A Teacher's Journey

What is your journey?  Where will you go this year?  Of course you have a map that you must follow, but when will you find those unexpected teachable moments that totally surprise you and the students? When will you take a detour to make sure that every student understands the lesson before you move on?  When will you take time at a rest stop to reflect on what is working....and what isn't?  Where will your journey end?  How many of your students will still be on the journey with you? How many will have become lost along the way?  Most importantly, was the journey worth it?

Importance of Persistence

I just read a blog about a new book coming out.  The material about the importance of persistence ties to Marzano's work about reinforcing effort.  I pre-ordered my copy, here's an excerpt of the blog entry:

In his new book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, author Paul Tough makes the case that persistence and grit are the biggest indicators of student success. Being resilient against failure, he says, is the fundamental quality we should be teaching kids, and he gives examples of where that’s being done.

Superstar Teachers

 What will it take for you to feel like this today?  I know that you make a difference, and that you do so everyday.  For example, today, somewhere, one of your former students is using something they learned from you.  For those teaching year-round, one of your current students is thinking about something you said.  And for many of you, your future students are thinking and wondering, what will my new teacher be like?  Don't forget--you are a star!
Super Teacher Accomplishing Results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keeping Your Sanity: 5 Tips for Ending the School Year

I asked my dear friend, Dr. Frank Buck to provide tips for the close of the school year.  You'll find his top 5 list below.  If you are organized, want to get more organized, or are lost in the middle of all your work, read Frank's blog, join his e-newsletter, and check out his free resources on his website.  They are all worth your time (more information at the bottom).

Your year is drawing to an end. I have heard closing the year being described as like being on a sled headed downhill. No matter what you do, the thing gets faster and faster, and you simply try to avoid the trees. When the final bell sounds, we breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now.

For those who are in education for the long haul, we know that the whole scenario will play out again exactly 12 months from now. Every year, we say we will have a better handle on things next year. Yet, when next year comes, it’s the same song, just a different verse. How can we put an end to the madness once and for all? Here are 5 strategies to put you back in control:

Plan the Day the Night Before

Sure, you have heard this advice before, and it is a great practice for any time of year. But as those last two weeks approach, how you handle each day spells the difference between order and absolute chaos. Only a few days remain between a building full of people and a building empty for three months. You have loose ends to tie up with students, fellow teachers, the bookkeeper, the school secretary, and many others in the building.

When you have a list of exactly what must be handled today, you can hit the ground running the moment you arrive at school. You check things off the list, knowing the next evening you will make a new list. Your days are focused and driven with purpose. Most importantly, things are being checked off the list faster than other things are being put on it.

Anticipate Grading Problems

How wonderful it is to have software which handles all of the grade calculations for us. The caveat exists in that old computer adage, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

When the settings are correct, the averages are correct. Allow one box to be checked incorrectly, enter one formula incorrectly, and the result is a mess. If a problem exists, you want to know early. You will have plenty of time and resources available to help you determine the exact source of the problem and the quick fix. Wait until the 11^th hour to find your final grades are wrong, and you will spend the rest of the day, and probably the day of several other people, feverishly looking for a solution.

Keep grades up-to-date throughout the grading period. I never cease to be amazed at how many teachers still maintain a paper grade book and then enter everything into the software at the last minute. I never cease to be amazed by principals who allow it.

Spot check a few final averages by hand well before the time to submit grades. Offer to be the “Guinea pig” and post grades to the main office early. Run a sample report card or two.

Nothing causes more gnashing of teeth at the end of school than grades which are not correct. The good news is that it is totally avoidable.

Clear the Decks

Even though you may be working well ahead of schedule, remember others do not. Their failure to plan often results in mountains of work being dumped on you at the last minute. (If reading that sentence causes the name of any building or central office administrator to come to mind, feel free to print this post, highlight this section, and place it in the center of the offender’s desk before his or her arrival at work.)

If you already have a full week planned for the end of school, you will be buried when the additional work hits. Do everything in your power to have papers graded and entered into the computer, inventory done, programs held, and communication handled before that last week.

If your calendar and to-do list for the last week of school look bare a week out, don’t worry. Others will fill them up for you. Having the decks cleared ahead of time will allow you to tackle the new incoming requests instead of being swamped by them.

Keep ‘Em Busy

The statement, “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop” was probably penned by a middle school teacher the last week of school. Give students a “free period” while tackling the mountain of papers to grade, and you are inviting classroom management problems. Now, more than ever, teaching from bell is bell is essential.

The best-kept secret in the school ought to be what day grades “cut off.” Not every assignment must be graded. Keep students working, engaged, and submitting their work right up to the end. They do not have to know that your grades were posted to the main office last Friday.

Plan “Next Time” Now

Who are the ones guilty of dropping the paperwork bomb on you at the last minute? What paperwork do we continue to churn out and file (even though nobody ever reads it) simply because “we have always done it that way”? What end-of-school procedures just did not work well? Now is the best time to identify the landmines and make plans so they do not appear again next year.

In the school business, we start over every year. It is both a blessing and a curse. If we fail to learn from our mistakes, they become our future. On the other hand, we can craft a plan that will allow a smooth ending to a perfect year this year and every year.  

Frank Buck served as a teacher, principal, and central office administrator during a career in education spanning almost 30 years. He credits strong skills in organization and time management with success at all levels along the way.  Dr. Buck’s books, Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders and Organization Made Easy! Tools for Today’s Teachers, capture those ideas in an easy-to-read format. Readers find they are able to implement the "nuts-and-bolts" approach immediately. Whether one's preference is to organize with paper or with a digital system, Dr. Buck's approach makes getting organized easy. Follow his blog at http://frankbuck.blogspot.com/, on Twitter @DrFrankBuck #getorganized, or at his website http://frankbuck.org/.

The Best Teacher Ever?

I purposely held this until after Teacher Appreciation Week.  I mean, shouldn't everyday be Teacher Appreciation Day?  On this site, you can read responses about describing "your best teacher." And you can post your own.  Here's a sample (spelling, etc. is left as is):


My favorite teacher was my freshman math teacher. He was one of the the goofiest people I ever knew, but incredibly nice and you could really tell he cared about the subject and all of his students. His class was always the best - I felt most confortable in the environment he set up and it was fun every day. I had hated math up until that point, but he taught me to love it! He was always so clear in his explanations and I could always understand what he was trying to get at. He always came into the classroom bring a positive attitude that set us all going.

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The best teacher I had was a lady named Mrs. Browning. She was my third grade teacher. It was she who inspired me to be a teacher in the first place. She also lead me to be a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan and a better person.

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my favorite teacher is mrs. Baldinelli. She is my math teacher right now. i'm in seventh grade.She is my favorite teacher because she tells alot of funny stories. she also make funny faces like raising her eyebrows. one day she put up a trick question on the board. (the answer to it was yes) a boy in our class almost said no but blurted out that her face looked funny! she said "WHAT" in her angry but funny voice. well i mean your face it looked funny. "What" she said again. i mean i could tell it was supposed to be tricky the boy replied. it was so funny! another great thing about Mrs. Baldinelli is that when we grade our homework she acts like she's going to say one number(we all freak out) and says another. there are so many other great things about her. Mrs. Baldinelli is the best teacher ever, i will never foget her.

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Believe it or not my favorite teacher was named Mr. Yelle. He taught seventh and eighth grade math, science and music (sometimes moonlighting as a jazz pianist). He spoke to us "at eye level", and had infinite patience and tolerance for anything except unkindness. We did incredible projects for the scinece fairs. To this day (and I'm talking 40 years ago) I remember our lessons on meteorology (we built a weather station!) and on human anatomy (which 12-year-old boys and girls were able to take seriously with not an offensive word, leer or sneer). By the way, he didn't yell.

Caterpillars?

Do you see the caterpillar?

Ahhh, things are not always as they seem!  Have a good weekend. 

Unlocking Mazes and Puzzles for Students

Do your students feel like this?

Mine did.  There are a variety of ways we can help students, but one is to start with a belief that we can navigate the mazes and puzzles of life. I really like this quote from Brian Tracy:

Life is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want.

Here's my version:
Learning is like a combination lock; with your effort and the help of your teacher, you can find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can learn anything!

Coloring the World

Do you feel this way about the diversity of students you teach? Are they colorful or disruptive in your eyes? Remember, our expectations make a difference!

Don't forget to vote in the poll to the right.  What are your challenges related to the CCSS? 

Great Teachers in Wellston, Ohio

One of my favorite activities is facilitating workshops with teachers.  Last week, I was in Wellston, Ohio, working with all teachers PK-12.  I was not surprised at their passion for reaching students--I see that most of the time, but I never take it for granted.  It was fun to watch them begin to build a true understanding of rigor (creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels), and realize they were already incorporating rigor in their classrooms.  However, it was also great to see them reflect on our activities, and decide how they would use the strategies in their classrooms. It was special for me, because they had copies of my new book, and they were able to refer to it throughout the day. Thanks to teachers in Wellston for making my day!

Teachers who are dedicated to helping their students succeed...priceless!

Great Teachers, Great Leader, Great School

WOW!  I am so inspired this morning.  Last night, I Skyped with Shawn Blankenship (DMS_Principal), of Dibble Middle School in Oklahoma.  First, it was so much fun to see the excitement on a principal's face--for two reasons.  First he was excited about his students' learning.  Second, he was a proud of how his teachers made that happen.  His role--help students and teachers succeed.  One of the main roles I believe principals hold is that of removing barriers of success.  I saw that last night.

Most of the call, however, focused on the stories of his teachers--the ways they helped students believe in themselves, the ways they held students to high expectations (the common answer to a request for help from a student? Problem-solve! LOVE IT!), how they support students and scaffold learning, all the real-life applications for students.  I could keep going but instead, I've asked him to see if his teachers would like to guest blog for me.  I sure hope so, because we would all learn from them!

Please vote in the poll to the right for my next free download!.

Building Student Success

Students need to set and achieve goals to build a sense of confidence, which leads to a willingness to try something else, which in turn begins a cycle that leads to higher levels of success. Success leads to success, and the achievements of small goals are building blocks to larger goals.
One of my former graduate students gave each student a file folder.  Each of the four panels represented a nine-week period.  At the beginning of the nine weeks, she talked about her goals for the class during that grading period, which included items such as, helping each student do his/her best, giving students opportunities to redo their work to be successful, and helping students to increase their learning (measured either by grades or scores on diagnostic learning tests).  Then, students listed their goals, with assistance from her. They could decorate their panel, illustrating success.  It was a visual reminder through the period reminding students of their goals.  Then, at the end of the nine weeks, they celebrated progress--even small steps.  Her students began to see their individual accomplishments, which built their confidence. 

You can use folders, vision posters, victory lists, Evernote, or any method you choose.  It’s also important to choose the time period that will work best for your students; sometimes you may need to start with one day or week at a time! 

Try it, and let me know how it works!!

Expectations for Yourself!

What do you think about this quote?

And indeed if you think you're a genius at something, what you achieve is very much according to your expectations; if you think you're no good, you're not going to get anywhere.
Diana Wynne Jones

Expect the best from YOURSELF!  After all,  you make a difference everyday!