Professional Development for Discovery Streaming

My colleague and friend, Erica, has created a fabulous Glog for reviewing how to use Discovery Streaming for teachers. Please check this out!

Responsive Classroom Newsletter - November 2009 - The Power of Teacher Language

I love this newsletter's message. It helps me remember the things I learned this summer, as well as it encourages me to reflect on my own teacher language for this coming year. I need to practice... and as a coach, I need to be able to recognize it when I'm in classrooms.

I'm feeling stronger with my teacher language after the Responsive Classroom Level 1 training and I'm thinking I should re-read The Power of Words again. I only read it last fall... but, I have new schema and the re-read will really solidify how I need to retrain and practice the way I speak to children. Responsive classroom makes so much sense, it's so logical and practical... and the teacher language is so effective for the majority of our children. When it doesn't work, it is usually because we have not taught specific behaviors/ skills or practiced them or modeled them enough! Assume nothing ... if you expect it, you teach it and you model it interactively with the students! Interactive modeling works well because it requires us to think through exactly how we want things to look and sound like before we model for students. So often we just assume that students know what we mean, but we aren't really clear about our expectations: If we really teach expected behaviors, think about that... what powerful environments we are creating for our classrooms and schools!

It is discouraging when teachers appear not interested in giving Responsive Classroom an honest try... or that they judge the morning meeting on the silly stuff only. It's also disappointing when schedules do not allow enough time to really practice the morning meeting correctly. I'm hoping that I can see some honest efforts, positive attitudes and some professional growth in the area of Responsive Classroom in our classrooms across the county. I'm excited with my knowledge. I think these newsletters will be very helpful to keep me learning and thinking about teacher language.

Reflection keeps the monsters away?

my comment to The Professional Development Monsters Strikes Again blog post...

The ugly monsters arising during PD!!! oh no...
I believe that teachers can be the worst audience and the hardest critics of their peers, especially when it comes to PD... which always amazes me and scares me! You would think educators would always be open to new ideas!! Not so. New ideas represent change. Change causes stress for most people but, can and should bring new energy, too. So... we must address the stressors and make sure that scaffolding and support are always available to allow change to take place in a non-threatening manner. Then, new energies and professional efficacies will arise!
Reflection is the other component that allows change and better practices to take place. Teachers need to feel free to experiment with new ideas... and reflect on how this fits into their values and professional dreams. I believe that the lens we bring to a PD session, can allow us to learn something in the worst of situations. We must bring a REFLECTIVE lens. If NOT, then we negatively impact those around us as well as create minds for growth! I think reflection is the key component for real professional growth. Some folks are not very reflective... which therefore makes a negative setting for others or if not negative... then just a blah blah blah.. I'll ignore this and it will go away attitude. Then there's ones that do not like to appear reflective, as they think this makes them appear weak and needy. (We must change environments if that is the case) Asking good questions and being curious leads up to being reflective. So... someone needs to do this during PD training as a model, it it's not happening naturally. I believe that when we are exposed to PD, good or bad, timely or untimely... the reflection of what we are doing as professionals compared to what we need, our curiosities and seeking of what we want should lead us to new growth and deeper thinking about our practices. What areas can I improve upon in my own professional life? Am I satisfied with my results and my day to day experiences? Bringing this reflective lens will allow us to see that there is always something to learn and allow us to be OPEN to new ideas... (even if one believes they have the very best ideas...) As a reflective professional, I'm never satisfied with what I know, how to do things, not to mention the never-ending quest for what possibilities are out there! So again... I guess the question for me is how can we get people to reflect on their own practice and make meaning and connections to new ideas based within their own practice... if they are not being reflective (and maybe even monsters at PD events) Here are a few of my answers... real Professional Learning Communities that have the students' best interest in mind, teacher leaders spread throughout systems that truly lead by example, educators who feel empowered and worthy and are recognized privately, safe environments, admin encouragement for peer collaboration, instructional coaches available as reflective partners, structures that support student success such as schedules and TIME, available mentors, effective technology tools/training and on-going support... and I'm sure there's more!

bad blogging... purpose?

Wow... I'm so aware of what a bad blogger I am!! That's because I really don't know who my audience really is... except ME! And I'm thinking that is best. Notice the tenses confusion that I often use in my writing??? So... what is the purpose of my blog? (I ask myself) I use this blog to record ideas and to remember things that come through my head and in front of my eyes. (I answer myself) It's sort of a backup memory... in a way. It's clearly ramblings, too. The funny thing is that I'm often too tired or too busy to hit the blog when I really need to and then when I do... I can't remember everything that was in my head...thus snippets and ramblings and pieces of what was a really deep reflection in the quiet of my car...especially on the lovely drive home from work.

Or... I find something that I want to come back to, a specific topic, so I use the blog to record a few snippets, save a link, a video, etc. until I can come back for deeper reflection. And often I never come back except to read in dismay! My mind races and I want to freeze something in a moment of time, so that's an example of a very quick post ... and my life will not slow down in front of the keyboard to get it down in coherent well-written pieces. (I'm clearly not PWhite...who writes amazing thoughts in record speed as she's fired up and thinking deeply!!) I'm an ADD google brain for sure! Pinging! and then off to cook for relaxation... or out of hunger... or walk the dog that's barking in my ear... with paw on the space bar! oops... gotta go! If you read my blogs, then all I can say is WOW. (and don't tell me, as I'll be embarrassed probably)

Responsive Classroom

I attended Responsive Classroom training (level 1) this summer as one of my professional learning goals. I'm now reflecting on the entire summer as I wait for the upcoming week of going back to school! Many more teachers will start the year with a focus on their language. Many more days will have a morning message awaiting the bright eyed students as they bound through the door. I'm excited to visit classrooms this year and be able to recognize and understand when a teacher is using the thoughtful strategies and practices. I was always able to tell, but now the level of understanding is so much more! Understanding the 3 R's of language... reinforcing, reminding and redirecting and when we use them and why. A teacher's language is a powerful teaching tool as our language and tone can build children up or tear them down. It can model respectful and caring social interactions or just the opposite. I'm sitting here thinking about the power of our words and how the morning meetings set the stage for the day. I wish I had my book today so I could revisit and review what I learned... my brain cannot remember the details which is so frustrating. (I've loaned my notebook/resource book from this summer to a teacher who was not able to make the week-long professional development). So... as we often do, I've turned to the Responsive Classroom web resources and found the newsletters. I think these newsletters can help me remember some ideas as I ponder... so I'm just using my blog to document some on-going learning and resources. I also have some photos of our morning messages that I will review as a reminder of my learning. Thank goodness I capture images... I think I need to change my blog title to What I'm Trying to Remember Today. Ha! Images

rambling thoughts on FACES

A new school year is upon us. Preschool days have started. New Teacher Academy, Coaches Kick-Off, first Staff Meetings are coming up. New and familiar faces are all around us. All kinds of faces. Scared, excited, anxious, unsure, confident, seasoned, bright, calculating, thoughtful, questioning ... I could fill the post with adjectives! (actually would like to do that as I like to list things when I'm procrastinating!!) Faces... The diversity is bountiful! Faces with their eyes are sure to be the windows to the depth below... windows to the heart and to the soul and to the wonderings... and the questions. But as I ponder and work through the next two weeks ... I must focus on the mouth of these faces. I need to especially focus on my OWN mouth. The mouth can dim the bright eyes and disappoint the faces, OR the mouth can cheer, encourage and guide... OR create confusion, misunderstandings and hurt!... as I so so know. As I prepare myself to be an Instructional Coach - Year 2, I think about how I must listen deeply, observe carefully, and implore from the eyes as to what's behind them. And ask the right questions. What are the thoughts, desires, questions and interests of these faces. Year 1 - the relationships were built... at least some! There's always work to do with relationships... they need nurturing and continued support and care to grow. Year 2 as an instructional coach is thefocus on WITH, not FOR. What can I do with you??? How can our work grow deeper with each other's collaborative support? What is your face telling me? Watching faces...that's what I will be doing. And focusing on our relationships and our collaborative partnerships that can benefit all of our professional lives as well as our students' learning? This is a goal for me. We must bring joy and deep understanding to the faces and minds of each student. And we should have FUN doing it!! Ahhh... the bright eyes of students. Nothing like 'em. Let's keep them bright. Let's make sure that they never go dim. I am so looking forward to all of the faces. So...Ears, work hard! Brain... stay focused...Mouth... behave! Slow down... watch, listen, think. Promoting bright eyes, deep thinking, asking the right questions... and always learning. Join me. What can I do with you? Let's learn together.

SummerTime

Summer time is the time to really reflect on where you are and where you're going, and all the things that you are going to do... Or NOT! We typically start the summer with many plans for all of the things we are going to accomplish. The gardens we are going to weed or plant, the rooms we are going to paint, the closets that we are going to organize, the clutter we're going to thin... the books we're going to read and the new recipes that we are going to try! Not to mention the trips and family times that we anticipate will be full of joy and laughter. (to be continued... the puppy is demanding something from me!)