Great Expectations

A major step in raising expectations involves turning the work and the learning over to the students. One way to do this is through the use of closure activities which encourage students to process the material presented and reflect on their own learning experiences and needs. Here are some ideas to consider …

After the Lesson
• Have students collaborate in pairs or small groups to create nonlinguistic representations summarizing the material presented.

• Have students respond in Learning Logs to reflective questions, such as, “What did I learn? What am I still confused about? How can I eliminate this confusion?

• Have students “Think-Pair-Share” what each believes is the most significant aspect of the material and try to persuade others to consider their point of view.

• Have students journal briefly on how the material presented related to another topic or subject they recently learned.

• Have each student create a three-question quiz about the topic and trade it with another student in the class.

Make-Up Work Board

I have two laminated weekly calendars up in the back of my room. I place a brief description of what was done in class for each period for each day of the week, including any class or home assignments. One calendar is for the current week and the other is for the previous week. Students that are absent no longer have to ask me, "What did I miss?" They just look at the calendar and find their missing assignments. Any worksheets needed are placed in a "Make-up Work Folder" near the calendars. My 7th graders are responsible for getting and submitting their own make-up work. This really makes life less difficult for me.

Source: Laura Becker, 7th Grade Math Teacher

Secrets to successful differentiated instruction unlocked

Developing differentiated instruction strategies takes significant time and effort, but the payoff can be huge, particularly for students with special needs, says Carol Ann Tomlinson of the University of Virginia. According to Tomlinson, teacher leaders should focus on helping educators focus hard on four basic fundamentals to achieve success in their classrooms:

• View students as individuals.
• Be clear about what students should know.
• Master instructional practices that "invite student centeredness and flexibility."
• Develop classroom management skills that facilitate flexible teaching.

Source: ASCD SmartBrief, ascd@smartbrief.com

VALUE-ADDED ASSIGNMENT IMPROVES PERFORMANCE

A new study published in the journal Science (9/1/06) found that black students who wrote a short essay on their values at the start of the school year got a lasting boost in academic performance. The researchers believe the assignment helped the students affirm their self-worth and negate the negative stereotypes that many black students feel in school. "Our performance is really affected by what other people think of us," said Geoffrey Cohen, a psychologist at the University of Colorado, who coauthored the study.

Click to view news item at the Teacher Magazine Web Watch.

In What Ways May Teachers' Beliefs Translate Into Differential Behavior Toward Students?

Either consciously or unconsciously, teachers often behave differently toward students based on the beliefs and assumptions they have about them. For example, studies have found that teachers engage in affirming nonverbal behaviors such as smiling, leaning toward, and making eye contact with students more frequently when they believe they are dealing with high-ability students than when they believe they are interacting with "slow" students (Jerry Bamburg 1994).

Students who are perceived to be low in ability may also be given fewer opportunities to learn new material, asked less stimulating questions, given briefer and less informative feedback, praised less frequently for success, called on less frequently, and given less time to respond than students who are considered high in ability (Kathleen Cotton 1989).

In addition, instructional content is sometimes "dumbed-down" for students considered to be low in ability. Students in low groups and tracks are usually offered "less exciting instruction, less emphasis on meaning and conceptualization, and more rote drill and practice activities" than those in high or heterogeneous groups and classes (Cotton).

When teachers summarily categorize or label students, typically some students end up receiving "a watered-down curriculum and less intense-and less motivating-instruction" (Gonder).

How does the research in the passage above apply to my work as an Instructional Coach? What teacher behaviors would I encourage? What teacher behaviors would I discourage? Share reflections at next NESS Support Group meeting.

Source: http://www.kidsource.com

What Do Students Say About What is Expected of Them?

Although students may appear to accept or even relish teachers with low standards, they ultimately come away with more respect for teachers who believe in them enough to demand more, both academically and behaviorally. In a recent national survey of over 1,300 high school students (Public Agenda 1997), teens were asked on questionnaires and in focus group discussions what they think of and want from their schools.

Teens' responses concerning what they want were clustered in three main areas:
• A Yearning for Order. They complained about lax instructors and unenforced rules. "Many feel insulted at the minimal demands placed upon them. They state unequivocally that they would work harder if more were expected of them."
• A Yearning for Structure. They expressed a desire for "closer monitoring and watchfulness from teachers." In addition, "very significant numbers of respondents wanted after-school classes for youngsters who are failing."
• A Yearning for Moral Authority. Although teens acknowledged cheating was commonplace, they indicated that wanted schools to teach "ethical values such as honesty and hard work."

Similarly, when 200 middle school students in Englewood, Colorado, were surveyed about their most memorable work in school, they repeatedly "equated hard work with success and satisfaction. Moreover, they suggested that challenge is the essence of engagement" (Wasserstein 1995).

How does the research in the passage above apply to my work as an Instructional Coach? What teacher behaviors would I encourage? What teacher behaviors would I discourage? Share reflections at next NESS Support Group meeting.

Source: http://www.kidsource.com

Using the NESS eNewsletter

Thank you for the newsletter. We choose one article from the newsletters to discuss at our Induction Support Group Learning Community. I had the "coaching" portion from a previous newsletter. We talked about this at our last meeting. We all agreed that these are questions we can also ask of ourselves to become a reflective practitioner. The parent communication section will help with November's meeting. Thanks again.

Source: Sharon Rapheal, Fox Trail

High Expectations Activity for support group.

Script: High teacher expectations have a proven positive effect on student performance. You will be reading an article examining the work by Harvard Professor Robert Rosenthal concerning the effect of teacher expectations on the performance of students in the classroom.

1. Before the meeting print the article “PYGMALION IN THE CLASSROOM” and make a copy for everyone at the meeting.
2. During the meeting, ask the Participants to read the article and highlight statements that they think are important. Do a progress check after 5 minutes. When about half the group has completed the article, say STOP.
3. Next have everyone identify the one statement they think is the most important statement in the article and be prepared to share the quote and why they selected it.
4. Then do a round robin share. If someone picks the same quote he/she should still share it, because the reason for selecting the statement may be different.
5. Finally, ask the group to discuss the following question: How can a teacher project positive expectations in the classroom?

Note: A small group of participants can discuss the question together. A large group can discuss the question in small teams and then share. One person from each group can report out to the large group.

Source: Dr. Doug Miller, NESS Program Facilitator/HRD

The Socially Intelligent Leader

New findings on the social nature of the brain reveal the need for principals to fashion a school culture of warmth and trust.

Ms. Smith, a seasoned middle school principal, prided herself on acclimating new teachers to her school's practices. She modeled lessons for teachers and made herself available to answer their questions. She remained frustrated, however, when three of her newly hired teachers were slow to use strategies that she knew would help their students. So Ms. Smith tried something different. One day, she got substitute coverage for the three teachers and took them to another school to watch two master teachers instruct their classes. Afterward, she took them out to lunch as her guests and spent the rest of the day talking over what they had observed. Within two weeks, she was seeing the changes in their classrooms that she had hoped for.

Taking time to forge that human connection gave this leader more leverage than she had thought possible. The new field of social neuroscience suggests why a personable leadership style makes sense. The person-to-person climate created by positive interactions can make principals more effective leaders—which in turn helps both teachers and students learn better. The improvement touches all students, from gifted youth to those most at risk of dropping out. A rising tide, an old saying goes, lifts all boats.

Source: Educational Leadership, September 2006

How Schools Sustain Success

Sustaining increases in student achievement is problematic for schools. Looking at California's Immediate Intervention Underperforming Schools Program, the author points out that only 83 of the 430 schools involved, met their students' test score growth targets for two consecutive years. A comparison of the successful and unsuccessful schools in the program reveals that success seems to depend on the quality of leadership and on the effectiveness of instructional programs and practices.

In successful schools, teacher leadership develops when teachers:
•are given ample opportunities to make decisions about teaching and learning (time to meet as grade/subject level teams),
•collaboratively engage in action research to discover instructional practices that improve student achievement, and
•have structured opportunities to lead, such as, team teaching and mentoring new teachers.

Principal leadership in successful schools often set high expectations for student achievement. Schools with effective district leadership received far more services, such as, onsite support, professional development, and district-provided benchmark assessments, than unsuccessful schools received.

Source: Valerie Chrisman, ASCD Ed. Leadership, February 2005