Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my WHY. When I got into teaching, I thought like most people; here's a chance to impact the lives of children. I study best practices, attend conferences, read the latest professional works, and share that love of learning with the adults and children I interact with each day. Literacy/Instructional Coaching is amazing, but it's "what" I do and "how" I do it is very similar to how most Literacy/IC's do their work.
You see, the "what" and "how" are easy to identify. Establishing the "why" is much more challenging. Simon Sinek says it best, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe." I've been getting out of my car before entering my campus for the last 5 years and simply repeating in my head, "find opportunities to learn and grow today and get people thinking critically about their craft." This mantra has helped me think about my own purpose in education and in life and in some ways, I was close to identifying my WHY long before this post.
I was recently asked to do a Keynote presentation for a cohort of student teachers at Canisius College here in Buffalo, NY. As I considered the six points I felt were necessary areas for any educator to begin developing, I became entranced by my first point which is "Start with Why." I watched Sinek's TED Talk again, thought about the golden circle, and immediately thought of how this applies to my life and my work as an educator.
Here's what I came up with:
The point is, there is much to consider as we think about our WHY. By establishing my WHY and digging deep into my beliefs, I am able to improve my craft and get buy-in from those I learn and grow alongside each day.
Let me know what you think and if you create your own golden circle, please share! "We all deserve someone to think and reflect with in order to reach new personal bests and grow our craft!"
My colleague Kate @mineo_katherine and I had a quick conversation at lunch last Friday. She had just settled in after meeting with her middle-school reading group. We talked about engagement, time, materials, and her goals. One of those goals was to get the students interacting with each other digitally and publicly. Our students are 1:1 with iPads and this goal along with the challenges of time and engagement presented a great opportunity for professional learning.
I asked if she had time at the end of the day to meet. She agreed to the meeting, but mentioned that she would only have about 10-15 minutes. I then went through some ideas and tech tools while considering the limited time we'd have for the session. Padlet came to mind and seemed match her goals.
Next, I began thinking of just how I'd present the tool and offer sound professional learning. I knew I would have to present this tool to her and I wanted to learn more about how the tool fit her thinking and goals.
We met at 4:00pm. I had Kate watch as I logged on and created a board. I demonstrated how to access the link and share it with students, how to change the background, how to name her board(s), and quick options for viewing the board. Then, I had her join the board using the iPad so she could experience what her students will. She was hooked! We wrapped the session by creating her account and an agreement to keep me in the loop about her progress with this new tool.
The keys to the 10 minute-ish PD for me were:
Clear understanding of the teaching and learning goals
Strong knowledge of the tool being shared
Demonstration
Active participation
Providing possibilities
Asking for feedback
Plan for the future
Early that following Tuesday provided me with all that I needed to know. Kate was sharing the tool with another one of our colleagues and conducting a 10 minute-ish PD of her own. She shared how she used it on Monday and the enthusiasm she and the students had when launching the tool for the first time. The motivation to share and learn was clear.
Professional learning needs to be ubiquitous and we're all responsible for sharing within our PLN. Ideas spread quickly, think about where you can jump in and provide a quick learning experience for someone in your building. Take something you know; make it informal, make it clear, make it engaging and you will make a difference!
Coaching is truly one of the great joys in my life! It is an opportunity to learn and grow alongside talented educators each day and observe the benefits of this relationship through the work of the children in front of us.
Instructional Coaching is an opportunity to be a "thought-partner" in a challenging and rewarding profession. The majority of educators that I connect with on a daily basis understand my role and how I intend to work alongside them all year. However, this year we have taken on several new staff members and I've had to retool my approach in order for these interactions to be successful. So, after the first month of school, here's what I learned about myself as a coach and what may be necessary for a coaching relationship with new educators.
Getting the Story:
When starting any relationship, it's important to find out where they've been and what they've done. Regardless if the experience is in an after-school setting, student teaching, or years in another district, it is important to find out about their successes and challenges in these former settings. My questions are truly basic when it comes to finding out about prior experience; "tell me a little about your most successful experience in teaching...tell me about some of your challenges and how you've overcome those obstacles."
Listening Carefully:
Do more listening than talking when getting to know your new educators. There is a trap early on in a new teacher-coach relationship, the tendency to talk about yourself and all the successes and challenges you've encountered with your teachers. Before I ramble on about my work, I listen to the entire story the teacher is sharing listening for entry points into future work by focusing on successful experiences and successful responses to adverse experiences. Highlighting these experiences in the future can serve as a valuable catalyst for the work ahead.
Empathy:
Teaching and learning is challenging and as I've said before, we all need a "thought-partner." Being empathetic is a key ingredient for an effective teacher-coach relationship. There are times that I walk into a room and I can tell that the day is not going according to plan and yet there are other days where the teacher jumps right into sharing all that the students have done. I need to first understand the situation before forging ahead with an agenda. I've experienced the highs and lows of teaching and I use these experiences to guide the conversation. By understanding the challenges and successes of teaching, coaching can gain equal footing in a complex profession.
Shaping the Path:
This is an area that I strive to get better in and am currently working through this goal. The coach- teacher relationship is about reciprocity. There are times, especially when starting new work, that a teacher can't quite put their finger on what it is they want to work on or just what areas of their teaching to establish goals. The coach can support the acceleration of goal setting and reflecting on goals with careful observations in the room. Then, collaborate with the teacher to carve new territories for their practice and shape the path ahead.
Reflecting Often:
One of the most critical elements in any coaching/mentorship relationship is the ability to push reflection. Not just reflection when things go awry, rather capturing those bright moments and reflecting as to why they are occurring. As a new teacher, it's easy to dwell on the moments that are NOT working, however, a coach/mentor should encourage reflection during the most successful moments in the classroom. It's always so gratifying to watch a teachers face as you pull them back from the action, highlight the bright spots, and get them to voice-over the action and encourage them to keep pushing to replicate what they've done to get here.
Teaching is challenging and rewarding, coaching is too! Operating with the above tenets for new teachers helps me to gain deeper insight into those challenges and rewards. As tactful observers in a teacher's room, our conversations need to focus on mentoring "people" in a complex profession.
I am embarking on a new role this year that includes my previous role as an instructional coach, but now includes responsibilities as a technology coach as well and mentor for the literacy and math coaches. This is a great opportunity for growth and development. However, in thinking about each of these roles separately, I realized that the need for frameworks is crucial. In thinking about the technology portion of my work, I canvased the web and Twitter for results. Everything pointed to the work ofDr. Ruben Puentedura and the SAMR Model.
We were lucky enough to have Dr. Ruben Puentedura visit us in Buffalo, NY for a full day of professional development. Before the session, I felt as though I, along with a few staff members, had a pretty good understanding of the SAMR Model and how to intergrate technology in the classroom. However, there was much more learning and understanding that occurred in that short six-hour session.
One of the biggest lessons of the day was understanding that it is in fact okay to start at the substitution level instead of reaching for redefinition right away. Then, as you become more comfortable with the work, look ahead to augmentation and the possibilities at the next level. For each progression you can consult the chart below and reflect on the implementation. The process seems to follow a plan, implement, reflect, and revise format. This work is always rewarding if you can link up with a colleague or a coach so that you have a thought partner alongside to think through and evaluate the work.
The SAMR Ladder:
Questions and Transitions
• Substitution:
• What will I gain by replacing the older technology with the new technology?
• Substitution to Augmentation:
• Have I added an improvement to the task process that could not be accomplished with the older
technology at a fundamental level?
• How does this feature contribute to my design?
• Augmentation to Modification:
• How is the original task being modified? • Does this modification fundamentally depend upon the new technology?
• How does this modification contribute to my design?
• Modification to Redefinition:
• What is the new task? • Will any portion of the original task be retained? • How is the new task uniquely made possible by the new technology?
• How does it contribute to my design?
In order to work through the SAMR Ladder, Dr. Puentedura also suggested trying to launch into a "ladder project." We tried a simulation of this in the actual session and it was beneficial to hear each group make decisions about the project and work at each of the levels. They used the questions and transitions above to work through the progressions. Most importantly, they used the "ladder project" options below to get the work started.
Choosing the First SAMR Ladder Project:
Three Options
• Your Passion:
• If you had to pick one topic from your class that best exemplifies why you became fascinated with the
subject you teach, what would it be?
• Barriers to Your Students’ Progress:
• Is there a topic in your class that a significant number of students get stuck on, and fail to progress
beyond?
• What Students Will Do In the Future:
• Which topic from your class would, if deeply understood, best serve the interests of your students in
future studies or in their lives outside school?
Our staff has worked intensely over the last few weeks to begin designing instruction using the SAMR model. This growth will continue as we come together in future professional development settings and share the work from our classrooms. In these PDs, we will use the SAMR Model and the SAMR Questions and Transitions to reflect on our work. Finally, any teacher looking for a place to start will work through a "ladder project."
This is an exciting time for me as well, as I will have the unique opportunity to work side-by-side with so many great educators as they embark on the 1:1 experience. I will work with veteran teachers as well as new teachers to help facilitate teaching and learning with iPads. The work of Dr. Puentedura and his SAMR model has provided us with the necessary framework to launch the work and now it's up to us to climb the ladder of possibilities ahead.
I gave in about a month ago and decided to listen to my doctor and seek physical therapy for my nagging knee and shoulder problems. I've always put it off because my thought was that I could rehab my injuries and fix the problems myself. Wrong. I never stretched properly, never worried about my muscles being in balance, and certainly never pushed myself to put in the time. I just compensated for the weakened muscles and frankly never understood or listened to my body. What I needed was physical therapy and a good coach.
The first visit was more of an evaluation (pre-assessment). I performed several strength and agility tasks and my physical therapist, Amy, dutifully jotted notes about my performance. We rounded out the time with some research questions; Where does it hurt most? What level/type of pain? What are your goals? The goal-setting question was interesting to me, Amy wanted me to set some "real" goals so that we could assess the progress at the end. My goal was simple, to be able to play with my children without any real discomfort. Most of all, Amy cared and wanted me to succeed.
The next visit began with an introduction to a few exercises. Amy had a clear plan for the time (using the data). She let me know the time, the materials, and the purpose for the exercises. She instructed me that I'd work through four exercises. She demonstrated each one and explained the purpose and what I should be feeling. As I worked, she voiced over and coached/corrected my movements. Her feedback was direct, yet encouraging. She'd say things like, "push through your heels." Followed by, "perfect, can you feel the difference?" She watched my performance and pushed me based off of what she noticed.
The next few visits were similar to the first with a few exceptions. The pace of each lesson was faster. The expectations were higher. New methods were introduced. Amy coached and provided feedback on my progress. She reminded me of my goals and asked if I was getting closer and could notice a difference. She explained the logic behind the exercises. We wrapped up the last session with an evaluation of my progress (post-assessment) and some next steps for continued progress. However, I left with so much more than strength and muscular balance, I left with a deeper understanding of what I look for in my own practice as an instructional coach. I left with these understandings:
Care for and get to know each teacher
Understand their body of work ahead of time
Allow the teacher to set the goals
Have a clear plan
Be explicit when discussing "how" we'll get the goals
Offer meaningful feedback that fosters growth
As teachers make progress, celebrate it and push the work to the next level
Finally, reflect on the achievement of the goals and discuss next steps
I feel strongly that the physical therapy experience has brought me closer to my "physical" goals, but the real #eduwin here is that I reassessed my coaching work by learning from someone who clearly cared about my progress, provided timely feedback about my work, and encouraged me to work harder and smarter to achieve my goals. I learned a lot from Amy and can only hope that my teachers feel similarly about how I work with each of them. I care about each teacher's success and I hope that my feedback is getting each of them to "think" differently about their work. Thank you Amy and a big thank you to all of the teachers I work alongside each day!
I've noticed lately that teachers are generally planned using their data and have great intentions for their instructional design. However, my colleagues and I decided to explore another avenue that seems all too obvious for designing learning experiences, asking the students. Polling students and pre-assessing their knowledge or comfort level is nothing new, but it does get lost throughout the year.
I recently conducted a small book study with a group of middle and upper-grade teachers. We read Kelly Gallagher's book Readicide. It's a short and powerful read concerning the state of reading in our schools and the controls we have to end readicide in our schools. The book study allowed us to reflect on some important issues in our school concerning reading. These new discoveries prompted us to design a survey that would pull students into the process and help us reflect more intelligently on our approach to teaching reading.
Choosing a Product
Some of the most notable sites for gathering the data for me have been poll everywhere,survey monkey, and google forms. There are many other sites out there that allow you to pre-assess and collect data.
1. Poll Everywhere allows you to survey or poll your students using mobile devices by sending text messages or using Twitter. The results are updated in real time. There are options for participants to ask questions and text comments too.
2. Survey Monkey provides a unique interface and easy access to question designs. This selection allows you to analyze the data with a variety of export options and charts. My experience with this option is sending the survey as an email attachment. Therefore, all students would have to have an account.
3. Google Forms provides the same ease and accessibility as the other products. However, the forms are far more attractive and everything saves to your google drive immediately.
Selecting Questions
When selecting questions, my colleagues and I decided to ask those that would inform us most and likely allow for the greatest insight into our deepest concerns. We asked questions that could potentially uncover new truths as believed by the students in front of us.
Some of our questions asked students to consider their current feelings about reading by simply asking, "What are your feelings about reading?". We then supplied choices such as, (1) Love it, need more time (2) I find it enjoyable when I pick the book (3) I do not find reading interesting (4) I have a hard time getting into a book. We also asked about their feelings regarding writing about reading and tools used for reading. The data was eye-opening. We decided to plan using the data and made some modifications such as more time for independent reading, less teacher talk, and improving structures for book selection and book marketing. When designing and reflecting on the questions, we considered the following: 1. What do we truly want to know or understand about our students' perception of reading? 2. How do we provide choices to questions that truly reflect the students in front of us? 3. How will we share this data with the students? 4. What changes are we going to make to address the reflections of our students? Our big takeaways from this experience were that the time to prep a survey took less than anticipated, the question design had to come from a place of honesty, and the reflection on the data had to be used in our instructional approach. The students are holding the answers to our questions, ask!
Even as I sit here and begin writing my first blog post, I'm consumed with wondering how this information will be received by those reading it for the first time. It's only then that I catch myself and am reminded that indeed, "FAILURE IS AN OPTION!"
Understanding Failure
We associate the great Michael Jordan with winning and in fact we should.
However, in order to succeed, he admits he needed to fail.
The question is, how often are we given an opportunity to fail? Better yet, how often do we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to fail and reflect in ways that allow us to refine what it is we do?
Failure is usually viewed with a negative connotation. In fact, we typically refer to our default filters and tend to let the failures consume us and hyper-focus on all that went wrong. The problem is that we care! We care what people think of us and we want their acceptance.
Think about it for a moment, you finally get the courage to try something new in your teaching; a new lesson, activity, grouping strategy, or implementing technology and it flops. We tend to dwell on the failure then, consult with our colleagues and let them know that we tried something new and it failed for a list of reasons. Rather than dwelling and making excuses for why the work didn't go as planned, reflect intentionally and adjust.
"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford
This quote is particularly true in education. Teachers and students need opportunities for repeated practice in any learning environment. Therefore, it is extremely important that there is time for sensible reflections throughout the learning process followed by the adjustment to "begin again more intelligently." True learning will occur when there is a sense of the current reality in the learning environment and the desire to improve that reality. If we can begin to establish a tolerance for failure in our teaching and learning, we will naturally seek out better practices and methods that enhance our current work.
Perspective and Reflection
Look at the failures with a new perspective. Acknowledge the failure and understand that failing is part of the learning process. Rather than dwelling on how horrible things went in the learning experience, think about how to frame the learning with a more positive lens by establishing ways to change the current situation.
Lately, I've thought about my interactions with teachers and I've recognized some failed experiences. I've been able to examine those missed opportunities with a positive lens by thinking about just what was learned during that time. I tried to think of it from the teacher's perspective by asking, "what are some takeaways you have from this experience?" Next, I think and ask, "if we were to have another shot at this work, what would you do differently?" These questions not only force me to be a good listener, but they also provide insight into the teacher's perspective of what was learned and provide the foundation for reflection.
Once you've acknowledged the failed experience, reflect with your new perspective and consider the following questions:
What were the strengths or bright-spots within the experience?
What is your role in the failure?
What have you learned about yourself? Students? Learning?
What evidence are you examining to make the determination that it was indeed a failed experience?
Goal Setting
Now that you've examined the learning experience with a new perspective and you've accepted and reflected on your role and the outcomes, it's time to set new goals for the next learning experience. When thinking about these goals, it's important to make them specific and measurable. Additionally, these goals should be relevant to the people who set them.
Select your goal (what change do you want to see?)
Identify "why" (what evidence do you currently have for this goal?)
Create steps (professional reading, tech integration, partner with a colleague, work with a coach etc.)
Reflect on student/teacher outcomes throughout the process (review assessments, examine engagement, research student behaviors etc.)
Set a new goal for a "personal best"
In the end, this is about your learning journey! Accept the failed opportunities along the way and know that each shortcoming is a chance to gain some perspective, reflect with intention, and establish new goals to outgrow your current practice!
