Archive for July, 2011
Collaboration Among Teachers – Preaching to the Choir – Now Sing!
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I recently had a conversation with a teacher from another school who was telling me about the biggest obstacle to their school’s success – lack of collaboration among teachers.
According to her, there are many teachers at her school who just don’t want to work together.
Instead of sharing ideas on how to improve student learning, they are satisfied just staying in their classroom doing their own thing, regardless of how their students do.
It’s unfortunate, because their school is currently under a program quality review for poor test results.
I’ve learned that the best way to improve student learning is to improve teacher learning.
To do this, teachers have to make the decision to swallow their pride and learn from each other.
I know this isn’t easy. Having taught for 23 years, I believed I was a great teacher. My students were learning and their test results showed it.
What I had to admit to myself, however, was that to become that great teacher, it took me 23 years!
For all those years, teacher collaboration was not a focus of the schools I worked in. It wasn’t my focus either.
We had our monthly meetings where we shared best practices, but it wasn’t a systematic process initiated by the administration to allow teachers to increase their learning.
Had such a process been in place or had I taken the time to learn from other teachers, I could have been a great teacher a lot sooner, and more of my students would have benefitted from that greatness.
Unfortunately, so many of my students suffered through my trial and error learning process.
Sorry kids.
I know I’m preaching to the choir.
The fact that you are reading this blog post demonstrates that you are actively looking for new ways to improve your teaching abilities.
The choir, however, serves a very important role.
At my church, I’m the music director, so I know what I’m talking about.
The choir prepares the atmosphere in the church service. A good choir has a positive effect on the rest of the service.
That’s why you, as the choir of your school, have to take the lead in creating a positive atmosphere where teachers can feel comfortable asking for help and learning from each other for the benefit of the students. You have to start singing.
How can I do that, Sam? You don’t know my teachers. They don’t want to learn. They’re selfish and mean, and they think they’re perfect.
You’re right. I don’t know your teachers, but I know what they think. I thought I was perfect. I had a hard time considering the idea that I needed help in certain areas. I wish I knew then what I know now.
What I do know is that collaboration starts with you. Waiting for negative teachers to change or waiting until the administration creates a collaborative system is the wrong way to go.
Take the initative and get the collaboration started. Ask other teachers how they teach a particular standard or lesson. Send an email to all the teachers in your subject area, asking for ideas on how to teach a lesson. You’ll be surprised how many teachers want to share their expertise. Teachers like to teach. It’s what we do. We enjoy sharing our knowledge with others.
Get the collaboration ball rolling at your school by being the first to learn.
Be the choir and create that atmosphere of collaboration.
In my new role as administrator, one of my goals is to help create this atmosphere at my school. I want my teachers to feel comfortable sharing new ideas and best practices. It’s up to me to provide them with time and specific guidelines as to how to get this done.
I’m convinced that the only way students will learn more is by making sure teachers are learning more. With the budget crunch, it is no longer possible to send teachers to conferences and inservices to help them learn new techniques and strategies. What most school administrators haven’t realized, however, is that there are experts in the very same building who, if given the opportunity, can spread their expertise with other teachers at the school to improve the abilities of all.
Not only does the school gain better teachers, but more students learn. Isn’t this the focus of every school - student learning?
No one teacher is an expert in every area, but there are teachers who are experts in some areas. Let’s share our expertise, so the students get the best education possible.
I’m a big proponent of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in schools. The biggest component of PLC’s is collaboration. I believe it’s the future of education, but it takes the active participation of teachers and administrators to make it work. You can read more about PLC’s at my administrator blog www.SchoolAdministrationMastery.com.
What do you think?
Can we collaborate better? Is it possible at your school? Should we wait until the administration catches on to the idea?
I’d like to know what your thoughts are.
Thanks for reading,
Sam
Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cseeman/
Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College – Cold Call
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Again, I’ve been reading a book that my new principal gave me. His goal is to have the entire staff embrace the ideas found in it. Although I’m no longer a teacher, I thought it would be good to pull out some of the best ideas in the book and share them on SITC.
Here’s a technique that I wish I would have used more often when I was teaching. It’s called Cold Call.
Key Idea: In order to make engaged participation the expectation, call on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands.
According to the author of the book, it’s the single most powerful technique found in it.
I am inclined to agree.
The idea is to conduct your lesson cold calling on students to answer questions.
I used to do this a lot, but mainly as a disciplinary action. I would notice that a student wasn’t paying attention or talking to a neighbor, and I would ask, “Johnny, what do you think about what I just said?”
Normally, however, I would ask for volunteers to answer, calling on those students who raised their hands.
I didn’t want to call on those students who didn’t raise their hands, because I didn’t want to embarrass them if they didn’t know the answer.
After reading this chapter, I wanted to have a re-do.
So, for all you new teachers who are looking for a way to better engage your students, I would encourage you to begin using the technique: Cold Call.
There are several benefits to using this technique.
The Benefits of Cold Calling
1. It allows you to check for understanding. Some students won’t get it the first time. Asking them directly takes the guess work out of it.
2. It increases the speed of your lesson. I wonder how many instructional minutes were wasted waiting for students to volunteer an answer. This way, you are in control of the time.
3. It sends a message to the students that you are interested in their opinion. Many students may have great ideas or insights, but won’t offer them unless you push them to contribute.
4. It establishes the idea that the room belongs to you, and that you are keeping the students accountable.
Cold Calling can be a powerful tool, and the book offers some guidelines to follow:
1. Cold Call is predictable. This has to be a normal part of your lessons. It can’t happen occasionally or when you have some free time. Students need to know that it’s not a “special” activity. It’s a normal every day activity. “It’s an engagement strategy, not a discipline strategy.”
2. Cold Call is systematic. There is no evidence that it’s a teacher’s goal to call out specific students. It’s emotionless and in no way seen as a punishment. “It’s how we do business here.” The questions are for all students, not just for the ones who are off-task or in the back of the room. “…it is a student’s chance…to shine.”
3. Cold Call is positive. This is not a “gotcha” activity. Cold Call is to show that you respect the student’s intelligence. For this reason, you have to make sure your questions are substantive and created with the goal for the student to get the answer right. Questions like, “What did I just say?” are not substantive. You also don’t want the student to learn by getting the answer wrong. An idea offered in the book is to have the questions already prepared in advance. They will feel more successful if they get the answer right. Again, this is not a disciplinary technique.
4. Cold Call is scaffolded. The first question should lead to a second and third question which may be a bit more difficult or require higher level thinking skills. I liked the idea of Cold Calling for the first few questions in the sequence, then asking for volunteers for the last questions, which should be the most difficult. It offers students to be rewarded by knowing the tough question.
Another element to Cold Calling that I thought was insightful was Timing the Name. According to the book, the questions should be framed with the name of the student at the end.
“What is 3 times 9? (pause) James?”
This makes sure that all students are waiting to answer the question. They are using the pause to search their brains for the answer.
According to the book, if you put the name in the front, then 24 of the 25 students in the class have turned their brains off. (Who has 25 students in a class? My last class had 42 students. Oh well.)
You get the point, however.
Putting the name at the end keeps more students engaged longer.
Good idea.
I used to be concerned with adding stress to my students, so I didn’t use this strategy as often as I now know I should have.
If given the opportunity again, I would include this technique as a regular part of my daily lessons more often.
What do you think? Is this a strategy that you have used? Are there any concerns you have about it?
I’d like to know you opinion.
Feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks again,
Sam
Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College – Format Matters
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This was one of those techniques that I remember using when I taught Language Arts, but had abandoned when I went back to teaching my History classes.
When I was teaching Language Arts, I was a stickler for having my students answer in complete sentences and with proper grammar.
If a student just answered the question with a one-word answer, I would say, “Nope,” and move on.
Other students would offer their responses which were really wrong, and I would continue calling students until finally someone would give the correct answer in a complete sentence, and I would say, “Right!”
The original student, along with most of the class, would argue that he had already said the right answer. (I used to give out rewards for right answers.)
That’s when I would explain that I needed the answer in a complete sentence.
Technique #4 – Format Matters – asks the teacher to “prepare your students to succeed by requiring complete sentences and proficient grammar every chance you get.”
The book offers two ways to correct errors in language:
- Identify the error – Repeat the statement in a question: “We was walking down the street?”
- Begin the correction – Repeat the answer with the correction: “We were…”
I also like the idea that the book gives to make this process something that students will remember by using a catch phrase: “Say it like a scholar.”
Key Idea: “It’s not just what students say that matters but how they communicate it. To succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.”
Why did I stop requiring complete sentences when I taught history? I suppose it was because the objective was to get the student to give me the correct date or person or cause. I was happy when a student gave me the right answer. Having to do it again, however, I would have kept up my high standards when it came to student responses.
I think it’s a good idea to require students to answer in complete sentences and correct grammar – in every class.
I’ve been told that it’s important not to discourage or devalue the informal language of the student. It’s often part of their culture or home life. I agree. Certain cultures have different ways of expressing themselves which to some of us may seem incorrect or non-grammatical. We can’t make the way their parents talk at home of lesser value.
Tell the students that there are times when it is OK to use informal language, but when in an academic setting or when applying for a job, it’s important to use formal language.
What do you think?
Do you require students to answer in complete sentences? Is it an effective strategy?
Thanks again,
Sam
