Leveraging Learning

Today is the last day of summer. I know, summer really ended earlier this month when school opened. Back to waking up early, packing lunches, checking homework, talking to teachers, waiting at the bus stop, band practice, cross country, new adventures, old friends and different expectations. We have spent the last three weekends starting or resuming all these back to school habits. If we are lucky, we made some goals and are trying to meet them. But how much time in the last three weeks have we reflected on our new experiences with students, colleagues, bus schedules and adventures? It is an interesting question. I am a mindfulness class drop-out. OK, I didn't actually drop out and the instructor was far too positive and hopeful to kick anyone out of the class. However, I really struggled with the practice of mindfulness. "Pay attention to your breathing" were the basic directions. "Notice what you are feeling in your body." "Just be." Instead, ...

I love a good idea. One that really makes you think, wonder, plan and try. In the summer or on break, I find that my own ideas are abundant. My brain has time to reflect and ruminate. "What if we tried this?" "I wonder what would happen if we...?" "Oh, wouldn't it be cool if we..." This time of year, things are a little more hectic. As much as I need a new idea for one thing or another, my brain space is occupied with minutiae - the 8th grade trip, getting ready for graduation, a conference with someone's parents, did I unplug the iron?. Not really the stuff of inspiration, I assure you. This makes it difficult to wind out the school year on a strong footing. This time of year more than ever, students need new and innovative challenges to keep their minds from wandering to summer plans or other things teachers don't want to even contemplate. The dilemma is clear - the adults are running out of steam and inspiration just when the student...

A year or so ago, I had the idea that I wanted to use Twitter for my classes. It was just an idea and I really wasn't sure where to go with it. My goals were simple: I wanted to build engagement and community. I tried some different things. First, we tweeted for pretend. It was a good way to get our feet wet. We used tools like Twister  to make Twitter handles for characters in a book we were reading and Tweeted as if we were them. It was fun, different and engaging. Finally, we all made our own Twitter handles and started in earnest. We chose a hashtag and started Tweeting questions and responses to each other. At the time, we were reading a great book called Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar . We found him on Twitter and told him about our book discussion. He stopped by a few times and added a lot to our discussion, much to the delight of the students and their nerdy teacher. As the school year wore on and summer approached, I wanted to keep the momentum going. We ...

Blogging is a selfish act.  I blog for myself.  While it pleases me when others read and comment on my blog, I write because it helps me make sense of the day, my students, my plans and what really matters in life. Teaching can be selfish, too, if we are not careful.  Sometimes teachers can get wrapped up in the lesson, the need to be in charge, or a desire to be in control and forget that teaching is really about the student. My brother is dyslexic, only he never bothered to tell anyone until he was an adult.  He is also creative and hilarious - a combination that can be disruptive to traditional classrooms.  Not that long ago, he told me a story about when he was in 1st or 2nd grade.  It was the first week of school and he was nervous.  He was trying to make sure the pencil fit in the groove at the top of the desk when it fell.  He picked it up, but it fell again.  After about the third drop, the teacher noticed.  She was annoyed a...

A while back, a parent asked me an important question.  "What kind of active learning opportunities do you provide?"  At the time, my instinct was to feel a little defensive.  My class is pretty fun, but we were covering some somewhat dry content that week.  And I was not on my best game. Once I got over the perceived insult, I thought a lot about that question.  What are  the ways I provide active learning that engages each student?  The discussion broadens when you think about work product - what are we asking students to produce that is engaging and meaningful? These questions are so important that we must never stop asking them.  But it helps to think about some possible options, some tried and true ways to engage learners purposefully and meaningfully.  Here are a few that have been working for me lately: Pear Deck  - Pear Deck has been my go-to source for fun lessons and formative assessments.  My students even ask "Can...

I don't know if parents still ask this question.  I don't really remember my parents asking me this question, but it is a question - or a form of a question - that I like to contemplate often. Learning is a big deal, but not always in the ways that we think.  Often, learning is equated to knowledge acquisition, but it is so much more.  While it is true that learning involves skill development, skills and knowledge should, ideally, result in the learner developing a worldview. That is a pretty big deal, if you think about it.  In learning, we create a lens through which we see everything. For me, the lens is a positive one. Interestingly enough, this was not always my way.  I used to be more pessimistic and would often react to unexpected things in negative ways.  Learning from my students, I adopted a better worldview. Each day, students add my my skill base and knowledge, if I take the time to notice and reflect.  They teach me to laugh a lot....

"Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one." ~George Fox, 1656 I teach at a Quaker school.  As you might expect, we admire George Fox.  The above quote is framed in our Meeting House.  I like to read it every day.  It also finds its way into our  Mission and Core Values .   For many, the idea of God is tricky - difficult to discuss publicly and hard for some to accept.  That said, I think Fox is using words that had meaning for him to explain and idea that most humans can accept - each person has something within that is beautiful, unique and unexplainable.  Is that the same as "holy," "divine" or "godly"?  You decide.  But we all have it.  George Fox was pretty radical.  He was vocal in what he knew to be...

"Whatever career you may choose for yourself - doctor, lawyer, teacher - let me propose an avocation to be pursued along with it.  Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights.  Make it a central part of your life.  It will make you a better doctor, a better lawyer, a better teacher."    ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. Today in class, students blogged about Martin Luther King.  I had promised to blog along with them, but then various duties got in the way.  Several hours later, I'm catching up. My #reflectiveteacher friends are blogging today about choosing education as a profession.  The two are related, I think, if one reflects on MLK's words. I cannot imagine another life for myself.  I love school.  Showing up at school makes me feel better.  Almost instantly.  I love to connect with students and hear their stories.  I love to witness their progress.  I love to grapple with ideas along side them.  I l...

I am inherently optimistic.  Some people, my sister in particular, find this annoying.  I work with teenagers.  Sometimes they are grateful for my rosy outlook and other times they find it hard to swallow.  My own children are both teenagers, so they can be fairly skeptical of my optimism as well. As an optimist, I like to recruit people to play on the team.  This can be difficult as the aforementioned teenagers don't always want to join.  Sometimes (and this is true for all of us), it is just easier to wallow in the moment of icky feeling or frustration.  I get it, because I have been there.  But I also know that wallowing is rarely a good idea. In an effort to help someone (student? child? I honestly don't remember) out of a funk, I presented them with some options.  After reviewing the list of possibilities I said, "just choose the best one for you.  There is no wrong answer."  That did the trick and the person in question wa...

Vocabulary is a fundamental component of reading and comprehension.  It is, therefore, a barrier for many students, particularly those for whom reading is a struggle.  Or those with auditory processing difficulty. I love words.  I think about their origins, sort them, find synonyms and examples.  Make up songs about them.  Learn how to spell them.  Think about their parts of speech and how they are used in sentences.  I do these things alone, with my classes and for fun.   All of these are excellent first steps, but I need to improve.  Here's why: Often when we get lost in a new word in class it occurs on the spur of the moment.  There are ideas and resources that I lack on the fly.  Surely, I could anticipate these moments better.  Not always, but often enough to make the moment more teachable. Typically, our discussion is oral.  What about the visual kids?  I need to have more visual input for them -...

How do students learn best?  The question has as many answers as their are students.  Each student has her own unique needs, and yet there are a few universals.  When these conditions are present, students are most likely to learn in deep and meaningful ways.  This is how we do it: Motivation - Students learn best when they have a desire to do so. Challenge - While the task cannot be too difficult, it must not be too easy, or students will not invest. Fun - If the environment is lively and energetic, students are more likely to try and engage. A well designed task - Too vague and they will flounder, too structured and there is nothing for them to figure out. Food - Students are human and they love to eat. Input - Students need some say in what and how they will learn. Acceptance and appreciation - Students need to know that their opinions and ideas have merit and value. Freedom to make mistakes - Mistakes can be an excellent teacher.  Students need to e...

Kindness is important.  But unlike other important things, it really isn't that hard to do.  If you pay attention to those around you, you can figure out what they need.  Often, the things they need aren't all that difficult to provide - a little of your time, a listening ear, a compliment, a joke.  These are things we can give without much effort or investment. In spite of the ease with which they are given, these little things so a really long way.  Think back to the moments and people in your life that touched you.  It was cold and the kids were cranky, but the guys at the Dunkin Donuts had my order ready as I walked in the door.  Riddled with self-doubt about a decision and my brother said, "you should go for it."  Bored on a Saturday night, and my son asked me to play the Wii with him.  While buying produce on a busy day, the shop keeper gave me a few apples for free. These acts of kindness took almost no effort on the part of the ot...

If you have never met my mom, you are really missing out.  She is remarkable.  She raised seven children into (mostly) productive adulthood.  She is a grandmother to ten grandchildren.  She has a beautiful garden and makes wonderful parties.  No one ever feels lonely when they are with her. Life has not always been easy for Maggie.  She was the oldest of three and grew up in a difficult household.  She was the first of her family to go to college.  There, she met my dad and they inadvertently started a family.  The kids kept coming and the money wasn't always there.  Even so, Maggie made sure everyone was provided for. She had trained to be a teacher.  Once the children were old enough for her to enter the workforce, she began teaching at a parochial school in Newark, New Jersey.  There, she found out that she hated teaching. She enrolled in nursing school, but found out she was pregnant at the start of her first semester...

It is cold and snowy today, but I can't complain because I had the the day off.  Not having to instruct, facilitate or conference has been delightful.  I folded laundry, finished the crossword puzzle and played (and lost) a game of Trivial Pursuit with my kids.  Really, from the moment I woke up, today has been filled with simple joys (and it is only 3:30!). But if I were pressed, I'd have to say the three simple things that give me the most joy are: Sunshine.   I know this makes me sound either like a huge John Denver fan or a beach bum (both of which are true for me occasionally), but sunshine is the best.  At the pool or the beach I am sometimes so happy to be in the sun that I jump up and down or cry.  (I never said this was normal).  On winter afternoon, I know exactly where to sit on the sofa to maximize the late afternoon rays.  When it is cold, I park the car in the sun so I can close my eyes and feel the warmth.  Something about...

I am bad with time.  Sometimes the period ends and we have more learning and thinking to do.  Other times, we finish the the project or issue at hand and there are still several minutes before the end of the period.  I prefer this to the first option, but still. Wouldn't it be great if we could let go of the schedules that limit or restrict the time we can spend on a project or idea?  In all honesty, I haven't figured out a practical solution.  I just know that I want one, because if I could let go of one thing, it would be the clock.

When I think about what school should look like in the future, I think of the word OPEN. An open book - Things will be transparent for all stakeholders. Open arms - The way in which we will welcome all students and new ideas. Open floor plan - Classrooms will provide more space for collaboration and projects. Open to new ideas - Schools will be receptive to change and progress. Keep our options open - Schools will not limit themselves by old ways and ideas. Open - Like the U.S. Open, in which everyone can play. Open enrollment - Schools will accept students when it is an appropriate time and not be guided by arbitrary dates. Open season - Opportunities for learning will exists all year long, so that student can have safe places to learn and grow. Open access - All students will have the technology needed for success. The word open has many uses, but basically means to un-close or unfasten.  It is high time we open quality education up for everyone and remove existing ...

I have been working on this my whole life, it seems.  Saying "thank you" is an easy thing to forget.  But I have been more intentional with my thanks this month with some pretty cool results: Ending each class by saying to students "thanks for your hard work and ideas today."  When I first started this, I think they were were confused.  Now they say things like"it was a great discussion" or "I can't wait til tomorrow for keep working on this" as they leave class.  It feels good to acknowledge their willingness to engage.  As I've said before, they don't have to give their attention and effort and we certainly can't force it.  So much better for them to participate meaningfully and willingly. Thanking my colleagues more often.  Not just for lending a pencil or watching my class for a few seconds, but for their ideas.  I value them and I have been working hard to let them know. More donuts.  Bad for the waistline, great for mot...

I have a huge family.  Two sons, four sisters, two brothers, nine nieces and nephews plus in-laws and random pets.  My mother taught us that the thing that defined family was love.  That means we have to add more people to the group - uncles and aunts, close friends and neighbors. Therefore, the defining family tradition is chaos.  We are loud.  We make scenes.  Not in a bad way, mind you, but we do really stand out.  When we all go to the beach, we lug 20 chairs and two cabanas.  Thanksgiving dinner has to take place in two rooms.  Christmas got to be so expensive, we stopped giving gifts all together.  When you show up with this many people, you are bound to get noticed. Love is a messy thing.  Sometimes there are disputes and often we have lively debates.  We get mad, but move on.  Maya Angelou said, "I sustain myself with the love of family."  The longer am part of the messy and wonderful thing called family -...

Choosing just one book that has transformed my teaching feels a little like choosing a favorite child.  I just can't do it.  But the longer I work in Special Education, the more I realize that vocabulary is often a barrier to comprehension.  I see it every day.  Students struggle with concepts because they lack the vocabulary to discuss and understand them.  As teachers, we need to give them more than simple exposure to words.  Students need deep understanding of words, shades of words, word origins, similar words, examples and non-examples in order to truly own a word. One of the books on my shelf that gets frequent use is Vocabulary Games for the Classroom by Lindsay Carleton and Robert Marzano.  The book provides comprehensive lists of words and concepts that should be understood at the various levels of learning.  Also, there are a myriad of games which are fun and provide a deep understanding of the terms. A favorite in my class is Which...

Life presents many lessons.  Some are easier than others to learn.  In many ways, I am pretty slow learner, too. But a thing that I am grateful to have learned is this: change happens.  We often don't want it to.  Rarely are we ready for the change.  It is easy to react to change with negative feelings or fear (I blogged about learning not to react with fear a while back.) My son is on the autism spectrum.  When he was smaller, we both hated change.  For him, it meant facing the unexpected.  For me, it meant helping him cope with anxiety.  We had ways to address changes in the routine when I knew they were approaching.  But together we had to learn to cope with the unexpected changes. It was hard, but the funny thing is, he led the charge.  I am not sure how it happened, but I learned from this boy who once hated change that change can be pretty cool.  On the other hand, it might be dreadful.  Either way, it will hap...