The Fundamental 5 International Summit is October 14, 2013

Your last chance this school year to attend The Fundamental 5 International Summit (welcome Team Canada) is this Monday, October 14th in Dallas Texas.  A limited number of walk-ups seats are still available.

http://www.tassp.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=409

A Reader Writes... Lesson Framing - Part 1

Proving that it pays to occasionally comb through the blog archives, in response to the 1/18/2010 post, “A Reader Shares... Lesson Framing,” a reader writes:

SC,

I have been thinking about and using exit slips (and trying to model how this is an effective strategy to use in classrooms). Here is my question: 

I read the exit slips and sort into piles of: Got It, Sort Of and Not There Yet. I then use this to shape my instruction for the following day. However, I don't give the slips back to kids. 

I worry that if they write it down and then I don't specifically come back to each kid who didn't get it that students may walk away thinking that their misconception was correct (particularly those who are absent in mind or body) the next day.

Your thoughts of this? My teachers typically have a daily class load around 200 students so simplicity is pretty essential.

SC Response

Great question.  First of all, keep reminding yourself that the primary purpose of the exit ticket is to close the lesson in a way that forces the student to demonstrate the critical connection or understanding of the lesson.  This is not an instructional “fix.” It is more like instructional insurance and diagnostic information for the teacher on the quality of the lesson. The insurance is that students are creating memory hooks that facilitate content retrieval and the diagnostic information should lead to improved instructional delivery methods. Both of these dynamics working simultaneously, over time, will reduce the number of students needing remediation and increase overall student performance.

Second, students need to sign their exit slips.  This way the teacher can identify who answered what.  

The day the exit ticket can’t be attributed to me is the day I put no effort into my answer.  

You don’t have to grade everything, but you must maintain the illusion of accountability to be assured that your students are giving you an honest effort.

Third, your exit ticket analysis should result is the following actions:

A. Everyone got it = Move forward, with confidence, at full speed.

B. No one got it = Reteach it, in a completely different manner, that is not louder or angrier.

C. A few students didn’t get it = Quick pullout reteach.  This can be done during the warm-up or during individual practice time.

Now the question is, “How to do the exit ticket analysis, quickly?” Here are two of the numerous methods that I could recommend. Both require the exit ticket to be completed on sticky notes.

1. Have the students place their exit ticket on the classroom door as they leave. The teacher then scans the answers while standing at the door during the passing period.

2. Have a traffic light area on a bulletin board.  As students leave they place their exit ticket in one of the following areas. 

Red Light = I don’t get it.  Yellow Light = I’m getting there. Green Light = I got it. 

With this method, not only can it speed up the teacher’s analysis of the exit tickets, it facilitates student self-assessment of both learning and effort.

I hope this helps and let me know how things progress on your campus.

  

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/Fundamental5
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Here's a quick preview of what you will be a part of at the Fundamental 5 National Summit on Monday, October 14th in Dallas Texas.

We hope to see you there!

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/Fundamental5
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Early Reviews Are Great!

Last Monday was the first of two Fundamental 5 National Summits, if you are considering attending and bringing a team to the next Summit, on Monday, October 14^th, here is what you can expect.

Just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for yesterday's Summit.  As usual, you and your staff provided an excellent learning experience for us.  The teachers that accompanied me thoroughly enjoyed the conference and came back with many great ideas.  As soon as we got out of the Austin traffic, they wanted to discuss how we should go about implementing them.  Another teacher has asked to share the experience with our Board of Trustees.

C.G.

And...

I would like to take a few moments of your time to tell you of the great time I had at the Fundamental 5 (Austin) National Summit yesterday.  I’ve been in Education since 1985 and this is the most rewarding conference I’ve ever been to!  Sean Cain set the bar high in the first General Session and the energy and fervor was maintained throughout the day!  Spot on training that is applicable for every day in the classroom.  As a teacher and coach in secondary education, I gained lots of information that I can implement immediately.  Fired Up!

Sincerely,

J.K.

I hope to see you in Dallas next week!

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Fundamental 5 National Summit Field Report

For those of you in Austin yesterday at the first Summit date, it was an incredible experience! Nearly 400 educators discussing, learning and networking on how better implement the Fundamental 5 for the purpose of improving student outcomes.  I have never seen conference attendees put so much effort into session after session.  If you missed it, all is not lost.  The second (and last, until next year) Fundamental 5 National Summit date is Monday, October 14^th, 2013 in Dallas, Texas.  It’s not too late to make your arrangements to attend.  

And for those of you who are either not Twitter users or we not following #Fun5Summit yesterday, here are some of the highlights that were shared.

1. When you walk up to Opportunity’s door, don't knock.  Kick it in, smile and introduce yourself! (By @Crysrommuel)

2. The good old days of instruction are today! (By @RandyMBrown)

3. Increase rigor for rigor's sake!! (By @MFPainter)

4. Student conversations and critical writing give us windows into student brains. (By @RandyMBrown)

5. How powerful is The Fundamental 5? I’m watching a Math teacher train a group of teachers on how to use and improve Critical Writing! (By @LYSNation)

6. The person doing the talking is the person doing the learning. (By @GloffMona)

7. Essential:  Leadership has to sit in on instructional planning - not running the meeting but ensuring it happens. (By @tra_hall)

8. Take the risk and post your data! It is what it is! (By @CabidaCain)

9. Performance issues in the STAAR era will not improve unless we are on pace with our scope and sequence (By @tra_hall)

10. Grateful to be a part of The Fundamental 5 Summit today.  Ready to take the next steps towards being a Fundamental 5 campus. (By @Mrdopp88)

11. Fantastic day at The Fundamental 5 Summit. Best day of professional learning in a very long time! (By @RandyMBrown)

12. WE WILL follow #Fun5Summit today in Austin. I WILL be going next week to Allen, Texas (Dallas). (By @scot_wright)

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Fundamental 5 National Summit Eve

For those of you heading to Austin, we'll see you tomorrow (walk-up seats still available).   The rest of you we will see on October 14th in Dallas (registration still open).

http://www.tassp.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=409