Common Nouns within our School

As we design instruction, the verbs are essential!  They tell us what students will do with their learning, how they'll demonstrate mastery.  But, the nouns of education are also important - don't ignore the great things at TMS!

Post-Assessment:  Students set goals in PE early in the based on their fitness scores; now it's time to see if they met their goal - for most, it's not a surprise as they've monitored their progress throughout the year.

Collaboration:  Students give their muscle to help a friend build a birdhouse in tech ed.

Conceptualization:  Students compare the modern day map of Asia by restructuring it into the ancient world view of the region.

Presentation:  Students conducted an experiment of their own and presented their findings the class.

Research:  Students had to build background knowledge before designing the experiment.

Procedure:  Students detailed the steps of their experiment.

Data:  Students need to review data in order to draw conclusions.

So whether your instructional nouns are post-assessment, collaboration, conceptualization, presentation, research, procedure, data, or something else, keep it up because there's great learning at TMS!

Student Feedback Drives Success

We know that evaluation is a high level DOK skill, so student evaluation and feedback can propel learning in your classroom.  While the feedback to students from their peers will never be the quality that you can provide, it is a valuable learning tool for both the students receiving and giving feedback.  And, it's really engaging!

During warm up, students shared their extended paragraph outlines and got feedback from their partners.  The sophistication of this dialogue demonstrated that student-led conversations are a valuable learning tool.

Both grade-level math classes lined the hall to quiz one another on slopes, intercepts, etc.  To share a variety of concepts, only one line moved as partners shifted.

Differentiating Differentiation (Say That 5 Times Fast)

Like holiday cookie recipes, there's not just one recipe for differentiation.  Differentiation of student learning can take many forms, from the simplest to the most complex.

The simplest form:  Student Choice.

Students work collaboratively, choosing how to depict the digestive system for a presentation to class.

Students design a movie trailer for their realistic fiction writing - all based on their creative choice.

Students choose how to visually represent the complexity of government systems.

Increasing complexity:  Student skill groupings.

Students create an interdisciplinary math book while classmates overcome a misconception.

Students work collaboratively to discuss the properties they didn't master previously.

Working with a small group of students to ensure their content mastery and reteach skills.

Independent study and work completion for the class as the teacher meets with a small group of students.

The structures in your classroom set the tone for differentiation.  Consider how your classroom environment contributes to small group instruction or individual conferencing.  Consider how well you know your students, both their skills and their interests.

Assessing students to provide differentiated learning opportunities.

Setting up the classroom so there's clear access to differentiate.

Strategies with Impact

Just yesterday, I walked the stage feeling proud of TMS and today, as I visited classrooms, I was reminded why we are so deserving of a National Blue Ribbon - you are great teachers!!!!!  As long as I've been at Truman, we've talked about authentic learning and student engagement, and it's evident that we provide these enriching learning opportunities for students.

When I think back to my own teaching experiences, I reflect upon the isolation I felt, the lack of knowledge about learning strategies in other contents and classrooms.  In those days, we'd spend one early release session per year sharing best practices, but now, thanks to the information superhighway and the ease of information, we can see these daily with just a click of the mouse.  It's for that reason that this blog exists.  While I'm realistic that you are inundated with information, I hope you find these blog posts an inspiration for new instructional strategies.  Most importantly, no matter the content area, I hope you see an opportunity to "steal" ideas for your own instruction.

Check out these two!

Strategy #1:  Conferences in every content area.

We're used to seeing conferencing in ELA classes as teachers give feedback on writing.

But, it's less common to see conferencing in PE.

Using a rubric, the teacher provides clear feedback to a student about their goal, helping them redesign their action plan to meet their personalized fitness goal.

Strategy #2:  When you teach it, you know it.

8th grade German students teach 6th grade World Cultures.

8th graders designed the lesson on colors, providing the PowerPoint and activity.

8th graders engaged 6th graders in enriching activities that required them to speak, read, and write in German.

A New Type of Missouri Learning Standard

On Monday, many of us had the opportunity to celebrate Melissa as a Missouri Teacher of the Year finalist, and at the closing of the evening, Chris Holmes, 2014 MO Teacher of the Year and Truman parent, gave us a pointed reminder.

Regularly, we look at standards, standards for reading, writing, speaking and listening; standards for mathematics; standards for social studies; standards for science and inquiry; standards for music; standards for art; standards for world languages; standards for health; standards for technology....you get the picture.

But, where are the standards for life?  At what time in our educational career do we vertically align and support standards for citizenship.  Sure, we talk about grit and habits; we devote 46 minutes a week to character education; we focus on modeling great character...and, I think we do an awesome job.  Despite the great work that we do, one must question how do we measure our success?  What SLO measures growth?  What standardized test provides an opportunity for us to compare our success?  The answer is obvious:  there isn't one.  And, that's okay...what we must do is remember to continue to do our great work and build connections between our established standards and good work for life.

I often talk about authentic learning for students - I challenge you to make your learning standards relevant for life.  Check out Chris Holmes' standards (reprinted with his permission) and think about how you move your instruction beyond the content.

Take your standards and add the words "in life" to increase the relevance of what we do.

How do you make an immediate impact on learning?

Conference with students!  Have specific, targeted discussions with students about their learning and understanding of content and skills.  By keeping it brief and specific, you'll find it can be a manageable component of any classroom structure.

As students work in collaborative groups, it's a great opportunity to gauge comprehension of a new skill or topic.

While conferencing with one collaborative group, have a clear expectation for what other groups should be doing.

To ensure conferencing time for uninterrupted conferencing, this teacher made a "table lead" to help students writing their lab conclusions.  The table lead had demonstrated their proficiency prior to earning this prestigious role, and other kids used their expertise.

Conferencing before a quiz:  a few quick questions can help you gauge if a student has the knowledge and skills necessary.

Conferencing is an ongoing component of writing workshop.

No Rest for the Weary...

It's the first full week of school, but if I didn't know better, I'd think it were the first week of October: the weather outside is mild, and the learning inside is hot!  Check it out...

"Lucy" in effect:  students begin writing personal narratives.

Pretests to assess knowledge and skills in math and science.  How knows IV and DV?

Collaborative work to build ancient civilizations - an inquiry-based project.

 Engaging in classroom expectations - using jigsaw and student voice.

Kahoot to learn about the library media center.

Explicitly teaching organizational skills.

Students determine their classroom norms through collaboration.

Students audition for choir and review their knowledge of musical language.

The process of finding that "just right" book.

Does that say "Station"?

Annotating while reading a short story about 7th grade.

Using technology to expand learning.

Learning the classroom.

28 and Counting....

In the last days of school, it's always tricky keeping kids engaging and having a clear purpose.  But, on the last day of school, we still see learning, whether it's piling 28 eight books atop a student-constructed bridge or applying our knowledge of core values in writing in yearbooks.  Check out how we "Fly Right" at TMS!

A Gallery Walk:  Students made bridges and evaluate whose will hold the most books

Still Stacking:  At last check, a student's bridge held 28 books - WOW!

And They're Down!

Signing Yearbooks - That's writing!

Evidence of Yesterday's Gallery Walk:  Students researched a historical topic and presented it to their classmates in a gallery walk.

Game Playing:  Getting kids thinking and developing language.

Learning About Our Classmates: 7th grade superlatives