A Reader Asks... Feedback from a Single Classroom Observation

An Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

I have a question about PowerWalks. Why aren’t there recommended suggestion to choose from on the PowerWalks form?  We think it would be a good idea to give the teachers an idea to think about or work on after we visit their classrooms.

SC Response

I’m glad you asked this question because I can prevent you from making an all too common mistake...  Reading too much into a single classroom visit.

We coach observers and teachers not to expect feedback or suggestions after every observation.  Frankly, a single 3-minute observation is a random wisp of time.  Instead, we train everyone to work from observed trends and patterns.  And you need at least 15-individual classroom visits to distinguish a pattern from an anomaly.

Now there are caveats, and the PowerWalks system addresses this.

1. If the observer reports something exceptional during the observation the system will prompt the observer to send a notice to the teacher.  

2. If the observer wants to share a specific positive comment, the observer can email the message to the observer.

HOWEVER, if the observer has a question or a concern, the observer should email himself a reminder to go talk to the teacher.  Questions and concerns should NEVER be e-mailed to the teacher.

Always keep in mind that PowerWalks is designed to create “game film” for the purpose of coaching teachers.  This requires multiple visits by observers and conversations between teachers and instructional leaders.

I hope this helps.

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of October 30, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of October 30, 2016 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Brad Weston! He is the new Assistant Superintendent in Jefferson County Public Schools!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. The best human systems are often the simplest and least sophisticated ones. (By @DrKing_BBJH)

3. 'Standard Practice' becomes ‘Malpractice' when research demonstrates there is a better way to conduct our business. (By @sherrington2)

4. All the decisions that benefit adults over students (which are most of them) generally make the job of leading schools more difficult. (By @LYSNation)

5. We oppose the privatization of our public schools, and the government intrusion of our private schools. School Choice Vouchers mean both. (By @pastors4txkids)

6. Direct, personal feedback really is the simplest and most effective form of motivation. (By @DrKing_BBJH)

7. The quality of any school system cannot exceed the quality of people within it. -Barber & Mourshed, 2007 (By @sherrington2)

8. "Dialogue NOT monologue..." ...and that requires a lot of planning. (By @tlonganecker)

9. Teach teachers to teach like they have never taught before. (By @tra_hall)

10. "Everything you want of significance is right outside of your comfort zone." (By @CoxHerb)

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of July 24, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of July 24, 2016 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Chris Granger! He is the new principal at Sanger HS!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. Congratulations to LYSer, Tom Giles! He is the new Principal at Pewitt Junior High School!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

3. Congratulations to LYSer, Jamey Johnson! She is the new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction in Brenham ISD!! Who'll be next? (By @LYSNation)

4. I have a huge problem with private school educated multi-millionaires demonizing public educators and getting standing ovations. (By @LYSNation)

5. I have reached the firm conclusion that if you are a school leader and you don't attend training with your staff, you're not as good as you believe. (By @LYSNation)

6. What's the best thing to give struggling readers when they've finished a book? Another book. Not a test. Not a slice of pizza. (By @KyleneBeers)

7. "Everything we write is a potential learning experience.  Writing is a systematic process for learning essential meanings." (By @Mr_DTRutan)

8. Success favors a prepared mind! (By @EdieMartin)

9. If your coach is being tough and demanding of you, consider it a gift. They probably see some things in you that you don't see in yourself. (By @CoachMotto)

10. The public strongly oppose cutting education, yet education funding down 17.3% since 2011. (By @LLMcNabb)

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); The 4^th Annual Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Facilities Support

It is difficult (but not impossible) to run a quality education program in a poorly maintained facility.  And even if the education program is of high quality, a subpar facility impedes student performance.  And in too many districts, the urgency of the Facility Staff leaves something to be desired.  (Side bar: I worked in two districts, one with horrible facilities support, and one with fantastic facilities support. For those of you who have experienced both, you know first hand the effect of environment on student performance).

The practical problem for principals is how to increase the urgency of Facilities Staff and have them better respond to the needs of your campus.  Here are some ideas to consider.

1. Treat the Facilities Staff as if they are the most important people in the World. This will make you unique. Most educators ignore Facilities Staff.  Would you give your all for someone who doesn’t know you exist?

2. Consider the Facilities Staff as part of your staff.  If you are feeding your staff, include them.  If you do staff shirts, include them. You get the idea.

3. Submitting work orders:

A. When you submit a work order, attach a picture. Facilities Staff seems to respond faster when they see the problem. 

B. If there has been no response after one week, resubmit the work order and picture, but CC your supervisor, and the Facilities Director.

C. If there has been no response after two weeks, resubmit the work order and picture, but now CC your supervisor, and the Facilities Director and the Superintendent.

4. And if none of the above works, send the Director (or Assistant Superintendent) of Facilities a bottle of his favorite Scotch every Christmas (this is what I did).

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
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... Lesson Framing in Self-Contained Classrooms

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

The training that you provided this past summer was great and our staff has worked all semester implementing the Fundamental 5.  With that implementation, we some have questions.

  

What is the best way to manage “We will” and “I will” statements (Lesson Framing) for grade levels that are self-contained and have several content objectives?

I appreciate any guidance that you may be able to give us.

SC Response

Great question.  I would start with the reminder that the self-contained classroom is inherently unfair for both the teacher and the student.  The teacher is expected to be an expert in all four content areas, plan for all four content areas and deliver, daily, rigorous and engaging instruction in all four content areas.  Yet, Framing the Lesson is where the breakdown occurs?  The better solution is partner pairing, but we can save that concept/practice for a later discussion. 

Start with the understanding that a Lesson Frame frames the big idea or the critical understanding of the lesson.  Which means, especially in elementary classrooms, you don’t frame everything taught during the content time. You frame the most important thing.  So let's say during my Reading/ELA block that my direct teaching addresses reading comprehension, but I will also have a grammar review, centers, individual practice and some pullout groups. Most likely, I will Frame the direct teaching concept. From a practical and observation standpoint, this means that there will be less Lesson Frame / student activity alignment in an elementary classroom than in a secondary classroom. 

Now, the question becomes, "Which content areas should be framed?"  

The answer is (in the self-contained classroom), "The critical content areas." 

Depending on the class and the grade the critical content may be just reading and math. Or the critical content could expand to include reading, writing, math, science and social studies.  But to not frame the critical content is not an option.  On this I cannot be more direct. To not Frame is to not prime the brain to be receptive to the learning and to not set up the brain to retain the content.  Which means to purposefully teach poorly. 

Now, if I have assigned my teachers the nearly impossible task of being self-contained, there are three things that I must do to help my teachers. 

1. I must provide them with a common scope and sequence.  I must give them "the What and the When” of instruction if they are to plan for quality delivery in four different content areas.

2. I must carve out time for my teachers to plan and collaborate together.  And I must make sure that they use the time appropriately and effectively.

3. I must visit classrooms to observe instruction and check the Lesson Frames.  If the Frames are not posted, cue the teacher to get them up.  If the Frames are of poor quality, help the teacher revise them. If the Frames are up and of good quality, give the teacher a “Thumbs up.”

I hope this gets you and your team past this little hiccup.  Let me know if you need any more assistance.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... How Do I Recognize Critical Writing

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks:

SC,

I have attended many of your sessions on curriculum.  Currently I am trying to support my district with its implementation of The Fundamental 5.  After conducting a classroom walk-thru the following question came up... 

“When you are in ELAR, does writing count as critical writing or does the ELAR teacher have to go beyond her current expectations to have the rigor of critical writing?”  

Our team was divided...I have reread the Critical Writing chapter in, The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) and do believe essays in ELAR are critical writing but wanted to ask the source.

SC Response

Thank you for your fantastic question.  A question that befuddles a lot of educators, including me, when I got started.  We asked the same question after speaking to Mike Schmoker in the early 2000’s. He had reported that critical writing was occurring in less than 5% of the classrooms he studied, including ELAR classrooms.

As a Texas educator, I took that statement as a direct challenge and my team attempted to prove him wrong.  We didn’t.  

As teachers, we make an almost universal mistake. We operate under the incorrect assumption that when a students has "pencil on paper" that critical writing is occurring. This is not the case.  Critical writing equals critical writing. And that is what fools us in the classroom.  Students have their pencils on paper a lot, but the tasks they are completing do not elevate to the level of critical writing, even in the ELAR classroom.

So how do we determine if a writing activity represents critical writing, in any setting?  Look for the following:

A. The written identification of similarities and differences.

B. Written summarizations

C. Note making (not copying)

D. Any other writing activity that meets all elements of the 4-Part Critical Writing Test (which we will discuss tomorrow).

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
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool)
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook