Monday Musings

I'd love a snow day today simply because it would give me a chance to make a large number of phone calls I can't make during a school day. Most procedural-related calls take time as there's wait time and call backs, and with an educator's schedule there's little free time during work hours for these calls. I often have my husband make those calls or respond since he's able to easily pick up a phone most often at his job since he's not typically working with large numbers of children or people at once.

The snow is falling at a good clip outside my window, but it doesn't appear that any schools nearby have made the call. No call and school means a longer commute. Though I live very close to school, driving is always slower when it comes to snow school days. Similar to rain, everything slows down a bit when there's a weather event.

With an hour of prep time available, I'll look ahead to next year's prep and plans, since I'm ready for the day's teaching and learning.

Imagine: Equity

A group of educators met one day and proclaimed, "Every child in our school can reach high and do well, and our challenge is to support that elevation."

Then together they tried one action after another. They assessed their efforts, made revision, and tried again.

Until one day, when they met, they realized that every child had succeeded. The children they teach came to school happy almost every day. They demonstrated continued growth in areas that mattered and areas they were passionate about. Due to the children's positivity and growth, parents had flocked to the school as well to support the process. Alumni returned too because they wanted to support such a positive environment.

The terrific teaching and efforts of one small school emanated to the entire community and served as a beacon of positivity and a center of care.

We must never lose hope that we can be this school, that we can work together to teach better, and that great results like this occur because of the investment, process, conversations, and efforts we embrace.

Too often what can be is diminished simply because we are afraid or reluctant to speak up, share our ideas, dream, and work for better. There is great satisfaction and hope in doing this kind of work for it betters all of us and makes life more fulfilling.

Test Time!

Happily test times were reduced this year. Rather than two big sessions of testing, there is only one. I believe we have the same number of tests, however the change in scheduling has reduced our need to focus solely on tests, yet there's still considerable time devoted to prepping for the tests.

It's important to many that students do well on tests. As an educator, I like to prepare my students well for these tests. I like to give them every opportunity to do well. What does that mean?

First, it means creating a positive climate for math teaching and learning at the start of the year.

Next, it means teaching al the standards in varied ways that are meaningful. I use the one-two-three approach to most teaching which means one, we start with a review, two, move towards grade-level standards, and three, always include enrichment opportunities which broadens the concept.

After that, it's important that students understand what it takes to do well on the test. Now that we're heading forward to the PARCC test, the following strategies and actions help students to do well:

• Students take an online and paper practice test. I assess students' results with the test questions and test approach. I create a teaching plan to help every child "fill in the gaps" with regard to strategy and content prior to the test.
• Students learn how to use scrap paper to assist their work with online tests. We'll talk about and practice a large number of scrap paper folding, writing, and work strategies that support online work.
• Students will have folders with scrap paper and their computer log-in information. This helps to keep everything organized during the testing. 
• The room has been rearranged to lend itself to testing and teacher oversight. While educators are not allowed to help with questions, it's necessary to sometimes help with procedural issues with regard to the computers
• Students practice using the SRSD and RICE problem solving strategies and process including positive self talk.
• Students understand the following, helpful points:
• Take your time. Although the test is timed, few to no students ran out of time last year.
• Double check all calculations. Many young students rush and make simple errors with calculations. It's best to do calculations twice and check with the inverse operation if possible.
• Read carefully. Write down important words and numbers. Use a small voice to say the numbers as you write them down. Many young children make copy errors and write down wrong numbers.
• Do your work neatly. Many young children write numbers in a rushed way, and then when they go back to work with them they think it's a different number. O's are often written like 6's, 7's written like 4's, 5's like 6's and more.
• If you're done early, go back and recheck your work. 

I've charted the lessons and steps ahead leading up to our beginning of May PARCC math tests. Last year our students did well on these tests, so I know our strategies and efforts worked (Note that I understand that it's not our efforts alone that worked as our students are generally well loved, cared for, and academically support at home too). There were remaining areas we could shore up as well, and I'll work to pinpoint those areas as I help students prep.

During the follow six-week window of study, test prep will take center stage. It won't be the "drill and kill" you imagine, but instead the same strategy development, thinking skills, and problem solving that helps students to learn well and work well across disciplines.

After this period, we'll move into a hands-on STEAM approach to math study and learning--an approach that will find us integrating multiple hands-on, collaborative learning, indoor/outdoor learning experiences. We'll be ready for that after this somewhat traditional stretch we're embarking on right now.

How do you help students prepare for the tests ahead? How do you help them navigate this time of the year with confidence? I'm interested in your strategies. 

Some Positive Changes are Free

Not all good change has to cost money.

There are some changes that can create significant improvement in systems and efforts that merely mean reallocating resources.

Invite Teacher Voice in Ways that Count

In general, I am very happy with the way education is handled in Massachusetts. I feel that most information is shared openly and there is typically lead time for many changes. Also the State tends to stay on top of new research and efforts which helps educators to present a top notch program.

Recently the State has reached out to educators for information. I believe this may be a way to enlist greater teacher voice. The problem with much of the new outreach is that the requests are very lengthy and detailed requiring significant research, time, and attention on behalf of any educators who respond to the requests. There is no compensation for this extra time and there is no time-on-task for this effort. Therefore, a teacher has to have multiple extra after-school hours to do this work. The fact that only teachers with the extra time and will to complete these requests are the ones who are being heard does not serve our work well.

Instead, I believe Massachusetts should reach out for teacher voice in the following ways:

• Invite teacher voice and choice by providing time-on-task for this share. For example, perhaps a diverse group of 100 teachers would be invited to share their thoughts on a matter during a school day while the State covers the cost of substitute teachers.
• Provide compensation to educators who spend time after school contributing to these surveys. If an educator is spending two hours on a survey, that means that educator may not have the time to cook dinner, care for children, or do their typical after school work. If compensation is provided, then those educators might be able to afford a dinner out, an extra hour of day care, or possibly other support to enable them to have that extra time to thoughtfully research and complete surveys.
• Create opportunities for educator share and contribution during summer weeks and provide compensation for that time. 

Teacher voice is important when it comes to teaching and learning well. However because most teachers are on task with students most minutes of a day and then spending the time after school prepping lessons and caring for personal matters, I think that to enlist teacher voice with true commitment will require looking for ways to provide teachers with time and/or compensation in order to give them the support they need to contribute with care and depth. 

This does not have to cost extra money, but may require re-looking at organizational structure and budgets to reallocate time and money to enlist greater educator voice in ways that matter.