THIS WEEK’S STAFF TG: What one piece of research would you look at to determine whether a teacher is highly effective or not? Do you look at a sample lesson plan? Student state test scores? Family surveys? Advance observations?
Personally, I’d say none of the above. Instead, I would randomly choose a student and ask the teacher what the student has specifically struggled with this year, why, and what they are doing about it. Good teachers assume nothing and confirm everything; While lesser educators consider a lesson to be done once it’s taught, highly effective teachers see learning as a give-and-take process, and not only do they never take for granted that students will always master what they was taught by the teacher, they assume the opposite is true. They are relentless in their search to uncover what and how students have failed to learn, and it’s fair to assume that by April each year they would know pretty much know how each student would succeed or fail at each standard.
Taking it a step further, I believe how well a teacher can predict student outcomes on state tests is a better indicator of their highly effective instruction than even if the students uniformly demonstrated incredible growth on these tests. Whether students actually learn or not depend on so many variables both in and out of schools, and it’s difficult if not impossible to evaluate a teacher on things they have little control over. And while strong lesson plans and direct instruction can certainly indicate preparation, it cannot show how well students learn as a result. In the end, it’s knowing exactly where students stand, what their last great hurdle was, or what the teacher is excited to do soon to try push each student over the hump that speak volume to both the intentions and expertise of the educator.
MONDAY: Even for highly effective teachers, looking only at your own data and classroom observations can only take you so far. On Monday teachers who elect not to engage in Inquiry work will meet with their respective grade level teams to surface and discuss trends in student progress, behavior, new noticings and concerns, and most importantly, students whom you believe to be significantly off track and will most likely not meet the year’s expectations (1’s and low 2’s). Share this information with their other teachers–clusters included–and confirm whether there are discrepancies in performance for different content areas. This is important for three primary reasons:
1) Intervene: To better focus the delivery of intervention (i.e. students with low math and high ELA should engage mostly in 102+ on math days as well as use Khan Academy and not Lexia during TechFlex);
2.) Identify students who have significant discrepancies–unexpected under-achievement–between content areas. This is one of the many indicators of a potential Learning Disability, and our timely recognition of such gaps in students (3-4 in math, 1 in ELA) will have immense impact both now and in the future if that’s the case.
3.) Shepherd: When teachers can speak to students about their performance in classes they do not teach, students will understand that adults talk about them outside of class, and better realize that we care and that they have meaning in our lives beyond the classroom and our profession. Students don’t care about meeting the expectations set by those they do not trust, and for students who may be in difficult family situations, knowing that a team of adults here have genuine concern for their well-being can make all the difference.
You should also discuss with your team and AP regarding any nuts-and-bolts issues that need attention. From materials, custodial issues, schedule changes, to student discipline, come up with items as a grade team and we’ll see if we can generate a timely fix.
HIGHLIGHTS:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Who knew the recipe for a good time was to combine a decidedly scary place for animals with freezing weather and then adding the magic of Jenny, Ravi, Mary, a photo booth, and some alcohol? Thank you for the work you all did for planning the event, and it was great to see everyone out of the building. You are a special bunch, indeed, and I look forward to the next one.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
RECESS PICK UP: We have started releasing classes of students out for recess for the last 15 minutes of lunch, and they will go out on a rotational as well as conditional basis. As such, there is not yet a system for informing teachers whether to pick up students from the cafeteria or the yard. For the time being we will have students who went out for lunch line up right outside our lobby so you can see who’s out there as you are on your way to the cafeteria.
SCHOOL CALENDAR: Lots of students means lots of events, and it’s time we have a better system to keep track of all the happenings in and out of our building that were planned before our calendar was printed. If you have any upcoming events this month, please email admins and Rose so we can put it on a giant calendar that will go up in the office. Field trips, games, parent events, anything out of the norm.
HOLIDAY SEASON SENSITIVITY: Fun (or not so fun) fact: Jails are busiest after winter break, and I have a feeling why that is so. Kids who are most prone to violence and other ways of acting out are often the same ones who, whether they know or acknowledge it, lack the very same things we celebrate during the holidays and thus their frustration is most profound at this time. We should be cheery and we should be happy and we should celebrate, and we should also do it mindful of the fact that there are students who have never and may never experience the joys that some of us were privy to. This season, let’s set the goal for us to pay as much attention to how we make students feel (myself absolutely included) as we do to not offend adults whenever we check ourselves to always use the generic term “Holidays”.
In the end, it is children whom we work for and there’s little they care more about more than better loved and to love. (Or PlayStation. Or Shopkins.)
*I apologize for all the earlier typos and that this review has been changed, adapted, and edited many times since it was posted. Typed this entirely on an iPad and it’s a horrible experience.
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