Choose the Positive

We have reached the beginning of October and still the shutdown continues. Though this is the situation, I continue to choose to look at the positive. During this time, I get to visit several classes in a day, when I would normally not have the time. What I see is truly amazing. Teachers are presenting lessons in a virtual environment that 6 months ago was foreign to them. Students are trying to interact with the lesson as best as they can, providing a glimmer of hope that we aren’t losing as many as I once thought. Those of us in the office are simply trying to clear a path for both teachers and students. Even though an administrator’s job has always been such, it is even more important now. Teachers and students are working harder than ever before and both are stretched to the limit. At current stress levels, it would be understood if someone were to behave out of character. All the more reason for support and understanding. We all need to hang in there because this too shall pass, and when it does, we will all be stronger because of it. Until then, I will focus on the positive and give praise to that which is still standing. Have a most excellent weekend....Go PUPS! (cue Elton John - I’m Still Standing).

Einstein’s Genius

Albert Einstein once said: Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Einstein certainly had it correct and we see it daily in education.  The educators challenge is not identifying the genius in students, but getting the genius to transfer to different subjects. I have seen students do amazing things in one class and then be failing three others.  How does this happen?  It is probably a question of motivation.

Teachers by nature want to see students succeed.  As a matter of fact, I have never met a teacher that wanted a student to fail.  Actually, we have more teachers that want students to succeed so much that they enable learned behaviors.  Teachers will often not allow a student to struggle very long before stepping in to help. We speak of teaching strategies and one of them is ‘wait time’.  Allowing time between questioning.  This provides processing time for students and allows them time to come up with the answer on their own.

Oftentimes, educators see the idea of struggling as a component to eliminate from the learning process. By allowing students to struggle, I am not inferring that we avoid intervening with struggling students.  There is a difference. From time to time, educators will uncover learning gaps that a student will present. The educator must bridge the gap with individualized lessons or tutoring.  The student however, that is struggling to finish a math problem or the essay that was assigned is not presenting a gap in learning.  Sure they want help, but it is sometimes better to pause and allow the student to struggle through the learning process.

I have seen students excel in the music program, athletic program, arts, and other curricular areas.  I am humbled by the exceptional talent.  Things are so easy for them in that particular area.  I guess that would be the meaning of genius.  Natural talent that is developed very similar to how we polish diamonds. A diamond that is uncut or not polished is just a stone.  I see genius as that very stone. In order to shine it has to be cut and polished. That process is filled with struggle, grief, hard work, and practice.  After all the work, a genius remains.

Until next time...

Technology

Blended learning and collaborative online learning through the use of technology allow teachers to engage students at a different level. Technology provides an openness of resources and extends the library beyond the walls of the building. Schools that have not gone one-to-one with technology devices for students due to cost can adopt a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) program to help reduce the costs associated. These, along with the educator having access to an infinite number of resources on the internet, have enhanced education yet, opened the door for challenges to school culture through social media, gossip lines, blogs, and message postings.

Access to technology has also changed education globally. The digital revolution has rapidly changed human behavior. Pictures and text messages are exchanged instantly on a worldwide scale. This interconnectedness within the digital world has not only created new grammar of communication but has led to new environments to share. Cellular or mobile telephones and wireless access has increased at a dizzying pace, and new area codes and regional numbering systems have had to be developed to handle the demand. Video games have eclipsed movies with a greater worldwide economic impact and the internet has changed the way information is shared. The instantaneous world of information sharing has become such a part of developed countries, most take for granted the luxury of connectedness. This, of course, is only the beginning. With every passing year, large companies and private organizations are digitizing print libraries making them available online. With the development of vast amounts of information at the fingertips of a world of students, educators will be compelled to open communication that is constant and direct. The education system that fails to do so will fall farther behind other countries and global education systems.

The bottom line is technology in education is not only the future, it is now.

Until next time...

Time to Reflect

As the end of September approaches, I usually take the time to reflect on the past few weeks and the opening of school. This year it seems as though everything was new and the challenges were almost insurmountable. In hindsight, I realize the challenges we faced were collective. In other words, we all faced the same challenges and sought to answer the question of, “How do we reach students?” Interesting thing is, that question is always our challenge. Reaching and engaging students in the content will always be an educators greatest challenge. As I have said countless times, I do not believe there are ‘boring subjects’. I simply think there are boring presentations of the lesson content. Verteran teachers know that they cannot present a lesson the same way they presented it 15 years ago. Things are different now. My goodness, can you think of life without the iphone? Yes, that was 15 years ago and that lesson doesn’t work with the students of today. That is the silver lining of teaching through the pandemic. Out of necessity, lessons have been rewritten, redesigned, and updated. It is said the necessity is the mother of invention. We certainly see it in the lessons being delivered today. Have a supercharged last weekend in September and join me in welcoming the last quarter of 2020…Go PUPS! (cue Sara Bareilles - Brave).

Paralysis by Analysis

Have you ever heard of paralysis by analysis? It is a term that applies to all kinds of situations in which someone is so consumed by analyzing a situation that no action is taken. In education, a contributing factor to this condition is the fear of failure. When students are worried about failing it can lead to paralysis when it comes to completing their school work. Whether we educators want to admit it or not, we are contributing to this form of anxiety. Though we encourage students to push through their fears and persist, mistakes and failed attempts are not necessarily treated as teaching tools.

Grades and school have always been and will continue to be partnered. Though this is the case, educators must be compelled to look at how the grade impacts future behavior. Yes, the grade should represent mastery of a standard however, it should only be reserved for such. Additionally, if the goal is mastery, shouldn’t the grade reflect mastery when it is achieved? In my opinion, it should.

I believe in the A-B-C-Not Yet scale of grading. We really need to move away from the punitive measure of an ‘F’. I don’t believe there are students that wake up and come to school everyday just yearning for a failing grade. Quite the contrary. I believe we have students that have all kinds of struggles and insurmountable obstacles that contribute to their performance. I believe it is incumbent upon educators to find the reason, or hook, that stimulates their desire to perform.

Many times it can be as simple as giving the student a path to success. If a student has a miserable grade percentage and mathematically they cannot reach a passing grade, then they will not be motivated to do anything. On the other hand, if that same student with the same miserable grade is given a path to success through completing work and performing on mastery tests, then the path is and will continue to be available as a ‘chance’ to improve their grade. Failure can then be used as a learning device.

Anyone can attest to the fact that they too fear failure. Some handle it better than others. Most importantly, we need to see failure differently and address it with both courage and optimism. If we all can do that, we can obtain the success we desire and work toward.
Until next time...

Pygmalion Effect

As the landscape of California education changes and school administrators improvise their plan of action, the importance of testing, accountability, and student achievement never change. High stakes testing on standardized assessment is often used as the only measure of school effectiveness, quality instruction, and teacher-student interaction. That being the case, studies report that students that are engaged in school are much more successful in many areas. As stated previously, engagement can be difficult to qualify and quantify though it is generally represented by a student that is displaying effort, providing attention, offering persistence during the lesson activities, and involved in school activities. This level of engagement in school begins with how the people in the school interact and build relationships. Teacher-student relationships and peer relationships are significant predictors of a sense of school belonging which contributes to school engagement and helps to define the culture of a school.

The benefit of relationship connections is based on thorough psychological theory. The interaction of people and the human support that is provided aligns with the principles of Bandura’s (1971) social learning theory as well as, Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological system’s theory. As a foundation, these theories provide sound support for how a school culture of high expectation can influence the academic achievement of the student. Both theories, in conjunction with the Rosenthal effect, better known as the Pygmalion effect, provide a sound base for the idea that school culture can impact student achievement.

The Pygmalion effect, studied by psychologist Robert Rosenthal, is a phenomenon in which high expectations lead to improved performance. The name comes from the Greek story of Pygmalion. Pygmalion was a sculptor that carved a marble statue of a woman and subsequently became enamored with it. According to the myth, Pygmalion wanted the statue to be human and Aphrodite obliged by bringing the statue to life. The couple fell in love and married.

According to education research, in the same way Pygmalion willed the statue to life, our focus on a belief can do the same. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whether the expectation comes from ourselves or another, the effect manifests in the same way.

The bottom line is our focus needs to be in creating a healthy, supportive, positive culture for our students in order for them to thrive.

Until next time...

It Can Only Get better

How about this 2020!  When we began this calendar year, none of us thought we would be here. We all had such high hopes.  When COVID-19 introduced itself to us, we were thinking, “it can only get better”.  Just about then, the hurricanes on the East Coast hit and the California fires started. Now, we know it can always be worse. Not only are we all worried about COVID-19, but the air we breathe is filled with toxins and it is unsafe to be outside for an extended period of time. The lessons we have learned during this time are more than just curriculum based and extend into social emotional personal development. We are learning how to be better, treat others better, use patience, and most of all, hold out hope for better days to come. Perfect timing for the Jewish holy day of Rosh Hashanah. In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Though I am not of the Jewish faith, I can appreciate and accept the idea of a new year at this point. Putting this year away, to me, seems like a great idea. So today, I welcome the year 5781! (It’s at least worth a try to fast forward past 2020). Enough said. I wish you all a healthy weekend…Go PUPS! (cue Dan Fogelberg - Times like these).