Posts
A LYS Teacher submits:
"I want to address how we talk to our students. It is critical that we use proper and appropriate language when we are redirecting an off-task student, no matter what behavior the student is displaying. There is no place for a teacher to use slang or off color remarks of any type when addressing a student. After all, students repeat what they hear adults say, as we are the role-models. They observe our interactions with one another and when a teacher belittles a student or a staff member, they in turn repeat the behavior. We only have ourselves to blame.
To be a true LYS teacher, this is a hard, hard, hard, habit to break. But speaking the language of poverty (yelling at students, using almost profane language and slang to get them to respond) is not the way of the LYS Nation. It makes me very uncomfortable to be around teachers like that."
SC Response
Great post, great reminder. Modeling is always the most powerful way to teach a skill. So the question we have to ask ourselves is, “What am I really teaching?”
Just today I heard a teacher berate her class for not “respecting her,” all while she was being rude and demeaning. I particularly find it interesting when an educator tries to be “street” with a student because that is “what they understand.” I don’t know if it is bigoted, racist, or ignorant but it does become self-fulfilling.
You are right it can be a hard habit to break, especially without awareness and support. But I have seen whole staff change their demeanor, once they have seen the error of their ways. All that is required is the conviction and leadership of just a few. You would be surprised what a few quiet conversations can accomplish.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Update From the World Tour
The LYS World Tour completed another stop yesterday at the Texas Charter School Conference. As is almost always the case, it was standing room only to hear about the beliefs, practices, and strategies that are becoming routine on the typical LYS campus. The very large audience of mostly new faces and a few LYS regulars spent a productive hour listening, learning and brainstorming with their neighbors. We actually ran out of time and I had to stop in mid-sentence to release the room.
And yes, I nailed every single element of the Fundamental Five.
LYS Nation, you keep pushing the envelope and I’ll keep telling your story. New readers, buckle up because you are in for a heck of a ride.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
And yes, I nailed every single element of the Fundamental Five.
LYS Nation, you keep pushing the envelope and I’ll keep telling your story. New readers, buckle up because you are in for a heck of a ride.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Dress Code Yet Again
Yes, this post is a broken record.
This month I have been on a number of campuses that require students to conform to standardized dress (uniforms). But there has yet to be even one of these campuses that have had any expectation for professional staff appearance.
The hypocrisy was complete when I observed a female middle school teacher in an untucked, inappropriately deep V-necked T-shirt, ratty blue jeans, and flip flops berate a student for not having his shirt tucked in appropriately.
Here’s the rule: Either model your expectation, or don’t have the expectation. It's that simple. If you are unwilling to model what you expect, you have provided proof positive that you value comfort and convenience over effectiveness and performance.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
This month I have been on a number of campuses that require students to conform to standardized dress (uniforms). But there has yet to be even one of these campuses that have had any expectation for professional staff appearance.
The hypocrisy was complete when I observed a female middle school teacher in an untucked, inappropriately deep V-necked T-shirt, ratty blue jeans, and flip flops berate a student for not having his shirt tucked in appropriately.
Here’s the rule: Either model your expectation, or don’t have the expectation. It's that simple. If you are unwilling to model what you expect, you have provided proof positive that you value comfort and convenience over effectiveness and performance.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Dress Code and More - Part 2)
In response to the post, “Dress Code and More,” a reader writes.
“To comment on how deep this goes, I was recently at a job interview for a secondary school that was barely above water. Out of the four secondary schools in the district, three of them are Unacceptable and the fourth made acceptable by a just a handful of students.
One of the first questions they asked me was, “What would I do to improve school spirit among the students?”
My answer was shaped by Cain and my experiences. I told the interview committee that student school spirit would improve when the faculty began to put a value on school spirit. When the faculty shows up in large number to student activities, school spirit will increase. When the faculty cheers kids on in the hallways, school spirit will improve. Until the faculty engages, I told the interview committee, school spirit will remain as it is."
SC Response
Absolutely. I had similar conversations with some secondary principals this week. I pointed out that on their campuses there was no ownership and no “connectedness.” Immediately, everyone jumped on how it was the kids, community, parents, poverty, and the rest of the usual excuses. I told them just watch the halls with me. When the bell rang, they saw the following: Few teachers in the halls; no conversations between adults and students; teachers ignoring kids to talk to other teachers; kids disrespecting each other and adults; AP engaged in ‘yell and tell’ to move traffic; police officers intimidating kids who could be intimidated and patting the “tough” kids on the back.
You can bemoan culture and climate or you can do something about it. And doing something about it means changing adult practice.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“To comment on how deep this goes, I was recently at a job interview for a secondary school that was barely above water. Out of the four secondary schools in the district, three of them are Unacceptable and the fourth made acceptable by a just a handful of students.
One of the first questions they asked me was, “What would I do to improve school spirit among the students?”
My answer was shaped by Cain and my experiences. I told the interview committee that student school spirit would improve when the faculty began to put a value on school spirit. When the faculty shows up in large number to student activities, school spirit will increase. When the faculty cheers kids on in the hallways, school spirit will improve. Until the faculty engages, I told the interview committee, school spirit will remain as it is."
SC Response
Absolutely. I had similar conversations with some secondary principals this week. I pointed out that on their campuses there was no ownership and no “connectedness.” Immediately, everyone jumped on how it was the kids, community, parents, poverty, and the rest of the usual excuses. I told them just watch the halls with me. When the bell rang, they saw the following: Few teachers in the halls; no conversations between adults and students; teachers ignoring kids to talk to other teachers; kids disrespecting each other and adults; AP engaged in ‘yell and tell’ to move traffic; police officers intimidating kids who could be intimidated and patting the “tough” kids on the back.
You can bemoan culture and climate or you can do something about it. And doing something about it means changing adult practice.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (PowerWalks)
In response to the post, "A Reader Asks... PowerWalks", an LYS principal writes.
“You broadly categorized the types of observations which makes a debate difficult. But I’m game. I would break observations into two groups:
1. Coaching observations (regardless of time)
2. Assessment observations (regardless of time)
I am a firm believer in using the 3 minute or less observation to generate coaching tips. The original poster claims the 3 minute observations take far longer than 3 minutes. I will say that after thousands of formal and informal PowerWalks, I can be in and out of a class in less than a minute.
I believe that PDAS is generally misunderstood or misapplied. Most of PDAS is objective. Some of PDAS is subjective. The problem with the PDAS instrument is that it is not quick or easy. By not being quick and easy it is almost always poorly implemented. Properly implemented PDAS would lead to much lower scores than most teachers receive. Use a stop watch and count students at some point to find out.
The only area where I disagree with Cain is that I could care less about the dog and pony show. If a teacher does a great job in a formal observation but can't deliver quality instruction on a daily basis, then I question that teacher's commitment. Why do a great job when I am around, but slack at every other opportunity?
SC Response
I agree with the coaching / assessment breakdown. It is just our position that:
1. It must be very clear to the teacher which is occurring when the observer is in the room. “Sniping” teachers is a cowards move.
2. The data collected for coaching and assessment must be kept separate and unique. Much like constitutional rights that sometimes let criminals free, the need to protect teachers from bad leadership practices outweigh any efficiency arguments that can be made for combining the data.
I understand your 1 minute claim, but I fear most people won’t. Just last week I conducted over 300, three minute classroom observations on 12 different campuses. You are correct in stating that you can see everything you need to see in a minute. But here is the caveat, you can only see everything after you have completed 100’s of observations. Your eye takes the picture and then your mind dissects that picture. But the peripheral, yet critical details of the picture aren’t visible until you have done it enough. Schmoker says the secret to becoming on expert on instruction is to observe a lot of instruction. But now we know better, the secret to becoming an expert on instruction is to purposefully observe a lot of instruction. The difference is subtle, but critical. The coach who watches 1000’s of hours of game film has a better understanding of the game than the fan who watches lots game on TV.
I agree that PDAS, properly implemented is somewhat objective. But every time you give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, objectivity flies out the window. And I agree that for the most part PDAS is improperly scored. The personalities of the observer and observee have a greater bearing on the final score that what was observed in the classroom. Two quick examples of this:
1. Pull the PDAS results of the staff at any low performing school in the state. Less that 1% will have scored low enough to warrant a growth plan and a significant percentage of the staff will have “exceeded expectations.”
2. I was working with a principal recently that was trying to document a teacher off of his campus, not because of poor student results (which were good) but because of a poor attitude. Needless to say, I came down on the side of the teacher in this case.
Now for our point of contention. I think there is value in the dog and pony show because provides the coach with critical information. If the gap between typical behavior and exceptional behavior is small, then the focus has to be on increasing the skill level and capacity of the teacher. Technique, tools, stamina, planning and support are areas of critical need. On the other hand, if the gap between typical and exceptional behavior is great, then the focus has to be on increasing or improving tempo, urgency, planning, accountability, and instructional habits.
The accurate determination of “can’t do” or “won’t do,” dictates not only my course of action with the staff member but also the pace in which I expect to see noticeable improvement. Needless to say, the initial expectations for “Won’t do’s,” will be significantly different than those for the “Can’t do’s.” After all, the “Won’t do’s,” have demonstrated that their comfort and convenience outweighs the instructional needs of students. And that, I take personally.
So where did we disagree?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“You broadly categorized the types of observations which makes a debate difficult. But I’m game. I would break observations into two groups:
1. Coaching observations (regardless of time)
2. Assessment observations (regardless of time)
I am a firm believer in using the 3 minute or less observation to generate coaching tips. The original poster claims the 3 minute observations take far longer than 3 minutes. I will say that after thousands of formal and informal PowerWalks, I can be in and out of a class in less than a minute.
I believe that PDAS is generally misunderstood or misapplied. Most of PDAS is objective. Some of PDAS is subjective. The problem with the PDAS instrument is that it is not quick or easy. By not being quick and easy it is almost always poorly implemented. Properly implemented PDAS would lead to much lower scores than most teachers receive. Use a stop watch and count students at some point to find out.
The only area where I disagree with Cain is that I could care less about the dog and pony show. If a teacher does a great job in a formal observation but can't deliver quality instruction on a daily basis, then I question that teacher's commitment. Why do a great job when I am around, but slack at every other opportunity?
SC Response
I agree with the coaching / assessment breakdown. It is just our position that:
1. It must be very clear to the teacher which is occurring when the observer is in the room. “Sniping” teachers is a cowards move.
2. The data collected for coaching and assessment must be kept separate and unique. Much like constitutional rights that sometimes let criminals free, the need to protect teachers from bad leadership practices outweigh any efficiency arguments that can be made for combining the data.
I understand your 1 minute claim, but I fear most people won’t. Just last week I conducted over 300, three minute classroom observations on 12 different campuses. You are correct in stating that you can see everything you need to see in a minute. But here is the caveat, you can only see everything after you have completed 100’s of observations. Your eye takes the picture and then your mind dissects that picture. But the peripheral, yet critical details of the picture aren’t visible until you have done it enough. Schmoker says the secret to becoming on expert on instruction is to observe a lot of instruction. But now we know better, the secret to becoming an expert on instruction is to purposefully observe a lot of instruction. The difference is subtle, but critical. The coach who watches 1000’s of hours of game film has a better understanding of the game than the fan who watches lots game on TV.
I agree that PDAS, properly implemented is somewhat objective. But every time you give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, objectivity flies out the window. And I agree that for the most part PDAS is improperly scored. The personalities of the observer and observee have a greater bearing on the final score that what was observed in the classroom. Two quick examples of this:
1. Pull the PDAS results of the staff at any low performing school in the state. Less that 1% will have scored low enough to warrant a growth plan and a significant percentage of the staff will have “exceeded expectations.”
2. I was working with a principal recently that was trying to document a teacher off of his campus, not because of poor student results (which were good) but because of a poor attitude. Needless to say, I came down on the side of the teacher in this case.
Now for our point of contention. I think there is value in the dog and pony show because provides the coach with critical information. If the gap between typical behavior and exceptional behavior is small, then the focus has to be on increasing the skill level and capacity of the teacher. Technique, tools, stamina, planning and support are areas of critical need. On the other hand, if the gap between typical and exceptional behavior is great, then the focus has to be on increasing or improving tempo, urgency, planning, accountability, and instructional habits.
The accurate determination of “can’t do” or “won’t do,” dictates not only my course of action with the staff member but also the pace in which I expect to see noticeable improvement. Needless to say, the initial expectations for “Won’t do’s,” will be significantly different than those for the “Can’t do’s.” After all, the “Won’t do’s,” have demonstrated that their comfort and convenience outweighs the instructional needs of students. And that, I take personally.
So where did we disagree?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Dress Code and More - Part 1)
In response to the post, “Dress Code and More,” a reader writes.
“I learned a long time ago to not disagree with Cain. Not because he is vindictive, but because he is never wrong. To his credit, he’ll let you ignore him and keep doing it wrong, up until you ask for his help again. Which he gives without the “I told you so.”
SC Response
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m wrong plenty. What I do bring to the table is a wealth of experience at moving systems at speed and dealing with the flotsam and jetsam that occurs when you do so. What so many of you are attempting to do for the first time, I have done 10, 15, 20 times. At that point, there are fewer and fewer surprises.
What fools us when we are attempting to move our systems is that we think it will be easy (because it is logical) and we think that we and our people are unique. As you have seen, the easy moves occur only after we have made several difficult moves. I equate it to learning to like scary roller coasters. The first couple of times elicit stark fear. But once we train our minds to understand that we aren’t going to fly off the tracks and die, we learn to appreciate the thrill of the ride.
Then there is the understanding that our situation may be unique (though less so than we believe), but as people we are not. As a profession, our fears, complaints and modes of pushback repeat themselves from setting to setting. Once you recognize that, you can’t prevent it, but you do learn what you can ignore and what you can manage.
So there is no need for, “I told you so.” And the truth is, there is as more learning in the doing it wrong, than doing it right, so I’m always happy to observe a course of action different than what I recommended. It will either work or it won’t. Then we go from there.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“I learned a long time ago to not disagree with Cain. Not because he is vindictive, but because he is never wrong. To his credit, he’ll let you ignore him and keep doing it wrong, up until you ask for his help again. Which he gives without the “I told you so.”
SC Response
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m wrong plenty. What I do bring to the table is a wealth of experience at moving systems at speed and dealing with the flotsam and jetsam that occurs when you do so. What so many of you are attempting to do for the first time, I have done 10, 15, 20 times. At that point, there are fewer and fewer surprises.
What fools us when we are attempting to move our systems is that we think it will be easy (because it is logical) and we think that we and our people are unique. As you have seen, the easy moves occur only after we have made several difficult moves. I equate it to learning to like scary roller coasters. The first couple of times elicit stark fear. But once we train our minds to understand that we aren’t going to fly off the tracks and die, we learn to appreciate the thrill of the ride.
Then there is the understanding that our situation may be unique (though less so than we believe), but as people we are not. As a profession, our fears, complaints and modes of pushback repeat themselves from setting to setting. Once you recognize that, you can’t prevent it, but you do learn what you can ignore and what you can manage.
So there is no need for, “I told you so.” And the truth is, there is as more learning in the doing it wrong, than doing it right, so I’m always happy to observe a course of action different than what I recommended. It will either work or it won’t. Then we go from there.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Submits... A Funny Story
An LYS principal submits,
"SC, I have a funny story to share -- well, it's not funny from the kid's perspective, but it's funny from the adult perspective.
Good student -- second grader -- very active in Accelerated Reader program -- has earned 200% of his goal for the year, participating in incentives, earned lots more -- keeps reading and taking tests. For some reason, he decides to break our "Honor Code" and cheat by writing down the answers to the comprehension questions to share with a friend. The teacher catches him -- asks him what he's doing -- he innocently looks up and says, "Critical writing!"
We gotta start somewhere!"
SC Response
Forget TAKS, have that student sit for the LSAT. Three topics related to your story that I want to elaborate on.
First, is the concept that “Honesty” is contextual. And before the LYS Nation disagrees, when was the last time you looked for the rightful owner of a dollar bill you found in a parking lot. What we as adults see as dishonesty, the student often sees as a way to either help a buddy or win the “game.”
Second, is the concept that school is a middle class game. If you come from the middle class, you understand the rules to the game because you have been exposed to them from the cradle. If you aren’t from the middle class, sometimes you don’t know, misunderstand, or forget the rules. In that context, teaching kids the how to play and win the game is more productive than penalties and punishments. And that is not lowering expectations, instead it is teaching expections in order to level the playing field.
Third, is the concept of cheating and who we believe should be the purveyors of knowledge. In a teacher centric classroom, the teacher is the purveyor of knowledge to the individual student. In the student centric classroom knowledge comes from many sources. This is fine in theory, but in practice, adults have a hard time understanding how to make it work. The Davis Rule makes the student centric room actionable through the understanding that… “The only way to cheat is to not help your buddy.”
So by that rubric, you found the only “non-cheater” in the school.
Thanks for the smile,
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
"SC, I have a funny story to share -- well, it's not funny from the kid's perspective, but it's funny from the adult perspective.
Good student -- second grader -- very active in Accelerated Reader program -- has earned 200% of his goal for the year, participating in incentives, earned lots more -- keeps reading and taking tests. For some reason, he decides to break our "Honor Code" and cheat by writing down the answers to the comprehension questions to share with a friend. The teacher catches him -- asks him what he's doing -- he innocently looks up and says, "Critical writing!"
We gotta start somewhere!"
SC Response
Forget TAKS, have that student sit for the LSAT. Three topics related to your story that I want to elaborate on.
First, is the concept that “Honesty” is contextual. And before the LYS Nation disagrees, when was the last time you looked for the rightful owner of a dollar bill you found in a parking lot. What we as adults see as dishonesty, the student often sees as a way to either help a buddy or win the “game.”
Second, is the concept that school is a middle class game. If you come from the middle class, you understand the rules to the game because you have been exposed to them from the cradle. If you aren’t from the middle class, sometimes you don’t know, misunderstand, or forget the rules. In that context, teaching kids the how to play and win the game is more productive than penalties and punishments. And that is not lowering expectations, instead it is teaching expections in order to level the playing field.
Third, is the concept of cheating and who we believe should be the purveyors of knowledge. In a teacher centric classroom, the teacher is the purveyor of knowledge to the individual student. In the student centric classroom knowledge comes from many sources. This is fine in theory, but in practice, adults have a hard time understanding how to make it work. The Davis Rule makes the student centric room actionable through the understanding that… “The only way to cheat is to not help your buddy.”
So by that rubric, you found the only “non-cheater” in the school.
Thanks for the smile,
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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