Early Release

Last Wednesday was our first Early Release professional development session of the year. That means that we had approximately 80 minutes of dedicated time for quality teacher instruction.

All English Language Arts teachers and their co-teachers attended FAIR, Florida Assessments in Instruction in Reading, training. There was a Kindergarten session led by dayle timmons, a First Grade session led by Rachel Bridges, a Second Grade session led by myself, and a Grade 3,4,5 session led in the computer lab by Jenny Nash. Our 80 minute session focused on the administration of the assessment. A follow up session will be held to focus on analyzing the results, printing the reports, and prescribing instruction in whole groups and small groups based on the results.

All 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th departmentalized Science teachers were led on an outstanding investigation of density of water in different states by "Rick Nye the Science Guy", Rick Pinchot. The group explored the scientific method and discussed the integration of math with science when doing hands-on labs. They also made connections to how the lesson they participated in together correlated with content they teach at 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. The time ended with a discussion on misconceptions and buoyancy as related to density. Scientific minds were certainly at work and the conversations the group had were very meaningful!

Tom Ruark, mathematician extraordinaire, led the 5th grade departmentalized math team in the analysis of student work and alignment to the standards. Comparing work to standards is always an excellent way to ensure student performance.

This first Early Release proved that one size did not fit all and thanks to the diversified leadership at Chets Creek, there were ample leaders to provide separate sessions to meet everyone's needs. I am convinced that just in time delivery and content focus is exactly what is needed in professional development to have engage teachers.

September Book of the Month

Each month, Principal Susan Phillips, serving as our instructional leader, introduces a new children's literature text to teachers, and teaches them a new strategy to implement with their students. Her book selection is diverse and her reasons for selecting a particular book varies significantly. But, some things remain the same. She purchases a text for each classroom, expects the teachers to read the book aloud to the students, and wants the book to be accessible for students' reading enjoyment. At her monthly 40 minute Book of the Month presentation, she always gives teachers a one page handout with a summary of the book, a paragraph on why she selected the text, and a summary of the new strategy she is introducing. This long standing tradition, first brought to us by the America's Choice School Design, remains a stable constant in our culture.

Last year, our technology coach Melanie Holtsman, had the idea of building a wiki to house each Book of the Month. This digital warehouse acts as a bank not only for our CCE teachers but for teachers nationally who visit our school in person or virtually. Many times, the wiki holds not only the book selection and one page summary sheet, but also a video of Principal Phillips delivering Book of the Month to her faculty, or a video of Mrs. Phillips reading the book.

On Friday, although Principal Phillips wasn't in school, she introduced September's Book of the Month, Carmen Agra Deedy's new text, 14 Cows FOR AMERICA in remembrance of

9-11. Her Skyped conversation with faculty began with a water buffalo gift video, and then conversation about intangible items. She followed the video by explaining why she selected 14 Cows FOR AMERICA as September's Book of the Month, and she read the book to the faculty. And, she shared ideas on a new strategy taken from the professional text, Deeper Comprehension. You can visit the 2009/2010 tab on the Book of the Month wiki to read Mrs. Phillips' summary page and learn more about this text. In addition, you can check in with us monthly, on this BOM wiki, to see which titles and strategies we will be introducing to our elementary students this year.

Read Aloud of 14 Cows for America from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

The First Two Weeks at the Blink of an Eye

The smiling kids, dressed in their first day attire with their new shoes and book bag saddled backs, arrive, and before you know it two weeks has whizzed by at the blink of an eye. You would think that this would be the least busy time of the year for an instructional coach, because after all, what teacher wants to be coached on instructional content when they are getting to know a new group of youngsters and settle into familiar rituals and routines. But, you'd be mistaken.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm watching instruction, offering feedback, and asking questions. Rather, the focus has been as classroom supporter. I'm making sure that each teacher has the resources and materials they need to plan and deliver quality instruction. I've filled in a few critical needs that somehow got missed at the end of last year like the delivery of a few standards books, professional texts, new leveled books, and DRA 2 kits to name just a few. I've also focus walked classrooms to ensure that teacher's needs were being met. And, I've focused much of my attention on analyzing data to assist in completing this year's School Improvement Plan and Professional Development Plans. I don't mind any of these tasks because I feel like it is the foundation that will ensure a solid school year.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that now, just 9 days into the school year, we are entering my favorite part, the beginning of Teacher Meetings. Because, working side by side with teachers to plan instruction, offer feedback, and question practice is one highlight of my work that I enjoy. On Thursday, during common planning time, each grade level team met for their first round of Professional Development specific to their grade level needs. I sat in on the 2nd Grade ELA meeting where they discussed their pacing guide, Skills Block implementation, and worked on meaningful homework ideas and formats to support their teaching. This dynamic group worked together, bounced ideas off one another, and compromised on a common plan. I could tell, even from the start, that this team of professionals will have a productive year full of professional growth. And, I know around our school as each team met, much of the same thing was happening. Working at CCE where teachers value professional growth and meeting the needs of each student takes center stage is one of my greatest joys. This is a community that knows, "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it." an I am grateful to be a part of the Chets Creek orchestra.

A Thrilling Beginning to a New School Year

Chets Creek was wrapped in a whole new theme, Orchestrating a Symphony of Student Success, as teachers returned for their first day of work. Decked out in full garb, according to their grade's given genre of music, teachers met for a fun kick off to a new school year. Colleagues gathered in the lobby for a team photo, fun Name that Musician game, and a continental breakfast. And, as they found their seats for the performance in our fully decorated dining room, opening curtain call brought a thunderous applause. Why? Because the principal, Susan Phillips along with her administrative and office staff introduced themselves with a skit and rendition of MJ's Thriller dance!

The day, always greatly anticipated by all, was about building relationships with our teammates. There were plenty of team building activities including theme related games which held gift cards for the winners. One of my favorite being Most Original Song created by our talented Kindergarten Team--I WANT TO GO HOME! Principal Phillips even had a drawing for six shiny new ipods! Now that's what I call a spectacular start to a new school year!

But, the day wasn't solely about team building and having fun (although that is one of my favorite perks), it was also about the relationship we need to create with our students. About how important the connection with us is for them to truly embrace their learning. Through building relationships, scaffolding learning, and never giving up on them, they can experience true success.

Susan shared our data story, showed us a video clip, and read to us from a piece of children's literature. All of which tied perfectly into our theme of Orchestrating a Symphony of Student Success. We know that each note needs to be played but that we also have to look at the entire composition to make sure that this year's performance is a grand success.

I loved the way she ended the day with a slide show set to song playing of the beautiful faces of our most struggling students. It is our passion to reach each and every one of them this year no matter how much scaffolding it takes for them to scale the wall.

I walked away from the dining room after the performance feeling valued as a professional, honored to be back and working in such a tight knit community of learners, and ready to conquer any challenge. I also left laughing and exhilarated because of the memories we had just created. Enjoy this slideshow of Melanie's photos from the day, and the video clip of a portion of the First Grade Teacher's Skit. And remember, "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it." H.E. Luccock

First Grade Skit Opening Day of School from Suzanne Shall on Vimeo.

The Leadership Team Redefined

Each year, before the teachers and students return from summer break, the Leadership Team meets to prepare for the year's journey. The Leadership Team, a concept brought to fruition at Chets Creek about ten years ago through the America's Choice School Design, was put in place to diversify leadership throughout the school. In general, the team consists of the principal, vice principal, instructional coaches, community outreach coordinators, guidance councilor, and several lead teachers. Our group, which meets weekly, has had from 10-12 members, and the team ensures progress in instructional best practices and student achievement. This group, most years, has an incredible team synergy. However, recently the electricity in the group, has seemed to dim slightly, and we needed to talk about why the shift was occurring. Though others may not agree with me, I feel that a part of the shift has occurred because of the restructuring of coaching roles that have been redefined over time.

In the earlier years, we had several coaches with release time who spent time in classrooms modeling lessons, observing teachers, helping them plan and implement lessons, and providing their professional development. The content coaches, with 1/2 a day of release time, kept one foot in the classroom with their own kids, while spending 1/2 their day in other classrooms coaching. They were the individuals in the building that had the pulse of student instruction at their fingertips. They could be the voice at Leadership for each of the teachers they coached.

Over the years, as the coaching dollars have dwindled, we've had to make changes. Now, in a school of about 1,300 students, I am the lone coach with release time. I can't possibly offer all the professional development to all teachers in all contents at all the grade levels. So, we began having lead teachers running weekly Teacher Meetings. However, the dilemma became, that the lead teachers didn't have a handle on what was occurring in other classrooms, were not sitting on Leadership, and didn't have the time to offer support to others during the instructional day. A

disconnect formed. We needed a new plan.

So this year, we created an Administrative Team with a membership of six, designed to make the logistical decisions. Then, we created a Leadership Council designed to get the real work done; the forward movement and decisions of student achievement and instructional practices. This team has three members from each grade level in the content areas of math, science, and reading/writing, the principal and the instructional coach. About 20 in all. In addition to the large group, smaller content groups have been formed. Leadership will continue to meet weekly on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:00 am. One Wednesday will be Reading Council, the next Math Council, then Science Council, and the fourth week will be the Leadership Council. Work will focus on academic goals, and the Administrative Team will meet afterward for logistical management. Our first meeting of the year, before the faculty returns from summer break, happened on Friday.

The first meeting was a quiet one, but I'm guessing as the team gels, this group will be zealous and in search of even better student achievement. I am looking forward to working with this new diversified Leadership Team. I am eager to see if the synergy that we all miss returns.

My Summer Reading

It's summertime and like so many other educators, I'm enjoying some much needed R&R to get recharged for a new school year. Like you, although school is out, it is never far from my mind. I use some of my time to reflect, attend conferences, and revise curriculum maps, but much of my time is spent curled up, blocking out the chaos of life, and simply reading. I spend hours engrossed in an story, wrapped inside the story line, and standing beside the main character. I feel their turmoil and rejoice in their triumph. This is what Aimee Buckner calls experiencing the story.

Aimee in her new text, Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook, claims that readers visualize a story in three different ways; still pictures, motion picture, or experience. Readers who get totally engrossed in reading, who experience the reading, like I do, become life-long, avid, reflective, thoughtful readers. They are able to move beyond the still and motion picture to being a part of the story-connecting with it in such a way that they will forever be a reader. Isn't this what we want for all of our students? We want to help them become avid, reflective, thoughtful, connected readers. We want them to pick up a book and read even when it is not expected of them. We want them to love reading, for it to become a life-long pastime.

Teachers of reading grapple with how to teach students to become this type of avid reader. Because, like me, some didn't experience this magic until adulthood. They, like I, were taught from a basal reading text. I didn't have teachers who shared their favorite stories; I didn't get an up close and personal glimpse at a particular author; I was never taught how to visualize or infer or synthesize to more deeply understand text. (My former teachers may disagree with me.) As an instructional coach to reading teachers, I try to devour as many professional texts on reading as I can. I try to understand how reading passion develops for young learners, and what we, as educators, must do to assist their reading development. I know that many of you share this same passion as we seek out reading best practices. As we turn kids on to reading.

One of my colleagues, dayle timmons, shares my passion, and is a veracious reader. She's a stalker of Stenhouse and Heinemann waiting for new literacy texts to hit the market, and when they do, she's always the first to order them. Aimee Buckner's, Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook, was one of those text. She passed it my way and I think she meant for me to give it back after a first read, but I'm quite certain she had no idea that the text would be earmarked, highlighted, coffee stained, and passed along to another colleague to take on vacation for beach reading this week. What dayle passed along for my summer reading was a gem-one I will add to my toolkit. Of course, she knows, another one is on order for her.

Aimee Buckner has written a practical guide for helping teachers use the Reader's Notebook. In this easy to read guide, she shares snippets from her classroom of lessons she's taught and ways her students have responded in their notebooks. She shares student responses so readers can see actual student work generated from these lessons. Her last chapter also addresses using the Reader's Notebook as an assessment tool.

If you are looking for a way to increase your student's reading reflection or want to assist them in articulating their thinking, this text may guide your instructional practices. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

NECC 09, Relationships & Reflection

I'm entering my twelfth year in education, and just attended my first National Education Computing Conference with a colleague. There were immense differences between this conference and other national conferences I've attended. What made this one so different? Relationships & Reflection.

Never have I attended a national conference were I feel like I know hundreds of attendees and presenters. I haven't met them face-to-face before, rather have an on-line connection with them via blogging and twitter. I feel like I know them professionally through 140 character tweets, and I have open access to their writing and thoughts on their blogs. Many of them also share snipits of their personal lives so I know (and through pictures may have seen) where they live, their kid's names, their classroom environments, or where they took their last vacation.

These on-line relationships propelled NECC to offer NECC 09 Unplugged. This unique design set it apart from other national conferences. Not only were there regular conference sessions via lectures and panel discussions and BYOL (bring your own laptop) sessions, but also informal learning opportunities through playground areas and a blogger's cafe. The playground areas were set up with a presenter to share some of their learning and where others could gather, ask questions, and get some advice on implementation strategies. In the blogger's cafe conversations focused on wikis, how to create interaction on a blog through comments, what individuals might want to present at next year's conference, or how to use their new Nikon 60 cameras, to name just a few. On a personal level, people spent time making face-to-face connections and just talking. Networks deepened and friendships formed. I took as much, if not more learning from these informal conversations. This means extended and richer learning for me far beyond the convention walls.

Relationships also had me selecting sessions differently. In the past, I would pick solely on the title or content listed in the program, but this time I selected based on whether the presenter was part of my PLN, Personal Learning Network, through Twitter. Attending sessions with presenters from my PLN offered many benefits, including that I can have dialogue with them far beyond the hour session, and I know if I want to learn more later, I can go directly to the source.

In addition, at other conferences, once sessions commenced, the colleagues from my school and I would find a dinner location, and share our session debriefs. I wasn't really sure what other participants were doing, but I would venture to say, the same thing we were. Not at NECC. Because people were networked and connected on-line, they would meet at Tweet-Ups, go bowling together, meet in large groups for dinner (most meeting face-to-face for the first time), or tour our nation's capital. The groups formed because of common interests, and though some may have been pre-planned (through twitter), many were not. It would take one shout out through twitter to bring a group together. Again, forming relationships that will last far beyond the convention walls.

Reflection was also a natural part of this conference. After leaving other national conferences, I would take time to reflect on my learning and decide how my new learning would shape the way in which I work or deliver pd to teachers. After NECC, I not only have my own reflections, but the reflections of hundreds of other attendees. Many are bloggers and through their on-line communication I can read a post much like this one, that tells me about their own shift in thinking. I can also access many posts that were live blogged during the conference, much like the blog my colleague and I contributed to, Live from the Creek, and I can read about sessions I was not able to attend. To me, a significant change in the way we do business.

If you are reading this, you are part of my PLN, and you attended NECC 09, you already understand. But, if you are not part of my PLN, and this conference intrigues you, I would suggest that you attend ISTE 10 in Denver next year. My advice would be to get connected now so you will fully benefit, like I did, from being networked by the time you arrive. To get started, go to http://www.twitter.com/ , create an account, and search for me at @shalls under the followers tab. Don't feel overwhelmed in getting started. Start small and your network will expand. Once you meet people face to face next year at ISTE 10, you will be glad that you did.

For those of you who are networked and attended NECC 09, what do you see as the differences between this conference and others?