Write as a Reflection of Our Own Learning

Angela Peery, Ed. D. WRITING MATTERS:--In Every Classroom

Now more than ever our students need to write as a reflection of their own learning.  The Common Core State Standards clearly outline what our students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Writing is the tool to articulate their thinking and understanding to prepare them for college and/or career readiness. Peery clearly explains why Writing Matters. “Writing enhances learning” (pg. 17). It is linked to higher achievement, supports content learning, and is essential for future success in our competitive global market.

What should teachers do? Peery recommends teachers need to include more opportunities to write in and out of the classroom. Teachers need to provide students with ample opportunities to deepen their understanding of content with writing to learn activities. It is “important for students to record their ideas, reflect upon their own learning, and grapple with unfamiliar content” (pg. 20). Students also benefit with learning to write activities which “result in more polished products” to “show content-area learning plus competency in a particular written form” (pg.21).

Peery also highly advises teachers to model both types of writing activities with think a-louds. She advocates teachers clearly outlining expectations with rubrics and specific feedback. These will guide students understanding of the process to support their learning of both content and the process.  Writing enhances critical thinking and increase reading comprehension, and Peery provides ideas for classroom teachers to increase student success.

How We All Can Learn and Remember What We Have Learned

Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, & Mark A. McDaniel make it stick:--The Science of Successful Learning

Thinking back to all the books I have read and test I have taken, after reading make it stick I am wondering how much I have truly retained. Well to answer my own question, not nearly enough. Which is painful to say from one who values continuous learning. Now, I can only move forward and possibly revisit old friends (text) and do things differently from this point forward.  So what exactly do we all need to do differently to make it stick?

The author’s use of real world examples helps the reader easily identify with what works and what feels like it is working. Whether you are a medical student, high school student, or a life long learning you can follow their research-based advice and adhere to the following.

Remember learning is more durable when you go deep. This will require significant effort on the learner but make the knowledge more meaningful now and in your future (i.e. you’ll remember it!). To learn better and remember longer you need to add various types of retrieval practices in your learning routines including; self testing, spaced out practice, solving problems before you study the solution, and revisit what you have learned.

Practice at retrieving new understanding from memory is a powerful tool for learning to “stick”. The learner can also mix up their practice by spacing their learning in short and longer periods of time. Add variation to your learning by interleaving similar content so you can apply what you know in a variety of different ways. Reflection of your learning and reflecting in writing what you have learned is also key to your long-term retention. (Hey haven’t I heard that somewhere before—write as a reflection of your learning?)

Learning is hard work, but embrace the difficulty. Challenge yourself and develop a growth mindset. You just don’t know it, YET! Work with peers and teams so you can provide and receive targeted feedback on what you know and don’t know. Your efforts are in your control and striving towards mastery will not only change your brain, but also build greater capacity for your intellectual ability to learn and make it stick.  

Building Teachers as Leaders

PRINCIPAL—A Stronger Team November/December 2014

The Principal is a magazine for elementary principals to support best practices on how to BE-BECOME-SERVE as an effective principal.  I read it from cover to cover, mark it up with my favorite red pen, and often take it to the gym to review the highlights. I consider this my own portable professional development tool. Those of us that are in this role understand how incredibly busy we are and how each minute counts.  The Principal helps me focus on the right work. A Stronger Team

The articles is this issue that were most reflective for me were the following:

Better Together:  National Distinguished Principals share models for effectively working with teacher leaders. By Susan McLester.  As a principal of a turnaround school I was looking for advice from those in my same position. One of the recommendations I found most meaningful was to hire “purpose-driven, self-managed teachers”. They could then be developed as leaders “through training in collaboration, data analysis, and Response to Intervention (RTI).”  Simply stated, “When you let teachers inside your world, you get buy-in. That’s the beauty of it.”

Inspired Instructional Coaching: Stimulate teaching by structuring meaningful observations and feedback that will improve instruction schoolwide. By Sandra A. Trach.

Principals

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Dynamic Conversations with Teacher

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Professional Renewal

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Build Teacher Capacity

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Improving Individual Teachers

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Improving Instruction Teams

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Improving Entire School

Multiply Teacher Talent: What if your well-intended guidance stifles gifted teaching, rather than encourage it? By Elise Foster.  It is interesting when you read something that inspires news thinking it often repeats itself in other venues. For me it is the work in The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools (2014).  “Multipliers are leaders who look beyond their own genius and focus on extracting and extending the genius of others”. Foster reminded me how by, “Shifting from giving answers to asking questions is perhaps the most powerful change a leader can make.”

A Re-Read: Review of the Research--The Relationship between Principal Practice & Teacher Effectiveness 2012

Gina Ikemoto, Lori Taliaferro, & Erica Adams PLAYMAKERS:--How Great Principals Build and Lead Great Teams of Teachers

“Iconic coaches are remembered for their ability to take talented individuals and bring them together into a well-oiled team with a relentless drive to succeed” (pg. 5). The authors compare this thinking with a decade of supportive research on what is needed to be an effective school principal. Here some of the highlights of the research and their conversation.

·       School leadership accounts for approximately 25% of the impact of student achievement. (Marzano, 2005, Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom & Anderson, 2010)

·       Schools with strong leaders were seven times more likely to substantially improve achievement in math, and four times as more likely to substantially improve achievement in reading than schools with weak leadership. (Bryk, 2010)

·       School improvement of low performing schools does not occur without strong leadership. (Bryk et al., 2010, Louis et al., 2010)

·       Emerging research suggest that principals’ impact on student achievement is largely indirect, through their impact on teacher effectiveness. (Branch et al., 2012; Louis et al., 2010; Supovitz et al., 2010)

·       Schools leadership impacts student achievement by strengthening a school’s professional learning community, where teachers work together to collaborate teaching and learning. (Louis et al., 2010)

Their playbook includes three types of ‘plays’ that principal make to enhance teaching.

1. Developing Teachers: “Highly-effective principals work explicitly to improve instruction in the classroom in the form of conducting observations and giving feedback, leading professional development sessions, leading data-driven instructional teams, and insisting on high expectations for all students” (pg. 11)
2. Managing Talent: “Highly-effective principals worked hard to hire effective teachers and match staff with strengths and school needs, and hold teachers accountable” (pg. 18).
3. Creating a Great Place to Work: “Successful principals made sure teachers knew they were valued and fostered a strong community among colleagues. They delegated leadership and responsibility, and in doing so, gave teachers ownership over school decisions and initiatives (pg. 26). 

The research was collected and the list was made to support policymakers in making informed decisions. Although I used it as a reminder of the specific, purposeful, and responsible actions needed to facilitate success and to close the achievement gap for all of our students.