It is a very awkward time in education. I admit that it makes me nervous to see so many colleagues angry and upset over pay and benefits because I alone am powerless to change anything and as a rule, I try to solve problems and these issues are well beyond a single person’s action. It will take many people to make a difference and it is my summer wish that the civic leaders who can effect change do so without hesitancy. Another summer wish is to ask brave educators to become civic leaders and lead from the front. It is a time and money commitment, but think of the benefits to the entire education community! Summer is also a good time to sit back and reflect on job satisfaction. If you are thinking of leaving education altogether, please read my February post: “Thinking of Leaving Education? Read This!” I promise there are many ways to serve the youth within a community; it doesn’t always have to be from the classroom. Most of all, I am sending a summer wish that you temporarily disengage from the politics of education and take time for yourself, family, and friends to renew your spirit and reignite (if needed) the love of teaching and helping others. What is on your summer wish list?
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I read an article yesterday about how a college professor assists students with reading assignments. I enjoyed it very much and thought how beneficial the method Dr. Barry Casey calls GSSW could be for college bound high school students. If you get a chance, please read the entire article, the link is listed below. This article truly gives students a way to tackle written information in a thoughtful and meaningful way. In pure Edumentality fashion, I've designed a protocol for ease of use. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
44. GATHER, SORT, SHRINK, WRAP (Reading, Writing, Discussion, Collaboration) Description: Perfect for pre-college students and based on Dr. Barry Casey’s GSSW (Gather, Sort, Shrink, Wrap), this deep reading method helps students write clear and concise essays based on multiple readings or complex text. Application: This method can be used in numerous courses, most especially in literature, social studies, and/or humanities. Process: Model this method early in the semester so that students may apply the learning in more than one instance. Provide text to students and outline the "GSSW Method:" Gather: Partner students and direct them to read the text out loud to each other noting things that stand out as significant to the general understanding of the text. Sort: Tell partners to “cluster the ideas into chunks, both for retention and for understanding the general themes that run through the text.” Check to make sure the pairs are writing down the information. Shrink: Direct partners to further refine the information by expressing their thoughts into sentences using their own words. Remind students that the sentences should reflect their deeper understanding of the text (no superficial or general ideas allowed). Allow partners to work together creating sentences or to work individually. Wrap: After sentences are created, instruct students, either as partners or individually, to use them to create an outline or mind map which will act as the foundation for an essay or other written product. Casey, Barry. “A Method for Deep Reading.” Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning, 15 Sept. 2017, www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/method-deep-reading/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork. Multiple-choice tests do have a place in education. They are relatively easy to make, to give, and to process for grades. But the feedback potential for both student and teacher can be greatly enhanced with a nuanced approach. Use a multiple choice test, with added choices, to "reveal" each student's levels of understanding. The information will help students focus on things that need additional study or practice. It also reveals flawed thinking or sloppy test-taking methods. For teachers, it allows them to clarify confusion between two similar, but not exact, things. Assign a half point value to the additional choices. I have an easy example sample below.
ex. Who was the first President of the United States? A. Abraham Lincoln B. Alexander Hamilton C. George Washington D. Thomas Jefferson E. A or B F. C or D If the student selected "C" as the answer, full point awarded, but if the student chose F give half point value. All other answers are incorrect and no points are given. The next step in this method is to ask students to go back and clarify all of the "half point" answers. In the above example, the student could say "Washington was the first and Jefferson was the third President of the United States." This could be a follow-up homework assignment or in-class review. Not all questions on the test have to have more than the traditional four choices of answers. Provide students opportunities to self-adjust, re-learn, and clarify understanding. This is the true essence of feedback. Even though it is just February, teachers are beginning to think of the next academic school year. Some are contemplating leaving the profession for various reasons; some reasons are outside their circle of control like salary and yet other reasons stem from the position they currently hold at a particular school. If the latter is the case, instead of leaving teaching why not consider transferring to another school or school system and get a fresh start? We need qualified teachers with experience. Not all schools are alike, so, “don’t quit, find your fit!”
We know that schools within a system vary greatly. Some tend to be community-oriented while others are more transient, some tend to struggle and others are high flyers. Some schools promote teacher leadership and others have managers for principals. Each school has their pros and cons and when a teacher starts to see only the cons, it may be time to move forward. When teachers are dissatisfied at their current school they tend to share their unhappiness with colleagues and this can be detrimental to the school’s culture. Sometimes the dissatisfaction comes from the actions of a new principal or department head. It can be hard to let go of the way it “was.” It is human nature, I suppose, but when teachers are “marking time” versus enjoying their jobs, perhaps a change of scenery will reignite the educational embers. If moving does not seem to change the attitude, then maybe a move within the system (teacher to administrator or public to private or high school to college or vice versa) is the way to continue to serve others. If all else fails perhaps retirement or a profession change will ignite “life embers.” There is no rule that says once a teacher always a teacher. Your happiness or satisfaction gets a vote in all of this, don’t sell yourself short. We all know somebody who took that step into the unknown. Did it help them? Are they happier? Will they continue in the profession because of the move? Asking questions to people who have gone before may be just what a teacher needs to stay put (and make the best of it) or move. Ultimately, being informed is critical to making a decision. I'm not a New Age thinker, but recently I read a passage from a book by Harry Wong (The First Days of School, 2001) that made such an impact on me that I can't stop thinking about it and I feel compelled to share it with you.
In the chapter entitled, How You Can Become a Professional Educator, Mr. Wong tells teachers that professionals like doctors, lawyers, and athletes, often seek assistance or advice from peers when confronted with a dilemma. He laments that most teachers rarely get help from anyone. He says, "Though the essence of a teacher's work is helping others learn, teachers are the worst learners when it comes to improving their own performance." If you've been in the education field long enough you've witnessed the "reluctant teacher-learner." Sometimes the amount of protest infects the faculty and opportunities for improvement are diminished for all participants. At one time or another, we've all been the reluctant teacher-learner, but Mr. Wong pleads with us to go beyond the initial reaction of resistance and seek connections that will ultimately improve performance and build relationships within the educational setting by (1) joining others that seek self-improvement too; (2) by becoming a peer coach or mentor; (3) by listening to peers; (4) by researching educational practices; (5) by observing peers within the classroom setting; and, finally, (6) by welcoming visitor and visitor evaluations. Wow! I can feel the energy, can you? Study groups are usually encouraged and formed within the college setting, but I have found it is a rare occurrence at the high school level. Why? Why not build self-sufficiency tools for students in high school too? When we incorporate skills that help students get college ready, good things happen! While many may say it isn't feasible for many reasons, transportation before/after school being the biggest factor, educators have to think outside of the box! When I asked my teachers at Cross Creek how they encourage study groups outside of class time, this is what they said:
*Exchange e-mail/phone numbers *Promote FaceTime/Skype/Online groups *Use lunchtime/study buddy review *Assist students in seeking solutions to group study dilemmas *Provide incentives for successful group study meetings *Share positive college examples *Formulate group assignments and projects that require outside class time. What is the best gift you can give to your students? For me, it was always a combination of predictability and novelty. Enough structure for students to feel comfortable but also novelty for them to be intellectually curious and to engage with the content. But there's another gift to give and that is helping them realize that they are in charge of their learning- lock, stock, and barrel! When we provide students with tools to help them self-monitor their learning, good things happen. These skills can be infused within content rather than taught separately (using time that can't be spared). When I asked my teachers at Cross Creek Early College how they provide tools for students to monitor their own learning, this is what they said:
*constant use of agendas/planners *written reflections *interactive study guides *model meta-cognition skills *self-paced computer programs *student-created progress reports *data sheets *self/peer assessments *benchmark testing *test corrections *flash cards *online Study Island *study groups *accountability/victim statements (The reason(s) I do not have my homework today is . . .) *grading/feedback with three specific ways to fix/change poor academic behaviors ***student-led parent conferences Students must be held accountable for what they do and don't do in the classroom. Placing the responsibility on them to be active participants in their own learning is essential. What ways do you incorporate self-monitoring skills in your classroom? We've all experienced students who are intellectually gifted, but most decidedly "gift-less" when it comes to using study habits as a way to increase achievement. Some students do not possess self starting mechanisms and chug along on brain power alone. Eventually, these students will hit the wall and stop working. Other students have no idea how to study and are too proud to admit it. We have to admit that not all high school students that enter the classroom come equipped with exemplary study habits and in some cases, any study habits. What to do?
As I have mentioned in the previous two blog articles, when we instill academic behaviors within our content, good things happen! I use my time in the classroom like a precision instrument and that means including instruction in study skills without compromising content. It can be done and done well, but admitting that all students can benefit from this instruction is a good first step. When I asked my teachers at Cross Creek Early College in Fayetteville, North Carolina, "If I were a student in your class, where would I find study skills being taught within the class/class content?" This is what they told me: *organizing study groups *using Cornell Notes on a regular basis *showing "good" and "not-so-good" examples *modelling note-taking during lecture *grouping collaboratively *highlighting for purpose *using on-line study helpers like Study Island *manipulating text via textbook, articles, and other media *tutoring *keeping up with the calendar (due dates) and grades *teaching skills during class starter and/or class closure *providing peer evaluations *entering information in an interactive notebook *showing explicitly how to study for a test when at home How do you instill study habits in your classroom? |
AuthorAlison Thetford, M.Ed CategoriesPast Posts
March 2024
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