A Teacher Who Cares Is A Gift to All of Us

I've been struck by the deep care a teacher in my midst is bringing to her students. I've been watching this teacher closely and I'm learning a lot.

What have I noticed?

This teacher always has a smile on her face. She eagerly greets children and gently invites them into the learning.

This teacher takes the learning and adapts it to her learners readily and sensitively. She's not quick to criticize, but instead she's ready to positively make change to support her learners.

This teacher reaches out to me and other colleagues to keep the positive conversation going about how we can best teach students.

This teacher continually reaches out to families in a proactive way making suggestions and providing support to help students learn.

This teacher quietly works with the entire learning team continually helping all of us work together to best support each child.

The questions she asks, the work that she does, and outreach she initiates continually sends the message that she cares about all of us, her students, her colleagues, and the families she works with.

What a gift to work with a teacher like this.

Student Behavior Expectations?

I was challenged with regard to behavior expectations recently. This made me think about my expectations with regard to student behavior. What matters?

What Matters?
When I see a child, I see their future. I don't spend a lot of time on small behavioral issues and save my energy for bigger issues with regard to behavior. For example, I may not spend a lot of time if students aren't listening well during a random transition, but I will make the time to make sure that everyone is listening if I'm relaying an important point with regard to a lesson, a safety issue, or detail that impacts the day.

Let Children Move
Also, if a child is one who likes to move a lot and has trouble sitting still, I'll give that child extra opportunity to get up and move. I find that a few minutes of extra movement here and there settles a child down rather than constant reminders about "not moving." My wise son inspired this a long time ago when he said, "No one jumps around like that at the high school." Now I know that some still jump around in high school, but in general children settle down as they get older, and young children love to move a lot. We have to make sure we're giving them adequate time and space to move.

Ask Why?
I also always ask myself, why are children behaving the way they are behaving? If a lesson isn't going well and students start to act up, I'll say, "This lesson is not going as I planned so I can understand why you're getting anxious; try to stick with me, and I'll cut the lesson short so you have some extra time to play and move." Similarly, if another issue has found it's way into the classroom, I won't try to force the original lesson or issue. Instead I'll stop and address the issue that's taking priority, and then we'll get back on track.

Focus
Another factor that affects my behavioral expectations is focus. For example if one child is really reaching a wonderful point of learning or expression and another is acting out. I may choose to ignore the "acting out" if not dangerous in order to give the child who is excelling a chance to excel. Then I'll redirect the child who is off task.

Solve Problems with Children
One more strategy that works well is simply asking questions. For example if a child continually disrupts a lesson, I might say, "I notice that every time we _____, you make it difficult for us to proceed. Why do you think that's happening?" Then we'll converse about the issue as I explain why I need his/her support, and he/she explains what makes that difficult. Generally discussions like this make positive change for all.

Optimal Seating
Further, optimal seating helps. I tell children, "Everyone is sitting next to (or working with) someone who will help them learn in many ways." It's great to see them look at their study mates and start thinking about what gifts those students are bringing to them.

Servant Leadership
Over the years I've changed a lot when it comes to leading a classroom community. I've adopted the servant leadership model and I consider myself a "servant" to the students and families I work with. With this model, I am always thinking about how I can serve children better. What can I do to help them today and impact their future with positivity. I consider the children, family members, colleagues, and myself as a teaching/learning team. This model has empowered what I can do for and with children. It has made a dramatic, positive difference to the work I do each day. While there's always room for growth, I consider this to be a positive path to teaching and learning well.

I'll revisit the conflict that inspired this post. I can see positive ways to respond to the challenge, ways that will support children and our collegiality will strength. Onward.

Rallying the Team

A teacher is a cheerleader cheering students, colleagues, and family members on with regard to learning. The best lessons and experiences are intrinsically rewarding and motivating, but not all learning falls into that category. Some learning requires practice that may not be one's first choice. Other learning requires a bit of messiness, noise, and energy that's not as organized as other learning events. Then there's the learning that requires a bit of stretch, the kind that's not all that comfortable.

I'm always trying to find that just right level of "productive struggle" with my own learning and the learning for my students. I like to take advantage of the great tools out there and encourage students to try them out and use them for their learning. Some are eager and ready for this, and others are not. That's okay. What's important is that students advocate for what they need, and I respond accordingly.

There's amazing opportunity out there when it comes to learning, but that opportunity has to be met with readiness, confidence, and an open mind. There's a right way to approach the learning, and that right way will differ from child to child. I'll continue to listen as I rally the team.

Using the Learning Progressions to Differentiate

I put together a review packet related to the place value/decimals unit the students have been working on. The packet was a collection of pages used in the pack to review the study we've done. As the students worked, I recognized that for some the tasks remained too difficult. While we're at fifth grade standards, there are a few students who are still mastering third and fourth grade foundation skills. What's a teacher to do?

In the best I've done the best I can with this, but this year I want to apply the learning progressions with greater depth. I want to make sure these students are building skill in worthy ways without too big jumps from one concept to the next. How will I do this?

First, I'll take a close look at the progressions as outlined below:

• Kindergarten, Counting and Cardinality; K-5, Operations and Algebraic Thinking– This progression deals with early counting and how “much is in a group (cardinality).” The progression illustrates the basic operations including the kinds of quantitative relationships they model, and the type of problems that can be solved. 
• 3-5 Number and Operations – Fractions– This progression illustrates the concept of fractions from grade three to five. This progression explores the concept of fraction as number beginning with fractions on a number-line. The Fraction Progression online professional development module is based upon this progression.
• K-5 Progression on Geometric Measurement- This progression focuses on measurement in developing a conceptual framework for connecting number and geometry.
• K-6 Progression on Geometry– This progression focuses on the development of geometry from kindergarten through grade six. The overview of the document indicates that the progression will address three categories essential to elementary geometry: geometric shapes and their attributes; decomposing and composing shapes; and spatial relations and spatial restructuring.

After that, I'll create some assessments to see where these students are one the learning progression for the topic we're studying. Then I'll begin building a program for them that matches our unit focus and utilizes our many online and offline resources as well as the educators available to help. I've always wanted to do this, but I never had the time before since I was teaching all the subjects. Now with a focus on math alone, I have more time to do this which feels good. I hope that, in the future, assessments will take into account the fact that students don't develop solely along grade-level lines. Due to many, many factors, there are many ways and timelines when it comes to student skill, concept, and knowledge development, hopefully by making the time to focus on the progressions and then to use that information to differentiate well, the students who are a bit behind will move forward with confidence and strong skill for both current and later learning. 

Systems Thinking and Teaching Math at Fifth Grade

Today we started math class with the big question, "What is a system?"

We arrived at the conclusion that "A system has parts that work together to create a result."

Then I asked students what they thought the big questions were when it comes to studying a system. We arrived at the following questions:

1. What is the system and what are its parts?
2. How does the system work? (process)
3. What is the result(s) of the system's work? (product)
4. Why does the system exist? (purpose)

Then I asked what is the big question that separates learning from leading when it comes to systems, and we discussed the question, "How can we make systems better or create new systems for better results?"

After that we talked about the Real Number System and looked at the role of zero in this system. Next we talked about a "system within a system" with a focus on the Base Ten Place Value System. With regard to the base ten system, we discussed the following points:

• The role of the decimal point.
• Whole numbers and their parts.
• The value of each place.
• How the system works or "behaves" with regard to value and moving from one place to another. 

Then we applied the learning to a number of problems.

Returning to early concepts of numbers and the number line, and then moving outward to place value and later fractions will help us to continue to develop students' knowledge, skill, and concept with regard to the real number system.

As I think more about this, what other questions and main points should I include? Do you agree that teaching math with systems think provides a comprehensive, connected way to teach and learn the subject? Also, how can we apply this powerful concept of systems to all of our teaching and learning this year? What other overarching concepts are integral in this regard?

I look forward to your ideas with related to this topic. Thanks!