I've written a couple of blog posts recently that have been aimed at challenging our thoughts about some areas of education. The posts were meant to make educators reflect on why we do some of our current practices and consider alternatives. I hope they have accomplished that purpose for those that have read them. But today, as I sat and listened to three of our students share their thoughts on our schedule with representatives from a visiting school district, I was reminded that we do a lot of things well! I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to these young ladies share the ways we are preparing them for the next step in their lives. So, here is a list of eight things we do well.
1. We build positive relationships with students. When I say we, I'm mean teachers, coaches, counselors, and others that interact with kids on a daily basis. Many of our kids look to one or more of these role models as someone that genuinely cares about his or her well being, for support and encouragement when they struggle, and to celebrate with them when they succeed.
2. We teach students responsibility. All three of the young ladies mentioned this to our visitors today. Specifically, they credited our change to a flexible modular schedule for helping them develop skills in self-advocacy, prioritization, and organization that will be invaluable later in life. While at times students don't like these components of what we do, deep down they realize that we are helping them learn to be responsible adults.
3. We develop confidence in students. We push students to achieve beyond what they believe they can. On a daily basis, I have teachers that lead, push, and guide students through struggles to successes beyond their self-set limitations. As this happens, students develop a confidence and belief in themselves as individuals.
4. We provide opportunities for healthy competition and performance. At our school of just over 700 students we offer countless sports, vocal and instrumental music programs, and a top-level Speech and Debate team. Through these avenues students develop work ethic, teamwork, the ability to deal with success and failure, trust, and a host of other characteristics that are needed to be successful in life.
5. We allow students flexibility and choice as they grow. This is an area that we continue to grow in ourselves. Students can take courses in technical areas, academic areas, and the arts that fit their interests and passions. This year, as a result of our modular schedule, we are beginning to be able to place students in internships in areas of their career interest. This choice and flexibility is important in enhancing student motivation and drive.
6. We provide technology to students 24/7. We don't just provide this, we expect students to use it to solve problems, think critically, communicate, share globally, and create original works. Students have the world at their fingertips every day in our classrooms - and they are learning how to be productive contributors on a global scale.
7. We show students the meaning of helping others. Each of our students has the opportunity, every year, to give one school day for community service and work on projects that benefit others. We set up work sites at nursing homes, YMCA camps, churches, other schools, and other community locations that need a little TLC that our students can provide. We also host pre-school students from the local Developmental Center each Christmas and present them with gifts to be used in their education, read them a Christmas story, and let the meet Santa - all in front of the entire student body. This is by far my favorite event of the year! Our students have the opportunity to help with Special Olympics Field Day as well. All of these give our students an appreciation of what it means to help those less fortunate than themselves.
8. We innovate to provide as relevant and current an education experience as possible. I grow prouder each day of our faculty, staff, students, parents, and community for the risks they allow us to take as a school. Many may be hesitant or uncertain as we discuss and embark on changes, but most are willing to do these things in order to prepare students for their future. In the past five years we have become one of the first schools in our area to provide every student with a laptop and become the first public school in the state to implement the modular schedule. These innovations would not be possible without the dedicated work and vision of a large number of people. The benefits to our students are immeasurable when we innovate.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but is certainly representative of the ways students are impacted and prepared for their future by educators each day. Thank you to each and every teacher, counselor, librarian, coach, secretary, cook, custodian, paraprofessional, and other individuals that take the time to make these positive impacts with our kids.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
It's About the Learning - Not the Letter
As the semester draws to a close, many students are focused on a final push to get the grade they want. Teachers are, in some cases, overwhelmed with stacks of final papers and exams that need to be graded and entered before the deadline for first semester grade reports. What does this 'grade push' at the end of a semester reveal about our educational beliefs? I think it points toward a misguided approach in our education system - the grade is the most important value in our system.
As a society and education profession, we place an inordinate amount of validity on a single letter representing a student's achievement in a specific course. When in reality, many times that letter is a better indication of how well that student 'plays' school than it is of achievement. Many students, teachers, and parents - when asked about school - immediately begin to talk about their GPA (students), average class grades (teachers), and their child's grade card (parents). Are these really the most important indicators of success in school? Is the student's A in a course that comes naturally for him/her inherently more valuable than a student's C in a course where he/she had to work hard? Does a grade indicate that a student has the material committed to permanent memory? Or is it more likely that the student learned the material for a brief time, regurgitated it on some assessment, and then forgot it because it lacked relevance? No matter how a grade is derived, there is a flaw in assigning a single letter to a semester's-worth of work and learning. Every system, including standards-based grading, can be 'gamed' by students in order to get the best possible letter next that course on their transcript.
Further, I would argue that grades are no longer a motivator for a majority of our students. Certainly for the top 20-25% they are, but in many cases these are the students that 'play' school well anyway. Are we really preparing them for their future by encouraging them to play a game and focus so much on a letter and what it represents.
I don't have all the answers on this, but I certainly believe that as an education system and society we have to change our focus from the letter definition of a grade to the learning that needs to occur. How can we do this? How do we overcome the need for a GPA to send to colleges and put on scholarship applications? How can we ensure that students are retaining knowledge and skills and not just learning them for the test? I believe that a large part of this lies in creating a school experience that is full of relevance and context for the student. This can be accomplished by allowing students more choice in what they learn. Students need more ability to explore potential careers and post-graduation options and less mandates on how many credits are needed in each subject area. And, we need to start this exploration much earlier than grade 11 or 12.
If we truly want to make it about the learning and not the letter, student passion must be part of the equation. I know I'm motivated to learn when I'm interested and passionate about a topic. I believe students are too!
As a society and education profession, we place an inordinate amount of validity on a single letter representing a student's achievement in a specific course. When in reality, many times that letter is a better indication of how well that student 'plays' school than it is of achievement. Many students, teachers, and parents - when asked about school - immediately begin to talk about their GPA (students), average class grades (teachers), and their child's grade card (parents). Are these really the most important indicators of success in school? Is the student's A in a course that comes naturally for him/her inherently more valuable than a student's C in a course where he/she had to work hard? Does a grade indicate that a student has the material committed to permanent memory? Or is it more likely that the student learned the material for a brief time, regurgitated it on some assessment, and then forgot it because it lacked relevance? No matter how a grade is derived, there is a flaw in assigning a single letter to a semester's-worth of work and learning. Every system, including standards-based grading, can be 'gamed' by students in order to get the best possible letter next that course on their transcript.
Further, I would argue that grades are no longer a motivator for a majority of our students. Certainly for the top 20-25% they are, but in many cases these are the students that 'play' school well anyway. Are we really preparing them for their future by encouraging them to play a game and focus so much on a letter and what it represents.
I don't have all the answers on this, but I certainly believe that as an education system and society we have to change our focus from the letter definition of a grade to the learning that needs to occur. How can we do this? How do we overcome the need for a GPA to send to colleges and put on scholarship applications? How can we ensure that students are retaining knowledge and skills and not just learning them for the test? I believe that a large part of this lies in creating a school experience that is full of relevance and context for the student. This can be accomplished by allowing students more choice in what they learn. Students need more ability to explore potential careers and post-graduation options and less mandates on how many credits are needed in each subject area. And, we need to start this exploration much earlier than grade 11 or 12.
If we truly want to make it about the learning and not the letter, student passion must be part of the equation. I know I'm motivated to learn when I'm interested and passionate about a topic. I believe students are too!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Off The Rack or Tailored?
Recently, my wife and I went shopping to get me a new suit. I have put on a few pounds and my others just don't fit quite right. This experience was quite interesting as I discovered that I don't have a 'typical' build for a suit. After going to four different suit shops and finding out that a coat for my body type is typically not in stock, we finally discovered one shop that had a suit that fit me pretty well. If not for that shop, we would have been buying a suit and having it altered to fit correctly.
This experience got me to thinking about our student's education experience. Our current accountability systems, media pressure, and comparisons to other schools lead to 'off the rack' options for our students. There are some of our students that are able to find exactly what they need, but for many the fit is just not quite right. This is not because we don't want them to have a 'suit' that fits correctly - teachers constantly do a great job of differentiating instruction and working to meet individual needs. It is more a result of the 'education manufacturers' that create the standards and assessments for which we must have students prepared. These are very broad and general standards meant to ensure that every student has access to the same education and opportunity. While that is an admirable goal, is it the correct goal? Should each student have exactly the same experience and education?
I believe that while the foundation of each education (or suit) is the same, if we want it to fit each student it must be 'tailored' for their goals and passions. While each suit (or education plan) has the same foundation, in order to get the right fit for an individual it must be altered by a professional. This altering takes significant measuring, tearing out existing seams, and rebuilding the components of the suit with precision and care. I believe that we must reach each student by helping him/her discover individual passion and goals (measuring), removing parts of our general education plan that doesn't fit him/her (tearing out the seams), and building a plan that allows him/her to work in areas of passion and interest as part of their education (rebuilding with precision and care). This 'tailored' approach should lead to better student engagement, increased student motivation, and ultimately students prepared for their future.
I'm proud to be part of a district that is beginning to take this approach. Our district and community are currently exploring partnerships that would allow students to spend significant time working shoulder to shoulder with individuals in business and industry, solving real problems, and developing specific skill sets and abilities related to their passions and interest. This plan doesn't fit neatly into a curriculum binder or assessment protocol; instead it fits neatly into a 'tailored' plan for an individual student to experience relevant learning in an authentic context. I believe that this is a first step in creating a 'suit shop' for our students that provides a 'tailored' education for every student.
This experience got me to thinking about our student's education experience. Our current accountability systems, media pressure, and comparisons to other schools lead to 'off the rack' options for our students. There are some of our students that are able to find exactly what they need, but for many the fit is just not quite right. This is not because we don't want them to have a 'suit' that fits correctly - teachers constantly do a great job of differentiating instruction and working to meet individual needs. It is more a result of the 'education manufacturers' that create the standards and assessments for which we must have students prepared. These are very broad and general standards meant to ensure that every student has access to the same education and opportunity. While that is an admirable goal, is it the correct goal? Should each student have exactly the same experience and education?
I believe that while the foundation of each education (or suit) is the same, if we want it to fit each student it must be 'tailored' for their goals and passions. While each suit (or education plan) has the same foundation, in order to get the right fit for an individual it must be altered by a professional. This altering takes significant measuring, tearing out existing seams, and rebuilding the components of the suit with precision and care. I believe that we must reach each student by helping him/her discover individual passion and goals (measuring), removing parts of our general education plan that doesn't fit him/her (tearing out the seams), and building a plan that allows him/her to work in areas of passion and interest as part of their education (rebuilding with precision and care). This 'tailored' approach should lead to better student engagement, increased student motivation, and ultimately students prepared for their future.
I'm proud to be part of a district that is beginning to take this approach. Our district and community are currently exploring partnerships that would allow students to spend significant time working shoulder to shoulder with individuals in business and industry, solving real problems, and developing specific skill sets and abilities related to their passions and interest. This plan doesn't fit neatly into a curriculum binder or assessment protocol; instead it fits neatly into a 'tailored' plan for an individual student to experience relevant learning in an authentic context. I believe that this is a first step in creating a 'suit shop' for our students that provides a 'tailored' education for every student.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
And so it begins...
Today was the first day of the 2014-15 school year at MHS but we didn't have any regular classes. We did a full day orientation for all students as we transition to a flexible-modular schedule - regular classes begin tomorrow. This transition has taken a great deal of planning, man hours, and adjustment to be ready for students to begin taking classes tomorrow. As we have gone through the process I have been unbelievably impressed with my faculty and staff. A modular schedule is not a simple thing. (For an explanation you can see a video I made for parents here.)
During our back to school meetings over the past few days, teachers have had many opportunities to express concerns, complaints, irritations, etc. But you know what? I didn't hear one from any staff member. That's right, not a single negative comment about this major transition. Instead, I heard genuine excitement, anticipation, confidence, and even a bit of awe as we are the first school in Missouri to embark on this journey. That really says something about the teachers and other staff members I'm fortunate to work with....they care about KIDS success more than their own convenience.
Let me be perfectly clear - transitioning to a modular schedule contains very little convenience for the adults involved. It changes instructional planning. It changes the physical components of the building. None of my core area teachers have their own room anymore - their desks are in a shared 'resource room' where they will tutor students during the school day. Their planning time is all over the place and many times is just in 25 minute segments between classes or resource center time. The schedule doesn't repeat itself every day or every two days - instead it repeats itself every five days meaning nearly all teachers have a different schedule each of those days. Teachers that teach the same course will likely have 'shared' students so that the student's schedule time is maximized. Again, very little about that screams convenient for adults.
My faculty and staff however have embraced the things that are more important than their own convenience - preparing students for THEIR future! This schedule will allow students to reach out to teachers for tutoring and extra help during the school day. It will allow us to prepare students to manage their own time, make decisions about their academic priorities, advocate for themselves, and push themselves farther than ever before. These components were more valuable to the adults in my building than any of the conveniences they were losing. That makes me one proud principal!
So, to the teachers, counselors, office workers, maintenance staff, custodians, cooks, paraprofessionals, and other adults in my building I say THANK YOU! Thank you for stepping up and taking on the challenge of putting kids needs before yours. Thank you for all the hours spent planning instruction so that students benefit. Thank you for trusting in your building leader to go forward with an initiative that no school in our state has attempted. And thank you for being the greatest faculty and staff in not only Missouri, but in the nation.
It's gonna be an AWESOME year!
PS - A special Thank You to my wife, Shelley, and son, Sean, as they have put up with me during the planning. I love you both!
During our back to school meetings over the past few days, teachers have had many opportunities to express concerns, complaints, irritations, etc. But you know what? I didn't hear one from any staff member. That's right, not a single negative comment about this major transition. Instead, I heard genuine excitement, anticipation, confidence, and even a bit of awe as we are the first school in Missouri to embark on this journey. That really says something about the teachers and other staff members I'm fortunate to work with....they care about KIDS success more than their own convenience.
Let me be perfectly clear - transitioning to a modular schedule contains very little convenience for the adults involved. It changes instructional planning. It changes the physical components of the building. None of my core area teachers have their own room anymore - their desks are in a shared 'resource room' where they will tutor students during the school day. Their planning time is all over the place and many times is just in 25 minute segments between classes or resource center time. The schedule doesn't repeat itself every day or every two days - instead it repeats itself every five days meaning nearly all teachers have a different schedule each of those days. Teachers that teach the same course will likely have 'shared' students so that the student's schedule time is maximized. Again, very little about that screams convenient for adults.
My faculty and staff however have embraced the things that are more important than their own convenience - preparing students for THEIR future! This schedule will allow students to reach out to teachers for tutoring and extra help during the school day. It will allow us to prepare students to manage their own time, make decisions about their academic priorities, advocate for themselves, and push themselves farther than ever before. These components were more valuable to the adults in my building than any of the conveniences they were losing. That makes me one proud principal!
So, to the teachers, counselors, office workers, maintenance staff, custodians, cooks, paraprofessionals, and other adults in my building I say THANK YOU! Thank you for stepping up and taking on the challenge of putting kids needs before yours. Thank you for all the hours spent planning instruction so that students benefit. Thank you for trusting in your building leader to go forward with an initiative that no school in our state has attempted. And thank you for being the greatest faculty and staff in not only Missouri, but in the nation.
It's gonna be an AWESOME year!
PS - A special Thank You to my wife, Shelley, and son, Sean, as they have put up with me during the planning. I love you both!
Friday, June 13, 2014
It's About the Kids
As part of an online twitter chat the other night, a challenge was issued. That challenge was to write a blog post on the topic of "I love being an educator because..." It didn't take me long to come up with my answer - and that answer is not earth-shattering. I love being an educator because I get to help kids. Plain and simple. It's about the kids.
Now, as a principal I don't get to have as much daily interaction with kids as I did when I was in the classroom. Part of that is my fault for not making more of an effort. Part of that is because of the other responsibilities of being a building leader. Still, every decision and/or action I take is about the kids.
Many times, I think that decisions are made in schools because something is 'streamlined' or 'efficient'. But many times, those things are not best for kids. At MHS, we are embarking on a new schedule structure next year. It is a modular schedule that is quite complex. (More info about the schedule - click here). It has taken hundreds to thousands of hours from me, my office staff, my counseling staff, and my teachers to begin to prepare for this change. We could have been more 'streamlined' or 'efficient' if we had continued with our traditional 8 period day. But I'm blessed to work in a place where the people's number one priority isn't themselves or making things operate conveniently. They believe that it is all about the kids and preparing them for THEIR future.
Why do I love being an educator? Because I get to impact kids lives every day!
Photo taken by author
Now, as a principal I don't get to have as much daily interaction with kids as I did when I was in the classroom. Part of that is my fault for not making more of an effort. Part of that is because of the other responsibilities of being a building leader. Still, every decision and/or action I take is about the kids.
Many times, I think that decisions are made in schools because something is 'streamlined' or 'efficient'. But many times, those things are not best for kids. At MHS, we are embarking on a new schedule structure next year. It is a modular schedule that is quite complex. (More info about the schedule - click here). It has taken hundreds to thousands of hours from me, my office staff, my counseling staff, and my teachers to begin to prepare for this change. We could have been more 'streamlined' or 'efficient' if we had continued with our traditional 8 period day. But I'm blessed to work in a place where the people's number one priority isn't themselves or making things operate conveniently. They believe that it is all about the kids and preparing them for THEIR future.
Why do I love being an educator? Because I get to impact kids lives every day!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Changing Public Perception
Public Education is under attack. We all know that because we see it on the news, read it in the paper, and get asked about it by our patrons. Why haven't we been able to turn the tide toward the positive? It seems that no matter what we say, the result is still the same...public schools are in bad shape.
At the Spring Conference of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals these past few days, I heard great messages about what is right with public schools and how we can get that perception out. What do we need to do? We need to change our language, give people an emotional connection to our school, and tell individual, specific success stories.
Why change our language? As NASSP President B. J. Paris so succinctly stated, "the language we use speaks volumes about what we value." What does that mean for schools? We need to stop talking about 'dropout rates' and instead view 'every child as a graduate'. We need to take the term 'faculty lounge' (think about how our public perceives a lounge for a second) out of our vocabularies and start calling those areas something like 'teacher think-tank'. (I'm sure there's a better term out there, but that's the best I could come up with at the moment!) We need, as educators, to consider carefully how we name things and what those names convey to non-educators.
Dr. John Draper also indicated that we need to quit comparing ourselves to neighboring schools, states, and other countries. We need to compare ourselves to....ourselves! It is really irrelevant to our students, parents, and communities how a standardized test score stacks up against another education institution. What is relevant is the growth and progress of each individual student! It is so easy to find negatives in data when using comparisons. Take the US 'so called' underperformance on international testing measures. According to Draper, the US has never tested well due to a number of issues. In fact, the first time international tests were used, the US finished 11th out of the 12 countries tested! Since that time, we've 'fallen up' to about average which is real progress. Another misconception he addressed was that the average ACT/SAT scores are continually falling. Of course the average is falling, more students are taking the test! When these tests were first scored, only the top 10% of students even took the test. Now that about 60% of kids take the test shouldn't the overall average drop? What's important to recognize (and you never hear this in legislative halls or the mainstream media) is that EVERY SUBGROUP has shown continuous improvement on these tests for the past several decades! Why aren't we hearing that piece of the story? It's because we don't tell it! The US also scores high on the Global Competitiveness Index (a measure of the number of original patents and other creativity measures) while those scoring high on standardized tests are lagging in this area. Let's start sharing data like this with the media and legislators.
So how do we change the dialogue in our favor? We all have to work together. The best thing we can do is to tell specific, individual success stories about kids in our school. These stories will create an emotional connection between the listener and the school. The more emotional connections we create, the more we turn the tide in our favor. Draper suggested four things we should do every week to start the change.
At the Spring Conference of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals these past few days, I heard great messages about what is right with public schools and how we can get that perception out. What do we need to do? We need to change our language, give people an emotional connection to our school, and tell individual, specific success stories.
Why change our language? As NASSP President B. J. Paris so succinctly stated, "the language we use speaks volumes about what we value." What does that mean for schools? We need to stop talking about 'dropout rates' and instead view 'every child as a graduate'. We need to take the term 'faculty lounge' (think about how our public perceives a lounge for a second) out of our vocabularies and start calling those areas something like 'teacher think-tank'. (I'm sure there's a better term out there, but that's the best I could come up with at the moment!) We need, as educators, to consider carefully how we name things and what those names convey to non-educators.
Dr. John Draper also indicated that we need to quit comparing ourselves to neighboring schools, states, and other countries. We need to compare ourselves to....ourselves! It is really irrelevant to our students, parents, and communities how a standardized test score stacks up against another education institution. What is relevant is the growth and progress of each individual student! It is so easy to find negatives in data when using comparisons. Take the US 'so called' underperformance on international testing measures. According to Draper, the US has never tested well due to a number of issues. In fact, the first time international tests were used, the US finished 11th out of the 12 countries tested! Since that time, we've 'fallen up' to about average which is real progress. Another misconception he addressed was that the average ACT/SAT scores are continually falling. Of course the average is falling, more students are taking the test! When these tests were first scored, only the top 10% of students even took the test. Now that about 60% of kids take the test shouldn't the overall average drop? What's important to recognize (and you never hear this in legislative halls or the mainstream media) is that EVERY SUBGROUP has shown continuous improvement on these tests for the past several decades! Why aren't we hearing that piece of the story? It's because we don't tell it! The US also scores high on the Global Competitiveness Index (a measure of the number of original patents and other creativity measures) while those scoring high on standardized tests are lagging in this area. Let's start sharing data like this with the media and legislators.
So how do we change the dialogue in our favor? We all have to work together. The best thing we can do is to tell specific, individual success stories about kids in our school. These stories will create an emotional connection between the listener and the school. The more emotional connections we create, the more we turn the tide in our favor. Draper suggested four things we should do every week to start the change.
- Focus on the positive! We must celebrate even small victories.
- Stop bad-mouthing other educators/education institutions in public. We are all in this together and negative talk about one another adds to the current perception.
- Share ONE positive story per week with a non-educator. If every educator in the country would do this for the next 52 weeks imagine the impact on non-educators!
- Monitor your progress. This doesn't mean look at achievement data. It means hold yourself accountable to the above three steps on a weekly basis.
I know that I came back from the Spring Conference at MASSP motivated. I learned much more than I can share in one post. Most of all, I came away feeling positive about the state of public education in our country. Thank you MASSP, Dr. John Draper, and B. J. Paris for helping the principals in Missouri feel empowered to continue the good work we do while leading our schools.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
I will...
After reflecting on the NASSP Ignite '14 conference in Dallas last week, I wanted to put out a list of commitments that I am making as an administrator. These commitments will revolve around the need of educators to have and develop a growth mindset (instead of a fixed mindset), telling my school's story digitally, creating an environment where both students and teachers 'own' their own learning, and cultivating a culture of risk taking and excellence where failure is celebrated as a growth opportunity.
I will...
I will...
- stop using the word CAN'T and replace it with the phrase NOT YET.
- recognize students and teachers for taking risks and pushing through barriers.
- reduce restrictions and create as flexible an environment as possible.
- create mechanisms for student and staff input and recognition.
- carry my smart phone/iPad at all times to take pictures of good things happening that need to be shared.
- work to change adult learning from a Professional Development (PD) model to a Professional Learning (PL) model by creating flexibility for staff learning times.
- encourage students and staff to try new things.
- increase the use of this blog as well as other digital resources to share information with students, staff, community, and other educators.
- work to establish an environment where IMPROVEMENT is more valuable than achievement.
- ask students "What is the purpose of education for you?'
- shift the focus from content to...
- communication
- collaboration
- creativity
- problem solving
- critical thinking
Other questions I am pondering as a result of the conference:
- What are the brilliance blockers at MHS?
- How can we use our resources to EMPOWER our students academically and socially?
Thanks to NASSP and their presenters for challenging me in these areas. If you're not familiar with Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal), Todd Whitaker (@ToddWhitaker), Annette Breaux (@AnnetteBreaux), and Sean Cain (@LYSNation) you should check them out.
What are your 'I will...' statements?
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