I'm sorry for the sit and get...

If you find yourself saying this to your audience of learners, immediately following the lecture, reflect upon your lesson design.  Ask a few participants to tell you a more collaborative way to get the same results.

If you are doing most of the talking, rest assured that the audience ends up doing very little listening.  Your students are not a TED Talk audience.  You may be a great story teller, but even TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes!  In an elementary classroom, limit yourself to three minutes before your kids get a chance to talk.

Challenge yourself!  Choose a lesson, and design it with the following question guiding the way:  What is the least amount of words I can say in this lesson?

This doesn't mean to shorten a lecture.  It is more than that.  Get away from lecture altogether.  Design a different type of learning activity.  It means to challenge yourself to talk a lot less and get the kids talking a lot more.

I have seen a 4th grade classroom with deep engagement for over an hour to start the day before the teacher ever addressed the whole group.  Her systems were solid, her students owned the class, and she created and designed lessons that were self-directed and engaging.  Imagine a classroom that could run itself!  She deeply wanted her classroom to be a place where her students constantly challenged themselves to learn.  She designed learning activities that were relevant and required much thought and much communication.

Talk less.  Make your kids talk more.

No Hurry

I have really started to pay attention to student/teacher interactions.  I have been looking for a natural flow and rhythm to learning activities, especially when the teacher is involved.

When I first began teaching, I had a realization that I was trying to move my students along at my speed, not theirs.  This was especially evident during small group instruction.  I might read a passage with some students and engage in dialogue about the piece.  I would ask questions and guide the discussion to focus on main idea, inferences, and author's purpose, along with many other learning targets.

All too often, I noticed the kids couldn't keep up with me!  I didn't understand why because I thought that since we were working through the reading and dialogue together, we would all be able to participate in the conversation at the same speed.  My brain found the information so their brain should do it at the same time.

It seems like a no-brainer to know that some students may work slower.  However, I was so intensely involved in the learning conversation that I tried to keep it flowing smoothly...according to my own timeline.

Now, I will wait.  I will wait for a long time.  Perhaps too long.  If a kid seems to be done with his thinking and writing, I may give him a side question to extend his thinking.  I wait until it seems clear that everyone in the group is truly ready for the discussion.  I watch them intensely with the hope that the activity flows for them and not me.  Then we dig deeply into the passage.  We do it together.  No hurry!

Your score is ready!

Now that the calendar has turned, it is time to give you your final scores for 2016.  Here they are:

Domain #1  -  67

Domain #2  -  44

Domain #3  -  12

Now that you know your scores, I'd like you to take a few minutes to reflect upon them.  How did you do?  What are your strengths?  How will you make improvements?

Holy smokes!  I forget to tell you what the scores are measuring!  The first number is your rating as a blog reader.  It is based on your regular blog reading tendencies run through a complicated formula that measures you on a scale of other demographically similar blog readers.

The second number is your score of the comments you leave on blogs.  It is somewhat based on the value-added nature of your comments.  It also takes into consideration blogs that you read but do not actually leave comments for, knowing that sometimes "no comment" is the best comment.  There is also a component of this score contrived from your probable likelihood of future value-added comments.

The third score is a current and valid score of your anticipated level of improvement in blog readership and commenting.  This number is extrapolated using your current scores and a broad spectrum analysis of other blog readers based on state and national averages, longevity of readership, and blog loyalty.  Happenstance blog readers have been removed from the scores to minimize unnecessary variability.

Now... How did you do?  What are your strengths?  How will you make improvements?

So you still need more information to reflect upon your scores???  What is the scale, you ask???  What if I said the scale for each number was 1-100.  Can you start your reflection?  Well, that would be too easy.  The scale for the first score is 13-100.  The scale for the second score is 32-278.  The scale for the third score is 1-12.

Now you have enough information to reflect on your scores.   How did you do?  What are your strengths?  How will you make improvements?

The general reaction for each score is as follows:

Domain #1:  On a scale between 13 and 100, a 67 was felt to be just OK by most blog readers.  Not good.  Not bad.  Meh...

Domain #2:  On a scale between 32 and 278, a score of 44 was deemed to be pretty low.  Several folks agreed that a 44 might as well be the bottom of the barrel.  Ugggh.  

Domain #3:  On a scale between 1 and 12, getting the highest possible score was a delight to everyone!  Folks like to get the highest possible score!  It was notes that while domains #1 and #2 are not sources of pride, the score for domain #3 feels great because it indicates future success!

Finally, there is enough information to adequately reflect on your performance.  How did you do?  What are your strengths?  How will you make improvements?

Wait just a minute....  Another piece of information is available for your score analysis.  It may also affect your reflection.  

Domain #1 - 67

12 % of blog readers scored 60 or below

88% of blog readers scored 61 or greater

Domain #2 - 44

56% of blog readers scored 40 or below

38% of blog readers scored between 41 and 50

6% of blog readers scored 51 or greater

Domain #3 - 12

91% of blog readers scored a 12

9% of blog readers scored an 11

Now that you have the whole picture, are you ready to reflect again?  How did you do?  What are your strengths?  How will you make improvements?

Funny how the reflection changes with each new piece of information.  The scores did not change.  The context changed each time another piece of information was provided.  Twelve out of a possible twelve points felt great until the data showed that 100% of blog readers received an 11 or a 12.  Then that same 12 wasn't so exciting.  The 44 was well below the ceiling of 278 and felt pretty bad until we saw the company we were in.

The State of Texas is in the process of publishing new scores from a new school accountability rating system for Texas Public schools.  The scoring system will not become official until 2018.  The projected scores (grades) for last year were just released.  The scores are shocking folks across the state.  Some schools that have typically performed at the top of the heap are seeing scores that do not necessarily reflect being at the top.  

The school didn't change.  It was a good school under the old scoring system.  It is still a good school.  The school didn't change overnight.  It was simply measured differently.  The school's data didn't change overnight.  It was simply presented through a different lens.

Every school has strengths and bright spots.  Every school has challenges and improvement plans.  The new scoring system has flaws.  So did the old one.  Flawed as it may be, it simply gives you information to do better.  I like to do better!

Word finds are GREAT for student learning!

No. No they are not.  A few kids enjoy them.  Most do not.  They do not help kids learn.  Stop doing them for the purpose of improving vocabulary or better spelling.  There are much better ways.

Also, very few kids like The Quiet Game.  Most hate it.  They know what you need from them.  Kids choose their friends as the "most quiet" classmate.  Other kids purposely lose quickly because they know deep down inside that they will not be chosen.   Playing the quiet game really just sets the stage for you to be able to more easily spot the talkers.  Let's teach them how to talk to each other appropriately.  If too many kids are unable to act appropriately in the hallway, it is your fault.  If it is only one or two kids, address them individually.  Find a better way.

This week we are learning the letter R!  Letter of the week is irrelevant.  What a contrary and meaningless way to help young students gain ownership of the alphabet.  Start with the letters in their name.  Use environmental print. Stop cutting out 8 little letter R's and gluing them next to eight pictures of things that supposedly start with the letter R.  Kids need to learn letters and sounds through relevant language.  Worksheets with poorly drawn Rats do not help kids learn the capital R.  We can do letters better.

Copying off the board needs to end.  I'm not talking about copying a problem or an expectation for a learning activity.  I'm talking about copying a poem or a paragraph.  Don't make kids copy something that someone else has written.  If kids need to write something down, let them write their own words!  Copying is not learning.  Design something better.

Sitting out at recess for forgetting homework does not help kids remember their homework.  The kids who habitually lose their homework are only missing out on the movement they probably need.  The kids who always remember the homework simply see a stick pointed their direction.  Compliance out of fear is not the best way to do it.  Paying kids with rewards isn't the best way either.  Build intrinsic motivation by giving them better ownership of their behaviors and consequences.

Rainbow writing does not improve writing.  It does not help kids become better writers or spellers.  It does not increase engagement for the great majority of students.  It is a waste of time.  Kids are more thoughtful about choosing the colors instead of correct spelling.  I don't even know what pyramid writing is but it looks worthless.  Writing spelling words five times each is not good.   Spelling is tough to teach, but there are much better ways.

Round Robin reading still happens.  Oh my goodness, why?  The lack of engagement is beyond obvious.  The below-level readers cannot read the text.  Kids more than a couple of reading lower than the text can't even follow along.  Most kids don't follow along.  The high readers are bored to tears!  There are better ways.

These suggestions are not new.  These strategies were equally ineffective in 1994, my first year of teaching.  They were ineffective in 1979, when I was a 5th grader.  They are still ineffective, yet they still happen.

When educational practices are proven to be effective for all students, keep doing them.  The strategies highlighted above are not effective.  They are also not engaging or fun.  They are not fun for the kids or for the teacher.  Design better learning activities.

Banging erasers

Before whiteboards, classrooms had chalkboards and chalk.  The chalk in the erasers would build up and they would need to be cleaned out by banging the erasers together.  Kids in the class usually took care of this duty.  I banged erasers together a lot!  It took me awhile to realize that I was tricked!

Sometimes I banged the erasers together instead of going to recess as a punishment and sometimes I banged the erasers together instead of going to recess as a reward.

The exact same activity was a reward and a punishment.  My reaction to the activity differed though.  When it was a reward, I loved it!  The teacher chose me out of everyone in the whole class!  I didn't mind missing recess because I was a helper!  I was recognized for something good!  My teacher liked me!

When it was a punishment, I hated it.  I did not want to miss recess.  I wanted to play!  I could barely breathe from all the chalk dust.  Not fair!  Why me?  I wasn't the only one talking at the wrong time!  Banging erasers was cruel and unusual punishment.

Same activity.  Different reason and different reaction.

When I talk to kids who have made a poor choice, I try to remember my erasers.  I ask myself, "What do I need this student to learn?" and, "How can I help them learn it?"

A group of students was running down the hall.  There were 10-12 of them.  The rest of the class was walking appropriately.  What did I want them to learn?  I wanted them to learn that a herd of kids running through the hall together is not safe.

How did I want them to learn it?

I could have given them the riot act.  I could have used my old-school principal voice (high volume and too many words.)  I could have marched them through the halls for 10 minutes and critiqued every step and misstep.  Not so good.

I looked at the situation from the opposite direction.  I asked myself, "What would I do to show off the excellent hallway walking skills of these kids?"  I would practice the skill, then trust them to do it well.

The answer became clear.  With ZERO sarcasm, I kindly asked them to practice walking in the hall for a little bit.  Probably 15 seconds.  Then I praised the action.  I got them out of their line and asked them to walk for a few more seconds.  Again, I praised their efforts and gave them a giant grin!  I asked them, "Check yourself...Who needed a quick reminder?"

Several hands went up.  Sometimes we all need a reminder.  I said, "Thanks for the quick practice session.  Head on back to your class.  I trust you."

Runners gonna run!

Some people are really well-conditioned to only act when told what to do.  They defer all decisions to their boss.  They may do what they are told quite well, but this group of people doesn't make the decisions.  They wait to be told what to do.

There seems to be a correlation between the folks who wait to be told what to do and the folks who complain about what they are told to do.  They are usually the same people!

Some folks are so busy forging on with great teaching and learning that they don't wait for much!  Ron Clark, National Teacher of the Year and founder of The Ron Clark Academy says that these folks are runners  and they are too busy running ahead doing things that are best for kids to wait to be told what to do.  And they are definitely too busy to complain about it!

Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly, says that when we are willing to own our story, we can write our own ending.  Don't wait for someone to tell you what to do.  Don't let someone else write your story. Wake up each day and ask yourself, "How can I be better today than I was yesterday?"  Then go be better!

One notch better

Dave Burgess talks about designing lessons that will fully engage learners.  He is crazy passionate about it!  Read his book, Teach Like a Pirate, and you will understand!  He fully admits that it is impossible to make every single lesson into the best possible lesson.  He says that it takes incredibly hard work, time, energy, and occasionally some cash to make it happen on a regular basis.  He goes on to say that it is our duty as educators to bring our very best to every possible lesson!

He goes on to say that we should consider several facets of the lesson to determine if it is the best possible decision has been made.  In my opinion, this is the key question for making incremental improvements.  How can I do this better???

As you head into this week, look at your lesson plans.  Look at the activities that include a worksheet.  For every worksheet, ask yourself, "How can I make this one notch better?"  Then do it.  As many times as possible.

Worksheets are not engaging.  Students don't like them.  Teachers don't like them.  This week, fully investigate every worksheet and make it one notch better.  Get rid of a few of them.