A Reader Writes... (Teacher Nests - Part 4)

In response to the 8/12/11 post “Teacher Nests – Part 3,” a reader writes:

The biggest bunch of bull I have ever read in my life. In order to de-nest, it will take hours away instruction; and to keep the classroom de-nested, likewise.

This entire nesting theory of yours is just another way to micromanage your teachers. At a time while morale is at its lowest in the State of Texas, you come up with this idea in order to kick your teachers just a little harder while they are down.

SC Response

It’s almost as if you didn’t read the posts, or you are trying to make my case. Regardless, first, as I pointed out, this topic causes more consternation than any pointed discussion on instructional rigor. Why this is the case is beyond me. Really, if you want to create a classroom environment that distracts from learning and makes your job more difficult, that is your prerogative. However, I will keep pointing out that the practice of creating an environment that enhances the delivery of instruction is a good for teachers, but most importantly, it is good for students.

Second, are you really trying to make the case that it would take you hours to clean and organize your workspace and classroom? And are you trying to make the case that maintaining a clean and organized classroom is a bad idea?

Third, I state that the presence of a nest is inversely correlated to time spent in the Power Zone. Since you claim that is “Bull,” I’ll better illustrate this inverse relationship. In typical secondary schools, while students are in classroom, teachers are observed at their desk 40 to 75% of the time. In secondary schools that focus on maintaining effective classroom learning environments and pay attention to time spent in the power zone, observed desk time is often reduced to less than 15%. Thus, creating an inverse correlation. Now correlation is not causation. Which means that other factors than just reducing A could be cause for the increase in B. But if doing one makes it easier to do the other, then why would I reject the practice out of hand?

Fourth, perhaps your “Bull” statement was targeted towards my statement that time spent out of the Power Zone distracts from the delivery of instruction and the acquisition of knowledge. Again, I’ll just use facts to make my case. Increasing the amount of time a teacher spends in the power zone is correlated to an increase in on-task behavior and a decrease in discipline issues. If you are against these two things occurring in your classroom, simply maintain routines and practices that deter you from getting to and staying in the power zone.

Fifth, I don’t see this as a micro-management issue. In fact, I framed this work as a collaborative issue that requires administrative modeling if it is to be appropriately addressed on a campus. I would argue that this is the exact opposite of all to typical “Do as I say, not as I do” micro-managing. But if you have never had a chance to work with a staff that is completely focused on increasing student performance, or have never worked for a leader that leads by deed and example, I can understand why this could seem to be intrusive to your current practice.

Finally, as for kicking teachers when they are down, the Governor, Lt. Governor and Legislature are doing just fine. They don’t need my assistance in disparaging and discouraging the profession. I, on the other hand, completely understand that it is tough to be an educator right now. Which is why I’m doing everything I can to show teachers how small changes to their current practice will make measurable changes in student performance. Because bottom line, with the increase in accountability standards, increase in class size and decrease in support and resources, if you do what you have always done, you are going to fail, burnout and/or quit. All of which I, and the rest of the LYS Team, are working every day to try to prevent.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Summer Camps

With teachers coming back to school this week, I hope that the activities and training that you have scheduled are valuable and immediately useful to your staff. Which automatically precludes “Personality” training and most team building activities (yes, I know that wasn’t a very “Blue” statement). A number of schools in the LYS Nation stated getting ready for the school year back in July. Today, I’m sharing some July pictures of teachers from a number of LYS districts. Notice how these teachers are working in teams. What they have all been working on is mapping curriculum and then building assessments. Every one of them busted their tails this summer and I, and the LYS team, could not have been more impressed. Thank you all.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Student vs. Teacher Data

Student vs. Teacher data: I recently had a frustrating meeting about this subject with someone who should know better (a big district C & I director). Parroting E. Don Brown (which is always a good idea), “We have beat student data to death. Let it go.”

I’ll paraphrase the meeting

1. An aligned curriculum should have short-term common formative assessments and a summative assessments.

So far so good, we’re on the same page.

2. No class (excluding severe need special education) gets to opt out of any of the assessments.

Now they’re concerned. “Aren’t we limiting our really smart students by making them take dumbed down pedestrian tests?” No, and now I’m concerned.

3. The short-term common assessments are not used to identify which students need remediation. They are used to identify which instructional strategies work best with our students and which teachers are implementing those strategies.

Now I’ve lost them. “Are you saying we shouldn’t tutor?” No, I’m saying that it is no longer an option to continue to teach ineffectively.

4. The annual summative test (TAKS / STAAR in Texas) is a program review. Did we effectively teach what we were supposed to teach, or not. We use results to identify the big holes in our curriculum and our delivery; then we change and revise our practice to fill those holes in the subsequent year.

Now they smile. “We do that, we schedule our TAKS failures into TAKS remediation or double block content classes for the next school year.” Now I frown. “That’s not what I said.”

Assessment identifies whether or not our practice is effective. Student performance is merely the consequence of our action. To continue to focus on student interventions is to focus on the symptom and not the cause. Treating the symptom does provide some immediate, short-term relief. Treat the cause and at some point the symptom disappears. Shift the focus of data from students to adults and we quickly transform from being the victims of fate (those kids, those parents, etc.) to the masters of our destinies (our work, our knowledge, or expertise).

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

The Little District That Will...

I have spent the last two days working with a group of teachers that has reaffirmed why the politicians and the angry fringe of the general public are wrong. Let me set the stage.

In this district, the secondary schools lost their ratings in May. No TPM, means that they have to face the harsh reality that there is more work left to do than they realized.

Then the high school principal was hired by another district.

Then the superintendent was removed.

Now, school begins in two weeks. The board is fragmented and current district and campus leadership is has the confidence inspiring titles of “Interim” and “Acting.”

According to the talking heads this is the classic recipe for low morale. But I haven’t observed that over the past two days. What I have observed is new leaders stepping up to make sure that teachers have the tools to start school successfully. And I have observed an entire district teaching core, dig into the mapping of curriculum (tedious, detail oriented work) to make sure that they are better prepared to teach this year than they ever have been before. I’m watching teacher share, collaborate and problem solve to make sure everyone is ready to go full speed on Day One. When the easy thing to do would be to wait, this staff is rising to the challenge. To a man (and woman) every one of them is doing their part to Lead Their School. I’m just honored that they let me and LYS be part of their team.

I can’t predict what their results will be at the end of the year. But I can promise you that it will better than the non-LYS district that finds itself in a similar situation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of August 7, 2011

For all of the hard work and support that district technology departments provided during the trainings that LYS conducted this summer (and we are very appreciative), they still make the daily use of technology difficult. Here were some all too common roadblocks.

Roadblock #1: Everyone has to have a password to access any computer. In not one case was a “guest” option ever made available. So if you didn’t have a district issued password (new hires) you just got to sit and watch.

Roadblock #2: Oppressive Internet filtering. I understand the need for some filtering. But blocking darn near everything for everybody is not the way to go. And no, I shouldn’t have to call someone to have a site approved. As a teacher, the second time I was blocked in a middle of a lesson, would be the last time I wasted my time using on-line resources in the classroom. And don’t try to claim that this is a lack of planning on the teacher’s part. Most planning occurs at home, where appropriate web resources are not blocked per standard operating procedure.

Roadblock #3: We found student computers that didn’t have Word (or any other word processing program) installed. If you can’t surf the web and you can’t create documents, just how are the computers being used by students.

Roadblock #4: Excessive control of district and campus Wi-Fi. Even though this is standard procedure in almost every district I visit, no one has given me an adequate explanation why this is the case. When the only staff that are able to use the Wi-Fi are the technology staff, we have missed the point for providing Wi-Fi on the campus.

But I’m not completely blaming the Technology Department entirely for this situation. If we as school leaders and teachers aren’t attempting to embed the use of technology in our classrooms, we don’t know these roadblocks exist. And if we don’t know they exist, we can’t ask (or tell) technology to fix it. So we all have to do our part.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter. If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us. To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of August 7, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Congratulations to LYS Superintendent Bonny Cain!!! She is the new Chair of the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).

2. I just watched a soldier with a full pack take the stairs two at a time instead of the escalator. Practice your fundamentals everywhere.

3. There is no shame in missing the mark. The shame is in the blaming, punishing and quitting.

4. Purposeful action and hard work is the recipe for overcoming adversity, not excuse making.

5. When I didn't have a penny to my name I never noticed the heat.

6. If "parent satisfaction" is the new justification for vouchers, then sadly, state sanctioned segregation is making a come back.

7. Retire/rehire would be less controversial if the rehire returned at the bottom of the salary scale and contributed to the retirement system.

8. If you have 500 freshman and 300 graduating seniors - I don't care that your formula says otherwise, you have a dropout problem.

9. Tonite's Run Thought: It is wrong to hold those down-stream responsible if those up-stream are not held accountable.

10. With redistricting, we have a version of democracy where rather than voters choosing representatives; the representative chooses the voters. (By FareedZakaria)

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation