Mastery Learning

The idea of mastery learning amounts to a radical shift in responsibility for teachers; the blame for a student's failure rests with the instruction, not a lack of ability on the part of the student. In a mastery-learning environment, the challenge becomes providing enough time and employing the correct instructional strategies so that all students can meet or exceed standards. (Levine, 1985; Bloom, 1981)

The Good Teacher

305 Broward County Elementary School students were ask to list five characteristics of a “Good Teacher”. The students identified 48 attributes, behaviors, and attitudes they like to see a teacher demonstrate. The chart represents the top 8 characteristics that the students identified most often in their responses. The percentages are a comparison of the 8 characteristics identified by the students. The survey results are not scientific but could be used by your faculty for developing a common language and understanding of “Good Teaching” and what it means to your staff and the students at their school.

The following is an agenda you could use for a faculty or a department/grade level meeting.

1. Ask the group to brainstorm, What are the characteristics of an “Effective Teacher”?
2. Next, share what the State and District have identified as the characteristics of an “Effective Teacher” and the responses by the students above or your own students.
3. Then have the group reexamine their list and discuss any possible additions or revisions.
4. Finally, have the group identify the top five characteristics of an “Effective Teacher”.
5. A possible follow-up could be using future meetings to discuss those characteristics and what they look like in real practice.

My Greatest Success

I think that my greatest success was taking a group of students that didn't necessarily get along well with each other and forming a classroom that learned to respect each other. When I first tried to have the students work in groups, they did not know how to work in a productive manner. There was conflict and they were unsuccessful at completing even simple tasks.

They now work very well with each other, after I have been consistent with rules and consequences. They clearly understand my expectations and we have talked about the need to be able to work with different types of people. They act as a team and help one another. We have reviewed the need to have good character traits such as respect, kindness, responsibility, self-control, tolerance and cooperation. They have come a long way and it makes me proud to see them take responsibility for their actions and their work.

Elizabeth, Hollywood Park Elementary

I Ain't Never Leaving

As a new educator I find myself facing new experiences - new challenges - every day. My greatest success is that I'm still here - I'd thought I'd make a good teacher ever since high school. People always have told me I explain math in a way they can understand it, so I thought that was all I'd need - a good personality and mathematical ability. I was wrong.

Education courses I took prepared me only slightly for the reality of being in the classroom with 25 eleven-year-olds at a time. Each of them carrying their own personalities and emotional baggage, I am only beginning to understand how to work with all of those personalities and how to have them work effectively with each other and myself. Every day is a new adventure for me in the classroom, and I'm loving every minute of it.

To paraphrase an old country music movie - "Look out teacher city - 'cause I'm here now and I ain't never leaving!" I've found my niche and I look forward to continuing this adventure for many years to come.

Source: Brian, Rickards Middle School

Quotes from Outstanding Coaches

Coaches in sports sometimes say things in the most insightful ways . The quotes below were collected from several sites on the internet. As you read these quotes think about how they apply to our work as teachers. Please respond to one or all the quotes in the comment section.

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." -- John Wooden

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to." -- George Allen

"Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see and listen to what they don't want to hear."
--John Madden

"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are."
--Ara Parasheghian

"Great teamwork is the only way we create the breakthroughs that define our careers."
--Pat Riley

" Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer." --Rick Pitino

“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”--Lou Holtz

“It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.”--Bear Bryant

"Sit up straight, listen, and participate."--Pat Summitt

How To Be An Ineffective Teacher

Don't take responsibility for results. Its not me I covered the material. The research is clear the only way to increase student achievement is with a competent, qualified teacher.

Make excuses for your students. I believe all my students can learn but... The effective teacher not only establishes high expectations for their students, they also model appropriate professional behavior in their relationship with others.

Don't plan just cover the textbook. I have more than enough to cover in the textbook to worry about planning. In a standards-driven- system the effective teacher identifies learning objectives, develops appropriate assessments, and designs lessons that provide students an opportunity to learn those standards.

Be a "know it all.” Been there done that. Effective teachers, no matter how good they are, know that they can always improve their instructional practice.

Show no interest in professional development. I have a college degree and am State Certified; I don't need anything else. Effective teachers are enthusiastic life long learners and constantly seek ways to improve their lives and practice.

Let's have some fun, what do you think are some other qualities of an ineffective teacher?

Schlechty on Education

What is learning? How are skills and knowledge acquired? Learning is a process that requires action and experience, specifically voluntary action on the part of the student. What teachers do is less important than what teachers are able to motivate students to do. Students learn by activities that include “imitating, listening, creating, muddling around, and talking (p. 42).” Yet what matters less than the mode or style of learning is the meaning students attach to what they do and learn. Knowledge and skills cannot be acquired if the material presented is neither relevant nor compelling, and if they cannot be actively involved in both choosing and doing the job of learning

Who is to teach? Teachers must be facilitators, leaders, and inventors. Not only must they be constantly inventing knowledge work, they must understand their students. Many teachers, even the creative and inventive ones, are presently operating in schools intuitively (and sometimes consciously) viewing students as customers. Unfortunately, many teachers seem reluctant to acknowledge that students have the power all customers have: the power of choice.

Teachers need to know.
1) How to interest students in topics they would not ordinarily care about but need to care about.
2) Allow students to make choices that will lead to important, relevant learning.

Because of the great many responsibilities that teachers have, those interested in becoming educators, and those who already are in the profession must be:
1) endlessly motivated to discovering how to challenge students,
2) must be willing to lead as well as step aside when the situations demands it, and
3) must be reflective and self-critical to determine how well the work is being invented for the learners involved.
Source: http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Schlechty.html

Is There a Budget for Xbox?

Kurt Squire, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of curriculum and instruction, spoke on his experiences researching simulations and games in learning environments. David Williamson Shaffer, a professor at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, told the audience about his interest in how computer-based media change the way people think and learn.
Researchers say video games have many attributes that help people learn:

1. They activate prior learning, because players must use previously learned information to move to higher levels of play.
2. Games provide immediate feedback in scoring and in visual and auditory stimulus, which allows learners to more quickly modify their learning strategies before the ineffective ones become entrenched.
3. Skill transfer from games to real life is much more likely to occur.
4. Motivation to learn new ideas or tasks is higher when games are used for most people (although some prefer to learn in traditional ways).

When students come to your class with new technologies do you think of it as an opportunity or an obstacle? How can you use technologies like I phones, I pods, or blackberries to increase your students learning opportunities?
Source: Wisconsin Technology Network

Don't Waste a Minute!

What do you do with those awkward moments that arise in every teacher’s day, those times when a lesson ends five minutes before the bell rings or a few minutes before specials? Try some mini lessons, quick activities that fill time without wasting it! The following two examples are from the website.

• Ask each student to name one thing they learned today.
• Play the alphabet game, which can be used in any subject, Name a country that begins with the letter A, Argentina, and the next student a country that begins with the letter B, Belgium, and the next student a country that begins with the letter C, and so on.

Click the source below to access the Education World website for more mini lessons.
Source: Education World

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

The goal is to encourage and facilitate positive parental involvement in the classroom. Educational research identifies four reasons for encouraging parental support:

• Students perform better
• Teacher morale improves
• Parents become empowered
• Communities grow stronger.

Since there is no one reason for parental non-participation, the following are several approaches that seek to involve parents in their child's education.

Start Up Calls
Spend the week before school starts calling each parent to introduce yourself, emphasize their importance from the start and open lines of communication. Invite them to a parent meeting and take this time to discuss scheduling a meeting when the most parents can attend.

Calling Web
Establish a phone tree in which each parent is responsible for calling two or three other parents to notify of special events or news. Arrange the tree so bilingual parents call those that don't speak English well. Designate a neighbor to inform those without phones.

Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
Send a questionnaire home to parents on the first day of school. Ask them these kind of questions:

• Tell me about your child. What are his or her interests?
• What do you think is important for your child learn this year?
• Is there anything you especially want me to know about your child?
• How would you like to be involved in your child's education this year?

Suggestion Box
Have box mounted outside of the classroom door for student or parent suggestions. Let it be known it is perfectly fine to make anonymous suggestions or to send them in envelopes with students.
Thursday Folder Notes
Send home a folder on Thursdays with student work on one side, school communication on the other side. Staple a sheet that is permanently included for handwritten comments and communication between parent and teacher.

Weekly News Letters
Send home a newsletter in Thursday folders. Try to incorporate the help of a bilingual parent or coworker if necessary. Use the newsletter to thank parents and acknowledge their contributions and inform them of any new developments.

Source: Debora McDonnell, Elementary School Teacher

The Effective Teacher: A Study Group Protocol

One of the first priorities in working with new teachers at your site is developing a common language and vision concerning effective teaching behaviors. One way to begin the process is during orientation, a study group, or learning community ask the group to brainstorm the traits of an effective teacher, while they brainstorm record their ideas and thoughts on chart paper.

After the group completes the brainstorming process distribute the list of effective teaching behaviors listed in the Florida Performance Measurement System, the Domains, and/or the Classroom walk Through. Next, ask the group to compare the ideas in their brainstorming list with the lists provided by the State or District.Finally, ask each person to share one item that was on both lists and one item that was on one list but not the other that they believe has a significant impact on teacher effectiveness.

Here are some questions that may help the new teachers articulate the traits of an effective teacher.

• What knowledge do effective teachers possess?
• What skills do effective teachers possess?
• What attributes do effective teachers demonstrate?
• What attitudes do effective teachers display?
• What behaviors do effective teachers show?
• What do effective teachers look like and sound like?
Reflective/Follow-up question: How can this activity add value to my practice?
This is not the only way to identify effective teaching behaviors. Please use the comments section to share other activities that will help new teacher build a common vocabulary.
Source: Doug Miller

That Blank Look

Sometimes when I ask my eight-year-old students for their ideas or opinions often they are too shy to put up their hands or offer their thoughts. In this situation I now say, "O.K. tell the person next to you what you think.” I allow the students thirty seconds to a minute, and then call their attention back to me. There will be a noisy buzz while they exchange views, but the result when you ask for their opinions again is worth it. As they have already told one person and not been laughed at, they will be more inclined to tell the whole class. If I want answers particularly from very shy students I may say, tell me what your partner said. This way each class member must get an idea from their partner, and this makes them more likely to agree to swap in case I ask them for their partners thoughts.

Source: Sue Beddall, Fourth Year Teacher: http://www.teach-nology.com

Old Enough to Teach

My favorite teacher was my high school English teacher. It was fun just being in her classroom. I began my first full-time teaching job two months shy of my 23rd birthday. On a college campus, being over 21 is considered old and wise. While my elementary students appreciate my age, my colleagues don’t. My pigtails and flip-flops don’t fit into this new world. I began coming in early and staying late to prove that I, too, could join the ranks of “Super Teachers.” I worked extra hard on my lessons and tried my best to be at every parent function so that my commitment could never be questioned. However, some teachers seemed annoyed by my ever-present enthusiasm.

Generation Y is growing up. We want to influence the world like the generations before us did. We are transitioning into the “adult world” and we need to be heard. We are full of knowledge and desperately trying to make an impact. We should not be discouraged.

Summary from Teacher Magazine July 16, 2007 by Erin Reed

Ms Bryan's Story

My greatest success as a New Educator are as follows:

1. Learning time management - earlier in the school year I was running out of time, now I believe my time management skills are more controlled.
2. Being able to attend to each student individual needs and realize that every child has a different way of learning.
3. Improving my teaching skills by way of repetition which allows most students to grasp the concept of whats being taught.

I enjoy my students they all have different personalities which make my day even more fun.
Source: Ms. Bryan, Rickards Middle School

Never Give Up

It's early yet, but I have one student who spent most of the class with his head down or once I got his head raised, he was doodling or staring into space. This continued for 3/4 of the first quarter. Then, one day, I thanked him for volunteering to be a team leader on a project. Of course, this got laughs--including from him--and he passed on the leadership role, but he started to participate in class. The more he participated, naturally, the better his grades and the more positive attention he got from his peers. By the time BAT 2 testing came around, he was earning a B for the 2nd quarter and his score increased we over 40 points! While still shy, he continues to participate in class, smiles a lot now and gets more A's than B's lately. I expect an improvement on his FCAT! The point is never give up on your students you never know when you will inspire them.

Submitted by Candace McKinniss, Bair Middle

Teaching Routines versus Announcing Rules

Research has repeatedly shown that highly effective teachers spend most of the first two weeks of a semester teaching classroom routines.  Yet, the older the students are the less investment we make in teaching routines.  Typically, by high school, teaching routines has become rather perfunctory -- often consisting of just a few announcements on the first day of school.

Teachers who do not make the investment in teaching their procedures and rules on the first day of school and over the first two weeks -- will spend a huge amount of time and energy bringing order out of chaos day after day for the rest of the school year.

Source: Education World

Creating a Climate for Learning

Howard Miller, Associate Professor of Education at Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri) suggests 12 steps teachers can take at the beginning of the year to promote effective classroom management.

1. Develop a set of written expectations you can live with and enforce.
   
2. Be consistent. Be consistent. Be consistent.
   
3. Be patient with yourself and with your students.
   
4. Make parents your allies. Call early and often. Use the word "concerned.” When communicating a concern, be specific and descriptive.
   
5. Do not talk too much. Use the first 15 minutes of class for lectures or presentations, and then get the kids working.
   
6. Break the class period into two or three different activities. Be sure each activity segues smoothly into the next.
   
7. Begin at the very beginning of each class period and end at the very end.
   
8. Do not call roll. Take the roll with your seating chart while students are working.
   
9. Keep all students actively involved. For example, while a student does a presentation, involve the other students in evaluating it.
   
10. Discipline individual students quietly and privately. Never engage in a disciplinary conversation across the room.
    
11. Keep your sense of perspective and your sense of humor.
    
12. Know when to ask for help.
    

Source: http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr155.shtml

Techniques that Backfire

Communication behaviors that backfire include:

1. Raising my voice
   
2. Yelling
   
3. Saying “I’m the boss here”
   
4. Insisting on having the last word
   
5. Using tense body language, such as rigid posture or clenched hands
   
6. Using degrading, insulting, humiliating, or embarrassing put-downs
   
7. Using sarcasm
   
8. Attacking the student’s character
   
9. Acting superior
   
10. Using physical force
    
11. Drawing unrelated persons into the conflict
    
12. Having a double standard — making students do what I say, not what I do
    
13. Insisting that I am right
    
14. Preaching
    
15. Making assumptions
    
16. Backing the student into a corner
    
17. Pleading or bribing
    
18. Bringing up unrelated events
    
19. Generalizing about students by making remarks such as “All you kids are the same”
    
20. Making unsubstantiated accusations
    
21. Holding a grudge
    
22. Nagging
    
23. Throwing a temper tantrum
    
24. Mimicking the student
    
25. Making comparisons with siblings or other students
    
26. Commanding, demanding, dominating
    

Source: Randall Deich

Turn Word Problems into Pictures

Instruction Problem:

Students are having difficulty solving word problems.

One possible instructional strategy -
Group Work – Divide the students into groups of three. Give each group a word problem. Instruct the students to brainstorm ways to act out the problem. Then give the group a sheet of paper to write the word problem at the top of the page and then draw a storyboard of the action in the word problem. (Note: The teacher needs to model each step of the instructional process before asking the students to perform the task.)

Individual Accountability –
1. All participate in brainstorming.
2. All participate in the presentation.
3. One member reads the word problem to the group and class.
4. One member takes notes during brainstorming session.
5. One member draws the storyboard based on ideas provided by the group.

Presenting the work - Each group reads their word problem, posts their storyboard on the wall, and then acts out the word problem. The groups presentation is not about getting the right answer, the focus is on the processes for solving the word problem. Following the presentation, students may solve the problem independently using the storyboard posted on the wall as a resource.

Assessing student work - Evaluate each student and group on their ability to describe the process for solving the problem and the clarity of the presentation and storyboard.

Note: Using a rubric is an effective way to measure student work. Student should receive a copy of the rubric at the beginning of the activity (students can be involved in creating the rubric). There are many resources available online which can be adapted based on your learning objectives and students abilities/needs. The following are two website that may help you in planning a lesson.

http://www.exemplars.com/resources/rubrics/nctm.html
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemath/probsol.html

This strategy includes all three learning modalities – visual (reading and creating storyboard), auditory (group conversation and narrative), and kinesthetic (presentation). Groups can be organized in a variety of ways to meet the unique needs of your students. Groups needing to be challenged could be given higher level problems or problems involving multiple steps. Also groups that finishes early can be encouraged to find more than one way to solve their word problem or demonstrate ways to check their answer for accuracy.

Final thoughts: When faced with instructional challenges the best source for information is your colleagues. It is rewarding for you and your colleague. You gain new information and your colleague has a opportunity to reflect on their practice. Ask your colleagues questions like: How do you help your students – “solve word problems?”, “identify main idea?”, or "apply the scientific method?”. Important follow-up questions may include: "What does rigorous student work look like?" "What is the most effective way to group students?" "What student procedures do I need to maintain instructional momentum?"

Source: Dr. Doug Miller, HRD Program Facilitator