What Kind of Bird are You?

The robins have returned (well, not many) and that conjured up a thought.  Birds are pretty amazing aeronautical engineers.  Watch a bird fly; study what it does to stay aloft, glide, and land. It is really something.  There are at least10,488 species of birds according to the Audubon Society.  Who counts that up?  At our former house, we had a bird feeder just outside a large window in our family room.  I filled it with thistle, which attracted the most beautiful finchesthat the cats would lick their chops over.  The bright ones are female and the dull ones male …no revelation there.  If you were a bird, what kind would you be?  No, this isn’t some sort of psychological test to determine your sanity.  It’s just a rhetorical question.  Would you be a bluejay, an oriole, a penguin, or a hummingbird?  Maybe a pelican, a sparrow, or an ostrich?  How about a sap-sucker, a pigeon, or parrot?  Flipping me the bird is not an option for this activity. Give it some thought.  Your answer may reveal something about you…not really, I just put that in for effect.

If teachers were birds, there would be at least four types.  Peacock teachers include those who are all about the surface and enjoy strutting their stuff.  They really don’t have much below the surface, but they do look awesome!  Their classrooms are a thing of beauty and not a single thing is out of place. Nothing is out of the box. They don’t produce much in their students past the surface level.  They never get to critical thinking levels. A lot of check marks; just nothing being done with those check marks.   Sparrow teachers are all about the chatter.  They just talk and talk and talk until their students only hear the teacher from the Charlie Brown series.  Nothing sinks into the kids past the first minute.  Oh, did I mention that their tone never changes and goes on endlessly. Woodpecker teachers are all about work.  They work, take a break by working, and then return to work.  They never infuse any truly engaging tasks to their students and stand over them like a Turkish prison guard. It’s all work, work, and work.  Their students are great on skill, drill and kill…especially the latter in terms of spirit. Then, there are eagle teachers.  This is where you want to be.  Eagles build their nests high and stay there; even in a storm.  Eagle teachers set high expectations and stay there; even in a storm. Eagle teachers stand tall, they always do the right thing, and refuse to lower their standards because that would make things easier; even in a storm.  As the feathers and talons of an eagle get dirty and dull, those body parts are essentially useless.  So, they instinctively pluck their feathers out at this point to bring about the new. Eagle teachers realize when lessons aren’t going right, ditch the lesson, and find ways to make the concept relevant and useful to their students.  Be an eagle teacher.

Looney Toons

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?  Remember those early Saturday mornings spent with Huckleberry Hound,Felix the Cat, and Woody Woodpecker in the 1950’s?  Of course you don’t, save a few of us who are baby boom kids. How about The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and  Rocky and Bullwinkle from the 60’s? Nope, still not born yet, huh.  You youngsters.  Josie and the Pussycats, Spider-Man, and Tennessee Tuxedo from the 1970’s were popular.  Still not there yet for most of you am I?  How about the 80’s with the Bernstein Bears, the Care Bears, and Barbie and the Rockers?  Still too young to remember?  Last shot – the early 90’s with The Ren & Stimpy show (what the heck was that all about?), Rugrats, and X-Men?  I cannot move up a decade because you would be too young to have a teaching license.  I enjoyed the Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies with Foghorn Leghorn, Slyvester the Cat, Snagglepuss,Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck.   I noticed something that these characters have in common during a grad class in the mid-1980’s.  Yes, they are all animals and talking animals at that!  That’s not what I noticed. Each one of these characters has a speech impediment.  Think about it – “I say, I say, I say, boy”, “Sufferin’ succotash”, and “Watch the woad, Wabbit!”  If these characters went to our school, they would all receive services from our speech therapists!  In the not too distant past, they would have been ostracized and placed in a separate educational facility.

This is Disabilities Awareness Month.  Disabilities run the gamut for those that are vividly apparent to those not noticed by the untrained eye.  At our school, we have kids with specific learning disabilities, cognitive deficits, emotional handicaps, Autism Spectrum Disorder, moderate mental handicaps, severe mental handicaps, mild mental handicaps, visual handicaps, physical handicaps, and many more.  I have never thought of any of our kids as cartoon characters.  I love our kids that are in our special needs program.  I have a special place in my heart for them that God put in a long time ago.  These kids are a reality check for me on occasion.  Special education has come a long way.  When I first began teaching in the fall of 1980, I was placed at a school that only contained children with severe handicaps and that building was at capacity.  Now, that building is virtually empty as students have been moved to more inclusive settings with age-appropriate peers and often with at least partial placement in a general education setting. I am proud to say that my Dad was a pioneer in this movement.  That’s the way it should be.  It’s the right thing to do and we do it well.  As much as I enjoyed these cartoons from my childhood, I enjoy these kids so much more.  We are blessed to be an inclusive school.

94!

Here we go…it has now been a long stretch leading up to this first round of ISTEP. You have assessed kids on Star. You have assessed kids on Acuity A…and B…and C. You have given countless informal assessments and have asked your students to rate themselves on confidence scales ad naseum. You have given formative assessments and used it to inform our instruction.  You have looked at a whole bunch of data along the way. You have made adjustments to your instruction. You have sat down with each student and developed an ISTEP goal for them to achieve. We have done daily announcements since we returned from Christmas. We have phoned home. We have provided weekly messages to parents. We have made a video. We are providing breakfast. We have team rallies. I have met with about 135 individual students.  We have the t-shirts.  We do things that other schools just don’t do. 

Don’t lose sight of the goals – individual, team, and school. We want at least 94% of our kids to pass this sucker. Each team has a team goal (see below).  The key in reaching these two goals is for each student to reach his/her goal. Push that.  Instill confidence in them. Give them the best pep talk that you have ever given. Be their cheerleader(without the uniform, please). We have worked far too hard to let this thing slip away due to attitude.  Pump them up!  Inspire them!  Make no mistake – WE CAN DO THIS!

I don’t believe in traditional luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Well, we have prepared and here comes the opportunity.

Hopeful Attitudes

People have been setting goals since Abel beat Cain with his better gift to their Dad, Adam.  Of course, Cain then beat Abel like narcs at a bikers’ rally. There are personal goals, company goals, team goals, governmental goals, financial goals, and on and on and on. A goal is a desired result a person or system envisions, plans, and commits to achieve.  Envisions, plans, and commits to. Envisions, plans, and commits to.  A goal is really not a goal unless a person truly envisions it. A goal is really not a goals unless a person plans to make it happen. A goal is really not a goal unless a person commits to it. What were your goals when you were in elementary school? Middle School? High School? College? Adulthood?  Bet they changed over time. I recently read an article about students and goal-setting. A Gallup poll determined that the majority of students lack faith in their ability to reach goals.  Guess at which age to begin to form this idea – 7 or 8!  Yep, so those students who are 2^nd or 3^rd graders may have already developed a mindset on what they can or cannot achieve.  Still reading?  Only 42% of students aged 10-18 say they are actively pursuing their goals.  Still reading?  65% of students say that the obstacles in the way of achieving their goals are just too hard to get through.  They suffer from something I wrote about a few weeks ago – a loss of hope.  The key to achieving goals, not matter what age you are, is to have ahopeful attitude.  We could be influential in turning this data around.

A school corporation in Virginia uses the S.M.A.R.T. approach with their students.  S = specific. M = measurable. A = attainable. R = realistic. T = timely  We have set goals for this “testing season” at the school, team, and individual student levels. What about the daily goal that is posted in your classroom? Is it specific? Is it measurable? Is it attainable? Is it realistic? Is it timely?  Think about your long-term learning goals in the same way. As we help students track their progress toward goals, think about this - Does every student understand exactly what the goal is specifically?  Can you measure student progress toward these goals ? Is the goal that you posted attainable? (some will not think so) Is the goal posted realistic? (some will not think so) Is the goal timely?  That last one can be achieved by breaking the larger goal into smaller segments. As an example, ask the kids in your class what they want to be when they grow up.  Do you hear engineer, doctor, lawyer, vet, pro athlete? Then ask the kids what  they are doing to reach this goal. We have to show them the connection. What have to show them what it takes. We have to show them ways to go through the obstacles; not around the obstacles but through them and support them along the way.  As they reach segmented goals in a timely manner, their hopeful attitude is elevated so that tackling the next goal will be done with  fervor. We can help them envision it. We can help them plan for it. We can provide guidance on how to commit to it.  We have to give them hope.

Burn the Ships!

In 1519 (my sophomore year of high school), Cortez led a Spanish fleet to the eastern coast of Mexico.  All aboard had hoped for a new land full of promise; a land of milk and honey.  What they discovered was a little more than they bargained for – fierce looking Aztec Indians who didn’t look like they wanted to sing kumbaya around a camp fire.  Actually, their Chief, Montezuma, received Cortez and his men warmly and invited them in do exactly that…minus the smores.  Cortez was no dummy and he smelled the scent in the wind that this welcome party was really an act of deception enacted to catch the Spaniards asleep at the wheel.  Then all heck broke loose and the fighting was fierce.Many of Cortez’ men shared with each other their fear and pending desire to return home.  Cortez caught wind of this mutiny and put an end to any chance of return by simply burning their ships. He did leave them with the option of swimming back to Spain.  He pleaded with them to charge on and take what they had worked for months to get.  They did just that and the ensuing battles led to the downfall of the Aztec empire.  Side note = you may have heard of Montezuma’s revenge…that’s where the phrase comes from.  Plus, we all know what drinking the water in Mexico leads to.

In about three weeks, we will again face state testing in the form of ISTEP.  This is a scary time for some of our kids; okay, it’s a scary time for some of you as well.  The results from this testing session and the session in the spring will determine our status as a school in the eyes of the state in terms of student achievement and student growth.  Our results will be published along with the other hundreds of corporations in the state.  Our parents will receive an individualized report on how well Johnny did.  Plus, if you are a teacher in the subject areas being assessed, the achievement and growth scores will “significantly inform” the teacher evaluation.  So, there is a lot riding on these tests and no matter what are personal feelings are about them, they are still a savage that needs to be conquered!  I am telling you that if you have prepared your students academically and emotionally, then burn the ships, we are here to stay!  We have worked far too hard with a focused effort to let anything stand in our way. We’ve passed the point of no return so let the ships burn!

What Song Will They Open With?

Remember the time(s) you scored tickets to see your favorite music group in concert?  Did you heart race a little faster? Were you really looking forward to it?   Did the feeling of anticipation just overwhelm you?  Side note = what was the first concert that you saw? (it’s okay if it was The Backstreet Boys…if you are the ages of our daughters – 24 and 28). My first concert was The Doobie Brothers at the old Chicago Stadium with this really pretty girl that I am now married to. Picture yourself in your seat, or mosh pit, waiting for your favorite band or solo performer to begin.  Did you wonder what song would be the opening song? Imagine a group such as the Beatles beginning their concert with “Across the Universe” instead of “Get Back”. How about the Stones opening with “Fool to Cry”rather than “Start Me Up ”or Bob Seger beginning with “Shakedown” instead of “Old Time Rock & Roll” or “Nutbush City Limits”?  Billy Joel opening with “Cold Spring Harbor” rather than “Angry Young Man”? Bad Company not opening with “Bad Company”? Toby Keith opening with anything other than “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”?  No matter who your favorites are, you cannot help but feel a little disappointed if the opening song is not what you expected and kept you in your seat wondering why.  There’s a reason why music groups start their concerts with something upbeat, an easy sing-a-long or a big hit.  They do this to rev you up, to get you juiced, and to get you into the experience before they “sneak in” some new material.  You’ve been there, so you understand. They do it on purpose. The group wants to engage you and they do this intentionally.

It’s the same way in the classroom.  What does the start of your instructional period look like?  Do you have something that the kids are anticipating as being engaging or do they mosey into class with a look of boredom?  Are you capturing their attention right at the start or is it about as exciting as watching a haircut?  Do you employ bell ringers that get them engaged or do they request a nap?  Are they running to get to your class because they do not want to miss one second or do you regularly have multiple tardies?  Do you often use the time-honored Madeline Hunter’s “Anticipatory Set” or let the air out of the emotional tires?  Do your prompts have a direct tie-in to the essential understandings or is there no connection whatsoever.  While the old “Sage on the Stage” method of teaching is outdated, it does not dismiss us from getting kids excited about learning.  Talented teachers do this all the time.  Not sure how to do this?  Here’s a simple philosophy to remember:  the easiest way to get kids excited about learning is to be excited about it yourself!  You can make ANY topic come alive with a little creativity.  Start your classroom concert with one of “your best songs” and wait for the encore request from your students.  You have to do this intentionally.

Do You See a Shadow?

Sunday is Groundhog Day.  So, when the groundhog, named Phil,  arises in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and gets ready for church he will take that step outside of his cozy little burrow and predict the remaining length of winter depending upon the amount of sunshine that may or may not cause his own shadow to fall.  Who thinks this stuff up?  In Punxsutawney, they have been holding this ritual since 1886.  Crowds have been over 40,000…a nickel says there is alcohol involved.  This is so popular that a movie, Groundhog Day, was centered on this celebration.  Bill Murray stars as Phil (gee, how clever) the weatherman for a local affiliate and is sent to cover the event.  In short, he is not a believer in the chubby rodent.  Low and behold, Phil is sentenced to repeat the same day over and over and over again. He meets the same people, wakes up in the same spot, listens to the same radio show, endures the same crummy shower, and a host of other fairly lame stuff.  That is, until he changes his ways for the positive, gets the girl and lives happily ever after; never having looked at his shadow.

Sometimes our profession can feel a little like Groundhog Day.  Do some days just seem to repeat themselves?  Do you ever feel like you just left here when you are again walking in the doors.  Einstein once said that “Insanity was doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”  That is insane. Take a good look at the variety of strategies and activities  that you utilize in your classroom. Is every day the same…Bueller?…Bueller?…or is every day freshand exciting?  Do you engage the kids right from the get-go? Are they breathless with anticipation?  To be clear, it is good practice to have established routines for your students to follow; what they do upon entering the classroom and beginning the lesson, where they place their homework, where they line up for a fire drill, etc. But, what about the meat of your lessons?  Do you keep them thirsting for more or do they dread coming to class for another day?  Is every day Groundhog Day or is it February 3^rd, then the 4^th, and the 5^th…Change it up, keep it challenging yet lively. One of my dreams is to have to stop kids from running in the hall because they cannot wait to get to your class.  Who will be the first to make that dream come true? It doesn’t matter if I see your shadow or not.

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Super Bowl Sunday…again, my team is not in the mix.  My only hope is that Peyton Manning absolutely lights up #25 of the Sea Hawks so that his mouth will actually close.