Turtle Tales and Tips for Titan Teachers

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

2009-06-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get."
--Tom Hanks, American actor, in "Forrest Gump"

I like most chocolates, fortunately, and now I have had a taste of what I will get for next year. I have accepted the position of ELA (English Language Acquisition) Specialist. I will be based at North for three days per week as it is one of the SK schools with a large population of ELLs (English Language Learners). I will also visit West once a week. At these schools I will be coaching-mentoring ESL teachers as well as those providing content to ELL's using SIOP or sheltered instruction observational protocol. Fridays will be professional development days for coaches to learn and practice strategies and protocols to take back to our schools. We have all been trained in SIOP, for example, a great protocol for great teaching. All great teachers will recognize how important it is to:

Prepare students for learning by telling them the learning objectives of the day as well as the standards they will be meeting not only in the content area but also in literacy and in language.

Build background by discovering prior knowledge of students and using that as a gateway to new material. Graphic organizers such as KWL charts aid in this step.

Provide comprehensible input by using visuals and manipulatives, clearly outlined procedures and protocols to help students understand the content. Choose appropriate strategies from your teacher toolkits and explicitly teach those strategies to your students to help them learn and retain information which can support them not only in other classes but in their lives beyond the school door. Model the stategy first, following the gradual release of responsibility instructional model. Allow for class interaction. Release some responsibility to students to apply the strategy through extended practice with the teacher near by to help. Complete the lesson delivery by reviewing what students have learned as a class. Assess learning through an exit slip or 3-2-1 sheet. This important step will indicate where to start the subsequent lesson.

Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: Bring on the Books

2009-06-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: Bring on the Books

Shared via AddThis

"The World is Round...

2009-06-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

and the place that may seem like the end may also be the beginning." Senior Motto 2009

I thought a lot about this quote found on the West Salem High School Seventh Annual Commencement program as I listened to Principal Ed John talk about holding fast to ones dream. I thought a lot about this quote as I contemplated the messages of our young speakers anticipating a bright future. At my sixth West commencement, the quote tugged hard at my heart, because currently I don't know where I will be next fall. Nevertheless, I am still holding fast to my dream - to continue working with wonderful educators in the lofty effort of educating our future citizens and leaders of the world in the 21st century. In going back to the beginning of the year and looking at what I envisioned, I realize that I wasn't too far off. Enjoy!

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.
~Author Unknown

Voilà two shining examples:Kara shows excitement over the bacteria her students are growing in her lab.Carol shows excitement about depositing money in the MAPS credit union and about the new books she has just received "Good to GREAT!"

Thank you for lighting the way for our students and for lighting the way for me in endless ways this year. Happy Summer!

A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind | Edutopia

2009-06-05T18:38:00.001-07:00

A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind | Edutopia

Shared via AddThis

From Good to GREAT

2009-05-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

In an article entitled "The Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Professional Development," the author Kevin Washburn, Ed.D. ends with "One final note: a coach can only be helpful to the degree that a teacher welcomes the dialogue. It never feels comfortable to have a colleague observing our instruction because we think the focus is on what we’re doing wrong. A great coach will work for your success and celebrate your success. Let’s welcome such input. As we grow, our teaching improves. As our teaching improves, our students’ learning increases. And that’s a piece we all want in place."
I was barely getting started into my coaching journey and now I've come to a T in the road, contemplating what would have happened if the coaching journey had been "The Road Not Taken." Ultimately, I would be so much the poorer. I wouldn't have verified what I always knew to be true: West teachers have endless talents to share, but too little time and opportunity to share them. So let me challenge you once again to make the time. Visit a colleague's classroom at least once a month in the year to come to continue our journey from good to great. Here are some examples of what you might find:
Susi, Ty N., Damien, and Shawn will be promoting fitness via the gradual release of responsibililty model of instruction - GRM. Lane, Micah, Janet and Terra will be facilitating student role play to bolster them against the onslaught of drugs, alcohol and other teen social pressures. Dennis and his crew - Judy, Melissa, Chris, Carolyn, Jackie, and Teri - will be preparing their students to make sense of and choices in the wider world through daily news discussions. Lynne, Cynthia and Teena will be helping students apply study skills to their core classes and make a connection (academic word of the week) to the world beyond. (Lynne's students under Teena's guidance serve a large following in the Wake Up Cafe just before the first bell.) (Cynthia's students word process letters to troops in Afghanistan.) Others working one-on-one to secure this link include Jan, Janice, Jacquie, Jim, Jude, Taylor, Ted, Bryan and Ann. Teresia will be helping students write stories with at least three incidents. Michelle will be using WIKIS and BLOGS to facilitate teamwork in her careers class. (Go to http://www.nicenet.org/ and enter code E6668EW46 to try out this wiki. Enter yourself as a student and alert me that you did at wshsfrench@hotmail.com . I'd like to try it out.)
JD will be taking students through the writing process with a focus on ideas and organization. On the side, he'll be organizing another baseball trip to Arizona. Ingrid and crew - Leigh, Jeanette, Jeff, Gina, Meagan and Doris - will be playing games and using visuals to differentiate instruction. Nancy will be preparing German students for their summer exchange to Germany via http://www.quizlet.com/ vocabulary flashcards web site; Christy's students will be listening to authentic French language via IPODs (and Christy's instruction) and planning for a real trip to France. (If you want to go but can't afford it, try the virtual Eiffel Tower). Jesse and Daryl will be emphasizing the meaning of lyrics and the songs of the heart through musical expression. (See http://www.titanchoirs.blogspot.com/ and http://titanorchestras.blogspot.com/ ) Lori V. will be simulating a court case with Twelve Angry Men on the jury. Drew will be in court with twelve + happy students winning their mock trial. Alissa will be guiding Park's forensic students in sketching criminals from witness/victim descriptions. Park will be guiding his class to use his BLOG to find makeup assignments and handouts (see BLOGS I am following below.) Scott W. will be thinking aloud about American foreign policy leading up to WWII. Kappy will be thinking aloud about estimating solutions for algebra problems. Ike's and Brian's marching band will "float"as a single unit to the top every time. (Watch them from a vantage point where you can't see their feet - they float!) (I finally got a snapshot of Ike.)

Lucy will be demonstrating childlike poses for her photographers and how to create a stunning photo essay. Barb and Brenda will "Teach With [their]Strengths." (Buy this book by Liesveld and Miller and discover your strengths.) They will be inspiring students to discover their artistic potential to display in our halls and touch our minds and hearts." Bob will be signing instructions, new words and phrases in ASL with all students signing happily along. Estella will be tapping student comprehension through telling and acting out stories in Spanish. Mari 's students will be using literacy strategies for comprehending Spanish while Mary's students will be using literacy strategies for comprehending English (Say Something). Karen's students will be using literacy strategies to research current topics as per Bryan's insightful powerpoint. Jay B. will be using SODAS (situation, options, disadvantages, advantages, solutions) to enhance decision-making skills in day-to-day living, with support from Dan, Josh, Sarah, Elaine, Carissa and Pamella. Jason's students will be using Venn diagrams to compare such things as temporary vs permanent effects of drugs in English and Carlos' students will be using such things as food ads to compare foods and prices in Spanish. Ressi, Susan and Barb B. will have books displayed in rain gutter shelves - cover side out - per research to promote reading for enjoyment - thanks to grants received. Pattie will be sitting atop piles of blankets and school supplies surrounded by Students for Change who will send them to Afghanistan - (Make sure you take Pattie off the pile first.) Grant might be bound to a post with colored duct tape to raise money for good causes while expounding wisdom on writing and other "stuff". John D might be guiding students through SQUEEPERS - survey, question, predict, read, review and summarize. He will tell me that "stuff" is a dead word. Derek will be collaborating with Chris V. and Kara on writing up and rating nuclear energy research papers. Chris V. will be using Bloom's levels of thinking to review life in the 20's - explain five major events - discuss five important names - analyze what would happen if.... Kara will be using scientific inquiry to assess the qualities of solids, liquids and gases. No! She will be the new science instructional coach. Laura and Amy will be collaborating on Twelfth Night character trait essays with sources cited in MLA format. Christina will be reciting Poe's poetry with his raven on her shoulder. Liz, Talana and Candy will be reading the latest and greatest reads - graphic novels about vampires anyone? Bryan H will be making Much Ado About Nothing if students have nothing to turn in translated from Shakespeare's English to modern day script. (Bryan transformed at Prom) As we know, Failure is Not an Option at West. Katie will assist students online while Ann keeps students in line with our 100% test participation goals. Karina, Linda and Barbara will be tapping student effort while checking for comprehension. Lily, Toby, Dave H. and Madalyn will be conferencing with students and parents with graduation in mind. Sarah will be telling them "where to go" for the next step upward. Dave F. will be teaching vocational skills with good recyling habits in mind. Julie Ann and Bobby will be collaborating on analyzing quiz/test questions to assess student progress in math skills. Jon will be reviewing the Pythagorean Theorem. Kevin C will be teaching how to read and follow directions in order to make a Mobius Strip. Kevin G will be hanging chart paper with complete lesson objects and chapter outlines. Jeremy's class will be shooting off water rockets while Mike's class will be shooting off solid fuel rockets - written reports to follow. Andy will be referring to the order of operations doing number puzzles and incorporating literacy in math through Fantasy Football (i.e. read a table for information.) Robert will be modeling the use of the GRM in learning about slope using direct instruction followed by shared and guided instruction through teamwork. Homework will provide the intentional independent element. The slope of student learning will be on the rise. Joe L. will be posing higher level thinking questions to ESL students who are applying and translating among mathematical representations to solve problems (MA.CM.PS.01-05) like how many hamburgers did student x sell compared to student y.... Check out his personal math video for the answer. Joe R. will be using authentic situations and Pi on the wall (Yes there is Pi on the wall in B111) to discuss and solidify vocabulary of Measures of Central Tendancy. Tate will be using think alouds to help students master ELS or essential learning skills. Krista's and Janis' classes will be cooking up sweet tastes and smells for teachers to test in the Black Box. Tara will be training students to teach tiny Titan Tots who will be Titan teens in no time. Michelle C's students will be presenting vocabulary posters and powerpoints to promote understanding of solubility. John B's students will be writing letters to the editor to convince the public that the Great Garbage Patch is real and we should do our part by asking for paper, or taking our own cloth sacks to the grocery store. Nikki B. will be back at West. Thanks to Eric for guiding her students while she was on leave. Larry and Scott C. will be golfing, but their past students will still remember the essays they wrote and graded on the four market structures, and monitoring their favorite stocks with "real" money invested. Ted D. will be supervising bridge building and Greg will be supervising robot building while Carol will be collaborating via electronic file folders with Matt to put Fireworks and Flash into web pages. (...when she is not at MAPS with Marina.)Graham's class will be deciding whodunit based on evidence obtained through the titration of bodily fluids discovered at the crime scene. Resulting student videos may be available for weekend viewing. John O and Nikki P will be assessing student comprehension of the Great Depression or Immigration Issues through clickers and simulations. Pat will be cooking up real life uses for working with fractions. (The need becomes apparent when all your kids leave home and you divide fractions for meal-making; when they return with spouses and grandkids, you multiply fractions to feed the small army. ) Speaking of armies, Jay M.will be using T-charts for comparing religions and other similarities and differences, which often led to wars in European history. Steve will be reading about and sharing thoughts on Darwin's Origin of Species (Don't refer to it as "origin of life, " as we have no evidence of that, Steve reminds us.) Ty T will be teaching note-taking skills while investigating the events that led to WWII via PowerPoint. Jason will be reading a letter by Benjamin Franklin; students will be summarizing and resorting to Renzulli for extended applications. Carol's students will be working with Jana, Debra, Liz, Dianna, Rob, Gayle, Hanna, Nicole, Marcie and Katie (Nicole and friend get their exercise) to take her students and teachers alike from GOOD TO GREAT. For a better picture of these teachers and the rest of our wonderful staff and administrators, check out the year in review in previous entries.

Writing to Serve

2009-05-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended my first OWP workshop. Besides meeting lots of new educators and enjoying an elegant meal provided by Willamette University catering service, I put my pen to the first page of my new writing journal. This will be the receptacle of my deepest thoughts this summer. “What’s in a Name?” was the theme. We jotted down the details of how our name was chosen for us, what it signified in the 5000 Names for Baby book and stories of ancestors for whom we were named. We listed nicknames and experiences brought on by our name. One aspect of our names that was not approached, but perhaps should have been considered is “What have you done with your name and how will it be perceived when you depart ?” See some teachers, retired or retiring, whose names exemplify service to the West community and to the world beyond.(Meri with son Lane)(Papo supporting our ELL population)(Larry, SS teacher)(Scott, SS teacher)
This brings me to an article I just read in Educational Leadership, May 2009, entitled “Stirring Up Justice.” Laurel Schmidt states, “When we embrace social justice as a pillar of learning in our classrooms, we declare that we’re all responsible for improving our world.” I believe that this is the one thing we want to impart to each and every one of our students because this is the essence of a peaceful and productive society – caring about others and doing what is right to show it. Pattie has promoted world citizenship for the past years at West with admirable results. We want to encourage that to extend into the summer months.
For our year end activities we might initiate one last writing assignment to get students thinking about setting some service-oriented goals for their summer months. The prompt could be- Write about a time when you helped someone. You could scaffold the writing exercise with questions such as
What was the problem and how did you discover it?
How did you come up with a solution?
How did you facilitate the solution?
Did others pitch in to help and in what way?
What did you learn about yourself and others through this experience?
What will you do this summer to make a difference in our world?
This activity could serve as a springboard to encourage our students to get involved in a good cause over the summer, whether it is helping more at home, assisting an elderly person with yard work, babysitting for a single parent, or volunteering at the library, hospital or animal shelter. A good book proposed by Schmidt is It’s Our World. Too: Stories of Young People Who Are Making A Difference by Phillip Hoose (Joy Street, 1993). It tells about heroic kids who have made a big difference in the world.
She ends her five-page article, worth the effort to read, by stating that we as educators are influencing the next generation of voters, politicians and corporate leaders. Teaching students about the importance of taking a stand for a worthy cause and just plain caring about those around us, as “stewards of our environment and champions of human rights” will be the most important lesson they will ever learn.

2009-05-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. 'I'm just wasting my time,' she said to her mother. 'I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!' (Maybe she should learn sign language, Robert.)
At West, our goal is to help students maximize their time in our classes by reading, writing and discussing their reading and writing. We don’t want just one or two star players. We want the whole class – the whole team – involved in the victory. I have been reading a lot of articles obtained from coaching trainings and from ASCD's online Smartbrief as well as from educator BLOGs to solidify my ideas. (See the Edublog feed on the side bar.) Of course, I have also been visiting West teachers' classrooms. I would like to share a few ideas gleaned.

A favorite article is Allison Zmuda’s “Springing into Active Learning” which gives insight into creating engaged learners who focus on the learning process more than the grade. See the link for a summary or email me for a full copy.

Fisher, Frey and Lapp tell how to meet "AYP in a High-Need School..." (Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Feb 2009). Highlighted are once failing schools that have beat the odds and made impressive progress through integrating reading and writing into their daily operation, demonstrating the power of content literacy instruction. In one such school, a literacy team settled on the pedagogical goal of helping students develop literacy habits that they could take with them from class to class. (WOW, this sounds like Cynthia's goal with project planner and her study skills diversity project based on Pattie's Afghanistan curriculum. ) The staff in the article was relieved that they had gained freedom from focusing on state tests. First, they discussed the 100 ways to engage in literacy learning and the fact that students experienced different instructional routines in every class. They decided to choose four intervention components with the following criteria:

they had a solid evidence base,
they could be used across content areas and
they had high utility in college or adult life.

The four components they chose were 1) Cornell Note-Taking to be used in all note-taking activities,2) Think-Alouds, to be conducted with a piece of text every day in every class,3) Writing to Learn, as a way to check for understanding in every class, every day, 4) Dedicated Reading Time, or reading for 20 minutes a day.Work in PLCs to create common formative assessments and to collect/analyze data, as well as participate in job-embedded training/professional development via the peer coach and collegial conversations led to staggering improvements over a two-year period. Some of the most motivating professional development activities were sharing videos of their own teachers. Think Karen, Drew, Bobby, Julie Ann, Park, Carol, Greg, Terra and Janet, as compared to Seinfeld. Active learning was evident in the many classrooms I visited recently. Scott's class used jigsaw to discover the 7 Aspects of Totalitarianism and key policies and events that led up to WWII. Lane's class reflected on their attitudes towards AIDS through a journal write. Janet's students studied the foreign language of medical terminology repeating each term to aid pronunciation and memorization. Jon promoted Intentional Independent Reading to investigate characteristics of functions in Honors Geometry. Teresia modeled writing creating with the class a new segment for Homer Simpson featuring Bill Clinton and a pesky squirrel. (Happy Birthday, Teresia.) Ressi engaged students in individual conferences about something they had been reading - was it Much Ado About Nothing? Students were working on a literacy scrapbook featuring notes about the same play side by side with their reflections. From what I have seen, students at West have no fear that they are wasting their time. They are busy reading, writing and talking about reading and writing, - what we need to see in our classrooms every day. Finally, here is my previous BLOG made into a wordle. Go to http://www.wordle.net/ Left click twice to get a bigger view.
© 2009 Jonathan Feinberg Terms of Use subscribe

Plan Ahead for Summer Literacy

2009-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Summer break is only a month away. Get your reading list ready. If you need some help, check out the choice literacy website which has books for professional development as well as novels that you will want to read for relaxation. Reserve them now. If this list isn't long enough, there is a part II.
The book lists have some good suggestions for those who want to improve their writing over the summer without going to school. However, I may check them out even though I will be going to school. I have received a grant to participate in the Oregon Writing Project at Willamette along with Mari. We are looking forward to a fun summer of creative writing thanks to the encouragement of other faculty members who have done the same - Bryan H and Grant H. Who else should I include?
Now don't keep your reading plans to yourself. Motivate your students by sharing what you will read and by providing information about teen reading programs at the library, book lists and even blogs, like http://www.readergirlz.com/issue.html for teenage girls.
Then there's the ning. The ning is the thing for sharing with others with like interests. For example, check out http://www.englishcompanion.ning.com/. This is a social network specifically for language arts teachers, but it has a great deal to offer all educators, including how to join one or more of the groups, or how to form your own professional social network.
A classroom network you might like to try is http://www.nicenet.org./ You need to register but everything is free. If you want to practice, go to the link. Click on "Join a Class" and enter the Class Key to set up your account. Let me know via email. I have allowed any "student" to add links, calendar events, class assignments, make comments, hold conferences, etc. The key is: E6668EW46. Let's experiment. It could be a good way to extend your PLCs online.
Another idea is one that the art department has embraced. Order Teach With Your Strengths by Rosanne Liesveld and Jo ann Miller and take an assessment to discover your top five strengths out of 34. Join with others who have your strengths or complement your strengths to make a powerful team. Happy Reading!

A Vision to Last 100 Years

2009-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Nikki's simulation on the Great Depression a few weeks back helped me appreciate all the more my Aunt Bea's 100 years of living, celebrated this past weekend by 300 friends and family members from all over the US. She was just turning 20 when the Great Depression hit. Her life story via video gave a glimpse of the roaring 20's followed by the crash of the stock market. I truly understand why she has worked so hard and lived so frugally with the constant goal of self improvement and self sufficiency. She succeeded because of a vision she had for the future. She actually had the goal of living for 100 years - in good health - just like her mother did!A book I read on the plane on my way home from the celebration, Tapping Student Effort by Steve Barkley, stresses the importance of helping our students establish their own vision of success. He talks especially about our intentional non-learners. Only by helping them find their strengths or abilities and showing them how just a little effort can multiply that ability can we hope to motivate them. Janet points out our many students who have found their strengths and understand how effort multiplies their abilities. How do we help all of our students find their strengths? By getting to know them and helping them visualize the possibitilies instead of focusing on their weaknesses - by not giving up on them no matter what. Here one of Cynthia's freshman envisions what she will look like at graduation in her cap and gown with diploma in hand 4 years from now. All Cynthia's students were photographed so that they could imagine the possibilities. They carry their planners to every class in order to take the small steps in the right direction. The academic word for the week is appropriately ACHIEVE. Help them achieve by frequently encouraging the use of planners in your classes as a way to set goals and check off those small steps to future success.
Note below (and in past entries) some West teachers who make an effort to know their students and help them visualize the possibilities. Susi models good health and personal fitness as well as a positive outlook for her students and West faculty. You would never know she has had her own personal obstacles to overcome - think pink. t Bobby and Julie Ann work diligently toward grading practices that give students immediate feedback on progress toward mastery of essential learning skills, using the results of those assessments to direct their next steps in lesson preparation. They exemplify teamwork and creative thinking in this effort which they are willing to share with West staff.Pat helps our students in math lab and Algebra I visualize how we use math every day. Karen fosters higher level thinking skills through modeling literacy strategies for students doing research and shares her classroom via video with the faculty. Thanks, Karen. Thanks to our media specialists, Liz, Candy and Talana for tech support and to Josh for making popcorn and Krista for providing helpers and treats. I was sorry to have to miss the show. Click here for a link to the bookmark you received - a pdf file from a website that also provides a wealth of other graphic organizers. Mary has used these same literacy strategies in a step-by-step version with her ELL's. See Say Something from Anita Archer.Papo strengthens connections between home and school adding support for ELL students.Lisa holds students accountable for attendance, pointing to the correlation between regular attendance and success in school.Nancy converses with her students in German to introduce and practice new vocabulary. Here she models guided reading, instructing her students in small groups through which differentiated learning opportunities are provided daily. Other students practice vocabulary of their choice with Quizlet, a flashcard website which allows classrooms to set up their own personalized sets for familiarization, learning, testing and proficiency.

Steve has students preassess their understanding of the history of life on earth by placing major events along a timeline. Then he presents fossil evidence which helps them adjust their thinking. He motivates students to read more about these ideas with a display of books from his own personal library with names such as Snowball Earth and The Day the Earth Almost Died. He shares his ideas with students but reminds them that there are no definitive answers to this age old question of how life started on earth. Perhaps they will be the ones to discover the answers. Oh, the possibilities. Matt makes his expectations for project-based learning clear through checklists and rubrics. He uses a 5-point grading scale. Ask him about it.
At the May 4 faculty meeting, you marked an observation form while observing Karen use four components of our district literacy model - modeled, shared, guided, and intentional independent reading. My focus for May will be to help you assess your use of these reading components in your classroom. Send me an email. I will get you on my calendar. It won't be quite an fun as attending prom with Jeanette, Jolie, Bryan and Tami, but it may be almost as enlightening. You will discover new strengths and get a better vision of future possibilities. I am only an email away.

Out of Your Comfort Zone

2009-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Nikki got out of her comfort zone on Earth Day. She took a trip into the past with her students to THE BIG DEPRESSION. The students, working as couples, budgeted, paid bills, saved money in the bank and bought treats until the Stock Market crashed. Then Nikki went around with pink slips for all the "husbands." No more $10 paychecks. They had to stretch their initial $100 over five years. By the end of the period, "families" were putting their children in orphanages because they couldn't buy them food. They were making their own clothes, selling their cars and houses, and setting up cardboard box houses in Hooverville. Nikki was trying this simulation for the first time. The students were totally engaged in living out the depression in "happiness," that is, ending up with at least $1 and not having to go to jail.
It made me think of Steve Barkley's April 19th entry "Pondering Out Loud," a most informative and thought-provoking educational BLOG that I follow every week. His biggest tenet currently is that we need to increase teacher effort to get kids to invest effort. He proposes that "there are too many kids who are too comfortable too much of the school day. " There are also "too many teachers who are too comfortable too much of the day." Speaking as a teacher, I know we could take offense to this. What I think he means is that we often teach without reflecting enough on the outcome for kids. Susi A and the rest of the PE department would agree with Steve in this BLOG entry on one major point -we really need more daily exercise and more movement in our classrooms. This leads to thoughts about teaching to different learning styles. If you read to the bottom of the April 19 entry, you will find a free learning style assessment for any teacher and up to ten students. This assessment is worth the click.

Jeepers, Squeepers

2009-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jeepers, SQUEEPERS. SQUEEPERS is a new protocol we practiced at our last SILCC - instructional coach/administrator training. We read a great fish story - you know, the "biggest fish ever" type. First we had to SURVEY the text, headings, images, subtitles, etc. From the title we guessed it was about a guy, a girl and a fish. Then we had to QUESTION. What is this story really about? From the bolded words and quotes, we guessed it was about how an awkward kid finally got a date with a knock-out blond over summer vacation. Did he take her fishing?...in a boat...? After reading the first column of print, we had to make PREDICTIONS as to what would happen next and what would happen in the end. This put us all into a competitive mood because not only did we want to find out what happened, but we wanted to find out which of us was right! We were all the more anxious to READ. However, we did follow the rules of the SQUEEPERS or SQP2RS protocol. The second R stands for RESPOND. At the bottom of each column we had to make a comment, make another prediction, ask a question, make a connection with our own lives or clarify something in the text. (You know - active reading strategies.) When we got to the bottom of the text we realized that we were missing the last page. We wanted to SCREAM in frustration, but instead we were told that we should SUMMARIZE instead, referring back to our predictions and questions to check out similarities and differences. At that point, we obtained the missing page and finished the story. Now if you are curious about how it all turned out and would like to practice SQUEEPERS in your class, I would be glad to lend you the fish story and come support you. You don't absolutely need a fish story though. Ask John D. He put it to use very skillfully with a "Love at First Sight" story - you know, Romeo and Juliet. John's students read shoulder to shoulder practicing SQUEEPERS.

The "Write" Stuff

2009-04-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of spring break, the announcement of 42 openings for instructional coaches appeared in our groupwise in-boxes. As you know, you were all invited to apply for this opportunity for infinite growth. I did reapply for the position as I am a risk taker and a thrill seeker - I thrive on a learning curve. Whatever the outcome, thanks for welcoming me into your classrooms this year to see the wonders you all perform with your students and for allowing me to share your expertise with the rest of the WSHS staff.
At a meeting for instructional coaches before spring break, Sandy Husk had explained the need to reopen these positions, due to different funding and a revised job description. Then she made this poignant comment: We need to see much more student reading, student writing and student discussion - about reading and writing - in our classrooms.
Here in Michelle's science lab, students write to learn about solubility.

Sandy Husk's challenge leads me to offer my newest skill which is in the area of writing. I spent four weekends in March (along with Derek Finck and raters from other schools) training and rating CIM level state writing assessment submissions from schools around Oregon. I feel confident now to help you work with your students in writing and/or editing their written work using the Official Writing Scoring Rubric. I am currently working in a couple classrooms in this area and welcome other requests for support.
We must take Sandy Husk seriously when she talks of the need for more reading and writing by students. We know it is a nationwide dilemma. Newly inaugurated President Obama put the spotlight on education in his speech to the nation on Feb 25, 2009. He gave us the dismal statistics. "Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma, yet just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation and half of the students who begin college never finish. (From the Los Angeles Times) Statistics like that make you want to do something, don't they! These elementary students will no doubt do something. They will go back to school and write about their exciting adventure in Michael's physics lab. Then they will grow up to be scientists.

While working with several classrooms on writing skills, I checked out the CIM writing assessment scores which had just come back. I had heard that the results were less than satisfactory and, unfortunately, that rang true for all but a few of the students I am working with. Let's not hide the results from our students, even if you might wish to hide from my camera, like Sarah. Let's use those results to motivate them to improve. "See here! You're almost there. You just need to refine your editing skills and perfect your conventions."
Generally our students know the formula for developing and organizing their ideas well enough to obtain a 4, but they are careless when it comes to conventions. ESL students count on Karina to give them extra guidance with conventions and other areas of good writing. Elaine helps a student one-on-one with a letter.

How can students raise their 3's to 4's in conventions? From my observations it wouldn't take much. First, they must regain their self-esteem and just capitalize "I." Then, they must think aloud and decide if it is "their" or "there" or "they're." They must ask themselves, "Is it "its" or "it's?" Now "wear" and "where" and "were" kind of sound alike, but as far as I am aware, they aren't interchangeable. Now didn't they learn those rules in grade school? They probably did but just like being a good photographer like Lucy, it takes continual and conscientious effort to be a good writer. Just like it takes repetition in problem-solving to be a good mathematician like Joe, it takes reading and rereading to check for accuracy of conventions. What is more, neither spell checker nor grammar checker are allowed in the State Writing Assessment. Students must practice the rules daily in all of their classes and routinely edit their own work. It takes constant practice just like being a good athlete or a good musician.
("With a little sunshine, we could actually play some baseball, " thinks JD.) (Jesse and Daryl would like to teach the world to sing.) Students may have to read aloud and think aloud as they work over their written work. Think rewrites. They might even need more writing assignments . (Don't panic, teachers. They don't all have to be graded.)Pamela gives pointers for getting kids to write: Meet at their level. (Pre-assess and encourage rewrites.) Individualize. (Differentiate by interest.) Keep it real. (Write for an authentic purpose.) Now I have edited and edited again, and it is midnight, so I am done, but if you find any mistakes, let me know tomorrow! Was that a run-on sentence?

2009-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

You are right. Our pilot is Jude McQuade-Ward. If you haven't seen her web site yet, it is "plane" fun! http://www.takeoffintoeducation.webs.com/ Also see my educator links on the right side bar.

Another place to go if you want to have fun is to the DLC. This happy bunch congregated around their Easter wreaths for a group shot last week. Then they showed off their individual creations.
Here is Jana with Eduardo wearing his Easter wreath. Gayle celebrates Allen's and Brittney's masterpieces as well as Clarissa's.
Marcie gives hugs (not "A's") for effort.

Carol looks on as Liz helps Edgar display his artistry.

One of my recent instructional coach trainings focused solely on Sp Ed services; I now have a much better understanding of the services provided for our special needs students. DLC stands for Developmental Learning Center where the focus is a functional curriculum, including:(Debbie and Lori work with Kathy and Erica)communication, (Rob takes notes while Robert works on a project.)
self help, (Carol offers a choice of projects for Steven) functional academics, (Jeanette works with her students on writing and
Jeff listens to students read their writing.) home living, (Leigh teaches the time.)

(Gina "high fives" a student learning to tell time while Ingrid and student enjoy witnessing the learning process.)
physical therapy,
(Liz guides a student who loves to explore her

environment)
and community and vocational skills . (Hannah's and Lori's students take pride in their work.)

The LRC is the Learning Resource Center which provides specially designed instruction to students to help them succeed in the regular ed classroom. If you have students in your regular classroom on IEPs, be sure to consult with these teachers during your PLCs or Freshman House meetings. They can give you valuable insights into the distinct learning styles of these students, and support through the expertise of IA's such as Bryan and Taylor. Read about Cynthia's and Teena's work with Terra integrating planners into the regular ed classroom in a previous posting.
Other teachers working with these students include Michelle, Lynn, and JD. Check the side bar for additional team members. If you aren't there, send me an email and I will be in with my camera. Michelle shows a cartoon promoting cell phone etiquette, designed by a student in her careers class.
JD checks on individual homework completion.
Other acronymns under Sp Ed include EGC or Emotional Growth Center. Jay models correct behaviors and solid business skills for his students with help from his friends Dan and Josh. The LSC or Life Skills Classroom has a host of excellent teachers under Dennis Lewman. BChris and Melissa, for instance. By creating a structured, predictable setting with consistent expectations and consequences, Dennis raises his students' abilities. His skills outside of school include raising grapes for producing a beverage with a French name. Savez-vous?

Tapping Student Ability

2009-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

In Steve Barkley's new book, Tapping Student Effort, he uses this formula to guide us in doing just that. Many students believe that if you don't have the "ability" you might as well not even try. Steve discusses ways to help change their way of thinking and get them on the road to success.

Effort X Ability + Manageable Task = Success
Belief and Vision

Effort is the sweat that goes into a task. Ability is what we bring to the table. A manageable task is one that is not too easy or too hard, just challenging enough to provoke curiosity and to drive one to accomplish it. The idea is that as effort is applied, ability grows and appreciates exponentially. The first try will be the hardest but with the same effort on the next trial, the task will be easier; greater results will be produced. As more effort is applied, the payoff will increase. The "struggle" is the element that produces true growth. (I can lend you my book.)

In an article entitled "Springing into Active Learning," author Allison Zmuda states that "too many students have become compliant workers who simply follow directions and complete the necessary paperwork on time (we would like more of these though!)….Students need to learn to embrace struggle as a necessary part of growth." Ms. Zmuda then gives examples of geniuses in our society who had to struggle before they succeeded. Michael Jordan missed over 9,000 shots in his career. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb on his 2001st try. Linus Pauling said, "The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." (I can make you a copy.)

I have been working with Cynthia Barthuley's classes periodically this year. Her consistent insistence upon the use of planners is boosting her students' achievement. However, they need your support in their other classes - a few moments at the beginning of every class period to review concepts learned and at the end of every class period to write down assignments and organize papers. Before break we took all of her students' photos in graduation gown with cap and "diploma" in hand to help them visualize the "pay off" of their efforts. (Stress her academic "word of the week" for teamwork across the curriculum - a manageable task - see side bar above.)

Effort X Ability + Manageable Task = Success
Belief and Vision

View some photos below and to the right of staff who are tapping student effort on a daily basis:

Counselors Madalyn and Lily help students assess their interests in order to schedule classes which will increase their abilities in those areas.

Jim and Taylor tutor students after school to support them in their core classes and boost their confidence toward attaining academic goals.

Ted tutors students during lunchtime and after school in the Titan conference room.

John excites students about history and encourages them to participate in a sport to increase their physical strength as well as their mental prowess - think wrestling.

Tate and Andy go the extra mile in demonstrating the need for math skills in every day living. Tate hugs a mathbook. Andy combines math and breakfast for a heathy start.

Mari imbeds culture into her Spanish classes, role-playing famous Spanish speakers.

Larry multiplies ability to understand world issues through teamwork, an essential skill at home, in the workplace and for a peaceful world.

Robert points out Julie Ann's assessment chart; continual self-assessment is key in helping students increase ability.

Check out our mystery person who is flying to great heights:

http://www.takeoffintoeducation.webs.com/ Click on The Teacher. I have added this URL to my links for future reference.

Read Aloud Across America - Every Day

2009-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Read Across America Day on Monday kicked off the month of March. Can you believe it! During our faculty meeting that afternoon, I enjoyed sharing my picture powerpoint of the extraordinary efforts of Titan Teachers demonstrating the GRM or Gradual Release of Responsibility Model. Here are a few more examples of GRM in action: Michelle's science class presents creative ways to learn such terms as "soluble" via a cool kat song and dance.
And Larry's class works diligently on Global studies issues to share.
Another endeavor in my new role, besides taking pictures of you at work, is reading. Reading about reading. Besides reviewing websites, wading through research and working through reading strategies, I have been taking a class at Western Oregon University called Reading Assessments for Instruction. I, along with twenty or so elementary teachers, am looking for better ways to help teachers help struggling readers. My reason for joining the class was to gain insight into how reading is being taught in early grades and to understand why some students continue into high school without learning to read. A huge reason may very well be, as blogger Jen Robinson puts it, that 13 million children under 6 are going to bed every night without a bedtime story. Little children need to hear our refined language read out loud early on to develop fundamental phonemic awareness. She suggests that Oprah put out a plea or that President Obama declare it a national initiative - or that we roll out a public information campaign.

"Reading aloud is one of THE most important things that parents and teachers can do to promote the happiness and future success of children. Please help spread the word!"

Go to Jen's Blog to see endless list of ideas for spreading the word. http://tinyurl.com/cllslh Susan, Barb and Ressi can also give us some ideas.
Susan and Barb share interesting nonfiction books such as RATS that will be displayed cover out when new gutter bookshelves are installed. Grant thanks to WSHS Academic Booster Club. Ressi installs a gutter bookshelf for displaying books face out. Grant thanks to OSFedCrUnion.
Speaking of reading, for about a month, a charming WSHS student has been reading aloud to me for twenty minutes twice a week. She initially told me she hated reading. Then I introduced her to Liz B and Liz B introduced her to the Vampire Kisses graphic novels. Now on volume two, she even has me hooked, well kind of. (Sometimes she reads ahead - without me - and then summarizes voluntarily (authentic purpose!) - so she won't feel guilty that she left me behind in the plot. At least the vocabulary is quite advanced, like - ghouls, geeks, temptations, dissections, pallor, attraction, deprive, lineage, conservatory, scrimmage, and even quadratic equations - wow, vocabulary across the curriculum along with the vampire verbage. When she read to me the first time from a story I supplied, she stopped at every three-plus syllable word. Three weeks later she is pushing herself and succeeding at decoding these words. Why the new effort? She got to choose. Thanks, Liz. By the way, I see that volume three is out - have you ordered it yet?

Character Counts and other Fine Finds

2009-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

I appreciate everyone sending me your favorite links. The one below, Character Counts, (Sunday, March 1 entry) gives a new theme for writing each week as well as lesson plan ideas, with grade levels indicated. If you want to go one step further and have access to maxims to live by, a set for every grade level, you must register. PERFECT for journaling.

To do so, click on Programs just below the main menu of Josephson's Institute Foundations for Life web site. From there go to essay writing. At this point you will have to register in order to Download Materials for FREE. Just be sure to jot down your username and password in your password journal. You will come to a page with three columns. It will be obvious that you want the middle one - blue. The resource book has lesson plans and little bios of all the people who are quoted in the maxims - all admirable world figures. You will definitely want to register and add this to your favorites. If you need help, email me!

Talking about favorites - here are some more pics of my favorite people - the staff at West Salem High School.There is Bryan - taking care of business - making sure the kudos are out. That is quite an undertaking at winning West.Emily, registrar, who keeps track of our kids, constantly coming or going. Caring Karen, the scheduling guru. She is a great person to keep INTOUCH with. (Don't forget to update your grades every week or she will be INTOUCH with you.)Be nice to "jolie" Jolie. She is in the money and she always has the paper which we can't do without. She is definitely one we can't do without.Our elegant and efficient office manager is the keeper of the keys, the keeper of the POs and the keeper of the letterhead. She keeps everything running smoothly. Thanks, Gretchen.

CHARACTER COUNTS!: Programs: FFL Weekly Writing Prompt: Stop the Presses

2009-03-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

CHARACTER COUNTS!: Programs: FFL Weekly Writing Prompt: Stop the Presses

Posted using ShareThis

You are all In Orbit

2009-02-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

You have all "taken off" with the Gradual Release (of Responsibility) Model or GRM. Your EXIT SLIPS from the last PLC are evidence that you are now orbiting the district literacy model via planning, instruction, interventions, assessment and evaluation following the GRM format. We want to perfect our skills though through continued practice and collaboration. This week, via email attachment, I will be sharing ways West teachers are using GRM in the classroom and demonstrating it within the district literacy model. Here are a couple pictures from Shawn's class to illustrate the GRM in the PE classroom:

Modeling: I do, you watch: (Note Shawn's person fitness plan beside him - literacy in the weight room.)

Shared: I do, you help:(Note students with their personal fitness plans in hand.)

Guided: You do, I help:
Independent: You do, I watch:

To sum up the district literacy model:
READING and WRITING are the KEYS to LITERACY with the GRM as the format for instruction. Reading and Writing will be taught most effectively through AUTHENTIC, or real-to-life based activities...

(ask Jay about his SODAS),

supported by purposeful SPEAKING AND LISTENING (Listen! Get me out of here - I have a class to teach.)

Teachers will provide PURPOSEFUL INSTRUCTION based on core standards, paving the way to understanding through WORD STUDY and CRITICAL THINKING skills. (Scott helps students think critically about their economic future. Can you advise us, too, Scott?)
Student achievement will increase by using ongoing formative ASSESSMENTS to drive our instruction in orbit around the literacy model: PLANNING, delivery of INSTRUCTION, (Susi delivers instruction.)

formative ASSESSMENTS providing for (Damien assesses student effort.)

intervention and enrichment (Ty's intervention and enrichment plan includes hoops and balls), and EVALUATION for planning subsequent instruction. SEE Salem-Keizer Literacy Model.

A fabulous resource which will support you in your subject areas is the district Assessment for Learning newsletter. Ed has just emailed us the February 2009 issue - Making Core Standards Work for YOU. The issue focuses on interdisciplinary skills that are inherent in the district lit model such as “metacognition—or getting students to think about their thinking. (Kara thinks aloud.) This critical skill is embedded into every subject an educator teaches.” From Jon Yoder, District Science Coordinator, “The literacy model of gradual release of teacher-centered instruction parallels the [scientific] inquiry model of direct, guided, and open inquiry. (Students inquire openly, "Is this all there is to it?") From your math specialists comes,

“Helping students develop critical thinking skills related to mathematical ideas and concepts are vital interdependent skills which strengthen literacy skills and learning across all content areas.” Please read this issue cover to cover. The TIPS are keepers!

Diversity is the Spice of Life

2009-02-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

Our new diversity poster is a wonderful reminder that everyone's unique qualities contribute to the richness of our lives. As Principal Ed John pointed out on TNT last Friday, diversity is indeed the Spice of Life. He asked us to have a discussion in our classes and even gave us some prompts to get started. The fourth one especially struck me.

Why is it important to our school and our culture to treat each other (no matter what color) with respect, honor, and love? Mahatma Gandhi summed it up with, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." (Good title for an essay, don't you think!)

Here is an idea from The Washington Post as printed in the May 6, 2008 issue of the Oregonian, entitled Rules to Live by in Today's Uncivil World. Choose one to try out over the next six weeks and challenge your students to do the same. (Write the goal in your planners next to the academic word of the week which appropriately is CONTRAST!) Note the positive difference in your classrooms, in the halls, in your homes, in your community, in your nation and in your world. Then share your anecdotes.

1. Pay attention.
2. Acknowledge others.
3. Think the best.
4. Listen.
5. Be inclusive.
6. Speak kindly.
7. Don't speak ill.
8. Accept and give praise.
9. Respect even a subtle "no."
10. Respect others' opinions.
11. Mind your body.
12. Be agreeable.
13. Keep it down (and rediscover silence).
14. Respect other people's time.
15. Respect other people's space.
16. Apologize earnestly.
17. Assert yourself.
18. Avoid personal questions.
19. Care for your guests.
20. Be a considerate guest.
21. Think twice before asking for favors.
22. Refrain from idle complaints.
23. Accept and give constructive criticism.
24. Respect the environment and be gentle to animals.
25. Don't shift responsibility and blame.
26. Add your own ideas.

I am going to (2) acknowledge others - here at West. Make sure you introduce yourself to those you haven't met before. Check out the right "lane" of this blog where I will add new photos each day. I will also be featuring ways you can encourage new friendships in your classrooms by providing for more "spice" in your small group activities. New Links for linking students to groups coming soon under Links for Educators.

Fail to plan = plan to fail - NOT an option at WSHS!

2009-02-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

Mr. John and Mr. Phillips plan daily for student success at West Salem High School where failure is NOT an option.

Project Planner promises possibilities for success.

One of my roles as an instructional coach is to encourage visions of what is possible. Since I am in and out of multiple classrooms viewing talented teachers at their craft all day all week long, those visions often include bringing teachers together to collaborate. For example, Cynthia and Teena worked with their students in first semester Study Skills classes on how to effectively use their planners to help them succeed academically, but they realized that once their students left D122 they needed continued support using their planners in their core classes. Without that support, those planners often stayed in their backpacks. It just so happened that Terra needed a project for a post graduate track she is pursuing. The Project Planner was created. Enter Kevin G and Scott W. In classes where they have students in common with Cynthia and Teena, they are providing the same style of planners for all their students. A daily routine for using the planners effectively has been established in all the pilot classrooms, such that students will jot down concepts studied and homework assigned as a class. Terra will be compiling the data. There will also be an academic word of the week written at the top of the planner page to be used frequently by teachers and students alike. The first "word of the week" is compare. Instead of saying, "Let's look at these two pictures," say, "Let's compare these two pictures." (See below) As we do, we will incorporate some more academic language that should become common place in every classroom.

The photo on the right is framed better than the one above. Let's analyze what is taking place in these photos. We are obviously in the foods lab where Janis, Artonya and Chris are functioning as Black Box Judges. They are taking their roles seriously as they consider such factors as visual appeal - contrasting colors and varying textures , taste, and use of a secret ingredient. We know that careful planning occurred in the creation of this festive fare.
Grant assists a student with her layout plan on this first semester final project.

Joe plans to get a lot done while monitoring the halls during finals. And now that second semester has begun, plan to hear more about the Project Planner and other significant endeavors to promote student success in the near future.

Assessments - What Have We Learned?

2009-01-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

Can it be the end of the semester already? It certainly is and that means it is time for assessments of what we have learned. I have learned what an outstanding staff we have here at West Salem High School. For instance, Patrick scurries around all day making sure our computers are functioning. I went to thank him last week ...and ask for help with another project. I learned about his trip to the presidential inauguration. Optimistically, he had asked Senator Kurt Schrader for a ticket and... he received one! While in our nation's capitol, optimistically he asked President Obama for his autograph on his photograph and...he received it! Check out his slide show at http://www.09inauguration.blogspot.com/ and note the photo with Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary! Or go see the real deal in Patrick's office and... while you are there, thank him for giving us all that super tech support we ask for and more.

Speaking of asking, here is an assessment of your understanding of the three levels of questions Drew taught us about in a recent faculty meeting video. See if you can label these questions 1 (right there in the story), 2 (inferred) and 3(way out there).

What are the dates for the play Pippin? (hint click on the photo - Feb 6,7 &13,14) Who are the producers ? (hint - it's a musical.) Thanks, Lori and Jesse. We will be there.

What did Ty, Damien and Micah serve for our staff breakfast?

Which beverage does Derek usually drink for breakfast?

Why is Carol smiling about her many students progressing from good to great?

What is Bryan's favorite instrument to play in the band? How can Jon be so good natured when he has all those math problems to correct?

What tips could Janis give us on organizing our own curriculum libraries?

How many little girls does Kevin have?

Why would Jason's students give him a happy birthday banner and insist that he keep it up all year?

Why is Ted smiling? (hint: he gets to play with expensive toys all day.)Are Jay, Kevin and Micah smarter than fifth graders, Chris? Do Kappy and Ty always color-coordinate their clothes? Do Bobby and Ressi always agree so quickly on everything? Did we have fun at the breakfast? Yes, guys. We did. Thanks for a great first semester, everyone.

Let Optimism Prevail

2009-01-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

Jessica Casas 9th grader at WSHS wins art award presented by Sue Baker of Farm Credit Services. Encouraged by her art teacher Brenda Hauswirth, she hopes to pursue a career in visual arts.

As we approach a new semester, concurrently with the inauguration of a new US president and administration, we can do so with optimism. While optimism may seem easy at present, it is a behavior that should be incorporated into daily living whatever the current situation. This is especially an important behavior for educators. Studies show that teacher attitudes impact morale and student achievement. Allen McGinnis attests to this in his Power of Optimism, stating that optimism is actually a set of behaviors which one can consciously practice. He stresses 12 behaviors for teachers to adopt into their own lives and to model for their students.

Optimists...
1. Are never surprised by trouble
2. Value partial solutions
3. Believe they have control over the future
4. Plan for regular renewal
5. Have heightened powers of admiration
6. Interrupt their negative trains of thought
7. Are cheerful even when they can't be happy
8. Have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching
9. Build plenty of love into their lives
10. Share good news
11. Use their imaginations to rehearse success
12. Accept what cannot be changed and improve what can

Richard Sagor, in Cultivating Optimism in the Classroom, ASCD Educational Leadership March 2008, states that students are motivated to put forth their best effort when they have faith in the future. Steven Barkley refers to this article on a past blog sharing the story of a fifth grade teacher who would start the year with her students being photographed on the stage wearing a cap and gown and holding a high school diploma. The students would paste these photos in their planners (Cynthia Barthuly has some ideas to share with us here) and each day would answer two questions in their journals:
"What did I do yesterday to make this picture a reality?"
"What shall I do today to achieve my goal?"

Sagor also encourages teachers to promote efficacy - an unshaken belief in one's capabilities. They should help students set complex goals and constantly work toward them to discover the payoffs. Live events provide the best opportunities for students - sports and pe goals, music, art and drama, protech projects, language-learning, writing projects, math and science competitions, and service learning are just a few areas where students can realize the payoff of hard work. Jessica Casas, in the photo above, exemplifies the rewards of effort. Brenda, her teacher, exemplifies promoting efficacy in her students.

Teachers should use the tool of efficacy in raising expectations for themselves as well. Peer coaching is a means for increasing teacher efficacy. Through coaching teachers are more apt to stretch themselves and want to reflect daily on this question: " Will my students walk out of my classroom today feeling more capable than when they came in?" If they strive daily to answer "yes," teachers may know that they are teaching optimism.

A Violinist in the Washington D.C. Metro

2009-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

A Violinist in the Metro

A man at a metro station in Washington DC started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that a thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew it but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats average $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

Some questions to be understood were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:
Do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/04/09/VI2007040900536.html to hear the actual music. Continue with the link there to watch a clip of the video and read the entire story - if you have ten minutes.

What Do I Want To Be Known For

2008-12-19T14:46:00.000-08:00

Those extra snow days in December gave me some time to read and reflect on my position as instructional coach at West Salem HS and thus, my most important concern - how I can support you, my fellow teachers. In order to achieve that, I must know more of what you want to attain.

The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain.
Kahlil Gibran

I came across an article entitled Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: Recommending Yourself by Suzy Kaback. (http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/78/print.cfm.) (Dec. 2008) She spoke of having her elementary school students goal set by writing down their "expertise" as writers. She noted that they often confused areas in which they hoped to be experts with their actual strengths. She later carried this observation forward by having a student teacher write her own letter of recommendation to show what she hoped would be on the letter her supervising teacher would later write for her.

What a good idea! For the new year, what if we teachers were to write our own letters of recommendation and include our strengths as well as what we would like to be known for. It would be a great goal setting technique. It would give you a clearer glimpse of my role and what I "want to be known for." It would give me a clearer glimpse of your aspirations and the specific areas in which I could give you support.

Here are some prompts that Suzy adapted from the assignment for her 5th graders to meet the needs of her student teacher:

My biggest strengths are . . .
If asked, I want my students to say this about me . . .
If asked, I want my supervising principal to say this about me . . .
My goal is to . . .
When my instructional coach is visiting, I hope she notices . . .
I want to be known for . . .
As a teacher, I aspire to be . . .
I will contribute to the school community in these ways . . .

By googling "letters of recommendation," high aspirations of teachers are apparent, for example: www.letters-of-recommendation.org/2-letters-of-recommendation-for-teachers.htm

Note a few new faces in the Titan Gallery to the right. Have a Happy and Safe Holiday.

Learning the Charleston - GRR!

2008-12-08T22:43:00.001-08:00

Chris anxiously awaits his first period students.

He always has a note of encouragement for them.

He greets them all by name. He should have been at our last district training on the Literacy Model. He could have learned the Charleston to teach during his next Roaring 20's unit.

Here's the scoop:

Ed, Ken and Artonya joined other principals and the new secondary instructional coaches, including myself, last Thursday for training on the Salem-Keizer Literacy Model. We focused on four components of the lit model which have been dubbed GRR or the Gradual Release of Responsibility. They include modeled reading/writing, shared reading/writing, guided reading/writing and independent reading/writing as a process that should be evident in every classroom across the curriculum. We took it even deeper as we related this process to all learning. Simplified, that process is: 1) I do, you watch; 2) I do, you help; 3) You do, I help; 4) You do, I watch. Thus the name: Gradual Release of Responsibility or GRR.

To illustrate this teaching/learning model, each school team had to teach another team something. I was volunteered to teach the Charleston. The North High/McKay teams joined us as they were dying to learn this fun dance that I still remember from my high school days. (No, I wasn't around in the 20's). Here's how it went. First I modeled it (I do, you watch), then shared it (I do, you help), I guided learners (Actually, Ed didn't want to ruin his shoes and Ken turned into a reluctant learner = I watch). Artonya was a good sport. We never got to the independent stage though. (Can you relate?) It may have been the fact that we were in the parking lot (yes, really!) since you can't do the Charleston on a carpet. At any rate, we will have to send Ed and Ken to tutoring during lunch. Lisa, do you know the Charleston?

The Best Gift

2008-12-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mr. John, Titan teachers received the gift of extra time on our Nov 26th grading day. As I went from room to room with my Titan Catering coffee/hot chocolate/cookies/pumpkin roll cart (thanks to our administration!), I found teachers happily engaged in many projects normally put on hold. Activities included mounting a state of the art smartboard, finding treasures in cupboards, organizing student work in display cases, taking care of the creatures in the Titan Zoo and in the Titan Aquarium, online collaboration on upcoming units of study, and setting up blogs for better communication between teachers, students and parents. We even caught teachers dancing in the library. Oh yes. There was some serious grading going on as well. The day ended with a little Civil War via email...something about duck soup and beaver pie - new Thanksgiving fare??? Scroll to the right and down to get a glimpse of our industrious Titan team at work.

The Tortoise Wins

2008-11-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

I had some time this weekend to go through past issues of NEA Today, clip and toss. I clipped "The Tortoise Wins!" to add to my Turtle Tales. It summarized the results of a study by Angela Duckworth, a doctoral student at the Univesity of Pennsylvania. When it comes to academic success, natural intelligence may not matter as much as forbearance and self-discipline she stated in Psychological Science. The study measured the IQ, study habits and personal fortitude of more than 300 students. In particular, the ability to delay gratification was characteristic of good students. It seems pretty logical to me but it is nice to have it "proven."

I also added photos of some of our teachers, all with personal fortitude for going the extra mile to engage their students. Is it you? If not, I have only just begun my Titan Gallery. Look in the right hand column scrolling down. Note two new links in the Lots of Links list which used to be Sweets for Sharing. The first is a compilation of papers on best practices and the second speaks to keeping a climate for learning in your classroom. Happy Thanksgiving.

Supports for Struggling Students

2008-11-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

If you need to know the lexile level of your textbook or of reading selections you want to use with your class, check out www.lexile.com and click on "search" to register. The educator page has free lexile resource kits, a huge lexile search database on textbooks and literature, a lexile analyzer for checking out text not found in the database and a lexile calculator for checking expected comprehension rates for students based on lexile level.

Here is a chart of approximate grade levels and Lexile ranges:
Gr 2 = 300-600
Gr 3 = 500-800
Gr 4 = 600-900
Gr 5 = 700-1000
Gr 6 = 800-1050

I have added the link to my "Sweets for Sharing."

Titan Teachers Are Terrific

2008-11-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

I finally learned how to insert Michael's Airbag video into my blog. My counterpart at Sprague, Dale A., gave me a 30-second lesson. (A link to his blog is on my "blogs to follow" list.) Now you can all take a peak into Michael Lampert's class.

I also learned how to add a playlist but not how to remove the autoplay function. You can scroll right and mute it manually though if you don't like Dion Warwick's Deja Vu. (That's French for "something already seen".) I would also like to learn how to add my own playlist. Any ideas? Yes, this is a place for sharing ideas.

Bobby and Julie Ann showed me how to access a huge database of teacher-made videos for helping students understand concepts in any subject. You have to register but it is FREE. I have added that link - http://www.teachertube.com/ - to my "Sweets for Sharing." Check it out. I plan to add a snapshot of classroom activities in the next couple additions to encourage teachers to step into other classrooms. You all have so much to share and so much to gain by doing so. Remember, I can help you arrange a visit.

Talking about sharing, Krista C. invited some teachers into her classroom to judge the emerging talents of her students in kitchens one through six last Friday. They created a variety of plates including chicken and asparagus, chicken oriental, chicken with stuffed mushrooms and taco salad. I was invited to join Barb F, Scott W, Liz, and Courtney. We judged appearance and flavor. Hmmm. Good. We enjoyed an elegant afternoon snack, thanks to Krista and her 8th period class.

Note some other gadgets I have added to my blog including a French radio station which works well and a playlist (page all the way down) with High School Musical which doesn't work well (only songs 3 and 4 work). If you have some gadgets you would like added that could support teaching, let me know.

Teaching is a Team Sport

2008-11-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

We teachers have been admonished by the experts in the field of education to open our classrooms to each other for more collaboration. We did just that with our
Teaching is a Team Sport faculty meeting this past Monday. Here are some photos to illustrate.

Our varsity cheerleaders greeted Titan teachers to the D-wing cheering to the Titan fight song blaring over the intercom. They showed us "the way to go home" or at least, to our 13-minute classes, with room signs and smiles.

Carol and Greg taught us how to organize staff and student folders on our West network as a way to manage assignments and student work submitted in electronic format.

Bobby and Julie Ann demonstrated storytelling in math to help students memorize the seven steps for investigating a function. Let's see if I can remember: name, graph, table, intercepts, domain, range, special features. Now how to solve the function - well, that is a different story.

Drew raised the achievement of his students through higher level questioning, using not just who, where and when type questions but why, and "how does this relate to the world" type questions.

Park blogs his daily lesson plans and student assignments so that they can be accessed at any time from any computer with Internet access. Several teachers told me the next day that they had already set up their own BLOGS. I went to Park's classroom to tell him and thank him for his efforts and I found him demonstrating the concept of acceleration to a student. Is YouTube your next step, Park?

Terra and Janet found out everything their students KNEW about ATOD . Next students stated what they WANTED to know through further investigation . They are certain to LEARN something new using this KWL strategy, teamwork and lots of sticky notes which engaged them in an important lesson on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs. ATOD!

We celebrated our winning teamwork with rootbeer floats served by our counselors Dave, Toby and Lily. Thanks, Counselors, Admin and Office Staff for your help. Way To Go, Titan Teachers!

Links You Will Like

2008-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

My four days of Literacy Training focusing on struggling readers and ELL was filled with great strategies that can be used in any classroom. I came back with a notebook full of ideas, two books that I can lend and some great links. I am anxious to share. All of our training was based on studies by Robert Marzano who divides his instructional categories into specific behaviors and attached the percent gain in student achievement when these areas of instruction are incorporated regularly into our lessons.

Identifying similarities and differences - 45%
Summarizing and note taking - 34%
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition - 30%
Homework and practice - 28%
Nonlinguistic representations (drawing, acting out, etc) - 26%
Cooperative learning - 26%
Setting objectives and providing feedback - 24%
Generating and testing hypotheses - 24%
Questions, cues and advanced organizers 23%

We went through the list and practiced strategies in each area. I am waiting for you to ask me for more information.

Here are a couple great links/resources not to be passed up:

For rubrics which can be modified: http://rubistar.4teachers.org FREE

For graphic organizers: http://region15.org/curriculum/ FREE

For a good laugh when you need one: http://www.glasbergen.com/edu.html

For inexpensive books on cooperative learning through Amazon: http://www.spencerkagan.com/

For a fab book on teaching vocabulary grades 4-12 by Isabel L. Beck
www.amazon.com/Words-Teaching-Vocabulary-Grades-4-12/dp/1571100857 - 307k -

Get Up and Move Vocabulary Matching Activity

2008-10-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

I have just completed my first of four days of training from the SOESD or Southern Oregon Education Service District. This has been hands on training, just what we have been waiting for. My favorite activity was called Vocabulary Matching. We used vocabulary from a lesson on Language Acquisition. This would work with any new vocabulary from a unit of study. This was more interesting than simply writing new words and defining them in a notebook.

Vocabulary Matching

We lined up with half of the group against one wall and the other half of us facing them across the room. One side was given a word and the other side received definitions. When we heard GO, we found someone on the other side of the room and each read what we had.

A. If the word and definition matched, we 1) came up with ideas of how to remember the word and 2) the spelling. 3) We tried to put the word in a sentence. 4) Optional step: Write the word and the definition on word strips and post it on a post-it poster on the wall. (Word Wall of the day)

B. If the first person we met did NOT have a match, we switched papers - so that the person with the word now has a chance to read a whole sentence! (esp for ELL and struggling readers). We continue this way until we find someone who has our match. Then we proceed as above steps 1-4.

Those who have finished all steps above can then copy the words and definitions off the word wall (or overhead if the wordstrip step is omitted) into a notebook, starting with the ones they feel least competent in. They can leave room after each one and then go back to use them in a sentence as time permits (differentiation according to ability). At a certain point, the words and definitions are discussed and students can share ideas of how to remember them and share sample sentences.

Common Ground Helps Us Move in the Right Direction

2008-10-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

For our statewide inservice, I attended the grading strand at the suggestion of my district supervisor, Mike Miller. The strand, presented by Heather Boggs Sass, Ph.D from Ohio, was informative and compelling. The most important point was that we must find common ground in our grading practices at our schools. If nothing else, teachers in the same department should grade consistently. They should agree on a grading scale and determine what a grade means. We know this is especially important now that Integrade Pro is available to parents through In Touch.

Referring to Integrade Pro, Ms Sass suggested that we use the special code of "*" to indicate that a student missed an assignment. It will still hold the value of a 0 but it will differentiate between a true failing grade and a missed assignment. Secondly, she suggested that we think about the power of "I." This stands for Incomplete. If a student fails to turn in an assignment, placing an Inc in the grid for the missed grade will mean that the final grade will show as an INC and cannot be calculated until that Inc is replaced with a grade for the assignment.

Additionally, students who have not turned in an assignment get an immediate pass to the homework club. This means that they stay after for the homework club or they go to "tutor" lunch the next day - maybe both. This also means that they do NOT go to sports or music or drama practice or any other club meeting until the missed assignment is in. Sorry about what that does to the big game or music competition or play coming up. Too bad about the homecoming dance. This sounds very harsh but if the consequences are real, students will start to get their homework done. Additional reading: "The Case Against the Zero" and "Effective Grading"- both by Douglas B Reeves align with these thoughts. Ask me for copies.

My five pages of notes can be accessed here. I spent an evening rewriting them so you could read them. Enjoy!

Benefits of In Service

2008-10-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Most of you attended the differentiation strand during our recent two half days of in service. I was able to attend my second workshop on the district literacy model and two half days in the grading strand. Armed with new ideas and energy, let's collaborate as departments and PLC's to refine our goals and improve our efforts toward improving student achievement. A good place to start is to help students assess their talents and interests through the Renzulli web site. Here are the steps you should give to your students.

Go to the library.
Get logged in.
Change your password if you haven't already.

Go to: http://www.renzullilearning.com/
Click the button underneath "Students."
Click on the link where it says "If you are here for the first time and want to register, please click here."
Complete the registration.
District Code: ORSKDW
Select school.
Check (select) ALL your teachers.
Click "I accept" at bottom of page.
Grade level, Name, username & password (WRITE THESE DOWN!)
Click "Submit."
Now you are ready to explore the activities there, for example:

Looking for an engaging lesson on the 2008 Presidential Election to share with your students? Renzulli has made this easy by providing a special assignment template to engage students in exciting activities about elections and the 2008 Presidential Election. To access this template:
Log into your Renzulli Teacher page.
Click the "Lesson Planning and Differentiation" tab.
Click the green "Your Assignments" button.
Click the orange "Create a New Assignment" button.
Click the green "Create a New Assignment Using a Template" button.
From the drop down menu, select "2008 US Presidential Election"
To use this template with your students, click the "Use this Template" button. As the template is designed to address many ability and grade levels you can easily edit the template so that it best fits your students' needs.

I can assist you but my availability will be limited.
Monday, Oct 13 scheduled 4th, 7th and 8th.
Tuesday, Oct 14 scheduled 8:00-11:00.
Wednesday, Oct 15 available until 1:00
Thursday, Oct 16 scheduled 8:00 to 11:00 approx. includes Renzulli training for Sloan
Friday, Oct 17, in training all day.
The next week I will only be at West on Monday.
Tuesday through Friday are training days for me. Oct 21-24.

In Awe of You

2008-10-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

As we approach the six week progress reporting period, I will also report on my progress. I have just reached the 50 mark - 50 classrooms visited that is. I have learned so much from all of you.

Here is a summary in verse - of what I saw in the science classrooms.

Steve's students design experiments on the very first day.
John and Jeremy exhibit exotic animals at play.
Mike shows Higgs-boson, the tiniest particles you've never seen
While Graham melts a gummy bear behind a smoky screen.
Kevin's got kids goin' to and fro
Measuring things that stay and things that go.
Michelle places orders for dead cats in anatomy.
Kara jigsaws students who for life thank biology.
If you think my poetry can go to the dogs.
At least thank me now that you have Park's blog. http://fresh-sci-calendar.blogspot.com/

A special congratulations to Michael Lampert, our new Oregon Teacher of the Year.
Read all about him, if you haven't already.

I have added a great blog that I follow weekly - that of Steve Barkley. Check out his latest entry, the true formula for success - effort x ???____ = success
manageable task

My next entry may just feature you.

Answers to Questions of the Week

2008-09-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

I decided to post on Tuesdays rather than Mondays. Can you guess why? Mondays are pretty hectic with an eight period day and a meeting to follow. If we can survive Mondays, we can thrive the rest of the week. That was the theme of last week's blog - let us learn to thrive in the classroom, not just survive. We want that for all of our students as well. How can we ensure that school be a positive experience for teachers and students alike? Last week's questions included:

1. How can we get our classes to actually listen to the announcements? I had one suggestion here. We could ask one question about the information given that week on either Thursday or Friday and the first person to answer would get a "reward." Obvious rewards are candy or points towards a free homework pass. Any other ideas?

2. How can we make sure our students hear and understand all the directions for an in-class activity - before they start to shift gears and dive in? No suggestions to date - but can the PE teachers tell us how they give directions for games or fitness skills - such that everyone listens and follows them accordingly?

This next one applied to many classrooms:

3. What are some ways that we can encourage our students to speak up in class so that all students can hear the comments? In one classroom, if students couldn't hear, they insisted that the speaker stand on a chair to repeat his/her comment. It is certain that the whole class had helped formulate the classroom guidelines as the speaker "took his medicine" without complaint.

Who has practiced the Socratic Seminar? It is one way to help students learn to speak out. They follow a protocol which keeps a commentary about assigned reading moving along without prodding from the teacher. I would like to watch this in action. Are there any volunteers among you who would invite me to watch this classroom strategy?

4. How can we prepare students for quizzes and tests such that they don't talk out or talk to each other while we are passing out the quizzes/tests? No comments as yet but as the first 6 weeks progress report approaches, I hope some of you will share your strategies.

Question(s) of the Week

2008-09-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

For all teachers - green, retirement contemplating, and in between:

Setting the norms of the classroom at the beginning of the year can make the difference between just surviving in the the classroom or thriving in the classroom. When setting norms (or class rules/guidelines) for your class, it helps to ask your students for suggestions so that they feel more responsibility in respecting the norms. Present these questions to them. Then share their ideas with me and I will pass them on to the staff.

1. How can we get our classes to actually listen to the announcements?

2. How can we make sure our students hear and understand all the directions for an in-class activity - before they start to shift gears and dive in?

3. What are some ways that we can get our students to speak up in class so that all students can hear the comments?

4. How can we prepare students for quizzes and tests such that they don't talk out or talk to each other while we are passing out the quizzes/tests?

To see a scanned copy of another graphic for maintaining differentiated groups particularly in a social studies classroom, click here. I can supply you with a clean original if you like it.

So Much to Learn, So Little Time

2008-09-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

This should be the lament of all of your students, you talented West teachers! I was going to do quick visits last week of ten to fifteen minutes but the time sped by at the hands of the teachers and students alike, and most visits lasted thirty to forty minutes. In visiting nine science classrooms and twelve math classrooms, I obtained a wealth of information about subjects, classroom atmosphere, teacher styles and student group personality. This was my goal - to get to know you. The more I know you, the more I like you. I want to do my best to support you.

In this blog, my "support" focus is on teamwork - an essential element of accomplishing most any large project. Most of you employed it in some way in your classes. First, I have included information about cooperative learning taken from a Steve Barkley post some time back. Check it out .

Here is a handy chart for tracking different groups within a classroom - some are preset by the teacher to allow for mixed ability groupings or differentiated learning; others allow for student choice. For larger groups, combine the smaller ones. Try it, you'll like it .

Finally there is a guideline for creating a networking station, also from Steve Barkley's Performance Learning Systems, where students can post to receive help or to give help in certain learning goals. We could all use this one.

Welcome to Turtle Tales and Tips....

2008-09-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

Behold the lowly turtle, he must stick his neck out to make any progress." Check out my slide show to see how I feel in my new role as Instructional Coach at West Salem High School after having taught French, Read180, English, Spanish and ESL in the Salem Keizer School District over the last ten years. It is a bit strange not to have my own classroom.
However, I enjoyed my first week at West Salem High School in my new role. I observed talented Titan teachers presenting terrific lessons to Titan students fully engaged in the learning process. I realized that I needed a place to share ideas and resources that would be easily accessible for busy teachers. Thus this blog was born. I might need a little coaching from the tech department to improve my skills. I hope it will be a treat for teachers at West and beyond. My first site to share is the NEA site with hints for a smooth start in the classroom.