Continual Growth Plan

We have done a lot of reflecting during this program about things that have worked (or not worked) and the growth made as an educator. Now it's time to fast forward. Where do I see myself in the years to come? Will I continue to embrace change? Look for new ideas? Encourage others to do the same? I feel like there are a ton of questions marks at this point in my life, so I am anxious to have these goals in place and have some direction of where I want to be. Who knows what other sorts of changes will pop in and change my life even more in the next decade!

In 1 year: 
- Be almost finished with my inaugural year as a first grade teacher
- Have a stronger understanding of our math curriculum by being on the committee
- Continue being a mentor for new teachers at my school
- Communicate directly with parents more often (emails, phone calls, etc.) to celebrate the good things their child is doing at school

In 5 years: 
- Have completed the reading licensure
- Have my 10 year anniversary with St. Francis (whoa!)
- Continue transitioning into more leadership roles at my school

In 10 years:
- Consider a move to administration
- Teach summer courses through SMU
- Continue to push myself and search for the best ways to instruct just as much as I did while completing my M. Ed. degree

My Legacy:
When students spend a year with me and move onto the following grade levels, I hope they remember me as the teacher that took genuine interest in them and made learning fun. Some people tense up when they hear "make learning fun" but I want to give students experiences that go beyond the textbook. I want them to have fond memories of their learning with me because those are the things they will remember and that will bring joy to their lives years after having me as their teacher. Yes, kids absolutely need to master skills at school, but they also need to build the foundations for a lifetime of interactions with others. I hope to be one of those teachers that ignites students' compassion for others and their love of learning. Both of those traits can take a person far in life. And honestly, what more could a teacher want for his or her student in the grand scheme of things?

Teaching Metaphor

This week we we read an article called "Metaphors We Teach By" by Mary Ann Bowman and then were asked to reflect on a metaphor that is present in our own teaching career. This Master's degree journey as allowed for so much growth and the type of teacher I am striving to be. I have learned to be flexible and not everything has an easy answer. You have to make the best of situations and learn from things that didn't go as well as you had hoped. You can use the best strategies but still have a result you were not expecting. It's all part of the game!

Teaching is a game of Go Fish. 

Bear with me, I'm not sure how this popped into my head but I promise it will make sense :) 

Teachers start each year with particular students, resources, objectives, strategies, etc. (the hand they are dealt). Throughout the year, teachers try to make the best possible outcome with what they are given:

* Teachers may have to seek out more help and may not always get a response (ask others for card) 
* Teachers are asked by others for help but can't always do what is needed, even if they wish they could solve the problem ("Go Fish")
* Teachers will search for outside resources to support their students and hope to find something that works (draw from the pond) 
* Teachers share ideas among colleagues (give card to another player)
* Teachers feel best when everything is organized and ends up being a success (all the pairs are found)
* Good teachers are okay with making progress, even if that isn't the same as total success by the end of the year (it turns out you were playing with a deck that was short one card all along)
* Teachers take all of the experiences and growth from one year to the next (cards shuffled and ready to start a new game)

Who is ready to shuffle things over the summer and start a brand new game?!?

Be Your Best FOR the World

It's amazing the difference on little word makes. Think about this: Are you living your life trying to be the best in the world? Or are you living your life trying to be the best FOR the world? Little word, huge difference.

This winter I reconnected with a good friend of my younger sister's from high school. I saw on Facebook that Alyssa was embarking on The World Race adventure to share the Gospel message with people in 11 countries over 11 months. Wow! I became inspired as read about her life-changing decision to proudly share her faith with so many other people. Alyssa's team of 7 (named Rabah Current) had asked for people to "adopt" their team and pray for them. My class of second graders and I have "adopted" their team and pray for them daily after lunch. We send emails back and forth and see pictures from Alyssa's adventure. My students have great questions and Alyssa is able to respond back to us from around the world... so cool! Alyssa has put her career on hold after being called by God to take on this mission. Seeing that immense trust and joy for her to change her life is pretty phenomenal. She is absolutely being her best for the world (quite literally, in fact).

What attributes do I possess that will allow me to be the best for the world?

• Good listener: Sometimes people just need to talk things out. I am happy to be that person because I know how good it feels to vent wit a friend sometime. By allowing other people this opportunity, they are able to go out into the world without carrying such large burdens around. They can be happier and share a smile with anyone they meet,
• Sense of humor: I love to laugh and make other people laugh. Life is much more enjoyable when you can find humor in tough situations. In the words of Charlie Chaplin, "A day without laughter is day wasted." The laugter he provided was definitely best for the world.
• Positivity: We all know how hard it is to be around someone when they constantly have a storm cloud above their head. I like to help people see the silver lining when it may be almost impossible to find. Being an upbeat personality can be contagious of others are willing to see it.

Spring Conference Application

I went out on a limb and attended an "adding music to the classroom" session. I am not the most musically inclined person but do certainly love it. Today I played some acoustic guitar for my students while they took a reading test. Afterwards, they were to find a book and a quiet place to read. They were sooooo quiet and into their books! I let them go for longer than needed because they looked so peaceful enjoying the music and their books. I think the music was a little extra to drown out other little distractions around the room. They asked if we could music more often. We sure can! It made me feel relaxed as well. I can't wait to use more of the ideas that were shared with us at the seminar. I always say I will use music more often and then it fizzles out. I am going to try to be conscious about doing it more regularly..

"Take Yourself to the Edge"

Taking yourself to the edge can sometimes be a scary thing to do. I know a couple of people who ride the edge all the time- it's their personality- and it drives me crazy! Sometimes I wish I could live more on the edge... just sometimes :) I have found myself challenged to push the limits during this graduate program. I am taking more risks and have seen some great successes. I also have experienced some failures and have learned from them. My students have also been learning from my examples.

It seems like teachers can fall into a "rut" more often than other professionals. It is easy to keep teaching how you've done it for the last 20 years. It is safe. The students learn. That's a win-win, right? The world of education changes so quickly that even though a lot of the content is similar, the delivery method must be adjusted for today's students. Kids today have much different needs than my parents or I did when we were in school. Teachers willing to go to the edge to try something new to reach their kids can feel intimidated if not fully supported. They are putting a lot on the line and are getting uncomfortable. In order for change to happen, sometimes things need to get messy. That's okay! 

Goals for Next Year

My "teacher toolbox" has grown significantly during my time in this graduate program. I can now go forward into next year (and beyond) with a new, refreshed look on best practice teaching. I have learned so much from my learning community friends. I think we all have grown with each other and have become even better educators. 

I am committing to three goals for the 2015-2016 school year:

1. Fine-tune my guided math system

This year I had a successful time "diving in" with guided math through my action research project. I am going to spend time this summer finding and creating new activities (woohoo! grade change! 1st grade!) and setting up a better tracking system for student progress. I will also create a more thorough plan for transitioning into guided math since I'll really have kindergartners at the beginning of the year (yikes!). 

2. Create more pre-assessments and varied assessments 

I did some of this with guided math this year but am going to create more of my own assessments over the summer and into next year. I used ones from our book but wasn't too impressed with them; I didn't feel like they accurately assessed student understanding. I also want to extend those pretests into spelling and differentiate more across the board for students. I have been wanting to do this but am looking forward to having more time to come up with a solid way to do this. I have done more hands-on assessments in our science curriculum this year. I am going to add more of these opportunities in other subjects as well.

3. Redesign my literacy block

Next year, grades K-3 at my school will begin to use the Daily 5 as a guide to our literacy block. I will work with the other 1st grade teacher to push the envelope on getting past the "old" schedule and way of teaching reading/language arts. I think this will be my most challenging goal because it involves other people getting on board as well. My partner is completely on board but our reading resource teacher is very stuck in her ways. We may have to ruffle some feathers (which is NOT my thing to do) but I am willing to try a ton of new things since I am starting totally fresh in a new grade level. There are so many great things to try that will cause other people to be flexible with their schedules. It will be a challenge but has the potential to have really great results.

Praxis Folio / IDEA

What are your current beliefs about what you value within IDEA?

• What do you hold true in your beliefs about Instruction?
• Teachers must be willing to adapt instruction to meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms. Quality instruction develops students not only academically but socially as well. The world of instruction is ever-changing and good teachers embrace that change and seek out best practices in order for their students to make progress in their learning. 
• What do you hold true in your beliefs about your Discipline area or best practice?
• As second grade teacher, I am responsible for teaching a wide variety of disciplines: language arts, math, science, social studies, religion, and art. I feel stronger about my abilities in some disciplines more than others and this reminds me that my students feel the same way. I model for my students that it is natural to feel more comfortable with some concepts than others. Making mistakes is a necessary component of learning and we embrace those mistakes because they lead us towards improvement.
• What do you hold true in your beliefs about the Environment you create for students?
• Creating a safe environment where students feel comfortable and respected is very important to me. My students understand that our classroom is a place to learn, grow, make mistakes, and support each other. Learning happens at a different pace for each student and we will all move forward along the same path but that needs may vary from student to student. It is okay to ask questions or not understand concepts in our classroom. I remind students almost daily that our classroom is a safe place where any and all questions can be asked.
• What do you hold true in your beliefs about formative and summative Assessment?
•  Both formative and summative assessments should be used when assessing student progress. At the primary level, I tend to use more formative assessments on a daily basis. I use first-to-five, thumbs up/thumbs down, exit slips, and observations while students are working. Using these techniques gives me "real time data" at a particular moment during instruction. I use the responses to decide whether to move on with content or if I need to spend more time before moving on. I also get a sense of certain student who could use more instruction about a certain concept. Summative assessments also have value in my classroom. This is an area I have worked on improving this year and still have further to go. I have incorporated more pre-tests in math this year in order to create my guided math groups. Summative assessments provide "hard data" to show whether concepts have been mastered or not. I mostly have stuck with paper/pencil assessments but would like to create more project-based assessments for next year. 

What do you believe to be the important foundational pieces of IDEA?

• What piece of work demonstrates your change in Instruction?
• Both my action research and backwards design units demonstrate my change in instruction. My action research required me to spend more time creating lessons for students at varying math levels. I could spend more on concepts with the groups that were slower to catch on and move to more challenging concepts with the groups that were ready. My backward design units pushed me to seek out different ways to instruct and assess student learning. I used the textbooks more as an occasional resource instead of the main instructional tool.
• What changes have you made with your Discipline?
• Since my action research required a focus on math this year, that discipline is where I have made the most changes. In the past, I have taught math in a whole-group setting. It was more difficult to know who really understood the information and who was confused. This year, I have much more knowledge about how well my students are understanding math concepts. I feel like these connections made allow students to share their confusion more openly and then receive the additional support from me.
• How have you changed the physical and emotional Environment in your classroom?
• I have incorporated more small group work into my classroom this year. Guided math requires those small groups but I extended those groups into almost all other subject areas. Learning how to work with other in a group as been a huge growing point for my students this year. It required in increase in patience and respect for each other. Working in small groups also required for students to develop relationships that allowed them to feel comfortable sharing concerns or questions. I feel like my class communicates more freely than my students in past years have.
• What changes have you made with formative and summative Assessment?
• I have increased the amount of summative assessments in math with my pre- and post- unit assessments (used to create small groups). Next year I would like to create more of my own since I had a hard time with the curriculum tests accurately assessing student understanding. I have sought out new formative assessments to use with my students. Our learning community did a very nice job of giving us opportunities to share and try different types of these assessments. I feel like my "toolbox" of assessments have gotten considerably larger and I will continue to add to it.

Ride the Change

This week, we were reminded that it is natural for a lot of us to resist change. Change is hard. It challenges us. We don't always know what the outcome will be. AND THAT'S OKAY. It can inspire us. It can refresh out viewpoints. Change allows us to grow. USUALLY...

Change is a good thing when it is purposeful. Sometimes I think groups make quick changes to have the next best thing and then the results aren't as great as they could have been. Our district hopped on the Project Lead the Way bandwagon for a new Science curriculum this year. Teachers have been scrambling all year to implement it when no one in an administration role (who made the decision) had the foresight to see the challenges that would exist. I know that with all changes come the unexpected, but teachers haven't had all of the necessary resources to teach at the highest level. I also think districts like to try so many new things that come out that teachers are stuck teaching many things at an "okay" level. I would rather focus on a few items and teach them really well but that, for some reason, goes against most of the decisions made be the administration. So many changes all at once is frustrating when teachers are pulled in so many different directions.

"Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn"

To truly benefit teachers, evaluations need to involve more than checklists. In "Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn" (pp. 35–39), Charlotte Danielson describes a five-step evaluation process (p. 38) that promotes self-reflection and professional conversation.

How does this process compare to the process in place at your school?

For evaluations at my school, there isn't a rubric to follow so I guess you would call it more a classroom observation than evaluation. At one point in the article the author states,  "The scenario proceeds as follows: The administrator goes to the classroom and watches a lesson, takes notes, goes away and writes up the notes, and then returns and tells the teacher about the lesson (what was good, what the teacher could improve)". This is exactly how it works at my school. Teachers do prep and fill out a questionnaire that examines goals for the lesson and provides a peek into their teaching practices and how they approach varied learners in their classroom. The after the lesson we reflect on how things went and reflect on goals for the rest of the year. We meet twice with our administrator (pre- and post- observation).

How would a system like Danielson's work at your school?

I think the system would work well for newer teachers in the system. Those that have been working for 20+ years would have a hard (as they do with a lot of things). I, personally, would like to see an evaluation system like Danielson's put into place. I like the evaluative criteria matrix to measure what level teachers should be aiming for. 
What adjustments might you make to your evaluation system to foster teacher improvement?
I think our school is lacking a way to measure performance and hold teachers accountable to high standards. Right now we hear what the principal observed as "good" and what "needs improvement" but have no idea how that compares to the expectations. I think it would also be helpful if those "needs improvement" areas were followed up with somehow. I think a lot of teachers have the post-observation conversation and then stash that paper in another folder somewhere in their classroom. Is anything actually improving? There is currently no way to tell if changes are being made or not.

"The Flexible Teacher"

In "The Flexible Teacher" (pp. 46–50), Leila Christenbury tells how she changed her plans when her students did not meet her expectations.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like Christenbury's?

At the beginning of this year I found myself doing a double-take with my students' academic levels. When I was last at school in May I was gearing up for third grade with my group from last year who did quite well academically. Now it was September and I was with recent first-graders who were considerably lower than last year's group across the board. 

How did you respond?

It was really hard for me to transition my frame of mind back to end-of-first-grade with these students. I don't remember as drastic of a transition in past years. I did a lot more informal "pre-assessments" to see what students learned and remembered from the year before. The most significant change was absolutely their writing (which is not so surprising). I left off in May having students writing several page stories with nice handwriting, complete sentences, and punctuation. I tried a writing assignment the first couple weeks of school... and about cried. Okay, not really, but I was totally taken aback! I have had to go at a much slower pace this year and come back to topics that I was able to fly through last year. It has been good for me to take a breath and slow down at times. I found myself with Fraulein Maria's song from The Sound of Music as my mantra at the start of the year, "Let

start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start..."

How can educators adapt their plans to their students' needs and abilities without lowering standards?

Educators must adapt their plans to student needs if they want to get anything accomplished and for the students to make progress. Differentiation has been a buzzword for several years now and it continue to increase importance as the ability levels our student populations seem to continue to become more widespread. Teachers can still have high standards for students but they must realize that each student requires a different level of "high". Reading through a simple See Spot Run book maybe be a huge accomplishment for one student while a classmate is ready for a Magic Treehouse chapter book. Teachers need to be able to recognize the various needs of students can create learning goals that can be met with some opportunities to be challenged.

Improvement Plan

I can't believe we are beginning April already! As I look ahead to June, I would like to make some improvements to my Reading instruction in the area of comprehension. With a lot of my students I have worked so hard at decoding words and just reading them that I haven't pushed some kids enough to see if they are truly understanding what they are reading. This is particularly true for my below-level readers. I will also add in some writing elements since those have been a little short this year.

Here's what I will do:

1. Share with students that they have become such great readers (they really have!) that now they are ready for 3rd grade assignments. They always get SO pumped when I say we are doing something from a higher level.

2. Model how to pull out details from stories. Practice whole-class with a few stories. 

3. Transition to small groups in literature circles discussing stories and answering prompts.

4. Create writing prompts for individual students to write what they know about a story. 

Unleash Your Energy

I believe that focusing on the positive can usually give us the energy  to fix what isn't right. When things are going positively it is much easier to have the 'oomph' to tackle any challenges that present themselves. On the other hand, sometimes completely focusing on the positive can cause a person to get into panic mode when an unexpected problem arises. That positivity may be viewed as a false sense of security at times.

Unfortunately, I think that people tend to focus on the negative because for some reason being able to complain about something provides a weird sort of gratification. We all know the people who are very vocal about the negative things in our school and struggle to find positivity in anything. It is easy to be sucked into those "Debbie Downers" and it can be hard to get out of that cycle when you get into it. I try to distance myself from those people when they get going. I feel my own views change depending on whether I surround myself with the Debbie Downers or with the more upbeat personalities. It's way more fun to be happy than to be crabby. Cheers!

Look for Possibilities

This week our e-learning focus continued on Dewitt Jones and his feelings towards possibilities. We have to remember that even in the most challenging moments, if we can see just a glimmer of possibility, improvement can happen. We also need to push our selves beyond performing "good enough" and instead aim for something more.

I experienced a no-win situation last spring when I had squirrels in my ceiling.... YEP! I was renting an apartment and woke up to some light scratching a few nights in a row. Then one morning I was jolted awake but the loudest scratching ever! [Is your skin crawling yet?] I really thought something was coming through my ceiling. When I returned home from school I saw a 4 ft piece of soffit had been pulled down. I called my maintenance emergency and for some odd reason they didn't see this was an emergency. Hello, people! They spent the next several weeks trapping the squirrels and I slept on my couch most nights because of the scratching noises. I called during that time period to inquire about breaking my lease. They explained that I would need to find a subleaser or finish out my monthly payments through the end of the summer. I did not think anything was funny at the time but after they fixed the problem (finally....) and especially when I moved this summer, I get a kick out of the ridiculousness of the story. I also provided my coworkers with plenty of comic relief with my daily updates on my living conditions. We even joked that they were actually raccoons in the ceiling (also not nearly as funny at the time) and our gym teacher secretly had my class bring in all sorts of raccoon stuffed animals and put them all over my classroom. 

I agree with Dewitt's statement that the opposite of scarcity isn't abundance, but rather possibility. I have always been a glass-half-full kind of person and I think Dewitt falls into that category as well. It is easy for people to give up because something is too difficult or probably won't work. Instead, I think it is a very powerful skill if we can encourage (or teach!) others to take a shot and see what happens. The worst that could happen is a failure and then you know how to make a change for the next attempt. I see this all the time in my classroom with kids scared to take risks. We started a new science curriculum this year and I'm taking all sorts of risks and my kids know that there is a good chance that things won't work like I plan since it's my first time doing the curriculum. We're all okay with that! In preparation for the conference, I want to inspire my attendees to try a little something new. I don't expect them to implement the grand scheme of guided math, but if they could take one strategy back to their classroom and have some positive results that would be awesome!

Making Assessment a Learning Experience

Bruce Oliver and Paula Rutherford shared some great ideas about how to liven up our assessments in the classroom. 

I chose to use the "Lifeline" method with my class. We took a Reading Assessment this morning that had some challenging comprehension questions on it. I told my students that I would be their "lifeline" and give them the answer to any one question they wanted.  At first I had several kids pick either the longest question or the question with the longest multiple choice answers. I needed to explain that they should do all of the ones that they understood first and then go back and choose the one they thought was the most difficult.

This assessment piece worked out nicely since earlier in the week we talked about test anxiety and how often kids worried about tests. I think this lifeline gave them a moment to catch their breath since they didn't have to worry about the hardest question.

I also use my own "phone a friend" method during whole group instruction. If kids raise their hand the answer and don't quite get the answer they have the option to "phone a friend" to see if someone can add to their answer to make it more correct. This also lessens the pressure when asked to answer a question aloud. 

Recognize Abundance

To continue our conversation from last week about Dewitt Jones, this week we are exploring more about how we can recognize what we are already blessed with in our own lives. 

It seems to me that the competition among kids is much higher than when I was going through elementary school. These kids are SO scheduled that some of them have an activity scheduled for every night of the week and then tournaments on the weekends. When did eight-year-olds transition into having schedules like varsity athletes? With some sports I have heard that if kids don't start in elementary school there isn't a chance for them to make the high school teams. What?? I miss the good old days when you could join a sport as a sophomore to try it out, have fun with your friends, and gain the skills of being on a team. It is ingrained from kids at an early age that if you aren't the winner then you are the loser and no one likes the losers. So much can be gained from those moments without success but instead kids are being shamed because of their not-perfect performance.

These sorts of things also follow people into adulthood. We all know of a person who still carries with them the lost in the semifinal game of whichever sport in high school. For some, that was over 30 years ago! In the professional world we succumb to the "dog eat dog" mentality where if you aren't the one "doing the eating you will most certainly be "eaten". People become overly authoritarian and struggle to do what's best for the group if doing what's best for the individual will propel their career. It is a hard cycle to break and I am afraid that it is only going to get worse as these little competitive kids transition into the future executives of companies.

My Own Habits

In accordance with our Habits of Mind study, I have been able to reflect on how often I experience or model these habits in my own life. We did a survey to explore how strongly we exhibited behaviors that linked with the 16 Habits.

My two strongest habits were listening with understanding and empathy and finding humor. I am one of those people that hangs back and takes everything in. I usually prefer listening over taking the lead in a conversation. Because of that listening/observing characteristic, people find it very easy to talk to me and I am happy to be a sounding board. I then am able to help however I can and try to put their mind at ease. A lot of times people just need someone to nod and truly listen to what they have to say I also LOVE to laugh, even if it is at myself! I think there can be humor found in so many situations. There are times when you least expect to find humor, and when you do, it completely changes the feeling of that particular situation. A quote that definitely holds true for me is, "A day without laughter is a day wasted."

Transformational Leader

James McGregor Burns defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation."

I have decided that my transformational goal will be to be become a stronger voice on my staff. I have always been the one who is so flexible that I can almost always go-with-the-flow and choose not to get tangled up in those heated conversations that makes everyone's skin crawl. I am a rockstar tongue-biter! Going through this SMU program has given me the confidence to start sharing my viewpoints more often. The things we have learned and the leaps we have taken have given me the courage to give my opinion (especially when it ties in with the coursework we have worked so diligently on). I have certainly gotten "gutsier" even in the past few months. I feel that if I can get even one more person to view something from a different point-of-view, I will be making progress. Maybe my increased vocal present will encourage others to speak up when normally they don't. There are many more viewpoints present on my staff than are shared at meetings. It's time for some fresh input!

There is a new teacher at my school who is most definitely a transformational leader. She recently finished the her Master's degree through SMU in the K-12 Reading program. Emily came with so many great ideas and hasn't been afraid to share them despite being the "newbie". She has certainly held her own and has enlightened other teachers to re-examine how they have approached Literacy in their classrooms for many years. I am changing grades next year and am psyched for her to by my new teaching partner! We will be able to hold each other to high standards as well as push each other to keep up with best practices.

Servant Leadership

This week we read about what being a servant leader looks like. We looked at Larry C. Spears' 10 most important characteristics of servant leaders and chose one to focus on as a leadership goal. 

I chose to focus on Building Community for my leadership goal. I have coordinated with our preschool teacher to have my students buddy up with the preschoolers to read Dr. Seuss books. We are practicing every day and even have the 5th graders help up us when we can (because Dr. Seuss books are challenging!) :-) Seeing the interactions with the the 5th graders has been awesome... they truly have taken on the role of teachers. I think it is important for my students to get the chance to be the "big kids" and share their skills with younger kids. I am really excited (as are my students!!) to read to the preschoolers next week. I think of how much my second graders look up to our 7th grade buddies and how these preschoolers will now look to my students with that sense of awe. If it goes well I hope to make this a regularly scheduled activity between the two classes. 

Habits of Mind

This week we have really focused on the 16 Habits of Mind. We went through a list of a bunch of ways to bring the Habits of Mind to our school and ranked them as either Already Doing It, a Good Possibility, A Must (implement immediately), or Unlikely (it won't fly). I found myself marking several Unlikely because our school already just put a new behavior system in place that making a change right now would be a challenge. I think there is certainly the possibility in a few years when this one gets worn out. I am happy to say there were a good about of Alreadys and a lot of Possibilities. The list was very encouraging to read.

A Must that I choose to act on right away was to talk about heroes in my life and ask students to share heroes in their own lives. Our school uses the HERO acronym to remind us that we was to focus on Helping Everyone Respect Others. It is common for kids to point out HERO behavior but this week we put the 16 Habits of Mind spin on things. I had the kids pick one hero in their life and write a few sentences about why they were chosen. Then we looked at the 16 Habits and had kids write down a number (or several) on their paper of which Habits their hero showed. It was fun to listen to them talk about whether or not the hero displayed particular Habits. We then shifted to how we can be "Habit Heroes" at school and at home. This is something we can continue touching on for the rest of the year. 

Believe It and You'll See It

On Saturday we viewed Celebrate What's Right with the World with our learning community. It was a National Geographic documentary where Dewitt Jones took us on a journey about looking closer at life's treasures. One of his taglines was "Believe it and you'll see it". I was instantly reminded of the quote from The Santa Clause movie, "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing". Such a great movie and who knew that it had a meaning that I could tie into my graduate degree!

I challenged myself to think back to a time when I believed in something and it happened. It was harder than I thought it would be! Eventually I thought about when I first learned to water ski. I was eight years old and had the awesome tied-together skis. My dad and uncles had all learned to ski at about seven years old so I was feeling more than capable. The first couple of times didn't work but I had all of my extended family cheering me on. I distinctly remember my dad and Uncle Chris holding my life jacket and giving me tips. I wanted to try one last time (because I was getting tired!) and put my mind to it. I yelled "Hit It!" and popped right out of the water. I could heard the cheers from the shore and did a nice little victory lap hanging on for dear life. I don't think I've ever had a bigger grin than when I was coming back towards shore to the cheers and applause.

How much of a hand did you have in creating the outcome you were hoping for? 
I think I played a pretty big role in creating that outcome. If I had given up or not had my heart in it I don't think I could have done it at that moment. The support from my family certainly helped as well.

Do you agree with Dewitt's claim that we need to "believe it, and then we'll see it?" 
I do agree with his claim. It won't always be the case but sometimes our biggest hurdle is our own inhibitions. If we can get past our own fears and be optimistic towards a goal I believe we have a better chance of seeing a pleasing end result. This isn't to say that there are moments when knowing you have a realistic goal and it is attainable. Sometimes seeing people succeed (thus believing it's possible) will light a fire in someone that maybe wouldn't have otherwise happened.

How closely linked is creativity with the idea that "you have to believe it and then you'll see it?" What is the implication for the conference? What is the implication for your students?
Creativity is a powerful thing. I think of the Art teachers in our learning community and how they go into so many assignments without any idea how it's going to go or what students will create. That feeling is very liberating when I experience it in my own classroom. When it comes to the conference, I have to believe that what I have to share will be meaningful to and appreciated by my attendees. If I second-guess myself I will show up less excited or willing to share. When it comes to my students, I need to be okay with putting forth effort without knowing exactly what the results will be. This ties in really well with my implementation with guided math. I had to dive right in, there wasn't much time to splash around in the kiddie pool :) I want to continue that frame of mind beyond May 9th and for the rest of my career.

Engagement

How am I facilitating student Engagement with learning through relevant, personalized, authentic, challenging and self-directed learning presently? To what degree do I see myself as capable of fully Engaging learners for deep learning and growth in their own ability to direct and regulate their own learning?

I try to allow a good amount of choice in my classroom to facilitate student engagement. Students are so much more willing to take on a task when it is something of their own choosing. This certainly isn’t the case in every classroom situation but I try to do it as often as possible. I like to think I am capable of engaging most learners, but fully engaging can be challenging at times. Believe it or not, it’s not easy to please 21 kids all at the same time. Helping students identify things they do well boosts their confidence for items that don’t come as easily. I like to get students engaged in helping and supporting others around our classroom.

What’s difficult for me when it comes to this aspect of A.G.A.P.E.?

When it comes to engagement, I sometimes find it difficult to find the time to plan the most engaging and meaningful activities everyday. It is exhausting to be running at 110% all the time. Then it seems like when we have a bit more low-key lesson that kids lose interest quickly. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) it feels like I am putting on a show and my audience might revolt if they aren’t wowed. I have gotten better at being okay with days like this and being honest with my students that we can’t always have “really fun” days. Sometimes we just need to get down to business.

What’s easy for me when it comes to this aspect of A.G.A.P.E.?

When it comes to engagement, I generally find it easy to get my kids excited. My personality resonates well with elementary aged kids. I can definitely see that when I am excited about something, they mirror that reaction and get excited as well. I am conscious of being a good model of being interested in other when they are talking, making eye contact, and focusing on the tasks presented. I hope that my students also take note of that (I think they do…) and, in turn, want to show me they can act that way as well.

How would I like to grow when it comes to engagement this semester?

I would like to grow in the area of more choice when it comes to engagement. I am pretty good about offering choice on bigger things (guided reading, guided math, projects, etc.) but could certainly improve on more of the day-to-day things. I get stuck in a rut of grammar worksheets because they are a quick way to assess a skill. I could get better at finding different ways for my students to show their understanding of a concept in different way. *The question of "What do I put in the grade book? just popped into my head. I'll have to do some more thinking about that. I won't get started on the "grading" controversy here! hahaha*

Three Words...

The three words that describe my Action Research are...

Encouraging: The results of my implementation are certainly encouraging. When I started researching I didn't know how "hard" of data I would be able to come up with at the end of all of this. Fortunately, between my NWEA results, math fact improvement, and student surveys I have been very pleased with the confirmation of my personal views of this being a successful implementation. I still feel like I have just experienced the tip of the iceberg and still have so many more things I could do. I hope I can properly convey that to participants at the conference and at least peak a little interest into giving it a try if they have been considering it.

Challenging: For as great as this experience has been, there have certainly been challenges along the way. One of the biggest has been the time commitment necessary to make guided math a reality in the classroom. Not only did I have to find an extra 1+hour block in our schedule, I also had to plan four different rotations for each day. I certainly had weeks that I got a little burned out on guided math. I think my students had some weeks like that, too. I also got frustrated with the the lack of punctual volunteers. I was SO thankful to have any volunteers to begin with (I don't want to sound ungrateful) but when they arrived 10 -15 minutes late (or not at all) it put a wrench in our whole rotation schedule and it threw everyone off. This will be something I will address next year right away when I begin asking for volunteers.

Continuous: The great thing about guided math is that it will always be changing. I will need to continually readjust based on student needs and find new and excited activities for my students to use. There will always be opportunities for changes and improvements. I see the technology piece becoming more prevalent in providing extended differentiation for my students. My hope is that our school/district can muster up more iPads sooner than later that can be used by individual classrooms. While there are definitely great things about the hands on and cooperative learning opportunities, I can't overlook all of the above and beyond opportunities that technology has to offer as well. We can have the best of both worlds in guided math!

Finding My Direction

As we cross into the "less than two months before conference" time frame, I find myself examining just where I am headed with my Action Research and how I will transition from having a paper with tons of information into a succinct presentation to share with others. This week I did some final reflections with my students. I shared some of the data with them and asked for feedback about why we saw some of the results that we did. They said that the math stations kept things fun and they liked being at the back table with me in a small group. That bit of feedback was pretty encouraging. The kids feel as good as I do about how this is going!

But.... then I asked if we should continue guided math or go back to a whole-group instruction model. I did the almighty closed-eyed vote with my second graders and discovered that only less than half of my class wanted to stay with guided math. What?! They just sounded so positive (which reflected so nicely to some of my data analysis). I then dug deeper and asked if anyone wanted to share why they didn't want to keep going with guided math. The majority of responses were based on the partner station. There has been too much arguing, people not playing by the rules, taking too much time to decide on a game, etc. Most of the responses touched on the cooperative learning aspect of these rotations and not so much on the actual math instruction. It was certainly an ah-ha moment for me! This is very typical in the social development in 7- and 8-year-olds but I had been pretty blind to it while working diligently with my group at the back table. In order to continue in a more positive way, I need to address these concerns from students and go back to a modeling refresher on how the partner station should work. 

Storytelling

Last week I started a new unit in Social Studies. We are now studying the Native American lifestyle and traditions. Our assignment to do some storytelling in our SMU class could not have fit more perfectly with my agenda for the week!

Today I started our lesson by talking about legends and folktales. Students shared several examples of stories they have heard- How Giraffe Got a Long Neck, Why Zebras Have Stripes, etc. We discussed that even though these stories may not be true, they do give us a fun reason of why things are like they are. I then read How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph and James Bruchac. I think the trick to good storytelling is to use different voices, animation, and movement. A few times in the story I got really quiet and then really loud for dramatic effect. The kids loved it! It was fun to see them leaning closer and so engaged during those quieter parts.

Action Research Mindset

This week I am reflecting back on my action research and thinking of times when I experienced either a fixed or growth mindset. I will say that overall the experience has been very positive but there were certainly moments that didn't seem so positive.

Fixed Mindset
I think I experienced a fixed mindset when my survey given didn't quite hit all of the points I wanted it to. I was kind of going in blind to exactly how I wanted this guided math experience to play out in my classroom. After a few months of our routine I was ready to give the survey again and compare results. It was then that I realized that a lot of the things I had noticed (and wanted to know how kids felt) were not addressed on the initial survey. In order to have a good comparison of data I gave the same survey again. Now I wish I would have just done that but also added a few questions just to satisfy my curiosity about a few areas. [I still think I might to do that as I am working on my paper]. 

Growth Mindset
I think I experienced a growth mindset several times but one was definitely when I tried to go back to whole class math instruction on one of our goofy schedule weeks. My class struggled and were noticeably more scatter-brained. They were not grasping the lesson and more confused than I had seen them all year; the concept wasn't anything overly complicated. It was at that moment that I realized that maybe this guided math is really working like I had hoped it would. It made me to want to continue fine-tuning my method and looking for new ways to reach everyone in my small groups. That day gave me the oomph to continue growing in my teaching strategies in order to best meet the needs of my students.

NWEA Results

All of my students have finally completed the Winter Math NWEA test. Between vacations and illnesses it seemed like we were always waiting on someone. Today I sat down with the data and am just starting to dig in and look at the growth from Fall to Winter. I have decided to use the other second grade class (same number of students) as a control group since they have continued with teacher-led whole group instruction. Obviously it isn't the perfect control group but it as close as I can get. I am planning to use the data in two ways: 1.) to compare whole class growth data and 2.) to look at students in both classes that scored similarly in the Fall to how they scored in the Winter. I have always said that the NWEA scores need to be taken with a grain of salt since they are just one measure but these results help to confirm the positive feeling I have had about the impact guided math has had on my students.

Here is quick peek at the initial whole class growth data.

	Students Who Met or Exceeded Projected Their RIT score	Percentage of Students Who Met or Exceeded Their Projected RIT score	Overall Percentage of Projected RIT Met or Exceeded
Guided Math	14	63.6%	134.5%
Whole Class	10	45.5%	90.0%

Shackleton and Changing the World

This week we were asked to reflect on the progress of our Shackleton Strength. I am still seeking out ways for my students' strengths to shine whenever possible. Lately I have trying to consciously focus attention on when students master a concept. Students are transitioning into the 'teacher role' more and more in my room. I make sure that the same kids are not always the 'teachers' that can be the go-to in our classroom when I am working with other students. I try to emphasize students (especially those at a lower academic level) when they finally understand a concept. I love to see them being able to use their knowledge and assist others. My higher students do wonderfully as teachers as well, but there is just something about those kids that usually need to ask for help being able to take charge and answer questions for a change. It's fun to see how comfortable students are getting with each other.

We also viewed William McRaven, an Admiral for the United States Navy, as he addressed the University of Texas graduates at their commencement ceremony in 2014. He shared 10 great tips about how to change the world. I wish I had a speaker like that at my undergrad graduation. I can't even tell you who addressed us five years ago!

The tip that resonated most with me was: You change the world by giving others hope. One person can give the world hope- sing when you are neck deep in the mud. This made my think of a recent Kid President video I had seen. That kid cracks me up and inspires me at the same time :) I try to focus on this idea of changing the world when things get overwhelming or I see too much negativity in the world around me. We need to start small and remind others that change can happen from the simplest moments. I don't need to be the world's greatest teacher to have an effect on my students. Change can happen with a smile or  a kind word. As long as people are feeling loved and appreciated, they are changing for the better.

Critical Thinking Questions

In preparation for the Spring Conference, we have been reviewing how to write questions that promote critical thinking. I want to create questions that will share my guided math implementation and help my seminar attendees connect with the information I present. I want to design questions that will not only peak their interest but also hopefully address some of the challenges they are struggling with on how to begin guided math in their classroom.

How does implementing guided math insure that student needs are being met at all ability levels?

• Implementing guided math has allowed me more flexibility when working with students at different ability levels. I am able to spend more time on a new concept with my struggling students and move on to more challenging concepts with my advanced students. I like that I still get to meet with all students each class period. In the past I found myself focusing my extra energy on the struggling students and just sending an extra worksheet with my advanced kids to keep them occupied. Giving them equal amounts of attention leads to everyone getting what they need.

How do you find enough time in your schedule for another large block of instructional time?

• This was one of my biggest challenges when first deciding that I would implement guided math. I already do guided reading so the majority of my mornings were filled with Language Arts instruction. I pushed my Science and Social Studies to the morning right before lunch. I was able to open up the 2-3:15 time slot on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On those days we have to give up our end-of-the-day recess but instead do more brain breaks throughout the afternoon. I will be the first to admit that I was initially dreading having math at the end of the day but with the 15 minute rotations the kids stay surprisingly engaged. 

Presence and Engagement

I can't believe how quickly our M.Ed. journey is coming to a close! It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was writing my entrance essay and waiting for that acceptance. Now we are down to 3 months. I have learned so much about myself and my profession over these past 5 semesters. In relation to AGAPE, this week were are focusing on the last two letters: Presence and Engagement. After reading our article and viewing a video, I realized that I identify most with these two letters both personally and professionally.

• How does a teacher use presence in the classroom to create an atmosphere conducive to learning?  
• I think a teacher uses presence in the classroom when he or she "sets the stage" for learning to happen. Teachers who are present create a welcoming environment where students feel safe, feel comfortable asking questions, and can take pride in both their successes and failures. When these basic needs are met, the atmosphere is more conducive to learning.
• What kinds of things engage students in their own learning?
• I think student choice has a huge impact in engagement. When students can choose an activity based o their own learning style, they are more likely to be engaged. While this isn't always a possibility, good teachers allow choice as often as possible. Students also need to see that their teacher is actively engaged in the lesson as well. Teachers are the biggest models of behavior; if they are "checked out" of a lesson students will most likely follow suit.
• What is the role of technology in this engagement?
• Technology is becoming more and more useful in terms of student engagement. More possibilities for differentiation exist when students can use laptops, iPads, etc. and truly work on activities at their personal academic level. Technology also provides active visuals to enhance student learning. When students can physically interact with content on the Smartboard they are more excited and willing to focus on the information.
• Do students have a responsibility to attend to their own engagement or is it solely the responsibility of the teacher?
• I think it is the responsibility of the teacher to teach students how to become (and stay!) engaged in their learning. This is certainly easier for some students more than others. Teachers can coach students on how to choose activities that play to their stronger learning styles. Teachers can also use an example assignment and discuss the different ways students can approach it. Students then should begin to take more responsibility for their engagement. It will certainly take some practice.

Catching My Breath

I feel like most of my posts about guided math have been really positive this year. The implementation in my classroom has been going smoothly, I've been seeing good results, and my kids seem to enjoy the structure.....but it does get exhausting! This week we only have school Tuesday-Thursday and are trying to wrap up things for the quarter. I got to school extra early this morning to prep for guided math and was SO relieved to see that I didn't schedule parent volunteers for today and tomorrow. WOOHOO! Don't get me wrong, we could have certainly done a lesson today and everything would have been fine but I felt a huge weight lifted when I didn't have to commit to that 1+ hour with this short week. We were able to finish up projects and hunt down missing work in a much more relaxed environment. It was great for everyone! Today served as a good reminder to me that it's okay to take breaks sometime. The kids will pick up next week right where we left off... hopefully :) 

Guided Math Observation

My principal observed my guided math block on Monday. Our observations are scheduled on an every-other-year rotation so it worked out great that this was my year! Today I met for my post-observation meeting and would like to share what an "outsider" had to share about how things are running in my classroom.

My feelings: I felt like the block didn't run as smoothly as they have been going all along. My class was having a loud day overall and had a tough time settling into partner and individual work. I was concerned that I had been working so hard, and then when my principal finally gets a chance to see it in action, my class turns into a circus. [Thanks a lot, Mother Nature, for all of the indoor recesses!!] The new concept was probably the most challenging of the year so my individual workers struggled significantly more on their own than they have up to this week. I had a lot of kids coming back and asking questions when they usually can ask each other and figure things out. I would have to reteach a lot of our lesson, which I did today and the kids did really well hearing things for the second time. 

My principal's thoughts: It wasn't a circus :) The kids were a little noisy but did get settled down after a few reminders here and there from me. She was impressed with how smoothly the transitions went- I didn't even have to announce where kids needed to go. When the timer beeped, kids wrapped up what they were doing and knew where to go next. It was nice to hear that all of our practicing has paid off. The kids were engaged and were able to recall the content later in the day when asked by our principal. It did make some sense to the students!   She shared that several people are keeping an eye on how this is working for me. Our Curriculum and Instruction director asked if I would be wiling to teach a mini session on guided math at our back-to-school workshops in August. It was a nice surprise and a little added pressure. There are some big changes being made to our schedule next year and creating longer math block is #3 in the order of scheduling. We talked about the pros and cons of having a common math block with 1 or 2 grade levels (2 or 4 classrooms) to meet even more needs. I'd be up for trying it!

We are taking our NWEA test next week so I will be able to draw some final conclusions when comparing Fall and Winter data. I'll share what I can decipher from the results soon.

Entertaining an Elephant- Week 2

We are almost done with the book. Just a few more pages to go! 

What are 3 positive things that are happening for Mr. Reaf?
- Mr. Reaf is allowing himself more flexibility in his class routine
- The students are starting to enjoy coming to his class
- The students are opening up to Mr. Reaf and he is doing a bit of it as well
What are 2 characteristics of Mr. Reaf that you see in yourself?
- Sometimes it is hard to get out of your 'groove' when it seems to be accomplishing your goals
- Showing that you care for students, beyond the classroom, means a lot to them
If you could ask Luis 1 questions, what would it be and why?
How did he become so wise and knowledgeable about life? I wonder what Luis did before he began working at the school that allowed him to develop this view of life.

Who is your “janitor”?
My janitor is our RB2 community. I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for a Master's course over a year ago. One our very first day I knew I could not have made a better decision. Our RB2 members have so much to share with each other! Not only have I learned from my subject alike/grade alike groups, but I never have the chance to interact with teachers outside of my PK-7 building. I love hearing what's going on with the "big kids" in different classrooms!
What role do the quotes play for Mr. Reaf’s class?
The quotes in Mr. Reaf's class give his classes a 'jumping off point' the doesn't revolve around grammar. These quotes allow his students to have deeper conversations and get to know one another. Mr. Reaf is also learning more about his students each day.
What do you use for “quotes"?
In my classroom, I start most lessons asking if someone can tell us what we talked about the day before. Sometimes I like to see if a student is able to re-teach the class the big ideas from the previous day. It gets everyone thinking right away. 
What do you consider Mr. Reaf’s greatest transformation?
I think Mr. Reaf's greatest transformation is how he is now connecting with students. At the beginning of the year he was more focused on just getting through the day and doing his finger count. Now he is engaging with students during the whole day. He doesn't feel the need to finger count anymore because the days are going so much better for the students and for himself.

Recharging the Batteries

Happy 2015! It was so nice to have some time off from classroom work and grad work and just reeeeelax. Now the trick is getting back into the swing of things. Judging from the past two days, I think I can safely say that this is true for both students and teachers! *arctic blast and indoor recess all week certainly doesn't help anyone get back into routine* BRRRRR!!!

Over break I did spend a couple of hours with my Action Research paper. I tried to establish an outline of how I will organize all of the many pieces. It feels reassuring to see it slowly coming together. I am most excited to make some changes to how I have implemented guided reading and draw some conclusions from pre- and post- adjustments. I hope to be able to put into words the growth that I have seen exhibited in both my students and myself over the past few months. That isn't to say there were certainly trial and error moments, but on a whole, things have been pretty positive.