Do You Ever Really Know Your Students?

As educators, we recognize the importance of building relationships- relationships with our students, our colleagues and ourselves. We are in a constant state of learning more about people with every interaction we have. There is always something more to discover about a person- their interests, their learning style, their understandings and more.

It can sometimes feel like we're peeling back the layers of an onion, but there are so many layers we never get to the center. I would like to suggest that each layer is important for us to explore and that is worth committing to!

John Hattie's research helps ground educators in the importance of knowing our students.

Did you know that John Hattie's research uncovered that the accuracy of teachers’ knowledge of students in their class can have a 1.62 effect size on student achievement (an effect size of .40 can stimulate a year’s growth)?

In what ways does this research impact your thinking about students? And more importantly, how can you design your learning environment so that you are constantly able to learn more about your students AND they can learn more about themselves, too?

I truly believe Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a big part of the answer! When we design lessons incorporating the principles of UDL we give all students an equal opportunity to succeed. The principles of UDL tap into the different networks in the brain including the affective network (linked to engagement- the WHY of learning), the recognition network (linked to representation- the WHAT of learning), and the strategic network (linked to action and expression- the HOW of learning).

Visit the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) to view an interactive UDL Guidelines chart

Last week Katie Novak ("an internationally renowned education consultant ...Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts... designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and universally designed leadership."- GoodReads) generously gave up her lunch hour to share her UDL wisdom with coaches in my district...and after listening to her equating UDL to offering dinner guests a buffet vs. a casserole (UDL being the buffet), I made the connection to Hattie's research on educators knowing their students.  If we lean on the UDL principles, we empower students to know themselves as learners and make choices that are best for them (with teacher support as needed). Knowing every layer of every student can feel impossible, but anticipating barriers for students (based on observations, data, learning style inventories, etc.) and offering options for students to choose from is not.  As Katie explains in the video* below, UDL helps students become expert learners (*please note this video is a snippet of the full discussion).

I'm not suggesting teachers stop peeling back the layers of the onion.  It is essential that we continue to gather data and use it to inform our practice BUT the barrier removal and student agency is they key with UDL.

Now the challenge is determining the next steps in our schools. How can we help all educators recognize the importance of knowing every student?  How can we create structures that allow educators to share strategies that are working? How can we reflect on our current lesson design to be mindful of the UDL principles?  Please share all suggestions below!

Two Practices to Keep You Grounded in 2019!

In education, it feels like we have the benefit of having two new years every year- the start of a new school year, and the start of a new calendar year. We are so fortunate!

In preparation for 2019, I have been doing a lot of celebrating, reflecting and goal-setting! I am excited and inspired to continue my work as an educational leader in 2019.  There are two practices that have helped me stay grounded in my work and I am sharing them below in an effort to support YOU as you prepare for 2019!

Practice 1: Start with WHY-  Acquaint or reacquaint yourself with Simon Sinek's work on WHY. Here is a recent blog post about his work for your reference. This year I have tried to encourage educators to find their professional WHY and also to support students in identifying their WHY, too.  The graphic below was created to keep this thinking at the forefront of our minds and is now being added to professional development slides, communications to staff, guiding questions for lesson planning and more.

How have you/will you use WHY in your work with students and teachers? Click here to share!

Practice 2: Identify your #oneword2019-   Four years ago I learned about the one-word initiative Jon Gordon wrote about in his book, "One Word that will Change Your Life" that encourages people to identify one word that will be their driving force for the year (instead of a list of resolutions that are often hard to accomplish/attain).

Interested in a little history?

Link to #believe (my one word for 2016)

Link to #wonder (my one word for 2017)

My one word for 2018 is trust (for just a few more days). I chose this word because I believe that trust is the foundation for all positive relationships, both with others and with myself. I have kept this word in mind every day as a reminder to trust myself, my dreams and my heart. I have kept this word in my mind every day in my work with staff, students and families, with the goal that I am a trusted leader, educator, colleague and someone in whom people can place their confidence. I have looked for examples of trust in different settings and situations in all areas of my life. I have let trust be my focus in 2018.

The video below is a brief 4-minute overview from Jon Gordon that provides the background for "One Word that will Change Your Life."

Over the next few days, I encourage all of you to take some time over the next few days to determine your one word for 2019.

In addition, I suggest looking at this #oneword365 website to connect with people around the globe and to get a list of suggested words!

Lastly, as you pick your one word for 2019, please take a risk and share it on this flipgrid and post your word on Twitter with the hashtag #oneword2019!

Wishing all of my educator colleagues a Happy and Healthy 2019!  

Look for the Helpers

Sometimes it is hard to slow ourselves down to reflect on the good things that are happening in our lives as educators, but it is so important. We're heading into Thanksgiving week.  Our school year is in full swing. We owe it to ourselves to take time to pause and think about the positives!   

One HUGE positive for me this year has been all of the helpers I have been able to find and connect with on Twitter to support the implementation of math workshop in our schools. Check out these helpers! All I had to do was look for them (and ask for help!).

Click here to access the links in the image above! 

Click here to access the links in the image above!

Click here to access the links in the image above!

Click here to access the links in the image above!

Mark Ellis, Cathery Yeh, Jay Billy, Dr. Nicky Newton, and Chris Dodge are 5 helpers who went the extra mile to support the growth and development of others just because they are GOOD people who care.  I am beyond thankful! 

Who are your helpers? Respond below!

Growth Mindset- an essential element in every learning community!

I have spent the last few hours reflecting on a meeting I had with literacy coaches in our district yesterday.  We were sharing the qualities we want our students, our colleagues and ourselves to have along with the learning stances to cultivate growth.

We debriefed our discussions and realized that the root of our work is directly aligned with a growth mindset.  The group raised some very important questions including:
Have we cultivated a culture in our schools where students and educators feel trusted and supported?  Have we taught all members of our school community about the brain science behind growth mindset and explicit ways to put it into practice?

As a "step 1", I have gathered some resources and created a brief Growth Mindset Overview that could be used with educators and families to begin the discussion and sharing!

Growth Mindset Overview for Educators and Families

I welcome your feedback and participation.  Please comment below and share!

We All Have a Story to Tell

I went for a haircut today. I have been going to the same hairdresser for more than 13 years.  His name is Khao. I love spending time with him because he is one of the hardest working people I know and because he always has a story to tell.  Oftentimes his stories are connected to his childhood in Thailand, where he grew up with very little, but today I asked him to tell me about why he became a hairdresser.

Khao came to America from Thailand when he was twenty-five.  He didn't know any English and his first job was working in the kitchen of a Thai restaurant washing dishes and eventually working his way up to cooking food, too.  He was thankful to be in America and to be making some money, but he wanted to have a career.  Khao started taking English classes at the library and once he had some keywords and phrases down, he enrolled in hairdressing school.  While going to school, he continued to work at the restaurant and also found a part-time job sweeping and maintaining a hair salon (the salon that he is still at today). It took him a year to graduate and the rest is history.

Khao's story is really sticking with me today.  In education, we know how important it is to build relationships and actively listen.  Today I experienced this in the hair salon with Khao.  I'm so glad I asked to hear his story and I'm so thankful that he shared it with me.  His determination, perseverance, and work ethic are traits to be admired and treasured.

This experience with Khao also reminds me of the video "Racing for 100 Dollar Bill" (included below).  Everyone has a story to tell and everyone has different obstacles to face and overcome along the way.

I left the salon with a lot more than a haircut today.

The Rabbit Listened (a gift from my mom)

My mom and I

My mother always finds a way to touch my heart.  She knows just what to say and do and she always supports me (both personally and professionally).  Yesterday she gave me the book, "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld, as an early birthday gift.   

This story is about a little boy named Taylor who is going through a hard time. All of his friends try to suggest things he can do to feel better, but he doesn't want to talk to them. Finally, a rabbit comes and sits down next to Taylor. Taylor talks about his feelings and the rabbit just listens. Having a friend to listen is exactly what Taylor needed and by the end of his time with rabbit, Taylor felt happy and ready to try again.

Everyone needs a rabbit in their life who will listen to them.  My mother is my rabbit. She has helped me through so many challenges, just by listening.  She empowers me to think things through and supports me to come up with solutions independently.  I am so thankful for my mom.

Today I decided to make a read aloud video of "The Rabbit Listened" to share the message of this story with others.

Who is your rabbit?  Please comment below!

Being Open to Change

I have spent the last hour searching Google for quotes and images that will help me put into words the emotions I am juggling today.  I have been presented with an amazing opportunity to do something I have always dreamed of doing, but I have to leave behind a group of educators who are some of the most talented and committed educators I know.

I joined Stall Brook School as their principal last year. We spent the year creating an authentic, supportive culture in our school that was honest, supportive and encouraged the growth of everyone in our building.  Near the end of the year, we drafted the 2018-2019 school goals, redesigned our co-teaching teams, created a professional development plan, determined the next steps with student interventions, and so much more. Several teachers moved classrooms over the summer and they were excited about the new year in their new roles and spaces.

And then I saw an irresistible position posted on School Spring in another district- Assistant Director of Elementary Education.  I have always wanted to be a district leader, supporting and developing building principals and teachers in this capacity, a role aligned with my passions and strengths.  At first, I wasn't going to apply, but then I couldn't get the position out of my head. Over the course of a week, I applied, was called for an interview, interviewed, was offered the position, accepted the position and resigned from my current principal-ship.  So very exciting and so very overwhelming all at the same time.

I am in a transition period- still at my old school completing schedules, creating a guide for the new principal and other summer tasks. It has been so hard to look at the staff- custodians, teachers, and others with tears in their eyes.  They are mad, sad, disappointed, and scared. I went into school over the weekend (when no one was there) to clean out almost everything from my office to avoid any uncomfortable interactions.  I know everything is going to work out for the best for them, but I just feel terribly guilty right now.

As for my new district- everyone has been fantastic so far!  I had my ID taken, filled out all of the HR paperwork, and even moved in some essentials into my new office.  I won't officially start until the end of the month (and a BIG part of me wishes I could just start tomorrow!).

So here are the quotes I found today during my Google search.  I'm sharing them with the hope that they will inspire others who have had to make tough decisions, too.

We don't always have control over the WHEN!

Oh, this is so important!  Our dreams need to be BIG and we need to follow them!

Martin Luther King, Jr. is an inspiration and his words help me realize that it's ok that I took this step!  

This quote helps me remember what I am teaching my own children by taking risks and following my dreams.