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To the LYS Nation,
We have all run full speed for the first half of the school year. Now it is half time.
Time to rest, reflect, collect ourselves and get ready to come back in January firing on all cylinders. Enjoy this break, be grateful for the blessings in your life and enjoy this time with your friends and family.
Blog posts will resume on or before January 3rd 2010. The first topic – Anonymous Letters. If you haven’t sent in your response yet, get it to me ASAP, so I can get you in line (note: The Sailor has already submitted his take, but I haven't seen anything from the Soldier, the Marine, or The Big Easy). This is shaping up to be the next great LYS conversation.
Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Rest. Reflect. Be Merry.
Your turn…
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Reader Writes... Get Ready for Prime Time
In response to the post, “Get Ready for Prime Time,” a reader asks:
“Sean,
I want my school to start this strong in the spring. What does "Frame" the lesson mean? This sounds like powerful stuff!”
SC Response
As over 4,000 teachers across the nation can now attest, there may be nothing more powerful. Framing the lesson means that the teacher posts and discusses the following:
1. Based on the lesson for the day, the teacher creates a concrete learning objective, written in student friendly language.
2. Base on the lesson for the day, the teacher writes down, in student friendly language, the closing question, product or task that will demonstrate that the objective of the lesson was met.
What is being taught on a given day is not a surprise to the adult in the room (we hope). Why should it be a surprise to the student?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Sean,
I want my school to start this strong in the spring. What does "Frame" the lesson mean? This sounds like powerful stuff!”
SC Response
As over 4,000 teachers across the nation can now attest, there may be nothing more powerful. Framing the lesson means that the teacher posts and discusses the following:
1. Based on the lesson for the day, the teacher creates a concrete learning objective, written in student friendly language.
2. Base on the lesson for the day, the teacher writes down, in student friendly language, the closing question, product or task that will demonstrate that the objective of the lesson was met.
What is being taught on a given day is not a surprise to the adult in the room (we hope). Why should it be a surprise to the student?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Big Easy Writes...
When I work with teachers and administrators, I like to remind them of the following:
"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals."
Something for all of us to reflect on over the Holiday break and to act on as soon as we return to school.
The Big Easy
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals."
Something for all of us to reflect on over the Holiday break and to act on as soon as we return to school.
The Big Easy
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Reader Writes... Double Jeopardy
One on the original LYS principals submits the following:
“Alex, I'll take ‘Definitions’ for $1000.00
‘Excuses’
What are reasons that otherwise competent people use when they prefer to make themselves comfortable rather than doing the right thing for kids?"
SC Response
Wow, ‘Jeopardy” is one tough game.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Alex, I'll take ‘Definitions’ for $1000.00
‘Excuses’
What are reasons that otherwise competent people use when they prefer to make themselves comfortable rather than doing the right thing for kids?"
SC Response
Wow, ‘Jeopardy” is one tough game.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Friday, December 18, 2009
Get Ready for Prime Time
The following has been written primarily for Texas schools.
Second semester is the kick off of Prime Time. If you are not running full speed everyday before TAKS, then you are falling behind. I’ve been visiting schools over the past two weeks and the conversation always arrives at the following question, “How should we start the second semester with the right focus and urgency?” Here is the basic plan that I have been sharing, we obviously modify it somewhat based on the individual campus.
1. On the first day back (usually a planning or work day), have teacher teams (either content or grade level) review the curriculum source and pull the lessons for the first 15 days of instruction.
2. In the same teams, have the teams Frame each lesson.
3. Then have the teams add one of the two following modifications to each lesson. Either embed small group purposeful talk or critical writing. It is the team’s choice as to which modification they use, but at least 25% of the lessons have to have the critical writing addition.
That’s it. The plan ensures that for the first 15 days, what is taught is completely aligned to what is supposed to be taught. It ensures that the critical learning for each day is presented to all students in a format that they can all understand. It ensures that each lesson extends into the mid and high levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. And finally, it ensures that the covered content is “sticky,” or better retained by the student.
Remember you finish like you start, so go hard from the beginning.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Second semester is the kick off of Prime Time. If you are not running full speed everyday before TAKS, then you are falling behind. I’ve been visiting schools over the past two weeks and the conversation always arrives at the following question, “How should we start the second semester with the right focus and urgency?” Here is the basic plan that I have been sharing, we obviously modify it somewhat based on the individual campus.
1. On the first day back (usually a planning or work day), have teacher teams (either content or grade level) review the curriculum source and pull the lessons for the first 15 days of instruction.
2. In the same teams, have the teams Frame each lesson.
3. Then have the teams add one of the two following modifications to each lesson. Either embed small group purposeful talk or critical writing. It is the team’s choice as to which modification they use, but at least 25% of the lessons have to have the critical writing addition.
That’s it. The plan ensures that for the first 15 days, what is taught is completely aligned to what is supposed to be taught. It ensures that the critical learning for each day is presented to all students in a format that they can all understand. It ensures that each lesson extends into the mid and high levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. And finally, it ensures that the covered content is “sticky,” or better retained by the student.
Remember you finish like you start, so go hard from the beginning.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A Reader Writes... (The Bizarre Meeting)
In response to the post, “The Bizarre Meeting,” a reader writes:
“SC,
Any advice for those of us who aren't at this level yet? I am guilty of trying to do it all instead of developing capacity in others. Give me some baby steps.”
SC Response
Here are some simple steps for building staff capacity. Of course, this isn’t an inclusive list.
1. As a leader, you must develop a concrete, articulated vision for what you want your organization to accomplish.
2. You need to work on making that vision measurable, at all levels of the organization.
3. You must constantly communicate that vision.
4. You must make staff members responsible for achieving their part of the vision.
5. You must give your staff the freedom and flexibility to achieve their part of the vision
6. You must confer with your staff on their progress. The key is coaching and problem solving without diminishing their ownership of their part of the vision.
7. Keep communicating, keep measuring, keep coaching and if need be, don't be afraid to do some subtracting.
As a principal you are forced to constantly perform a high wire balancing act. You are ultimately responsible for your campus’ performance. You have to balance the needs of short term performance (you do everything) with the needs of long term performance (staff capacity building) on the fly. The most difficult piece is the transition. At some point you have to let go and cede some control to others. If you don’t, I won’t tell you that you won’t be successful (you are), you just won’t maximize your potential. Michael Jordan was a great pro basketball player, but he didn’t begin to win championships until he learned to trust his teammates.
That’s my starter list. Brezina, Brown, Richardson and the rest of the LYS Nation, what would you add or subtract?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“SC,
Any advice for those of us who aren't at this level yet? I am guilty of trying to do it all instead of developing capacity in others. Give me some baby steps.”
SC Response
Here are some simple steps for building staff capacity. Of course, this isn’t an inclusive list.
1. As a leader, you must develop a concrete, articulated vision for what you want your organization to accomplish.
2. You need to work on making that vision measurable, at all levels of the organization.
3. You must constantly communicate that vision.
4. You must make staff members responsible for achieving their part of the vision.
5. You must give your staff the freedom and flexibility to achieve their part of the vision
6. You must confer with your staff on their progress. The key is coaching and problem solving without diminishing their ownership of their part of the vision.
7. Keep communicating, keep measuring, keep coaching and if need be, don't be afraid to do some subtracting.
As a principal you are forced to constantly perform a high wire balancing act. You are ultimately responsible for your campus’ performance. You have to balance the needs of short term performance (you do everything) with the needs of long term performance (staff capacity building) on the fly. The most difficult piece is the transition. At some point you have to let go and cede some control to others. If you don’t, I won’t tell you that you won’t be successful (you are), you just won’t maximize your potential. Michael Jordan was a great pro basketball player, but he didn’t begin to win championships until he learned to trust his teammates.
That’s my starter list. Brezina, Brown, Richardson and the rest of the LYS Nation, what would you add or subtract?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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