trust me, they latch on to this idea immediately.   I don't mean liking them as  "friends".  I do not want to be best buds with my students, I am talking about being kind, nice, fair and consistent.  These are things that make students "like you" and think you like them.

To the teachers who say, "I am only here to teach my content", yeah, we know that already... and so do the kids... When kids leave your classroom, they tend to remember two kinds of teachers... 

1. teachers who were kind, they have fond memories of  the learning, yes, even if it was challenging

2.  teachers who were mean, they don't remember learning anything useful and they class was awful

3.  sorry mediocre teachers... they don't remember you at all

We can build our Power With by:

1. asking about our students day

2. by listening and giving students your full attention when they are talking (grab a chair and get on their level, kneel down to get on their level, face and shoulders face the speaker, teach others to do the same)

3. connecting with students with one to one conversations and affirm their contributions (celebrate their effort)

4. refraining from "rounding up" don't interrupt kids when they are talking and finish their thoughts

5. avoiding sarcasm and singling students out - no power trips 

6. communicating consistent respect for all students

7. empathizing with students and seeing the world through their eyes 

    - thinking about your class culture from their perspective

   - is your content and lesson delivery providing meaning while knowledge is being applied? 

 “How does this actually relate to me, how does this work for me, with my understanding?” "What's in it for Me?"

 5.  focusing on building our students "Possible Selves".  

   - this occurs when we take time to teach students how to write goals they believe are achievable, support those desires to achieve the goal and help students develop a plan to achieve the goal

- these goals can be short term or long term

When we talk about goals with kids we are sharing with a highly valuable life skill and we are instilling with them feelings of hope.  On lame duck school days (days at the end of a semester or the day before a holiday) think about having student complete a Possible Selves activity.  Because envisioning their future selves can be very motivating. Here is a great survey to use: 

https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/chapters/Student_Survey_Middle.pdf

What are their hope for their Possible Selves, what are their dreams? 

What are their short term goals (today's expectations)

What are their fears (what do they want to avoid)

We can also reflect on ourselves and our behaviors.  

We can:

1. Think deeply about our student's needs and emotions

2. Think about the student's experiences during class, when planning, picture your students in your class. What are they doing? How are they feeling?

3. Think deeply about the meaningful learning experiences we are providing for students.  Are we challenging them appropriately?

4. Reflect on these questions: 

When we stop and reflect about who we are and who we want to be, it can do wonders for us and our students.  

Until next time...

references:

https://www.slideserve.com/denton/possible-selves

https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/toolkit.htm

Staying on the Side of Hope

 Fast Llama's,

This is a repost, but... rereading Doug Curry's treatise on Hope should be done every now and then to boost your spirit and renew your commitment.  

Here is the repost...

There are many reasons for the attraction I hold for Doug Curry and his "How to Train Llama's" protocols and ideals.  But, the one thing that hooked me was his treatise on hope, and more specifically staying on side of hope.  When I first read his words in 2013, I was 900 miles away from my home base and I was struggling physically and emotionally.  I didn't realise (or give myself time to process) how difficult is was to move across the state.  My husband had gotten a great job and I had landed in a school (I had a job!) and a group of teachers had welcomed me and my son into their circle quickly.  I had however, focused on the physical part of moving, getting my house ready to put on the market, applying and getting an interview, getting my school age son enrolled and of course the physical packing and unpacking involved.  But, I did not reflect on the emotional toll moving and lack of the pedagogical/emotional support would have on me and my classroom culture.  

*side note - switching schools in the middle of the year is challenging even if you have been teaching for 20 years! My new principal let me in the building the Sunday before the students returned on Monday.  The class had had a sub for 6 weeks and it looked that way! The goggle cabinet alone... oof... There were also other issues with staff that picked at my ethos.  

In many ways, unpacking my classroom decor helped get me settled back in, but, have you ever moved and an old item doesn't quite fit in your new space?  That's how I was feeling. I had lost my identity somewhat of who I "was".  I kept trying and trying to instill my traditions into a new place without really thinking about "why" I was instilling them in the first place.   I was spinning, trying so hard to be who I thought I needed to be, do ALL the things I thought I needed to do, but, somehow couldn't.  And there was a constant barrage of trainings, paperwork (including mistakes) and updates that needed to get done. I perceived nothing as working and I just felt miserable and most importantly, ineffective at teaching.  There was the group of staff members who would walk by my room and scoff, question and judge... I questioned everything.  

When I read Doug's words, it was the food my soul needed at a time when I was mourning my old life and it gave me the words and phrases I needed to activate a part of my brain that needed to hear it for my new life.  You have to understand, my new home was lovely, my kids were doing well, my husband and my careers were solid, but something was missing.   I had lost my "why", the meaning behind why I was a teacher and what impact I could have on the next generation. I often blame the "big move" as me feeling this way, but, some small part of me thinks that Doug's message would of impacted me even if I had never moved.  Proof that we are forever learning new things and when we open our hearts and let the light in, it can change us in ways that we could never imagine, even after 20 years of classroom teaching.

Here is his message, I hope it inspires you to reflect on your "why" and the impact you can have on your students.  

Hope or Hopelessness-

The Deciding Factor in your School Two Sides 

When you enter any school as a teacher, in particular a school with special challenges, which by the way, all schools have, there will always be a struggle as to which you side you take. There is the side of hope and the side of hopelessness. There is the side where you look at a child who comes from difficult circumstances. He may not have a mother or a father. He may have been abused. He may just now be learning the language. He has lived in generational poverty forever, and both he and his family really don’t know any other way to live. He may have siblings already incarcerated. His parents may be in and out of jail. Perhaps neither of them wants him anymore. He may come from a family that only sends him to school because it is the law. Education is not a priority. It is not seen as the way to anything. The family may be hungry, and so is the student. It may be all the family knows. Coming from this situation, the student may express, “I don’t care about this stuff” when faced with any educational task you lay before him. The student may appear to be hostile. The student won’t read in class because he never did learn to read, yet somehow he is in your 8th grade Language Arts class. When faced with this student and others like him, which side are you on? There is one side that thinks, “You know, this student only gets one chance at life. He may have been dealt a lousy hand of cards. 

But you know what? Our school is the answer for him! Give him to me! I will help him see what his future can be! I will help him learn to work hard and experience success! If he doesn’t know how to read, our school will teach him. If he is hostile, we will win him over. We will love him. We will show him the first light he may have ever seen in a life of darkness. If we love him unconditionally, and we refuse to ever give up on him, all of the bad things that have happened to him will become his strengths in the future. Collectively, as a school we can do that! 

We have that power to influence kids. He will be successful! We won’t have it any other way!” The other side thinks, “What do you expect me to do with him? I can’t change what he’s been through. I can’t make him care. I have no power to make his life better.” Which side? In every school you will find folks representing both sides. 

Most teachers begin the profession on the side of hope. However, teaching is hard, and challenges occur. Many teachers, when faced with adversity, slowly start moving to the other side. If they don’t choose to leave the profession, they believe that the only way they can survive is to stay on the side of hopelessness. This way they won’t get their feelings hurt. This way they won’t feel like a failure. There’s kind of a protection that comes with being on the side of hopelessness. When you stand on the side of hope, you risk failing. You risk failing and having everybody know it, because you were out there on a limb for everyone to see. Sometimes young teachers leave the side of hope because there is pressure from their coworkers to join the side of hopelessness. These are the grizzled veterans who can’t wait to tell the rookie “the way things really are” in this school. These grizzled veterans have a real stake in bringing others to the side of hopelessness. Deep down these veterans hate themselves for having abandoned the side of hope. It soothes the pain a bit when they successfully recruit someone else to come to their side. 

Many teachers enter the profession at an age where they are far from complete in their own personal growth. They are still learning who they are and what they want from life. They may have never even learned how to be assertive and stand up for themselves in their own lives. Now they stand in front of 30 high school students every day during 3rd period. 

Being able to successfully manage a classroom is often about how you view yourself. Are you confident in yourself? Are you able to acknowledge your weaknesses and faults? Are you comfortable when you realize that others know all too well your imperfections? If you are not comfortable, you are in danger of going from the side of hope to the other side very quickly. You are in danger of feeling personally attacked every time a student makes a bad decision or challenges your authority. 

That normal little game that occurs in every classroom now becomes something much bigger to you. It becomes more about you and protecting who you are. When this happens, the side of hopelessness beckons you. If you don’t care, it’s much safer. You won’t get hurt. If your expectations are low or nonexistent, they are much easier to reach. Some young teachers end up on the side of hopelessness because they have a series of bad experiences due to poor administrators. Maybe they are thrown in a rowdy class of 7th graders and offered no help or support. Instead they are blamed for the chaos that ensues. 

The choice now becomes one of leaving the profession or going to the side of hopelessness. Many teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. They are weighed down by the “shoulds” such as “kids should act this way” or “things shouldn’t be this way.” “Kids should come to school knowing how to act.” “We shouldn’t have to teach kids how to act—I am a history teacher.” Teachers like this either leave or move to the hopeless side. As you read this, do you find that you are on the hopeless side? (Is this beginning to sound like the concluding moments of a church service?) I am not here to judge you for being on the side of hopelessness. You may have a very good reason that you went there, and it may very well have happened because of classroom management. 

Keep going. We may get you to change sides. 

Until Next Time...

http://www.fastllama.com/free-resources

Relationships

Fast llamas,




Some of the best ways to motivate students to learn are by building strong relationships, creating a positive learning environment, and allowing them to make real-life connections to their learning.

These long-term strategies go a long way to creating a highly engaged classroom. For a quick boost in motivation or to influence your students to complete a particular task, check out these six strategies from the neuromarketing best practices found in the book Brainfluence by Roger Dooley and the science of persuasion in the book Influence by Robert Cialdini.

1. Leverage a crew mentality

People are hardwired to want to connect with other people and feel like they are part of a group. Marketers have used this very effectively in campaigns like the "Hello, I'm a Mac/And I'm a PC." ads. In this instance, it was done overtly, but other times, it is done organically by consumers (think about a self-identified "Coke person" versus a "Pepsi person").

And, we’re all aware of the power of a little rivalry—just think about how much more we engage with sports when a "rival game" is coming up. The city of Dallas becomes a sea of orange and red for the annual University of Texas versus University of Oklahoma gameday, and people who usually have no interest in college football are instant super fans.

Creating this kind of (friendly) rivalry between class sections or groups can be a great way to increase students’ motivation. Just be careful to always base your rivalries on something random like class section instead of any academic gender or demographic differences.

2. Influence choice by providing a decoy

Providing choice is a well-known way to motivate students because it gives them ownership over their learning. However, offering those choices while still maintaining control over your classroom and making sure that students learn what they need to can be easier said than done. Sometimes, giving your students a gentle push toward a specific choice can help.

To influence students' choices, try providing a decoy—a similar alternative to your preferred choice that is in some way inferior. This makes the preferred choice more attractive because, as Brainfluence author Roger Dooley states, "Our brains aren't good at judging absolute values, but they are always ready to compare values and benefits."

Let’s say you’ve just wrapped up a unit, and you want to give your students the ability to choose which project they complete to demonstrate their understanding. However, you also really want more of your students to get some experience with video editing, so you want to ensure that a solid majority chooses that option.

Instead of just giving them three completely unique options—for instance, creating a shoebox diorama, a PowerPoint presentation, or a video—add a fourth option similar to creating a video, like creating a video with a written essay. Few students will choose the video with essay option because it's more work, but having it available makes the standard video option look a lot more attractive and will entice more students to choose it.

3. Utilize the power of scarcity

Want your students to sign up for a club or after-school tutoring? Let them know that there are a limited number of spots available (if this is true), and emphasize what they stand to lose if they don't join.

4. Use consistency

People want to be consistent with what they have previously said or done. To demonstrate this, Cialdini cites a famous set of studies in which residents of a neighborhood were asked to erect a wooden sign in their yards to encourage safe driving.

In one neighborhood, very few residents agreed to put up the sign, but in a similar neighborhood nearby, four times as many people agreed to put up the sign. Why? Ten days previously, those in the second neighborhood had been asked to put a small postcard-sized sign in their front windows to support safe driving, and because it was such a small ask, many people agreed to do it.

Because of that initial commitment, many more people said yes when they were later asked to put up the larger wooden sign. To use this strategy most effectively, try to gain small, voluntary, and public commitments first; it works even better if those commitments are in writing.

Want your students to turn in their homework? Instead of handing them a list of homework assignments for the week, make students write down their assignments (and due dates!) themselves in a planner. Writing down the assignment is a small commitment that can lead to students actually completing the work or journal.

5. Be likable

This one is simple—people prefer people who they like. So, if you want to be more persuasive, it’s important to take a hard look at how likable you are. For some people, this is pretty easy, but for others, especially introverts who may be perceived as aloof or pretentious, it will take a little effort.

There are three important factors that determine whether we like someone: we like people who are similar to us, we like people who give us compliments, and we like people who cooperate with us. Keep in mind that this isn’t a judgment of whether or not you’re a good person—it’s about evaluating the kind of impression your behavior leaves.

Look for similarities between your childhood experiences and those of your students, and draw those parallels when opportunities arise. For instance, if you have a student who is really into Star Wars, mention the Millennium Falcon model that you are working on at home. I've heard the phrase, "Students don't have to like me, but they do have to respect me." That may be true, but you'll have more influence if they like you and respect you.

6. Take advantage of positive peer pressure

People do what other people are doing. Cialdini cites research that when the sign that is now common in hotel rooms reading, "Please reuse your towels because it helps the environment" was replaced with a sign that read something like, "75% of our guests reuse their towels; please do so as well," then the percentage of guests who reused towels increased by 26%.

When the sign said, "75% of the guests who stayed in this room re-used their towels," the increase was 33%. So, the consensus effect is amplified by how similar the other people who are exhibiting the desired behavior are to us.

Are you trying to convince your students to use the test-taking strategies you’ve spent so much class time on? As students are working, walk around the room and say something like, "Almost all of you are using the strategies we’ve been practicing; that's great, and it's going to help you get a better grade."

Or, once the papers are graded, say, "About 90% of you used all of your strategies on the test, and you will notice how it helped you to answer more questions correctly." This technique can also work with getting students to line up quietly, turn in homework on time, or do nearly anything else that a majority of the students are already doing.

Check out more...ideas about learning!

Until next time!

Using (CTG) Time Wisely

Hey Fast Llamas,

The Sunday decision of what to write about!  My head is full of ideas every weekend... The struggle is real to narrow it down, but here we go. Today we are going to talk about Closing the Gap time.  Let's dive deeper.

First of all, CTG is a district mandate that each week, each subject makes closing the achievement gap a priority.  And in doing so, we are to take the first 30 minutes one day a week to focus on skills.  Like everything, there are discussions of how this time will impact the delivery of (state mandated TEKS) curriculum.  Calendars are already tight, and it is difficult to cover all of the TEKS by state testing time anyway. Shutting down 30 minutes a week could significantly impact our ability to teach the TEKS by May.  This is understandable, but what do you do when you are required to do something?  Well, you make the best of it and that is what this week's blog is aiming to focus on.  

Let's look at this strategically, how can we use this time to most efficiently and effectively improve the learning that is occuring in our classrooms?  How many of us have said to ourselves, "these kids should know how to do this..." or "if kids had a better foundation, I could move them to deeper meaning and higher levels of learning".  

This then becomes an exciting prospect.  

Let's look at a simple example.  Let's say that density is coming up.  During CTG time the week before students would:

1. have multiple opportunities to compare the structure of high versus low density objects.

2. examine mass and volume 

3. practice measuring mass and using a graduated cylinder

4. practice displacement methods 

5. practice sinking and floating using prediction and observations

6. looking at and making predictions of density mathematically

7. looking at and making predictions of density non-mathematically

All of these activities would be in low stakes, low risk, non-graded situations to practice, practice practice these skills.  Next week, we can apply our skills because foundational skills have been practiced repeatedly.  Suddenly, CTG time becomes valuable time spent and I can move kids to higher levels of thinking and application and the relevance of understanding density is realized.  

Here are some other ideas or strategies that you could use:

1. Vocabulary - I love Frayer Models.  

This one is fancy...

2.  Retrieval Practice - Probably the most powerful tool we have.  Using this strategy allows kids to understand what they REALLy know in three steps.

  1. students are given time to recall (whether in pictures or words) what they remember about a topic

  2. students compare their remembering with others, adding what others remembered to their rendering

  3. teacher models what the complete memory rendering should include, students add to theirs

3.  Learning Diagrams - Students recall information using visuals only.  Love the idea of recapping the learning using visuals only and then having students interpret each others drawings.  Here is an example from Twitter user @eposthuma.

4.  Reciprocal Teaching - Practice reading strategies using this powerful tool. This tool is a way to teach students how to find important ideas from text using vocabulary, ideas and questions and summarizing.  Great for non-fiction and information from textbooks.

It's four parts include"

• Predicting
• Questioning - who, what, where, when, why
• Clarifying
• Summarizing

5.  Writing - What is you introduce a topic by having students write about what they know?  In this strategy, one student writes a sentence on an index card, then passes the card to the next student who writes a sentence and so on...

It's is structured like this:

• First....
• Then...
• Then...
• Finally...

6.  Pre-assessment quizzes.  Using a quiz as a way to see what students know and understand, then reteaching and reviewing.  Then, give a post assessment quiz... How did the learning improve?

7.  CER - Claim, Evidence and Reasoning activities.  This is a powerful strategy because it teaches cognitive and give opportunities to practice metacognitive and social skills.  Click here for a great article about how to use this to model thinking... It can be used to model goal setting and reflection.  

8.  Creating Graphic Organizers:

• T-Chart.
• Concept Map.
• Main Idea Web.
• Venn Diagram.
• Sequence Chart

Here are more ideas!

9. Study Skills and Goal Setting - Why use this time to write goals for learning and introduce proper ways to study such as:

• Spaced Practice
• Theta Scans
• Flash Cards
• Habits of Successful Students
• Pomodoro Technique - 1. Study for 15 - 20 minutes, 2 take a break for 5 to 10 minutes, 3. repeat the cycle 4 time, 4. take a longer break - have a snack, exercise

 

Taking the time to practice foundational skills is a good use of time.  Let's use it to ours and our students advantage.

Until next time...

The Power of Power With

Hey Fast Llamas,

Everyone is having the same conversation... Kids are showing up to school in ways we both expected and in unfortunately surprising ways and actions... 

First things first, for those kids who are doing the right thing, showing up in ways that meet our expectations, please make sure you are acknowledging them in positive ways.   Triple up your PBIS  and classroom rewards.  They need to hear that you see them. I guarantee plenty of our  students showing up this way. Please remember, they are teenagers, and they are very good at it... use these opportunities to teach kids how to handle this new world and the good feelings that accompany doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.  

In the idea of "So what, Now what", from Linda Cliatt-Wayman, we know how the kids are showing up... now what can we do?... well it turns out, small changes in us as teachers can show up big for kids.  

click here for Cliatt-Wayman's Ted Talk

I found a strategy from Jim Knight called, "Power With Rather than Power Over" and I was intrigued by it. The strategy speaks to having high effect sizes for goal setting, building student relationships and improving classroom behaviors and management.  

In addressing negative behaviors, there is good news and there is bad news.  The bad news is if you ask any teacher, they will tell you that negative interactions with students is the most frustrating thing about our roles as educators.  And negative student behaviors show up in many differents ways on the spectrum, from outbursts to shutting down.  The good news is there are ideas and strategies that we can use to change our students behaviors.  We have a lot of power over our students, and we can use this to our advantage and inevitably our students favor.  This strategy keeps us on what Doug Curry says is the "side of hope" for all kids.  

Let's think about it:

1. few people have more direct power over others than teachers.  Don't think this is a bad thing, we are in the job of changing lives!

2. Students are served well when a teacher recognizes students need for autonomy against their own need for power over them (even when we are trying to change their behavior for good)

3.  Teachers can avoid the idea of "Power Over" when they reflect on how their students see their classroom culture and see it through "others' eyes"

Power Over can show up as:

1. subtle ridicule or talking about a kid's behavior like they are not in the room

2. lecturing students on "who is the boss" - "this is my classroom"

3. using the "teacher glare" - the kid already thinks you don't like them...

4. "show up" students when they show they have greater knowledge and experience in a debate

5. not allowing students to have roles in the classroom and carry some of the workload

6. not allowing students to have a say in the norms, procedures or systems

7. "Rounding Up"... this is when a teacher finishes a kids answer or adds to their answer instead of just eliciting more from the kid... Sometimes this shows up as being in a hurry to move the conversation along, or as excitement... the teacher is so excited that the kid is correct they join in... stop doing this

8. being inconsistent with affirmations.  If you say "great job" to one kid, and "wow, that was fantastic" to another, it sends a message that you have favorites, or that some answers are better than others... this is why giving snaps is so good, can't judge it... I guess avoid giving one kid one snap and another 25... 

All of these actions breakdown relationships with kids and make kids lose their desire to learn.  They will not work for you if they think you do not like them. And trust me, they latch on to this idea immediately.   I don't mean liking them as  "friends".  I do not want to be best buds with my students, I am talking about being kind, nice, fair and consistent.  These are things that make students "like you" and think you like them.

To the teachers who say, "I am only here to teach my content", yeah, we know that already... and so do the kids... When kids leave your classroom, they tend to remember two kinds of teachers... 

1. teachers who were kind, they have fond memories of  the learning, yes, even if it was challenging

2.  teachers who were "mean", they don't remember learning anything useful and they class was awful

3.  sorry mediocre teachers...

We can build our Power With by:

1. asking students about their day

2. by listening and giving students your full attention when they are talking (grab a chair and get on their level, kneel down to get on their level, face and shoulders face the speaker, teach others to do the same)

3. connecting with students with one to one conversations and affirm their contributions (celebrate their effort)

4. refraining from "rounding up" don't interrupt kids when they are talking and finish their thoughts

5. avoiding sarcasm and singling students out - no power trips 

6. communicating consistent respect for all students

7. empathizing with students and seeing the world through their eyes 

    - thinking about your class culture from their perspective

   - is your content and lesson delivery providing meaning while knowledge is being applied? 

 “How does this actually relate to me, how does this work for me, with my understanding?” "What's in it for Me?"

 5.  focusing on building our students "Possible Selves".  

   - this occurs when we take time to teach students how to write goals they believe are achievable, support those desires to achieve the goal and help students develop a plan to achieve the goal

- these goals can be short term or long term

When we talk about goals with kids we are sharing with a highly valuable life skill and we are instilling with them feelings of hope.  On lame duck school days (days at the end of a semester or the day before a holiday) think about having student complete a Possible Selves activity.  Because envisioning their future selves can be very motivating.
Here is a great survey to use: 

Elementary 

Middle School

High School

What are their hope for their Possible Selves, what are their dreams? 

What are their short term goals (today's expectations)

What are their fears (what do they want to avoid)

We can also reflect on ourselves and our behaviors.  

We can:

1. Think deeply about our student's needs and emotions

2. Think about the student's experiences during class, when planning, picture your students in your class. What are they doing? How are they feeling?

3. Think deeply about the meaningful learning experiences we are providing for students.  Are we challenging them appropriately?

4. Reflect on these questions: 

When we stop and reflect about who we are and who we want to be, it can do wonders for us and our students.  

One last thing...  here is a teeny tiny list of small moves that make big impacts... I think I will devote more time on this next week.

Until next time...

references:

https://www.slideserve.com/denton/possible-selves

https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/toolkit.htm

All the Best

 Fast Llamas!

I've been thinking a lot about students writing in class.  Especially what we call "critical writing" and which is best, a singular sentence or at least three sentences (an intro, the body and the closing)?  I do think both are good for students, but, when starting out and insisting on good writing, we have to train kids and set expectations.  It can be frustrating for us, when we want the students to write and we get back really incoherent writing and phrasing. When this happens, we have to go back and train them.  Students do incredible writing in English classes, when we ask them to write in other subjects, it can be a struggle to transfer over.  

Any time we use a strategy, we always want to front load and talk to kids about our expectations so students know what their product should look, sound and feel like. 

In the absence of expectations, students will come up with their own... and a lot of times, their ideas of what writing should look like do not meet our expected outcomes.  We cannot assume students already know our expectations.  

For me, the best ideas for kids always developed out of a frustrating experience.  (the kids doing something a certain way, made me feel like ripping my hair out!) So, let's take advantage of this opportunity to show kids the way... and by showing them the way, make our lives more joyful.

To begin:
1.  Use sentence starters, students often struggle with how they can start.  here's a link to Lead4wards list... Thinking Stems
2. Start with one really good sentence.  Show students examples of poorly written sentences and exemplars of what you are looking for.  They may not know what you want from them, so show them.
3.  Use visuals as stimulators to help kids explain their thinking. Here's an idea to try from 38 Great academic language builders: activities for math, science, social studies, language arts... and just about everything. (see citation below for more info)

    a. Organize students into groups - Give each student a folder containing one of a 

        variety of  images and a small index card.

    b.  ask students to keep images a secret from others
    c.  have students record their responses on the index card
         - list everything in the image
         - use adjectives to describe objects in the image
         - use verbs to describe action in the image
         - imagine yourself in the image - what can you see, smell, or hear?
     d. Give students another card with a sentence stem, choose to have students write  

         one really good complete  sentence or a three sentence paragraph.

     e. Have group share their sentences and then show the group their pictures.  They  

        could even try to guess what was in their picture.  That would be fun.    

Let's add in some other strategies...    
4.  Front the writing - have the critical writing happen early in the lesson, this will help with answering questions and discussion later on, since students have had time to frame their thoughts.
5.  Have students write before each turn and talk
6.  Teach students that a simple three sentence paragraph they use for critical writing is like an oreo.  The top cookie; the first crunch, is the intro, the creamy filling is their explanations, description, conclusions to the problem question and the bottom cookie; the last crunch, is the closing.  Tell them an oreo is better when it is all three, just like their critical write would be missing something without all three parts.  
7.  Ask students for permission to read aloud their writing.  Make it sound like the best sentence you have ever read.
8.  Remember, writing supports thinking... make sure students get chances to write other then answering questions every day.  
Here are some examples to view:

Until next time...
T.O.

References:
Lemov, D. (2011). Teach like a champion: the complete handbook to master the art of teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Seidlitz, J., & Kenfield, K. (2011). 38 Great academic language builders: activities for math, science, social studies, language arts... and just about everything. San Clemente, CA.: Seidlitz Education.

The Innocent Classroom

Hey Fast Llamas,

Another throwback blog post, but one of in which I am very proud.  It's from November of last year, however, it still holds weight.  We had the opportunity to read the book,  The Innocent Classroom by Alexs Pate, for professional development.  This book is so good, and changed me in ways that I am so grateful for. What I wrote a year ago makes me affirm that I am on the right track in knowing myself, my impact and knowing how to change the lives of students sitting in classrooms. This book gave me ways to further educate me on this journey and the skills to make it happen.  Forever a learner, forever a work in progress...

  

Here is the blog...

Is it just me or is everything that used to be normal seems so extra this year?  Just the fact that it was a Full Moon, Halloween, Daylight Saving Time ending and a new month starting, seemed so much!  I have to change the clocks and the calendar?  UGH!  I don't know, it seems like I wouldn't of even bothered me if this was a "normal" non-Covid-19 year, but, everything feels like it takes more energy.  So when my sweet neighbor texted that she had breakfast tacos for me, I jumped on over next door.  I was just too exhausted from all the clock changing to cook this morning.  In reflecting on this feeling, I do believe it is a perception thing.  I think we are holding tight to everything, waiting for the next shoe to drop, the next new thing to do, another procedural change.  (and even when our procedures change for the GOOD, we still react).   For the month of November, let's make a conscience effort to be more optimistic, more grateful, more thankful, more reflective and more proactive. (Whoa, Tracy, that's a lot!) 

In simpler terms, let's stop and think about the good we have and make plans to change the things we can (or at least reduce the stress they are causing us).

Jim Knight has a strategy called, "Witness to the Good" and just the title alone gives me hope.  The objective for this strategy is to create a positive environment for learning in which constructive student behavior is reinforced and destructive behavior is corrected.  

Let's do a Hattie Check:

This strategy would match with numbers many of the 12 Influences listed above.  While we break down this strategy, come back to the clock above and reflect on where it aligns.  

Two things to consider: First, just because some influences are pretty high in effect size, we shouldn't ignore effect sizes close to .4 (the hinge point).  A lot of time, small reflections of our own orchestration of our interactions with students do have lasting impacts (it's a marathon, there are no quick fixes with students). And second, the word CONSISTENCY is not listed above, so please remember, without it students won't know where they stand and this can lead a chaotic learning environment. 

So, here comes the work on our parts, the reflective and proactive things we do before we see behavior and then our reaction to it.  (because we interact with humans and not robots)

In order to be a witness to the good, teachers are reflective about what students actions they want to see that foster learning.  Teachers strive for a higher ratio of reinforcing this attention compared with correcting it.  If the teacher is constantly only correcting inappropriate behavior, then all the attention unintentionally focuses on it... let's shift it!

"Where attention goes, energy flows"  James Redfield

Let's focus our attention what we WANT to see, putting our energy toward that goal!

Where to get started:

1.  make a list of of behaviors you want to see

2.  make a list of how you will celebrate/praise these behaviors when you see them

3.  make a list of behaviors you are constantly correcting

4.  make a list of how these behaviors will be corrected (first, second, third time)

5.  work on ONE behavior at a time until it is consistently seen the way you want to to see it

6.  commit to saying hello to all students as they enter, especially those you have negative interactions with

7.  seek out positive interactions with students not involved with behavior or academics

8.  find out about things your kids like outside of school (what's the thing they love right now)

9. thank students for good behavior, both academic and behavioral

10.  praise effort (effort creates ability)

11.  remind yourself to praise and set praise goals, (put a number of sticky notes on your desk, each one is a praise reminder, for example, put 7 sticky notes down for 5th period, remove as your praise)

12.  double praise on certain days

13.  vary methods of praise - know what kind of praise your kids like

14. set praise goals based on prompts, like "if someone walks in the room, I will praise two kids"

15. Display student work

16. call, email or mail postcards home describing the "good" (talk to me about postage)

17.  ignore attention seeking behavior by praising those doing right

18. never miss an opportunity to talk to a kid in the hall, in the cafeteria, even if they are not your students

Have a great first week of November! And remember, as Doug Curry would say, "Students will do whatever you ask of them, if they know you love and respect them".  Until next week...

References

For more on this seek out https://www.safeandcivilschools.com/

High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching by Jim Knight (2013)