February 2012 Archives

A few weeks ago I grabbed my trusty notebook off my desk and walked into a classroom to do a teacher observation. As I sat at the back table to get a better view of what was going on around me, I watched the teacher prepare to use her Smartboard. Unfortunately, the internet went down and she was not able to complete the lesson that she had planned. Fortunately, she is a seasoned teacher and was able to come up quickly with a back-up plan.

I started thinking about people who complain about the internet and our over focus on technology. Perhaps they're right? After all, 21st century skills do not just focus on technology. A pencil may break but a good educator can go sharpen it. A piece of chalk may snap in half if you put too much pressure on it but there is plenty of chalk in the world. Teachers can find another piece and begin writing on their chalkboard again. When the internet goes down, it creates a great deal of frustration. Educators should really think about not using it so much with their students.

There are many schools that ban the use of handheld games, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging and other social networking tools. They do so because they are concerned about the students who will get on the internet and explore sites or write things that they shouldn't. Schools cannot control a handheld game because they cannot possibly see what the students are doing and they may be using the games for negative reasons.

When students have to remain inside for recess because of inclement weather they should do whole group physical activities or play board games. Board games involve a great deal of social interaction and face to face conversations. Those are the types of activities that do not lead into fights or arguments between peers. Actually, those activities create issues between peers as well.

In these days of 24/7 social media and bullying, schools are concerned that these tools will only be used to torment other students instead of what they should be used for, which is to research projects and engage students. Therefore, banning them is a lot easier because it gets rid of the problem. Or, does it create a new one?

Banning Technology
When schools ban handheld devices there is a hidden message that is sent to students as well. That message is that schools are decades behind and are disengaged with the very population they are supposed to be educating. Instead of banning the devices that we know our students love, we should figure out how to use them to engage our students. Adults worry about using technology and students worry about never being able to use technology. Educators read research to show the benefits of technology. Students do not need research and they dive right in, no matter how complicated the device may be.

As much as educators may worry about the problem solving skills our students lack, those same educators should hand students a new device without the directions and watch them figure it out. Students will problem solve when it means they will benefit from the final outcome.

There are millions of educators on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube but they are not allowed to use any of those tools in school. Many schools ban the very tools that their teachers and administrators benefit from outside of school. If teachers and administrators love writing blogs to remain connected with their school community, they should find ways to make sure that they are allowing students to use those same tools.

Blanket rules have a place in school districts because there are reasons where one rule does apply to an issue. A blanket rule of banning technology or social networking tools such as Twitter or YouTube does not make sense. Teaching students how to use those tools properly and finding a balance between technology and other hands-on methods of learning is what really makes sense. Students need to know we are with them on this ride through education. Using tools that will actively engage them will be beneficial to both teachers and students.

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"Education, of course, is overloaded with programs and data. The growth of digital power has aided and abetted the spread of accountability-driven data-adequate yearly progress, test results, for every child in every grade, common core standards, formative and summative assessments galore" (Sharratt & Fullan. P.2).

Imagine for a moment that data isn't becoming a dirty word. Let's imagine that when done correctly, and with integrity, data can provide useful information about students. Jonathan Cohen from the National School Climate Center once said, "Educators are now used to data being used as a hammer rather than a flashlight." What if we took some time to turn that around and made the data a flashlight instead of a hammer?

Yes, it would take a collaborative and trusting relationship between administrators and teachers. Those educators reading the data would have to read the data with an open mind, even if it was telling them something they may not want to hear. Those numbers represent the lives of our students. Using data requires many important conversations. First and foremost, when we have those conversations, we need to see the faces of the students.

Sharratt and Fullan
Recently, I read a new book by Lyn Sharratt and Michael Fullan entitled Putting Faces on the Data. I've interviewed Dr. Fullan (Fullan Interview) in the past and believe his views, along with Dr. Sharratt's are always very insightful. Sometimes I feel that we are data driven to death which is why I wanted a copy of the book. I needed to see the "other side" of the data argument.

Before data gets dismissed by educators, it's important to weed through all of the noise and figure out what makes good data and use it to help instruction. Sharratt and Fullan asked over 500 educators in four countries three direct questions. Why put faces on data? How do you put faces on data? What leadership qualities would be necessary to lead a system that did this well?

It's easy to get frustrated in these times of data driven decision making. However, we need to take a closer look at the issue and why we find data frustrating, which Sharratt and Fullan do very well. Sharratt and Fullan begin with the 14 Parameters. These areas represent where schools need to improve their practices.

14 Parameters

1. Shared beliefs and understandings


2. Embedded Literacy/ Instructional Coaches


3. Daily, Sustained Focus on Literacy Instruction


4. Principal Leadership


5. Early and Ongoing Intervention


6. Case Management Approach (case by case meetings)


7. Professional Learning at School Staff Meetings


8. In-School Grades/ Subject Meetings


9. Centralized Resources


10. Commitment of District and School Budgets for Literacy Learning and Resources


11. Action Research/Collaborative Inquiry


12. Parental and Community Involvement


13. Cross-Curricular Connections


14. Shared Responsibility and Accountability

The Data Conversation
Sharratt and Fullan say, "Some educators are really good at breaking down the data, but most are not trained or experienced at chipping away the marble in their system reports-they haven't been shown how to imagine there might be a "statue" in there." This concept is really important because it does not make sense to have teachers and administrators collect data if they do not do anything with it. Data has to be more than pretty charts to show parents at conferences.

Data needs to be discussed at staff and curriculum meetings. Sharratt and Fullan offer the following suggestions when entering the data discussion:

• Identify how best to meet the needs of all students
• Develop a common language of instruction
• Engage in collaborative marking of student work to make cross-school and cross-classroom assessments consistent
• Establish consistent approaches to student assessment, behavior management, and pastoral care
• Create new, specific strategies to meet the needs of diverse students (p.189)

In the End
Putting Faces on Data is not about the political argument of using data to hold teachers accountable. For a moment, when reading the book, educators need to walk away from that argument. The book is about creating a community of learners where all teachers feel responsible for the learning of all students, not just the ones who sit in their classroom. This is not specific to just a class, it has to be a shift in thinking for the whole school community.

As important as data may be, the conversations that teachers have about data is what is most important, which is why it is imperative that schools focus on the right kinds of data. If schools are going to focus on creating a better school atmosphere for all educators and students, they must also provide teachers high quality professional development and time to reflect on the data at hand.

The reality is that data is a part of our lives in education. The important issue is to find the correct data, help teachers and administrators learn from it, and use it to help students have a better school experience that will prepare them for their future. I encourage everyone to give Putting Faces on Data a read. There are numerous case studies and models included in the book that can help school leaders negotiate the process.

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On March 22nd Peter will be presenting at the National Association of Elementary School Principal (NAESP) Conference in Seattle and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Annual Conference in Philadelphia on March 24th.

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Educators may be teaching students to have a math phobia rather than teaching them to love the subject.

On Monday our school celebrated the 100th Day. If you have ever spent time in an elementary school you know how excited primary students get about the 100th day of school. It's right up there with Halloween and Valentines Day (which happened to be the next day). The masked super hero, Zero the Hero (Dr. Jean) came to visit with students. Zero, who is a high school student (Shh...don't tell anyone) taught our kids about the importance of math.

Our K-5 students spent the day doing projects that equaled 100. They learned about numbers that were divisible by ten and focused on the ones, tens and hundreds place. As the grades go up (k,1,2,3, etc.) so does the difficulty in concepts. After ninety-nine days of counting the ordinal number of days at calendar time, the one hundredth day was finally here. It's a great experience to see students with their 100th day projects such as a collection of 100 items of special hates that have 100 special things glued to them.

I walked around school with my gold "0" chain so the kids would know that I was excited that Zero the Hero was coming to school. Many of our students couldn't wait to share their projects and many of our K-1 students participated in a 100th Day Parade around school. The one hundredth day is about so much more than counting numbers. Celebrations like the 100th Day are meant to show students how fun can be because sometimes math gets a bad rap.

Math is a frightening subject for many students. It may even be frightening for the educators who have to teach it in the elementary classroom. "Math people" are good at the subject and completely understand how to solve problems. They know how to teach in creative ways. Often those math people are told they have a good "math brain." However, we also have many students who have a math phobia (Sobel).

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who have a math brain, which might explain why I stayed in elementary school. I could handle addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There was a time when my math phobia took over my common sense. I worried that I was teaching students my math phobia and I needed to change my instruction. Teaching elementary students provided me with a love for math.

Giving Students a Math Phobia
"The only thing to fear is fear itself." Franklin D. Roosevelt

Hearing the word MATH can make students and teachers quiver with fear. However, students and teachers do not have to be fearful of math. Math isn't scary! It's complicated and difficult at times but it should not instill fear. Math is actually very fun and it is a major part of our daily lives. Students need to understand that math is an important part of their world.

Educators may be teaching students to have a math phobia rather than teaching them to love the subject. When looking at problems it is important that students understand that there is not one way of doing things. Math can teach students so much more than just math. It teaches students to not give up when a problem gets difficult. In addition, students learn how to problem solve and negotiate their way through difficult issues. Teachers can help their students negotiate their way through the process. It's not always about having the correct answer at the end of the problem, although that is always the goal! Math is also about the voyage students take to solve that problem in the first place.

In the End
Students who have a math phobia may also have test taking anxiety. Timed tests and too much test prep in the area of math, which is one of the two major focuses of high stakes testing, can exacerbate the issue. It is important for educators to find a balance with formative and summative assessments where math is concerned. That balance must be between teaching a love of the subject and not assessing so much that the love disappears.

Math is a different language that kids need to learn, and there is no better time than at a young age. All educators have a subject that they like the least and many times that subject is math. Perhaps they did not have an outstanding teacher who helped them negotiate their way through a math problem to solve it properly. Perhaps they had a teacher that gave too many tests and did not make the subject as fun as it could be for students. In the end it is important for students to walk away from school with a solid foundation which includes math. Instead of transferring their math phobia on to students they need to be teaching a love for the subject.

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"We underestimate students when they fall short of expectations because they don't understand the school game and we determine that they lack motivation. " Carol Ann Tomlinson

Recently, I read another great article in Educational Leadership by Carol Ann Tomlinson. Carol co-authored the article with Edwin Lou Javius which focused on teaching up in the classroom (Teaching Up). Teaching up is about providing high quality educational experiences to all students, not just the ones that teachers feel excel in school.

Their concern is that many students who enter the classroom can learn more than they are expected to. Often teachers have low expectations for some students, especially those who had a history of struggling, living in poverty or are transient. Those students are often separated into smaller ability groups for more direct instruction.

Separating students by ability is often done in K-12 settings. It happens in schools when students take electives and advanced placement classes, but it also happens within elementary classrooms when teachers do ability grouping. Tomlinson and Javius say, "The logic behind separating students by what educators perceive to be their ability is that it enables teachers to provide students with the kind of instruction they need."

So what is wrong with that? Shouldn't educators work with groups by ability so they can help students close the gap? Tomlinson and Javius are concerned that ability grouping may further widen the gap between struggling learners and those who excel. "All too often, however, students in lower-level classrooms receive a level of education that ensures they will remain at the tail end of the learning spectrum." This often reminds me of the Roach Motel. You can get in but you may never get out.

In order to understand where Carol and Edwin are coming from in the article, you must understand one of the major initiatives of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), which is the Whole Child movement. The Whole Child initiative centers around the idea that schools cannot teach to one type of learning style, they must take the whole child into account.

Teaching up and Whole Child sound like common sense but unfortunately they do not happen in all classrooms. There are a variety of reasons, such as teachers who have high class sizes, administrators who are unsupportive and difficult, or an over focus on high stakes testing. In an effort o meet increasing accountability standards and getting used to teaching the Common Core State Standards which is a shift in thinking for teachers, the true gifts of a child are not always observed in the classroom.

In addition to the idea that students may get tracked into one type of program that they will never escape, there is a stigma that comes along with that. It is the stigma of low expectations that teachers have with students. Low expectations can plague classrooms, especially if students do not do well on high stakes testing. If a student receives a 2, they may be seen as a "2 student" year after year. The interventions they receive may not always help them achieve at the level that they could. Educators understand that test scores can follow a student worse than discipline referrals from the principal's office. If a student is seen as a 2 they may never be able to break out of that label until it is far too late and they have left the school system with a negative attitude about schools. Who would blame them for doing so?

"We underestimate students when they come to us with skills and experiences that differ from the ones we expected and we conclude they're incapable of complex work" (Tomlinson and Javius). The reality is that children need equal access to resources which allow them exposure to real-life experiences. Those two key ingredients will help most students. "When lower-performing students experience curriculum and instruction focused on meaning and understanding, they increase their skills at least as much as their higher-achieving peers do" (Tomlinson and Javius).

It is important for educators to make their own judgments on students and making sure those judgments are based on good data. In addition to the data it is important to provide a classroom environment that will ensure that even the neediest students get an opportunity to stretch their learning and truly show what they know.

The following are some other suggestions by Tomlinson and Javius:

1. Accept that human differences are not only normal but also desirable.
2. Develop a growth mind-set. The greatest barrier to learning is often not what the student knows, but what the teacher expects of the student
3. Work to understand students' cultures, interests, needs, and perspectives.
4. Create a base of rigorous learning opportunities.
5. Understand that students come to the classroom with varied points of entry into a curriculum and move through it at different rates.
6. Create flexible classroom routines and procedures that attend to learner needs.
7. Be an analytical practitioner.

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Tomlinson, Carol Ann & Edwin Lou Javius. Teaching Up for Excellence. Education Leadership. The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. February, 2012.

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Today's guest blog is written by Jill Vialet, CEO and Founder of Playworks

Schools all over the country are trying to figure out how to improve outcomes in the classroom. So, what does that have to do with the weather? When it is too cold or wet outside, many schools cancel outdoor recess. And when kids are cooped up in a classroom all day without the chance to let off some steam, that can affect their ability to learn.

Most education experts don't spend a lot of time thinking about recess, but it is an invaluable tool that can help schools bring the best out of their students. Studies show that what happens on the playground clearly impacts what happens in the classroom. When students have a healthy recess, they behave better and are more focused in class.

Recess is especially important for schools that serve low-income students because it offers a way to address their social and emotional development. A recent study conducted in California and published in the Journal of School Health last summer revealed that the emotional well-being of low-income fifth graders had significantly declined over the last eight years. Incidentally, that same study showed that a high quality recess could help reverse that trend.

"School-based playtime not only improves the physical health of students, but leads to stronger emotional resiliency," explains Dr. Kristine Madsen, the University of California, San Francisco researcher who led the study. "After physical activity, kids show greater concentration in class."

Schools are often hamstrung in their ability to address whether their students get a good breakfast or have a stable home life or even have a safe place to play outside. But if schools want to succeed in teaching those same students, they must expand their focus beyond simply the academics. They have to find ways to be a positive influence on overall development, including the social, emotional and physical development, of their students. And a safe, healthy and fun recess is one of those easy things that every school should be able provide, rain or shine.

Which gets us back to the weather. What are schools to do when it winter weather makes an outdoor recess too challenging or even unsafe? Here are five easy tips any school can use.

Adopt a healthy policy for recess in inclement weather. Each school has its own challenges. Rain may make playgrounds too slick or too muddy. Students may not come to school with adequate gear. Air quality may be an issue, especially for children with asthma. Cold or rainy days can still be great for outdoor play, but students may need to avoid the grass or slick spots on the playground. By being aware of your school's unique challenges and creating a plan, your school can plan for a safe and healthy recess.

Dress for outdoor play. Layers, boots, a hat, mitten, a jacket, even waterproof pants can make winter play more fun. As the old Norwegian saying goes, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing. Send a note home to parents with tips on how students should dress for outdoor recess. (Remind staff to dress for recess too.) Some schools may need a stash of extra jackets, mittens, hats and boots for students who forget. Hold a clothing drive asking parents to bring coats that their kids have outgrown.

Bring active play indoors. By using spaces creatively, students can get the break they need and some physical activity in an auditorium, empty hallway, or even the classroom. Arrange a schedule that allows classes to take turns using larger spaces for active play when recess is indoors.

Integrate movement into lessons and transition. Sitting down and being inside all day can be hard for anyone; and it's especially true for kids. Allow students to stand while they work. Or when the class is getting fidgety, have everyone get up to do jumping jacks. Hold a two minute dance party. Play a quick game of Simon Says. Ask your coworkers for their ideas. Peter DeWitt shared ideas just the other month. Some of our favorites are Dance Freeze, Four Corners and Bridge Ball. Find the rules to these and more on our website.

Balance low-key, social/academic games with high energy, active games. Kids love pulling out puzzles and board games. This time allows kids a break from regular classwork and an opportunity to talk with friends. Ask parents to donate games to help make recess a success. Still, keep in mind that everyone can use even a short break for physical activity during those rainy or cold days. Balance some of the active games from above with breaks for kids to check out.

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In his 2012 State of the State Address, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he was a lobbyist for students (Hu. N.Y.Times). Speech after speech he uses data that shows that N.Y. State students are lagging behind the rest of the country. He often mentions that New York is number one in spending but 38th in results (Santos, N.Y. Times).

He ignores all of the good news about New York's schools, such as their recent rating of number 3 in the nation for excellence, according to the Quality Counts report. He also ignores how New York schools dominate lists of excellence such as Newsweek's top 100 schools.

In a time when teachers and administrators are concerned what will happen to the education our students receive, Cuomo is making blanket rules that forces school districts to spend down their fund balances on a costly, top-down evaluation system. For example, districts across the state are finding that the mandates of Race to the Top cost more local dollars than the dollars received (Stern, LOHUD). Meanwhile, many schools have sound evaluation systems in place and do not have fund balances left to create new ones. What will they do because they are certainly not receiving incentive money for doing the right thing?

When Governor Cuomo said he was a lobbyist for students, for which students does he lobby? Does he care about urban students more than suburban students? What about the students in a rural setting who have already had their budgets cut and class choices limited (i.e. course electives). They have seen their teachers and administrators lose their jobs, and are sitting on busses for an hour as they ride to school. How much do they have to endure? Those students may be concerned about his lobbying skills.

Many schools have cut fund balances, consolidated services, consolidated buildings, and tried to keep property taxes low. Instead of blanket rules for all schools, there needs to be more equality in how schools are being treated. Give the schools following rules the benefit of funding. Too often the politicians in charge care more about their own constituency and other schools get left out of the equation.

Class Struggle
We should really focus on what this is all about and it certainly has nothing to do with students. It has to do with a struggle for power between unions and the governor. It has to do with holding back funding in an effort to get an agreement on teacher and administrator evaluation. It has to do with raising test scores on a high stakes test that schools do not control and lack validity and reliability.

If we really want to change education for the better, get rid of the emphasis on high stakes testing and make schools accountable for having their own locally developed measures. Erase the effort to tie evaluation to high stakes testing because high stakes testing scores can be affected by outside influences such as the home environment or a bad interaction on the way to school. In addition, many students have test anxiety, especially in our present testing environment. It's not an excuse, it's a reality. Most important of all, we do not want our teachers focusing on test prep, rather than on our students' needs.

If governors like Andrew Cuomo are truly lobbyists for students they would look at our present system and help change it through offering proper resources for schools and children, making sure students get a positive start to their educational experience through highly effective pre-k programs and stopping the race toward higher scores on a test that is really not appropriate for the students taking it.

In addition, they could allow schools to use some of the evaluation practices that they have presently. Many schools are using goal setting and teacher observation. Many schools are using best practices that encourage professional conversations between teachers and administrators. Many of those same schools are using teacher-centered and student-centered practices that focus on 21st century skills to prepare students for their future.

I understand that there are schools that do not follow the rules. High stakes testing and cutting budgets will not stop that. They'll cheat on testing and not spend wisely. Use the state education departments to put action plans into place for those schools and if they continue to break the rules punish them, not all of us.

There are millions of teachers, cafeteria workers, teacher's aides and administrators who wake up thinking about their students every day. They care for those students when they enter their classroom, feed them when they are hungry, educate them all day and worry about them as they get on the bus to go home. Those individuals are the true lobbyists for students and they're really tired of being on the receiving end of a political fight that has very little do with them in the first place.

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Thanks to Carol Burris, high school principal and co-author of the New York Principal letter for her assistance with this blog.

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The current economic and political climate could become the Achilles Heel for schools but they must not let it.

Everyone has an Achilles Heel. It's the one thing that can take even the strongest of individuals to a dark place. Depending on the individual or the situation, an Achilles Heel can take us down or make us stronger. It all depends on who the adult is, and how they deal with the situation. Unfortunately, even children have an Achilles Heel.

If taught resilience at a young age, children can grow up to do great things with their lives. How does a child learn about resilience? They learn it through great stories, classroom lessons and life experience. The adults around them can truly help them through even the most difficult of situations. Unfortunately, if an adult only coddles or shelters the child, they are doing them a disservice. We, as adults, want so much to protect children from tough situations but we need to remember that those same situations can teach children a great deal about life.

When I was eleven I lost my dad to Cancer. Losing a parent at such a young age is difficult for many reasons but most of all because you don't realize the magnitude of the loss until many years later. Each milestone that happens such as getting a driver's license, graduating from high school or getting into college is bittersweet because you realize they're only sharing it with you in spirit, not in person.

As much as losing a parent is difficult, the looks of sympathy on the faces of those around you are just as hard. At some point people leave and go back to their own lives. However, there are others who don't leave, nor do their sympathetic looks. At that point, there is a chance that the experience of losing a parent can turn into an Achilles Heel. After the gift of time, it's important to turn sympathy to empathy and help the child get back on track.

Achilles Heels do not always have to come in the form of a death of a parent. Sometimes the Achilles Heel is a situation or a person. Perhaps a student believes their Achilles Heel is math. It takes an engaging teacher or a supportive parent to help turn that around for the student and make math their strength and not their perceived weakness.

Teachers and administrators need to be careful that they are not the Achilles Heel for students. They have the power to make or break students in a variety of ways. Whether it is through the way they treat them or the way they grade them. A year with a tough teacher could ultimately be a good thing for students if they learn how to deal with criticism. Being critiqued (using fair methods) is a part of life.

Even an institution as large as the public school system has an Achilles Heel. Depending on the school district, they are at the mercy of politics and inequitable funding. If things keep moving in the direction they are thousands of suburban, urban and rural schools will go bankrupt. It will mean the end of the "good old days" but perhaps they weren't "good" for everyone. The current economic and political climate could become the Achilles Heel for schools but they must not let it.

No matter the situation, students need to learn resilience, whether it's through getting a bad grade on a project, a fight with a friend or the loss of a parent. Teachers, parents and administrators play an important part in this process for children. They have the power to teach students that their Achilles Heel doesn't have to be devastating. In actuality, if done correctly it can prepare them for their future.

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Responding to Peter DeWitt's "The Benefits of Failure." Today's guest blog is written by Debbie Silver (parent of 5 boys and teacher of 30 years)

The Japanese have a proverb that says, "Fall down 7 times, get up 8." I think that is a wonderful metaphor for what most of us want for our children. We would like to think that when our child does a face plant in the dirt, she will rise, dust herself off, lift her chin in the air and proclaim, "Well, I learned what not to do, so I'll try again." However, fostering that kind of self-efficacy does not come easily for those of us who grew up with some serious misconceptions about self-esteem.

The Myth of Self-Esteem
Mine was probably the first generation to be told by the overwhelming majority of pediatricians, learning theorists, and other people "in the know" that it was the adult's obligation to ensure that our children did not feel bad about themselves. We were told that praising them for anything and everything would build up their fragile little egos so that they would be willing to venture forward and embrace challenges. We were led to believe that failure was something to be avoided at all costs because of its potential to diminish one's self-value and extinguish enthusiasm for learning. In all good faith we did our best to make sure our kids felt like winners.

As parents and teachers we gave kids excessive assistance, rewarded everything we could think of, curved grades, and even reduced our expectations when necessary. Belatedly we found that our singular focus on teaching kids to be #1, the best, and immediately successful, sent very clear messages to them that failure, even transitory, was to be avoided at all costs. By teaching kids that failure is the opposite of winning we robbed them of the opportunity to embrace missteps as a chance to grow towards their goals.

When we praise children for doing what is easily mastered, aren't we essentially telling them we are more appreciative of appearances than of real achievement? Don't we really want learners who constantly push their boundaries and diligently strive to improve each time they try? If we constantly make things easy for kids and attempt to remove obstacles in their paths, aren't we robbing them of a chance to gain essential skills they will need in the future? If we praise them when they haven't earned it or commend them for being smart or talented (things over which they have no control), aren't we essentially devaluing their contribution to the achievement? Isn't it true that for most learners, things that are easily attained are cheaply held?

Motivation Theory
True self-worth is built by genuine achievement, usually after a considerable struggle. In order to build self-sufficient, resourceful learners we must provide them with experiences that constantly stretch them to new levels. And, of course, learning anything new usually begins with at least a few unsuccessful attempts. We have to teach kids that failure is part of growth and that most success comes from purposeful practice and effort rather than from inherent gifts or luck. Overcoming initial failure is a powerful incentive for further pursuits, particularly if a significant adult is around to witness the feat. Children don't need a star, a sticker, or overenthusiastic praise as much as they need a simple acknowledgement from an attentive adult.

It would be far more beneficial for kids if the adults in their lives helped them focus on their incremental gains and what they learned in the process. Students need to be aware that no one attains real success without overcoming barriers and pushing through adversity. Adults need to talk more about our setbacks and how we cope with our struggles. Dr. Carol Dweck (2008) suggests that parents and teachers help children enjoy the process of learning by expressing positive views on effort, challenges, and mistakes. We can embrace challenges with comments such as the following:

• "Boy, this hard - this is fun."
• "Oh, sorry, that was too easy - no fun! Let's do something more challenging that you can learn from."
• "Let's talk about what we struggles with today and learned from. I'll go first."
• "Mistakes are so interesting. Here's a wonderful mistake. Let's see what we can learn from it." (p.40)

We need to be supportive but honest with our charges; we should give them effective feedback that avoids labels (both positive and negative). We should judge less and guide more. We can encourage without disproportionate praise and constructively give feedback without disapproval. A conversation with a child might go something like this:

Charlotte- "I feel bad. I only made 68 on the test."
Adult-"On your last test you made 41. Look how much you increased your score."
Charlotte- "But I still failed."
Adult - "Yes, but you failed better."
Charlotte - "That's not funny."
Adult - "I'm not trying to be funny. You obviously learned from some of your mistakes last time and your score is 27 points higher than it was. You've got to be proud of how far you moved in the right direction. What we're going to do now is work on the problems you missed and see if we can identify any common errors. I'll help you figure out your mistakes, and you can practice the areas still giving you trouble. I'll be here to answer any questions you have. You have shown a lot of willpower in choosing to keep working on this. And you are definitely getting there. With your determination, I know you're going to master this."

We should guide children in setting reasonable goals for themselves and help them learn about deliberate practice. We can demonstrate how to work smarter so that their efforts help them reach beyond their current grasps. We have to show them every day that focused effort and appropriate choices are the things they can control, and in fact, are the keys to a successful life. We can inspire them to live a life where they learn to fall down 7 times, get up 8.

Dweck, C.S. (2007). The secret to raising smart kids. Scientific American: Mind. December/January, 36-43

Posted by Peter DeWitt at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Conflict resolution is one of the most important life skills that students can learn when it comes to social and professional relationships.

If you've ever spent time in an elementary school, you understand that students get mad at one another. As a former first grade teacher I heard my share of kids who said, "He's gave me a dirty look," or "He called me the S word," which was not the vulgar S word that came to mind. No name calling is ever kind but we do know that some are much worse than others.

Students have disagreements all the time. Some of those are minor ones where they get over it in five minutes and go back to being best friends. Other times it's a much bigger deal and they hold on to the disagreement for hours, days or perhaps even weeks. What makes disagreements worse is when they involve other children in the fight because that can take a simple resolvable issue and make it a war. Involving others in a disagreement is also where bullying may begin.

Educators know that academics are a small part of what they do with students, especially in the elementary and middle grades. A great deal of time is spent on working through issues and the normal storm and stress that come with adolescence. If students do not know how to handle the issues that come with making friends, they will never be able to focus on the academics that we want them to focus on. As much as we want academics to be first priority, for many students, relationships are what really take precedence.

Relationship building is something we all do. As adults we network with colleagues and make friends. We try to make our collegial relationships stronger so we can work as a team and bring education forward and meet the needs of our students. Although the relationships students make are not about making schools a better place, it does help make a positive school community.

Are Adults the Best Role Models?
Many times adults are not good role models for students when it comes to teaching them about dealing with disagreements. Adults have a habit of vilifying those people who disagree with them. Disagreements between adults can lead to long term grudges, especially in the work place. As sad as it is, there are adults who are insecure and cannot handle differing opinions.

How many of you have been at large meetings where difficult information is shared. Not everyone agrees at meetings, but most people do not speak up in opposition during the meeting because they do not want to draw attention to themselves or seem disrespectful to the person in charge.

However, other adults have no problem taking part in sidebars in order to share their true opinions. Another reaction that is human nature is to have a meeting after the meeting. Both of these are ways that adults work their way through a disagreement they may have with co-workers.

In the social media world, it is fairly commonplace to see adults post nasty comments on their Facebook wall about other people. After all, it's their wall and they can get the support of all of their friends who will chime in with a supportive or nasty line or two. As a teachable moment, all of that type of behavior would be "Do as I say, not as I do."

How to Teach Students to Disagree
What we really need to do for children is teach them that disagreements are a part of life. The important thing to do when a child disagrees with a friend is the same thing an adult should do when they disagree with someone. We need to teach children how to have open dialogue and talk with the other peer about the issue they are having. Of course and adult should intervene, but if we do not teach children how to work through their problems together, how will they ever learn it.

Conflict resolution is one of the most important life skills that students can learn when it comes to social and professional relationships. It's simply a waste of energy to hold a grudge against someone for life because there was some minor disagreement. Disagreements are important to collaboration and working together. It's through disagreements that people can find common ground and stronger ideas.

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Posted by Peter DeWitt at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend