Getting Good

On Friday, I was fortunate to spend most of my day with the 6th grade team, our coaches and Billie Donegan getting good at Hattie’s top two instructional practices: specific learning goals focused on skills and tracking progress with kids.  Over and over again, I keep hearing that “we do not ‘cover curriculum’, we ‘coach up’ skills”.  Ask our 6th grade team about our “cheerleader” move; it even has sound effects.  

Our 6th grade team, with specificity and enthusiasm, began to design progress monitoring charts and learning experiences within the classroom that would help kids get from their current level of understanding to the next level.  Three questions are driving our design focused on specific content and learning skills:

1. What are we getting good at?
2. What does good look like?  
3. How do you keep track of your progress?

The graphic below is keeping us focused on when the real teaching starts ~ after kids have tried it the first time.  Think Austen’s Butterfly.

I can’t wait to go out to 6th grade classrooms and hear our 6th graders answer with enthusiasm and pride the aforementioned questions.  I can’t wait to hear kids talking about moving from their current level of learning to the next with pride  and enthusiasm.  I can’t wait for students to share evidence of their growth with specificity, pride, and enthusiasm.  

 

Reflect, Reconnect, Resolve

Linda Beckstrom, founding Principal of Harvest Middle School, told me in my first year as an Assistant Principal that we have to allow "people to reinvent themselves over the summer". This simple yet powerful statement made in passing has shaped my leadership.  It gives me hope.  It reminds me that part of the life of an educator is to believe that all people can grow and it is our job to support their growth.  As we embark on a new semester, I believe this statement holds true for Winter Break and the beginning of a new semester.  With this in mind, I encourage you to:

• Give yourself the freedom to reinvent yourself.  At the end of last semester, we spent time reflecting and resolving.  Look back on those resolutions and take the time to commit to new ideas and/or recommit to old goals and ideas.  

• Give students the opportunity to reinvent themselves.  With a new semester, give students a fresh start.  Reteach routines and procedures, build a culture of team in the classroom, believe in the potential of all students, and support their growth.  

As educators, we have the unique opportunity to serve all kids.   For some kids, we are the only believers and supporters in their life. Remember that you are a game changer in the lives of all students.  

Keeping with our theme of team and culture, we will continue to dive deeper into building team within the classroom and school community this semester.  In fact, our staff meeting this week will focus on building team in the classroom and multi-tiered support.  As I prepared for this work, I spent time over break reflecting on team and our work serving students.  I was reminded of the power of our Wellness Team at Harvest.  When listening to Michelle Obama honor educators in her final speech as the First Lady, specifically counselors for their work helping students go to college, I was reminded that in middle school we don’t often see the fruit of our labor, but the social and emotional support along with the focus on academics at Harvest is making a difference in the lives of our students in high school and beyond.  In supporting all students at Harvest, I reaffirm Mrs. Obama’s statement that “our school counselors are truly among the heroes.”  As we ramp up our tiered supports, I want to publically thank our Wellness Team for the supports they provide students and staff at Harvest Middle School.  It is heart work and we are a better team, school, and community because of the love (tough love at times) they pour into our students and families.  Thank you!

Relationships aren't a One Time Event

Highly effective teams take time to build relationships.  It is incredibly powerful for our students to know that we are a team supporting and believing in their future, yet it is also important for our own health and success.  

Relationship building isn’t a one time event.  In fact, with kids it takes early, OFTEN, & ONGOING attention to building relationships.  Thank you for revisiting our values and looking at how we handle challenging situations with our values in mind.  

On Friday, we dedicated our professional learning time to a student. Take a moment this week to think about the student to whom you dedicated Friday to and how can you make a difference in his/her life with your new learning.  Teachers are powerful!

“The quality and nature of the relationships you have with your students has a larger effect on their results than socio-economic status, professional development or Reading Recovery programs.  It is not that these things don’t matter, but rather that your relationships with students matter more.” ~ Hattie, Visible Learning

Empowering Student Voice

Billie Donegan often reminds me that “high yields takes high maintenance”; this is true of student led conferences.  Thank you for taking time to prepare students to have a very powerful conversation with their family.  Student Led Conference requires that students reflect on their current level of knowledge and application as well as set goals for their future levels.  Thanks to your hard work with International Baccalaureate, our students have a common language for sharing.  As I walked around, I heard students say criterion, formative, summative, ATL skills, and Managebac.  Consistency in language and predictability allows our students to be more successful.  Also, we have a grading system that reflects learning and growth.  I am proud to be at a school where staff believes in coaching up kids through multiple opportunities to learn and grow.  Proud to be an #IBHawk!

Culture and Team

Last Wednesday, the Language Acquisition team came together for a unit planning day.  Monica Fernandez and Jenny Banta worked with Coach Billie Donegan to develop an agenda focused on developing lines of inquiry and embedding Approaches to Learning Skills in a unit when planning formative instruction and preparing for summative assessments.  Their work together reminded me of the importance of team and coaching.  Teachers were collaborating to develop and share best practice that supports student learning of skills through inquiry.  Having a coach as a thought partner and work partner is key to continual growth as a team.  Thank you Language Acquisition and coaches for modeling the power of team and further developing our culture of learning.

Empowering Kids through Community Project

The Harvest International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Community Project launched last week through Individuals and Societies classes.  Thank you to Rosalinda Hurtado and Leo Fajardo for letting Jenny Banta and Julie Jones coach up our 8th grade students on the purpose of the project, the idea of a “ripple effect of kindness”, project requirements, and sample project. As an IB World School, the Community Project demonstrates that we value students serving and acting on their knowledge, developing as IB learners, and applying skills through the design cycle.  If you want to learn more about the Community Project, check out the Community Project blog for up-to-date information.

Mindfulness

Next week the Healthy Kids Survey will be administered to our 7th graders.  This is survey taken yearly that focuses on the school climate and mental health of our students.  When looking at results from HMS and the trends across NVUSD from 2015-2016, there is a noticeable increase in suicidal thoughts, chronic sadness, and anxiety.  Last week I participated in a short activity that made me think about the mindfulness of our students and the impact it has on their emotional wellbeing and academic success.  In AVID Excel, the class stopped for a brain break.  Students took 2-3 minutes to participate in an AVID stretch; as a class they used their bodies to spell the acronym “AVID”.  In the photo, they are stretching to form the letter “d”.  They took a break from their note-taking to energize their body.  As I participated with them, I felt re-energized as well.  With 8 periods and long blocks, I encourage you to think of ways to not only connect to kids and help students connect to school, but also focus on the whole child through mindfulness.  If you want more information about brain breaks or mindfulness, ask one of our AVID Excel teachers.