Five Keys to Classroom Rigor

I'm often asked, "What does rigor look like in the classroom?"  Here are my five keys:

1.  There is a focus on student progress, as well as achievement.  Each small step toward higher levels of rigor is celebrated.
2.  Adult language is positive and encouraging.  Too often, we shut students down with our language (You've got to be kidding me!  You need help again?)
3.  High expectations are evidenced by higher order thinking questions, but they are also exemplified by expecting high level student responses.  For example, if a student responds to a higher order question with a one-word response, the teacher probes and asks "Why?" or "How did you come up with that answer?" or "Why do you think that is?"
4.  Appropriate support, such as modeling, chunking, use of graphic organizers, etc. is used to support student learning.
5.  Rather than students responding one at a time, each student is truly participating in learning.  Each student demonstrates their understanding throughout the lesson, either through pair-shares, clickers, or some other form of formative assessment.  In other words, all students are engaged throughout the lesson.

I hope these help create a better understanding of what a classroom environment related to rigor looks like!  Enjoy your day. 

Building Blocks of Success

Have you seen my newest article on building student success over at suite101.com? 

Do you teach students who are intrinsically motivated? Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It’s the sense of working toward something simply because we want to or because we feel a sense of accomplishment, and it is relatively easy to know when a student is intrinsically motivated. Students are motivated internally when they pursue an activity independently, enjoy the activity, don’t want to stop working until they are finished, move beyond the minimum expectations, and don’t care if there are rewards attached.

Read more at Suite101: The Building Blocks of Success for Student Learning | Suite101.com http://barbarablackburn.suite101.com/the-building-blocks-of-success-for-student-learning-a406599#ixzz1shiBhCBN

What are you expecting from your students?

“If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.” --Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

  What do you expect today?

Summarizing and the Common Core State Standards

In response to a recent blog post about rigor and the Common Core State Standards, Tracy commented:

The CC Bundles mandated to us use "summarizing" extensively. I was a little surprised to see this low level (DOK) task used so often in the bundle. I assigned the summarizing as HW to determine a)who had read the selection and b)to determine their comprehension of it.

There are a couple of key points here.  First, summarizing may or may not be a low level task.  For students who have never summarized, the task of pulling out key information to describe in a few words what they have read or learned may be challenging.  However, many students simply write down the topic sentence, or something you said, or write down everything they know hoping you will choose the correct part.  None of those are summarizing.   As a result, you may need to teach the skill of summarizing.  However, then we need to move to the next level of analyzing and synthesizing information.  But remember, unless a student can summarize, he or she can't move to the next step!

Expectations and Labeling

My dad recently gave me a copy of a poem written and given to him by a fifth grader.  What does this tell you about expectations for students?

Man, man, put him in a can.

Place a label on him,  pretend to understand.

Yet excuse him, defend him.

If he doesn't fit in,

Tear off the label and try it again.

5^th grade student

Quite telling, isn't it?  How many of the students in your school feel this way?  What can you do to change it for those student who challenge you the most?

Rigor is for Everyone

Do we really believe this? Or is rigor only for honors students, or gifted students, or AP students?  One of the strategies for increasing rigor is to move more students into those classes, and it is a strategy that works.  But if that is the only way to increase rigor, that means that none of the other teachers are capable of rigorous instruction.  And I am a passionate believer that each teacher can incorporate rigor in his or her classroom.  And...each student is capable of rigorous work, since rigor is moving to new levels of learning!  Have a great week.

Teaching Purposeful Listening

Amy Williams regularly uses pair-share activities to encourage listening in her classroom. I’ve always found that to be a more effective way of increasing student engagement; it was hard for me to keep everyone involved in a large group discussion. By asking students to pair up and share their responses, you can increase participation and craft a strong listening opportunity at the same time. I use a variation of pair-share. After students talk with their partner, I lead a whole group discussion during which students can share answers. But rather than sharing their own answers, I ask them to share what their partner said. That sounds quite simple, but it raises the level of expectation for listening. As one teacher told me in a recent workshop, “If I had known you wanted me to share the other person’s answer, I would have listened better!” That was exactly my point with my students. I wanted them to focus on truly listening. Asking them to share their partner’s answer rather than their own encourages them to do so.

How Do You View the Potential of Your Students?

One of the most powerful lessons I learned from my students was the importance of my vision. I needed to see them as more than who they were at that moment.


    Just as butterflies are not in their final beautiful state when they are born, or when they are caterpillars, or when they form into a chrysalis, so our students are not in their final beautiful state when we are teaching them. Think about that for a minute. Where are the students you teach? Are they newborn? Are they caterpillars? Or are they inside a chrysalis? What does that mean to you? If you think about your students as butterflies in the making, how does that change how you view them? One of the most difficult things for teachers to do is to keep our expectations high, especially when our students’ actions make us think less of them. There were days my students challenged me to come up with any positive thoughts about them, but those were the days they needed me the most. I found they needed me to believe they are butterflies when they were most acting like worms! What about your students?  Any of them need you to not only believe in them, but to believe FOR them?
Please don't forget to vote on the right.  What is the next resource you would like to see me write?

It's All About MEE-Motivation, Engagement, and Expectations

Did you attend today's webinar?  I had a great time, and it was awesome to see the comments teachers and leaders contributed to the discussion.  Our main topic: three components to help students learn more effectively are motivation, engagement, expectations. Remember, you can connect with me through my e-newsletter (link to the right), Twitter (BarbBlackburn, #edrigor) or my website www.barbarablackburnonline.com.  Be sure to check out all the free resources on the site.

I promised a couple of follow-up pieces, which can be used whether you attending the webinar or not.  This blog post discusses motivation and ties it to rigor (high expectations)

Student motivation=value+success.
For success, it's important to scaffold learning.  Here's information and an activity that is perfect!
 
A great way to help students see the value of learning is through a scavenger hunt.  Here's an example from Chad Maguire (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) for a math classroom:

Sample Scavenger Hunt Items

n Dimensions in inches (length and width) of the newspaper n An advertisement for 20% off
n An article from the sports page with some kind of statistic n A fraction printed in a newspaper or magazine
n A food nutrition label that shows 2 grams of protein  
n Picture of a dozen of something
n Title of a song with a number in it (and artist)
n Book with a number in the title (and author)
n Number of points a football team has if they score a touchdown, an extra point, a safety, and a field goal
n Sum of all the ages of the members of your immediate family
n The Roman numeral for 5,000
n Three nursery rhymes with the number 3 in the title
n The three-digit number in the Dewey decimal system for individual
biographies
n Number of squares on a standard checkerboard
n Number of fluid ounces in a gallon of milk
n Picture of a person wearing a shirt with a number on it
n Number of miles from your house to the school
n A coupon for 25% off
n A picture of an automobile license plate with the number 5 on it  
n A picture of a clock showing half-past the hour
n Picture of a speed limit sign with the number 5 on it.
n The number of pages in your math textbook. Count all pages! 

I'd probably add or substitute some internet or mobile learning devices application, but this gives you a starting point. 


We also discussed active engagement of learners.  We simply didn't have time to discuss this as deeply as I would have liked, so let me give you two more resources for more information.  Eye on Education offers free excerpts from my books.  Classroom Instruction A to Z includes a full chapter on student engagement, including more examples!

Finally, high expectations for students.  Here are three blog posts on that very subject!
High Expectations for EACH or ALL 
High Expectations Part Two
High Expectations
Helping Students Develop High Expectations 


Thanks again to everyone who attended!  Have a fabulous day, knowing you are making a difference--even if you don't feel like it.

Motivating and Engaging Students

I'm so excited to do a one hour webinar Tuesday, January 24 from 4:30-5:30 for Eye on Education.  Topics? Two Keys to Student Motivation, 5 Lessons About Student Engagement, Having High Expectations, and a quick way to motivate yourself!  Want more information? Click here!

Jumping to Conclusions

“Now will you tell me where we are?” asked Tock as he looked around the desolate island. “To be sure,” said Canby; “you’re on the Island of Conclusions. Make yourself at home. You’re apt to be here for some time.” “But how did we get here?” asked Milo, who was still a bit puzzled by being there at all. “You jumped, of course,” explained Canby. “That’s the way most everyone gets here. It’s really quite simple; every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like it or not. It’s such an easy trip to make that I’ve been here hundreds of times.” “But this is such an unpleasant-looking place,” Milo remarked. “Yes, that’s true,” admitted Canby; “it does look much better from a distance.”  from The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster


I had a student who was a constant challenge, and I taught him for 21⁄2 years! Daniel came into my class with a reputation as a troublemaker, and in seventh grade he lived up to it. By the eighth grade, he was trying to improve, but he struggled to move beyond his past behavior patterns and others’ pre- conceived notions of him. The turning point in our student-teacher relationship came when I discovered he had a talent for drawing, and I arranged for him to do some artwork for a special project. I was amazed at the turnaround from a completely negative attitude in my class the prior year to a positive attitude. In fact, if other students tried to misbehave, he would tell them to stop and pay attention. By the end of the year, he asked to be on the school news- paper in grade nine, in part because I was the sponsor. Based on his reputation, our guidance counselor was reluctant to approve his placement, but I went to bat for him; and he was the best student editorial cartoonist I ever worked with.

The year Daniel went to high school was the year I left my public school teaching job. I returned home one day and received a call from one of his relatives. Daniel had been expelled because he had a gun at school. I remember not asking, “Why did he do that?” but saying, “Tell me what else happened, because I don’t think he would have brought a gun to school.” His aunt was surprised at my response and said I was the only person who didn’t assume his guilt. Another student brought the gun to school to shoot a third student, and Daniel took the gun away from the first student. When asked why he failed to bring this to the attention of an adult, he said he didn’t trust any of the teachers enough to go to them with the gun because they wouldn’t believe him, so he put it in his locker. When it was discovered, he was expelled.

I’m always reminded of Daniel’s story when I read my favorite children’s book, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. During their journey, Milo, Tock, and the Humbug end up jumping to the Island of Conclusions, which turns out to be a less-than-pleasant place. I jumped to conclusions about Dan- iel based on our first day of class together, and it took me two years to move past that and build a strong relationship. I regret the wasted time, because I could have made so much more progress with him if I had started our teacher-student relationship differently.


Have you ever jumped to a conclusion about a student or a situation? Did you later discover that you made an incorrect assumption?

"Yes, But" or "Here's How"

In some ways, an attitude of low expectations sneaks up on us. I call it the yes (but) mentality. When I talk to teachers and principals about change and make a recommendation based on something I’ve seen in schools, many times I get the enthusiastic yes, we should hold all students to high expectations, then the cautious, “but that wouldn’t work here because....”

What I know is this: If there’s a but at the end of your comment about students, your expectations are lowered. Finding the buts is easy: “We can’t....” “Someone won’t let me....” “He or she doesn’t have whatever....” “I’ve tried that....” Recognize that but is just another word for failure. I’m recommending you monitor your own language, and every time there’s a but, replace it with the here’s how.

So, “Yes, we should have high expectations, and here’s how I’m going to try that today. Yes, we need to do more individualization with our students, and here’s how I think we could make that work given our circumstances. Yes, our kids don’t see many positive role models, and here's how we might increase that."

What is your "here's how" today?

Power of Our Perceptions

Here's one of my favorite poems by Annette Breaux.  It's a great reminder of the power of our perceptions and expectations.

I’m Not the One You Think You Know

If you could see what I can see 
Then you would see me differently 
I see from here, you see from there 
Perception differs everywhere 
I’m not the one you think you know 
So please let that perception go.
Annette Breaux

Series of Posts on Rigor

I've been guest blogging over at Eye on Education.  My posts come out two Tuesdays a month.  Here's the start of a year-long focus on rigor:

Rigor, Vigor, or Rigor Mortis
Rigor and the Common Core State Standards
High Expectations, Really?
High Expectations, Don't Leave Me Out!

Enjoy, follow their blog, and leave me feedback! 

Do expectations make a difference?

I've said it before, and we've all heard it from many sources--our expectations make the difference!

But in any case, I did poorly on the tests and so, in the first three years of school, I had teachers who thought I was stupid and when people think you're stupid, they have low expectations for you.
Robert Sternberg

Anything you need to do about that today?

Teachers Have Power

Everything the teacher does, as well as the manner in which he [or she] does it, incites the child to respond in some way or another and each response tends to set the child’s attitude in some way or another.--John Dewey

WOW--isn't that a powerful thought?  Actually, isn't that an insightful thought about our power?  We have the power of our actions, which provoke a response, which affects a student's attitude.  That sequence can be positive, or negative.  And WE have that choice!  Remember, you do make a difference everyday.  Choose to be a positive influence!

How do I measure success?

Yesterday, we talked about measuring success.  For me, success is broader than a test score—it’s about how we look at and identify a student.  It's short and simple for me:

Achievement is...

S Showcasing the
U Unique

C Competency and
C Capabilities of
E Every
S Single
S Student

Truly Measuring Student Growth

It’s important to remember that student growth is never completely measured on a test. Suzanne Okey, a former special education teacher, agrees:

Achievement is supposed to be a benchmark of where students are so we understand where they are learning and where they are in development. We measure infants in every checkup: Are their heads growing enough? Can we assume they are getting adequate nutrition? It’s like that in schools; we measure whether or not they get adequate nourishment, are they benefiting from what we are providing or are we doing one size fits all model and leaving lots behind? We are in the business of nourishing children; nourishing their minds, bodies, and social development. Achievement looks at the tunnel of academics only. This means we are not doing observation necessary to see if a child develops in all aspects. Then one day, you have a bright child who is doing well academically who falls off the planet because no one noticed social problems.

Our job is to help our students be successful in school, but more importantly, it’s about helping them be successful in life. Great teachers define success as more than the test, and they provide multiple opportunities for every student to succeed frequently. They know that success breeds success and that all students can learn. Great teachers also teach their students that attempting something new is valuable, because even if you fail, as long as you learn and grow from the experience, you are not a failure.

Rigor for Students with Special Needs?

From IStock Photo, compliments of a dear friend, Rachel!

When I was in Everett, Washington last week, a teacher of students with special needs came up after the presentation.  She said, "Thank you for saying that my students need rigor too.  I hope everyone heard you."

Of course rigor is for students with special needs, just like it is for gifted students, at-risk students, and everyone else.  Rigor is about helping students move beyond where they are to a higher level, and that is for each student.  To deny some students that opportunity is to say, "you aren't worth it because you can't learn."  I have only heard that phrase once from a teacher (now a former teacher).  I hope to never hear it again. 

Helping Students Develop High Expectations

Here's a great quote from Patricia Neal:

A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.

How do you help students awaken their own expectations?  We'll take a look at some examples next week.  Have a great weekend.