Meeting Standards: Who's Responsible?

This is an equation I want school systems to solve.

There are multiple standards (more than a year's worth), and most of them come under the classroom teacher's responsibility. Yet students are taught by many educators in addition to the classroom teacher each day including therapists, specialists (art, music, tech, library, physical education), and special educators. There are also multiple programs that exist during the school year--valuable programs and field studies that take the place standards-based learning times.

How can the collective group of teachers share responsibility for all the standards and students so that every child learns with as much strength and success possible?

Where are our collective efforts maximized with regard to student learning, and where do our collective efforts wane?

Are most educators in the school house focused on standards-based learning in ways that result in substantial learning success?

What's working, and what is not working?

As a classroom teacher, I care about the equations related to educator role and student learning.  I care for many reasons:

• First and foremost, I want to see every child succeed.  
• Secondly, as a classroom teacher, I know that the expectations for my role far exceed time on task and reasonableness--I'm almost always with 25 students which minimizes my time for individualized--targeted instruction, instruction that makes a substantial difference. 
• Third, I wonder if specialists could embed some standards into their roles so that children could learn the standards and meet specialists' goals at the same time. For example perhaps students could work on 3-d drawings and learn geometry, write music by developing patterns, build gross motor skills with skip counting, and strengthen reading with close reading approaches and responses.  I don't want to dilute specialists' objectives, but I'm wondering if we can double-up in some areas. 
• Also, perhaps teacher leaders, interventionists, and coaches could help out by taking half the group or a group with special learning needs to ensure that all students get substantial attention and care while also working to help a teacher learn and teach well. 

In other words, how can we change the roles and responsibilities equation when it comes to time on task, meeting standards, and teaching all children well so that all educators in the school house "own" the standards with direct time-on-task efforts, response, and assessment with students.

Right now, the equations in schools seem to tip in favor of too much responsibility for some, and not enough for others. As a classroom teacher, it does feel like we're called to be "everyman" or "everywoman" in this new season of education.  I'm not looking for less work, instead I'm looking for more targeted, reasonable work--the kind of expectations that I can meet with depth, breadth, and success.  

I've said it before and I'll say it many times more, I think the time has come to revise roles and responsibilities in school systems so that most people are serving students with direct standards-based, assessment bound service, not just some.  In what ways can a change in roles and responsibilities happen so that we don't become assessment/standards factories of education, but instead become vital learning communities where everyone shares in the direct care and service to move all students forward with engagement, meaning, and success. 

Tending Culture

Educators tend culture. They tend the culture of their classrooms, schools and systems.  Recently I outlined a list of  important aspects of school culture. Now I'm wondering about how to tend culture in effective ways in my classroom, and contribute to a positive culture effectively in the school community.

I believe it's essential that we discuss culture.  At the start of the school year, and throughout the year, students and educators should have the chance to think about and openly discuss what's most important, and how they spend their school time.  What do those conversations look like?  What is the best structure?  I'm so curious about what my colleagues think regarding cultural norms and expectations--it's been so long since we discussed this with any depth or transparency.

I'll take the time to open up this discussion in my classroom today by asking, What's important to you with respect to how we end the year?  Do you have any suggestions for our class to make this a happy, caring end of the year?  Those direct questions will give students an open avenue to discuss our current class culture.

Next year, I'll make time at the start of the year to discuss culture with my students. I'll ask, What makes a great classroom culture?  I'll explain the meaning of culture with regard to classroom climate and events. We'll list our ideas, then think about ways that we can make those ideas come alive throughout the year. Then we'll revisit that list often and revise as necessary.

With regard to the school community, I'm wondering what that discussion might look like.  We might start with defining culture and the aspects of culture we think are important to a positive, responsive school community. Next we could prioritize those aspects of culture.  After that, we might define what those cultural norms look like in our work day today. Then we might look at the calendar to make sure we make time for the events and actions that support the desired culture. It's possible that we'll prioritize some events and potentially eliminate others. By taking the time as a school community to discuss culture, we'll positively impact our collaboration and student work.

Creating and tending culture is a big part of an educators' job both in and out of the classroom--an essential element to serving children well. How do you do this in your classroom, school or organization?  What experts, books and practices lead this effort?  I want to learn more about this.

Expert Visitors

Dr. Barbara Sheffels, a local geologist, volunteers her time each year to teach students in our school system about rocks, minerals and plate tectonics.

Students are fortunate to learn via Dr. Sheffels' experience, study and carefully crafted lessons that include multiple maps and hands-on models.

School systems and students gain when local experts volunteer their time and expertise.  Children have the chance to see and talk to an expert in the field, while teachers are able to see the expert convey their lessons with specific disciplinary knowledge.

Do you host local experts? How are those programs organized?

We are indebted to Dr. Sheffels' thoughtful work and time.

Sight-Bite

We're all familiar with sound bites--the short, clever collection of words that entice, excite and communicate an idea or message.

Today, while I was playing with Microsoft Office's SmartArt Graphics, I realized I was working with "sight-bites"--an image that confers a concept quickly and efficiently.

It takes a lot of thought and care to transfer a complex idea into an image, yet once you do it, the idea becomes readily available as you and your audience integrate the concept into other work and matters.

I plan to use the concept of "sight-bites" with my students next year as we utilize SmartArt Graphics and other models to transfer mathematical concepts and learning into images.

Thoughts?