Do They Play Fair?

As educators, we all work on a team. At The Creek it is no different. We have grade level teams, content teams, technology teams, co-teach teams, novice and mentor teacher teams, and spirit teams just to name a few. I have the opportunity as an instructional coach to interact with many of these teams, and to attend meetings from a variety of content areas and across multiple grade levels. This provides me with the unique perspective of observing these groups in action and seeing the dynamic of the whole team, as well as the interaction between individual members.

I am a keen observer, astute listener, and quick synthesizer. As an instructional coach, I have to be. I also find myself coaching people rather than just content, so sometimes for the best interest of the teacher and the team mates, I have to confront people to point out that they are not playing fair.

Admit it, you have some of those people on your own team. You know them, they sit at a meeting looking somewhat disinterested, enter 15 minutes late for no apparent reason, roll their eyes when another member shares an idea, or sit quietly and never volunteer to take on any of the work load. As I sit and watch, I have to wonder, "Do they think I can't see them?" "Do they think their team mates don't notice?" Or, more likely, "Do they think no one will say anything to them about their behavior?"

In thinking about this whole topic (Playing Fair) I'm wondering how often people reflect on their role on the team. I wonder if each of them knows the extent to which they either assist in keeping harmony or increase the strain on a team. I'm curious how many more student learning outcomes would be accomplished if everyone on the team worked toward the common goal. Granted, I don't have much of this at Chets. In fact, almost everyone does play fair, but what about those few that don't? And, how will the rest of the players feel if I don't somehow confront the ones that don't play fair? So, I thought, why not create a reflection tool hoping that those that don't play fair will recognize their faulty ways and change. What do you think, will this work?

Directions: Give yourself one point if you could answer the question yes, and zero points if you would have to answer the question no.

My team members would….

1. _____ consider me a giver rather than a receiver.

2. _____ say I share ideas about instructional practices with them.

3. _____ believe that I value the efforts of every member.

4. _____ consider me approachable and friendly.

5. _____ assume that I am flexible and know that I can compromise.

6. _____ deem me as a member who will keep team harmony.

7. _____ thank me for sending them assessments, homework, activities etc...

8. _____ know I implement new ideas into my classroom practice.

9. _____ deem me a thinker that helps take their work deeper.

10. _____ consider me a reader of professional literature.

Add up your points.

10 Congratulations! You are the ultimate team player!

8-10 You are a great team player! I want you on my team!

7-8 You could be a better team player. Consider making a few changes.

0-7 You are not a team player. You may want to join another team!

What are your thoughts, would this reflection tool help offenders who don't play fair think about their actions? Or, do you think that the greatest offenders wouldn't recognize their destructive behavior? Let me know your thoughts.

Grade 4 Snapshot

Last week, I visited 4th Grade classrooms. This year's team consists of 8 regular education teachers and an ESE teacher. The team is unique because it includes several different types of classrooms.

1. One team is a co-teach inclusion class with an ELA teacher and Math/Science teacher co-teaching all day. They have an ESE teacher who "pushes in" to service some of the students. Altogether, they have about 44 students.

2. One team is a two teacher departmentalized team. The students spend half their day with the Math/Science/Social Studies teacher and the other half of their day with the English Language Arts teacher. Each of these classrooms have approximately 27 students.

3. One team consists of four teachers and is also departmentalized. The two Math/Science/Social Studies teachers co-teach with a group of about 44 students, and then the students split to go to one of two reading teachers who are in separate rooms. The reading teachers first classes then combine to go to the MSS co-teach in the afternoon.

Regardless of the classroom teaching structure, this entire team works together collaboratively to plan for consistent instruction across the grade level in all academic areas.

While I strolled through 4th Grade, two classrooms were teaching Math. One classroom was in their 15 minute Everyday Math Counts block. The teacher was facilitating instruction and the students were recording their EDC answers on their recording sheets. Students were working on their Daily Depositor and Counting Tape. Math vocabulary was embedded in their conversation. In this classroom, and across the grade level, students are held accountable for their EDC learning through a weekly teacher made EDC quiz. Teachers can then use the common assessment to discuss grade level instructional practices and make sure every student is mastering math concepts and skills.

The other math classroom was right at the beginning of their 60 minute Math Investigations Workshop. Their mini-lesson was focused on the purpose of building an array and things that come in arrays. The teachers were using an egg cartoon to demonstrate and show students how easy it is to count the number of things that come in an array. Mathematical vocabulary was embedded throughout the lesson. During student's work period, students were asked to add items to their student sheet, record the number of things found in the array, record the ways to read that array, and draw the array with the dimensions. It was evident in this classroom that the same EDC math lesson I observed in the other math classroom had already been taught.

In three of the ELA classrooms, the students were in Writers' Workshop. Each classroom was in a different part of the workshop (mini-lesson, work period, or closing) but basically they were working on the same lesson--adding ideas to your seed journal. In the front of each student's seed journal was a Table of Contents. Students have numbered the pages in their journals so they can quickly reference the section according to their Table of Contents. On this day, some students were adding seeds to their Best Life Events and Worst Life Events pages, and some were adding to Artifacts/Objects/Possessions. And, it appeared in one room that students would be doing a quick write about their names after the mini-lesson. As I casually flipped through a few student's seed journals, I could quickly tell that these students were receiving quality instruction, writing daily, and preparing seeds that would develop into great stories.

In the other ELA room, Readers' Workshop was transitioning from the mini-lesson into work period. The class had just finished generating a chart: I am finished with my reading bingo book now what? This important rituals and routines lesson teaches students not to waste any time during reading but to transition from one task into another. Students quietly transitioned into their book nooks, had books on their just right reading levels, and got to work. One student showed me her Reading bingo sheet which I noticed as an artifact in two of the other ELA classrooms. Basically, the bingo sheet ensures that students are reading across genres as they pick their literature.

This Grade 4 visit proved that teachers are communicating about their lessons, setting up firm rituals and routines, and adhering to the workshop structure. Students are developing number sense, reading in their just right books, writing daily, and preparing for a year of great success. I know they will meet all of their goals. :)

September's Book of the Month

This morning, the faculty gathered in the Media Center for our monthly Book of the Month. This month’s book, Amazing Pop-Up Picture Atlas by DK Publishing, is hot off the press. In fact, the copyright date of September 4, 2008 almost guarantees this will be a brand new text to students and teachers alike.

This BOM is no different than most first Book of the Month's for the year; It has been selected by the principal and purchased for each classroom based on this year's theme, Around the World in 180 Days--Our Virtual Learning Adventure. And, it was not an easy find. Plentiful are childrens' fictional picture books but more rare are the non-fiction titles that capture the imagination of our youngest learners. This find, by Principal Susan Phillips, has broken the mold and ensures a captive audience for our Kindergarten through Grade 5 learners.

Amazing Pop-up Picture Atlas engages the reader from the first page where a 3-D globe of our planet pops out, to page two with a Map of the World, and beyond, highlighting each continent. Pull out tabs are tucked in each page containing information on the countries, and fold out pages showcase flags, features, amazing sites, production, and interesting animals. This text is a wealth of factual information begging for the teaching of non-fiction reading strategies.

As always, Principal Phillips began by telling the faculty why she selected the text.

I chose Amazing Pop-up Picture Atlas as the September Book of the Month
to remind us never to get too comfortable with what we know. Embracing a global
perspective opens up opportunities for learning and growth, for both teacher and
student. There are wonders to behold outside our classroom walls, the state of
Florida, the United States, the continent of North America, and it is our
responsibility to share these with our students. Our future reminds me of this
atlas, complex yet simple, and just when you think you have it all figured out
something new pops up to change your perspective.

Then, to highlight how teachers could use this text with students, Susan introduced seven different activities: Compass Groups, Map It, Advertise, Fast Write, Travel Brochure, Scavenger Hunt, and Graffiti Boards.

• Compass Groups--Position students in groups of four for north, south, east and west. Have students explore the atlas and then name each direction in turn so each student can talk about what they noticed or learned.


• Map It--After providing students with time to explore an atlas and its features have individuals or groups create their own map of their house, the classroom, or school using the features they noticed while exploring the atlas.
  
• Advertise--After providing students with time to explore an atlas have them create a short advertisement that highlights the features of the area reviewed.


• Fast Write--Prior to exploring the atlas have students use continual writing for a few minutes about the areas of the atlas you will be having them explore. Once they have explored the atlas have them go back to the fast write to see how much they knew ahead of time and replace misconceptions with newly learned knowledge.
  
• Travel Brochure--After exploring the atlas have students create a thumbnail summary of the major categories learned on a brochure.
  
• Scavenger Hunt--Prior to experience with the atlas give students a list of things to look for as they explore. (This text has a build in scavenger hunt.)
  
• Graffiti Boards--Have students work in small groups to represent what they have learned about the atlas using symbols, sketches, and short phrases.

Each grade level team along with the resource team where charged with collectively completing their assigned activity as they explored their text. The room was abuzz as teams excitedly set off to complete their task and concurrently brainstormed how this activity would look in their own classrooms. The ideas were plentiful and as I circulated from team to team, I felt proud to work at a school with such amazing teachers.

To close, Susan had each group share their product from the activity and discuss the process. The creativity of the group overwhelmed me, especially the funny poem advertisement put together by the 2nd grade team. As usual before departing to their rooms, each teacher received a one page handout as a reference tool.

The excitement about this text and the limitless possibilities leave me anxious to interact with students throughout the building; I can't wait to see their reaction to September's interactive Book of the Month. I know it will be a hit!

Every Day Math Counts

Yesterday, three of our math teachers graciously opened their doors so three colleagues from a neighboring school could observe and learn more about Everyday Math Counts. Everyday Math Counts is a supplementary program that our district adopted last year to use in addition to our core math program, TERC Math Investigations. EDC is taught everyday in Kindergarten-Grade 5 for approximately 15 minutes in an effort to preview, review, practice, or discuss math skills and build mathematics number sense.

The visiting teachers observed two EDC lessons, one in Grade 4 and one in Grade 5. The Grade 4 EDC lesson was done in a co-teach classroom, so after the lesson, one of the teachers had the opportunity to debrief with the visitors. They asked questions about the parts of the EDC lesson, how we got started, the process of implementing the program school-wide, and how the curriculum was different across grade levels.

After the Grade 5 EDC lesson, which I watched with them, they asked to walk through math classrooms on multiple grade levels. As we walked, and talked, they noticed that every math teacher had a bulletin board with EDC artifacts which were up to date, that each classroom taught the same elements, and that each student had a recording system for taking notes whether it was a sheet made up by the teacher (Grade 4) or a composition notebook (Grade 2,3,5). In addition, they were very interested in the EDC quizzes our teachers created to hold students accountable for their learning during this time. They also asked me about last year's math results. Had we seen an increase in scores due to EDC implementation, they wondered. I shared our data with them--92% of all our students scored 3 or better in 2008 on the Math FCAT, a one point increase over 2007. 78% of the students in the lowest quartile made a year’s worth of learning gains, an increase over previous years, and student achievement for Students With Disabilities rose significantly from 74% to 84%. The variable that changed last year was EDC for all students.

Though EDC could not stand on its own as a math curriculum, it certainly fills the gap as a supplemental program. And, I noticed yesterday as I walked rooms that our teachers have done an outstanding job implementing this program. I sincerely appreciate that our teachers have embraced this program wholeheartedly, implemented authentically, and are always willing to open their classrooms to other educators. I know they are impacting student achievement far beyond their classroom walls.

Do You Believe In Me?

Most teachers begin school each year with some form of a motivational speech usually from the principal. Teachers in Dallas last week started in a similar fashion except their motivation came from a charismatic student, Dalton Sherman. This eight minute video is worth watching as he says, "I believe in me!" "I can do anything! Be anything! Create anything! Dream anything! Become anything! " and asks, "Do you believe in me?" "Do you believe in my classmates?" "Do you believe in your colleagues?" "Do you believe in yourself?" " Do you believe in my goals?" His message was clear and articulate. He expects every teacher to help every student reach their fullest potential and to prepare every single student for college or the workplace. He urges teachers not to give up, to trust their fellow colleagues, and to lean on each other when times get tough.

Grade 2 Snapshot

I took a focus walk of Second Grade on Thursday. I wasn't focused on any one thing (sometimes I am), rather this snapshot was simply to see how smoothly students and teachers had settled into a new year.

My first impression was a good one. They have settled in quite well, rituals and routines were getting firmly established, and classroom instruction had begun. The unannounced snapshot gave me a glimpse across content areas with lessons in technology, Readers' Workshop, Writers' Workshop, Math Workshop, and Science Workshop.

I visited a co-teach classroom where students were watching a video clip from '>You Tube which sang all of the countries in the world. Next, the teachers displayed their classroom blog on the board, read the blog with the students, and then read the comments. They modeled for students how to add a comment to the blog. Students were soaking in their every word. These students will now have a line of interactive communication with their teachers even when they are not in the classroom.

Next, I visited the English Language Arts rooms. (We are departmentalized from 2nd-5th grade so some teachers teach ELA and some Math/Science/Social Studies.) In one room, I found students actively involved in the active involvement part of their mini-lesson. Students were practicing the habits of a good listener. The teacher was facilitating instruction by listening in on the partners. This lesson is one of our districts 12 anchor lessons that serves as a foundation for setting up a successful Readers' Workshop structure for the year.

In two other rooms, I found students in the Work Period part of the Readers' Workshop. Students were in their book nooks with their Books in a Bag reading, were selecting new books from their leveled libraries, or were diligently adding a text to their book log that they had just finished. The teachers were monitoring the classroom to be sure that students were following the rituals and routines of the Work Period. Teachers need to make sure that students are building their independence and reading stamina. This is critically important, because on my next visit, during student work period, teachers will be administering DRA 2's to the students. After that, they will be using the DRA 2 data and diagnostic data to run guided reading and strategy groups. In order for the teacher to be doing the student conferring or small group lesson, the other students in the classroom will have to be actively reading and not interrupt the teacher.

Writers' Workshop was in full swing in another classroom as students diligently created stories in their sourcebooks while the teacher conferred with students. Evident to me was the students' confidence and writing fluency. Kudos to the Kindergarten and First Grade teachers who had students writing everyday and who held high expectations for the writing product. The 2nd Grade teachers have picked up where you left off. :)

In several other rooms, Math Workshop was off to a great start. Students were working on creating Combinations of 10 books as teachers encouraged and conferred with students. It was evident that every math teacher was on the same page and students in each class were working toward the same standards. Some students were working on putting a string of three numbers together to make 10 (5+3+2) while others were working on putting five numbers together to make 10 (1+1+2+3+3). These number strings will be used to construct a complete Combinations of 10 book. I can't wait until my next visit to see the completed book and to ask students what they learned about number strings.

The last classroom stop was into a Science class. The students were learning characteristics of specific animals including the plants they ate. The students received challenging riddles that they were charged to solve by matching them with the correct animal. This activity not only focused on science but also reading. The riddles had to be read and understood before the matching could take place.

In summary, I not only noticed that things were well underway in 2nd Grade, but also that this group of teachers has bonded as a team. Outside each of their classrooms is a sign hanging with their name, their hallways are prepared for student work, the artifacts in their rooms are similar, and their instruction is well aligned.

Getting Started in Reading and Writing

It is the first week of school, we made it through Day 1 and Day 2 of 180 with ease. However, Day 3, 4, and 5 came with the disruption of Tropical Storm Fay. So after three looonnnggg wind howling weather days full of ground saturating rain and tornadic activity and our two day weekend, we'll start anew on Monday.

Next week--which we may as well call the first week--will bring with it the review of rituals and routines, establishment of the workshop, and diagnostic assessment.

In Writing, teachers' lessons will focus on helping students learn to generate and tell stories, launch sourcebooks, observe their world, organize their work, confer, think as writers, improve writing through reflecting on their work, and studying published authors' work.

In Reading, teachers' lessons will focus on student behaviors during read aloud and shared reading, establishing good reading habits, selecting books in various genres, effective use of individual book bags, understanding and using reading logs for the Million Word Campaign, using Readers' Response Journals, talking about books productively with a partner, establishing independence during work time, and habits of good listeners.

There are 12 anchor lessons in Writing and in Reading that will collectively establish the Writers' and Readers' Workshop over the coming weeks. These are not one time lessons to be taught and then forgotten, rather lessons which establish rituals and routines that will be carried throughout the year. These important anchor lessons build the foundation for the implementation of a successful workshop structure.

In addition, while teaching the 12 anchor lessons in Reading and Writing, teachers will be administering Reading diagnostics. There is a reading assessment written at each grade level which assesses the end of year standards for that respective grade level. The assessment is given three times a year--in the beginning, at mid-year, and at the end of the year. This is the same assessment each time and is meant to track student progress on their mastery of the standards. Students' results are organized by the teacher on individual student profiles and on class EXCEL Spreadsheets. Teachers can sort and report the data to plan prescriptively for whole group, small group, and individualized instruction. Diagnostic assessment and prescriptive instruction is the cornerstone of our work at Chets Creek.

Furthermore, teachers collect a writing sample and assess the students' work using rubrics from Using Rubrics to Improve Student Writing. Collecting student writing samples throughout the year, assessing the work based on the elements of each standard, and creating a portfolio (soon to be electronic, I hope) allows us to beautifully track students' progress. In the end, it is absolutely astonishing to compare beginning of the year and end of the year work because a student's writing gets so much more elaborate.

So, while Tropical Storm Fay has postponed the establishment of ritual and routines, the teaching of the 12 anchor lessons, and diagnostic testing--(I'm sure to the delight of some students who I know found a delightful way to pass their time)--never fear, for as Monday draws closer, we will once again roll up our sleeves and get back to work. And, I trust that although they might not be the exact 180 days we planned on, there will definitely still be 180 of them!