By far the readings in this class were of most value to my current teaching situation. I have great difficulty understanding why we have to do coaching cycles, have so much professional development, and why the district makes certain decisions. All I had to do was read OSPI’s document on the nine characteristics of effective schools and I could immediately tie it to what my district is doing. The textbooks were informational and applicable as well. I also found the sections on communicating with parents useful.

Artifacts: For Standards 6, communicates regularly and effectively with colleagues, parents, and students through a variety of mediums, and 7, cooperates with other professionals to bridge gaps between schools and community and between departments/disciplines within schools, I have included a document that contains all my posts and blogs. It demonstrates my understandings and use of the information read about in class. The second document shows my understanding of our school improvement plan, assessment of areas of need and evaluation of school data. I was able to collaborate with some colleagues about the usefulness of the action plan, but also incorporate their opinions regarding areas of needed improvement.

6600 Posts and Blogs , Action Plan

The reading this week really supported the new direction I was trying to take. In On Common Ground (DuFour), chapter 12 mentions barriers to action. I see many of these going on in my school and I hear comments that connect to specific barriers. One person in our discussion this week mentioned, “while the teachers at my school work very hard and have the best intentions, often times in the staff rooms or in team meetings the focus takes a negative tone and we project the frustrations we see in our classroom towards the greater community.“ I can’t change others attitudes, but I can try to be a positive source in the hallways.

The one barrier that I am most guilty of is #8: An external focus as a barrier to action. (p. 243) I have spent most of the year blaming external factors for lack of time and action. Stress has been a huge factor this year, but it shouldn’t inhibit me from doing things in my classroom. The other external factor I have been blaming is the district. I have been struggling with assessments this year. Our grade level is in a transition time for our assessments. It has been hard to deal with the change and I continue to wait on the district for an answer. According to the external focus barrier, dependence on those outside the school for solutions to problems is a major barrier. I wasn’t sure how proactive to be and so I have been assessing and documenting progress on the old and new forms. It really is a nightmare. I realize now that instead of waiting for someone to tell me what to do, I should have just transitioned completely to the new forms and filled out the report card as best as I could even though it is tied to the old forms. I am capable of setting goals for my students based on the EALRs and benchmarks. In the same chapter, it stated that “people can always find a reason for inaction.” I never thought I was this person, but I see that now this year I have fallen into that trap.

OSPI’s Nine Characteristics contains a section titled a clear and shared focus. This section title is defined as everybody knows where they are going and why. Identifying the core purpose of an organization is a critical element of effective school systems. (p. 27) This idea was recurring throughout this document, but also within On Common Ground, effective schools have a clear and focused mission (p. 179) and Zepeda’s text, Professional Development What Works. During this quarter every time I read about the clear focus I always associated it with the school as a whole. I wished and waited for the administration to develop some kind of mission statement. I realized this is another instance of me depending on an outside source. I need to develop a clear focus and a core purpose that I share with my students. I have the usual statements of “try your best” and “we say I can.” I need to go beyond this and develop a core statement about learning that incorporates my philosophy, but is also translatable to my young learners.

Zepeda discusses a critical friend as a person who you trust, who asks provocative questions, offers friendly critiques, and time for understanding. (p. 225) When I think of professional friendships, a critical friend is synonymous. I know that Zepeda has a deeper purpose for a critical friends group, but it was nice to recognize the qualities in my team.

I also found the section on characteristics of effective teams to be relevant. (p. 229) The characteristics include clear goals, diffused power, balanced membership, positive behavior of members, positive conflict, positive work patterns, positive support, positive communication, and open risk taking. Again reading this made me realize how lucky I am to not only work with my grade level team, but the other teachers as well. Sometimes district and administration goals are not always as clear as we would like. It is nice to be able to sit down with a team and develop goals more clearly or adapt them to fit to the grade level. I think an unsaid hierarchy based on experience always exists, but how people share that experience is the difference between negative and positive behavior, conflict, and support. I have recently noticed that when morale is down and leadership is waning that this negativity seeps into meetings that should be constructive. Teachers meet less often. I want to rectify this within my own team. We are all feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. For the remainder of the year, I am going to keep these characteristics in mind and apply them to team meetings.

In the discussion this week, someone commented that there will always be directives from the district, but how can we compromise and have the opportunities to have protocol to meet authentic teacher/grade level/building/whatever needs…

 Having experienced positive and negative professional development, I was intrigued by the reading this week. And in answer to the comment above, I would like to see a hybrid of teacher study groups and book studies. Right now in our district we alternate between a building directed PD and teacher directed time. We also alternate between staff meetings and grade level meetings. Last year we had an optional book study that was conducted before school on Fridays. This year we are forced to do a book study during PD and staff meetings on a book we have already read. Having a sort of roller coaster experience, I would love to see teacher study groups, where sometimes we meet as a grade level and sometimes as a primary group. I would like a common topic to be chosen that ties in the school improvement plan, district goals, and conversations around teacher need. I would then like to see each grade level choose a book that is related to the topic and is relevant to the needs of the learners at each grade level. The grade level team could come together and discuss chapters, student work, etc. and then during building PD, come together as a primary team and share out the benefits, similarities and differences between what we have read and tried on. Finally, we could showcase each text with a small presentation during either staff meetings or building PDs where the whole staff is together. This would help alleviate two people trying to control or plan all meetings. Each team would be responsible for sharing out, so teachers would experience different styles. They could even incorporate a protocol. If each team stuck to the same protocol, teachers would have a chance to become comfortable with it and attain to the fluidity with conversation.

Lost expertise, lost curricula, lost inspiration, lost insight – all seem too much a part of school cultures that dismiss teacher knowledge and creativity or have no organizational structure for making it public, critiquing it, refining it, and preserving it. (Wood, p. 284) I feel the pain of this statement currently. It is hard to answer all the demands that come at you in every direction, so to then put forth energy on professional development is extremely hard. PD needs to incorporate teachers in the decision process and stay away from ego or forced knowledge.

I think teachers are witnessing the discoveries of all the purposes behind assessments. Professionals are digging deeper into educational topics and now it is assessment’s turn. In past practices, the teacher would have gathered evidence in one way (a test) and have stopped there. Now we realize there is not one sole purpose behind assessing. It is not simply to grade a student on what they know. Teachers assess for two reasons, to gather evidence of student achievement to inform instructional practices, and to motivate learning. (DuFour, 65). We are discovering that kids should be allowed to demonstrate knowledge and skills in a variety of ways and that compiling this information gives insight into how students learn, what type of instruction is effective, how best to support a learner, the next step, planning, etc.

I have felt the assessment wind whipping at my back, the intense pressure, and flurry of papers everywhere. But I also see the rays of light on the other side. Districts are learning more about assessment and how it drives instruction and they are excited to share this with teachers. They just haven’t worked out all the kinks yet, and the teachers have not found a form or way to organize it all, so it is overwhelming. Right now it feels as if our assessment practices are working to the detriment of students. (OSPI, 87) As we combine and strengthen our practices and data keeping records, the tornado will begin to dissipate. We will find which assessment practices and forms aid in instruction and communicate student learning. Right now I do a variety of assessments in math and literacy, but it feels like I am recording the data in multiple places, when it should just be one form. As the district changes the forms we record on, they are causing frustration among kindergarten teachers. Right now we have assessment cards that are easy to record on and parent friendly. The new forms are not. Plus, the new forms are not aligned with the report card creating inequitable grading practices across the district. Many reporting systems are inadequate and often lead to confusion and misinterpretation. (OSPI, 87) While this is going on right now, it will not remain this way. I understand the need for change as the standards increase.

Ultimately, I need to remember the primary goal of grading and reporting is communication (OSPI, 87); communication of student learning provided by assessments to the district, parents, students, and myself.

            A big change that has come about recently in the history of teaching is collaboration (working jointly with others or together, OSPI, p.54). Teaching is a naturally collaborative profession, but now we need to take it to the next level and make it purposeful. Professional learning communities are striving for this very goal. One key piece to giving purpose to collaboration and building PL communities is to develop goals that are shared by the district, the school, and the staff. (DuFour, p.9) When we are all working towards the same goal and see how to reach the end product, student learning, it inspires motivation, which in turn lends itself to change.

            To achieve the goals, PL communities need time for planning, professional and deep discussions, and trust. (OSPI, p. 57-58) After all, don’t we strive for this in our classrooms as well? When one of the above components is missing, the community breaks down. Trust is essential. Teachers who are afraid to talk and contribute will turn the conversation stagnant and then deeper meaning cannot be reached.  I think what I have been missing in the last couple years of Professional Development, collaboration, and PL communities is the bigger picture. How do all these components interact with one another? I have always enjoyed learning new information, looking at new texts, seeing the strategies modeled, but my momentum slows as I transition to try it on myself. My obstacle is not resistance to change or fear, but confidence. How could I possibly compare to others with more experience? I eventually do incorporate the new learning into my practice, but rarely evaluate the data to see the success. I usually assume that the learning is brought to me because it is based on research, data, and best practices and so I do not come full circle by looking at the results. This is a component that would be nice to have time for during collaboration.

I believe this to be true regardless of level of involvement. Every parent is involved in some way in his/her child’s education. The quote talks about the role of families not their level of involvement. The discussion this week also spent time referencing parent help in the classroom correlating with student success. I don’t doubt this to be correct. However, I never equate lack of volunteer time in the room with a lack of caring towards education. The school I work at traditionally does not have a lot of parent involvement within the classroom due to various reasons, the least of which is an uncaring attitude. It also is not a reflection of a parent’s desire to be working with their child. I once had a parent who desperately wanted to work with his son in the classroom or go on field trips, but a bad choice in his younger days inhibited him from being cleared for volunteering. The kindergarten team and families put together a Thanksgiving Feast each year. Because of the amount of adults in the room and that it was held in the cafeteria, I was able to invite this parent to participate. Often our parents are the most involved at home with homework, reading, math games, and talking with their children. This is where I expend my energy. What things can I make and send home for parents to do with their child. Many, also, will offer to help teachers with projects they can do at home.

In their document, OSPI also had a list of ways to find common ground with families. The two that I feel apply most to my situation and school community are #9: family involvement will need to include options and #11: parents are busy people with limited time. As I talked about above, the parents I deal with are busy, sometimes they work graveyard or have two jobs. They need options for homework. Is daily homework in primary appropriate? I have always had the policy that homework may be turned in at any time. This gives parents flexibility. Recently, we switched our homework to a monthly packet. This also allows for flexibility with schedules.

Parents need options for getting involved too. Henderson and Mapp, feel parent involvement should be effective in engaging diverse families, but also recognize cultural and class differences. At my school, we have a large Hispanic population. Shouldn’t every document going home be in Spanish, as well as, English? Unfortunately, they are not. My Hispanic parents want to be involved and do what they can, but the fact is many of the parents do not speak or read English. The least I can do is translate the documents. I use a free online service because it is quicker than doing it myself, but not always accurate. My newsletter and important Kindergarten documents, as well as, the homework always go home in Spanish.

Coaching is a wonderful idea. Teachers are constantly learning and trying to improve their instructional practice. Coaching cycles are a realistic and applicable way to implement new techniques and curriculum. I have had both successful and unsuccessful coaching cycles. The successful experiences were due to a relationship that was built on trust and open conversation. I needed to feel safe in expressing my weaknesses, asking for help, and making mistakes. I wanted a conversation that helped me set goals. The other successful component was mentioned in the discussion this week. I was in a week long coaching cycle, where the coach would teach and I would observe, then we would teach, and finally, I would teach and the coach would observe. Throughout the whole process we had conversations that involved planning, resources, reflection, feedback, and ultimately I gained a deeper understanding. The best part was the connection to what we were learning in our professional development at the time. I could learn and immediately apply it to my classroom context. All the components listed above are mentioned by Zepeda in Professional Development What Works as key parts of a coach’s role. (p. 165)

Coaching, for me, is the intimate part of Professional Learning. The goals for both are often the same, to improve instruction and help student’s learn. PL does not have the luxury of one-on-one, but is more a group of people coming together to learn. Again I think trust and conversation are key components. It is more difficult to achieve a trust level in a big group. I have seen it done. In previous years, during meetings, we would engage in learning and have meaningful conversations. Trust was built to allow people to feel comfortable speaking without judgment. This is not always the case, especially with administration in the room. I find conversations in our large district PL meetings more difficult. I couldn’t speak to the trust level, but conversation seems to suffer from a hierarchy issue. Whoever has been here the longest speaks the most. This is not always a negative as the veterans have the most experience and connections to previous learning and strategies. Author DuFour, On Common Ground, feels that people follow leaders who can make them a part of something exciting. (p. 171) It is so true! The best PL’s I have been a part of had a great leader who was engaging, modeled, and did not have an authority over us. We were allowed to play both teacher and student. One of my professional goals this year is to try and speak more in meetings. I like the comfortable position of listener, but it does not give me practice with communication skills!

After reading about the Nine Characteristics of High-performing Schools by OSPI, I really see the benefit of having all nine working together to form an effective school. I wonder, too, is this a realistic idea. I would like to hope so. I can also apply these nine characteristics to my school setting and look at where we are succeeding and where the breakdowns are. Some of these characteristics I can work towards, however, some are out of my control. For example, I can support and work towards high levels of collaboration and communication (#4), as well as, high standards and expectations for all students (#2). Effective school leadership (#3) and focused professional development (#7) are out of my control. Throughout the readings, I really came to understand the importance of effective school leadership and the principal’s role. If you don’t have this, essentially your school is a sinking ship. All too often I have heard teachers’ complain about the lack of leadership and support by principals. I guess, I now understand what co-workers meant when they referred to our school as the sinking ship. I, however, am not the kind of person to accept this. I am Leo. I may not be able to save the Titanic (my school, other’s attitudes and motivations), but I can save the girl (students, my love of teaching and their learning). I struggle with the focused PD as well. I loathe sitting in a room for hours feeling like I am not learning and unable to apply it to the classroom. We always need a purpose behind what we teach, so we don’t waste students’ learning time. Shouldn’t this be true also for teachers’ learning? How do I change this? At the end of every PD, we are asked to evaluate the learning. In a large group, in a PD conducted by the district, I feel comfortable expressing my true feelings. In a building directed PD, I do not. The principal recognizes handwriting, so why would I express my true feelings about how unhelpful or poorly planned a PD was without worrying about repercussions.

Artifacts: The following assignments show my evidence of learning from the course and text, including differences in assessments, tying learning targets to assessments, and planning with assessment in mind. This is in reference to standard five, Assesses students’ mastery of curriculum and modifies instruction to maximize learning.

Making Sense of Standardized Tests , making sense of learning targets , target method match , planning for performance assessment

The following are two assignments detailing assessment’s role in supporting one student’s progress.

Assessment Autobiography for Reading Unit of Study , Case Study on Student Learning