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Visual Learning and Literacy Standards

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What happens when you take visual learning and apply it to literacy standards to make instructional and assessment tools? Check out this interview about Sargy Letuchy’s book, The Visual Edge: Graphic Organizers for Standards Based Learning! He has designed one instructional and assessment tool for each English, History, and Science standard in grades 6-12. Using The Visual Edge, teachers are able to: ensure that lessons/assessments are tied to standards; engage students visually, precisely, and clearly; and save time grading.

Sargy Letuchy is a teacher in suburban Chicago and he has created a book that will hook you up with excellent graphic organizers to help you get the kids to a greater level of understanding.

I like to find tools that are easy for teachers and administrators to use.

This is one of those resources.

It is not necessary to read it cover to cover…instead start at the beginning to understand where he is coming from and then check out the different chapters to figure which one you would like to try first.

Worth your time.

Thanks for listening.

Getting Your Mojo Back

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Getting Your Mojo Back

Is your creativity lacking?  Are you feeling less than inspired?  This happened to me recently, and it stinks. How do you get that mojo back?

One of the advantages of planning the materials and lessons for the quarter in advance is that you begin by plugging in those favorite lessons that can sometimes be forgotten when you get caught up in a myriad of job requirements minutia.

It can be too easy to fall back on worksheets and boring lectures. You begin to think, “I’ll just control the lesson by talking. Now, not only have I bored my class to death, I’m bored, too.”

One of the sure-fire ways to get inspired is to peruse some of your favorite teaching resources to remind yourself of some of the gems you have discovered and used in the past to inspire students as well as yourself.

The following are a few of my favorite resources:

Hollas, Betty.  Differentiating Instruction in a Whole-Group Setting:  Taking the Easy First Steps Into Differentiation.  Peterborough, NH: Crystal Springs, 2005. Print.

The activities in this book get students moving, talking, and thinking. I love the step-by-step instructions and the way the author describes each activity, accompanied by an explanation of how the activity is differentiated.

Burgess, Dave.  Teach Like a Pirate:  Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator. San Diego, CA:  Dave Burgess Consulting, 2012.  Print.

The title says it all.  Gathering ideas from this book is a shot in the arm.  I have reread parts of this book when I want to re-energize my teaching.

Gallagher, Kelly.  Write Like This:  Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling & Mentor Texts.  Portland, ME:  Stonehouse, 2011.  Print.

This contains great writing lessons that engage students and get them excited about writing for a variety of purposes.

Medo, Mary Anne and Marko, Jane Elizabeth.  Classroom Strategies for Dynamic Teachers.  Milwaukee, WI:  Stone Cottage, 2007.  Print.

This is a great reference guide when you’re looking for practical strategies to teach a variety of skills for a variety of contents.

Serravallo, Jennifer.  The Reading Strategies Book:  Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann, 2015.  Print.

This is what the author calls “…a book of ‘reading recipes’… a clear, concise cookbook is a great model for what on-the-go teachers might need to pick and choose strategies, to target what each reader needs, and to support their differentiated instruction”

Letuchy, Sargy.  The Visual Edge:  Graphic Organizers for Standards-Based Learning.  Print.

This resource contains comprehensive graphic organizers that are great visual tools for teaching the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  Sometimes the descriptions of the CCSS can be difficult to understand.  Letuchy’s descriptions that accompany each graphic organizer are very helpful.  Personally, I have found these graphic organizers to be useful formative assessment tools.  You can obtain a copy of this book through our website: www.TeachersPlanningPartner.com

Three Ideas to Teach More by Talking Less

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Teach More Talking Less

Why do I sometimes have the impression that my students are baby birds with their mouths open waiting for me to fill them with wormy pearls of wisdom?  Oh yeah, because sometimes I just talk too much, spewing out maggoty messages to fill my students’ heads with knowledge.  It could be, once again, I’ve been tangled in helping my students create the perfect product and have made the rookie mistake of focusing on the endgame instead of focusing on the process of investigation and inquiry.

After reflecting on this problem, I’ve come to the conclusion there are several factors in play: teacher assessments are often based on products, contests that are won based on products, school assessments are based on data gathered from final assessments, and let’s be honest; focusing on a product rather than a process is easier to control. We teachers are evaluated and assessed on outcome, which is easier to measure than the process.  How can we focus on the process?

We can allow our students to struggle.

While it is uncomfortable to not immediately answer when a student asks a question, it’s okay for students to wrestle with a problem…better than okay, this struggle is what grows the brain and allows students to become resilient and persist when the going isn’t smooth and easy.

My co-worker Bonny has a rule that her students are not allowed to ask for help until after they have tried to solve their question for about five or ten minutes.  At first students angrily complain,”Why aren’t you helping me? Isn’t it your job to tell me how to do this?” (Yikes, have we been teaching them it is our job to immediately provide any and all answers?) After students have unsuccessfully tried getting us teachers to do their work, they often dig in and try.  If students are still frustrated, ask students to make their questions specific.  This encourages them to think about what they need and where there is confusion. Support students with guiding questions.

We can ask our students to summarize their learning.

When students struggle, ask them to summarize what they think needs to be done.  This will give you insight as to where the confusion lies.  Address the confusion with a question instead of explaining everything.  For example, if a student does not know how to write a reflective, thoughtful conclusion to their essay, instead of rushing in like a star quarterback, explaining every detail, coach them by showing some examples, allowing them to examine good writing techniques.

We can require students to self-evaluate their work instead of addicting them to our praise.

Instead of telling students what they have just learned, ask them to reflect on what they gained from the process.  Too often students wait for the nod of approval and acceptance from the teacher.  We are turning our students into praise addicts.  We should be teaching our students how to evaluate their own success, building their self-confidence instead of making them dependent on external validation.

When we keep our mouths shut, we help our baby birds build intellectual, problem solving muscle, and soon these birds will mature and fly on their own.

Plan to Succeed

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Plan to Succeed

My mother was worried I’d never find true love, get married and move out; so when I got engaged, she began to plan the wedding of the century.  Every detail was considered right down to who was going to drive what car from the church to the reception hall.  Every flower, cookie, and bridesmaid was in place.  Nothing was left to chance.  The wedding went smoothly.  People had a great time, and raved about how much fun they had.  Meticulous planning eliminated stress and created many wonderful memories.

The fact is that if an event is important, planning is an essential ingredient needed to ensure success.  Yet, we teachers sometimes dread planning and hope we can just “wing it.” However, our teaching lessons are important events and deserve to be planned well. We want our lessons to stick, to be engaging.  We want our students to talk about the lessons long after the school year ends.

It is time for the second half of the school year to begin which means it’s time to reflect on our first semester.  What went well, what didn’t, and where to we go from here? When we plan on a whim, jumping from one idea to the next, we get the feeling of, “Help! I’m wandering aimlessly all over the place, and I feel like my students are missing something”.  When we feel that, we are lacking vision.  Simply outlining a quarter, semester, or year can create a cohesive plan, ensuring the students are getting the skills they need.

We know that well planned lessons can help us teachers achieve:

  • Student engagement and learning success
  • Creation of smooth transitions (which ensures good use of time)
  • Reduction in behavior problems
  • Reduction of stress
  • Enjoyment of teaching
  • Creation of beauty

When my husband/partner and I created the Teacher’s Planning Partner book, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for teachers to plan cohesive, Common Core compliant units.  We wanted to give teachers a template that allows teachers to maximize their creativity and exercise their autonomy.  To create an effective planning template, we consulted experts in education at every level, from university professors to primary school experts.  Based on this expert advice, our own teaching experience, and over a year of planning and creating the book, we blended the Common Core Standards into four units of learning for both math and English language arts.  Also, kindergarten through eighth grade is aligned to simplify vertical planning.

We did the work so that you can plug in your creativity.  Decide on your vision.  How do you want your units to look?  Do you use the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop program? Do you prefer a Project Based Learning approach? Our books give you the template; your creativity creates your vision.  Do you want to feel excited about your teaching and share that excitement with your students? Then start planning to achieve your vision of successful learning.

If you want students to successfully learn and remember your lessons longer than a Kardashian wedding, take the time to plan your lessons well.

Desired Outcome

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Desired outcomeWhen we teach lessons, we need to be really clear about our desired outcome, even when the desired outcome isn’t clearly Common Core related.

Recently my coworker Jennifer received a donation of free t-shirts from a friend of hers.  This donation was generous, as her friend offered to design the shirts with our students’ mascot, Shakespeare, on the front.  It was pretty cool.  Jennifer worried about how to hand out the shirts so that she didn’t hurt anyone’s feeling s about sizes and such, and because she is an experienced teacher, she worried that a few of the “cool” kids might not be impressed and let the other students know that this was not a cool thing, anointing the whole business as nerdy, geeky, and filled with cooties of uncoolness.

When the morning came to give the shirts away, most students were excited to get the t-shirts, and the shirts were politely received.  Jenifer’s concerns were realized.  A couple of students rejected the shirts, and a few students even refused to wear them.  It created a ripple effect as news caught on that maybe the shirts might have nerd cooties.  We were crushed.  My coworkers were stunned and decided they just didn’t want to address the issue as they were feeling too emotional.  I work with wise people.

Initially, I wanted to let my students know that their actions were cruel.  I stifled that desire…thank goodness.  What did I really want?  What was my desired outcome? I wanted them to learn how to receive a gift.  I didn’t really want to crush their little hearts, or damage the relationships I had built.  I wanted them to learn how to receive a gift with grace.

I started with a story about the joy of giving someone a gift and how a gift giver gets a lift from bringing joy to someone else.  I asked them if they ever received a gift they didn’t care for.  Heads nodded around the room.  How do you handle that? Based on their feedback (some said they would tell the person they didn’t like the gift), it was clear they didn’t know how to receive.  I allowed them to discuss some feasible options.  They came to the conclusion that they should thank the person for their thoughtfulness and keep the negative comments to themselves.  It is not necessary to lie or gush over an unwanted gift, but acknowledge the thought that goes into the gift. I explained how excited their teacher was to make them happy, and perhaps they could return the happiness gift by thanking her for her efforts and thoughtfulness.  The students took in this information without feeling cruddy; instead they were armed with new information.  Some took it upon themselves to thank my coworker.

Later in the day, she told me how one of our students went out of her way to thank her for the work she put into getting the shirts.  Jennifer told me she wanted to cry and hug the girl as she was the first student to thank her that day.

Yeah, I could have stomped on their little hearts, made them feel awful, but I’m glad the students and I had a positive learning experience.  Also, the students improved their thinking and problem solving skills; sometimes Common Core comes in through the back way as students used collaborative skills to draw conclusions.  The desired outcome….check and done.

Word Power!

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Word Power 2Words equal power, so when people on Facebook and Twitter posted pieces on one word resolutions,    I thought, “Oh, yeah, this is groovy.”  Winter is all sludgy and freezy and the next significant break is months away, so my teaching energy could easily be poof, soot, gone. This one word resolution idea might keep me on track.

I thought if the one word resolution works for me, it would work for my students as well.  I shared the one word idea with my students and how it could inspire them throughout the year.  The students dove in and generated a list of powerful words.

Now, students were faced with the task of choosing their word.  “One word? Just one? Can’t I choose like five? This feels too important to just randomly choose one word.” Many students stalled, unable to choose the one guiding word.  I confessed that I had not chosen my word for that same reason.  My brilliant virtual assistant, Beth Milligan, helps her clients focus on a successful year by using the one word resolution tool.  Additionally, she suggests clients define their top three goals for the year as well as a theme to tie it all together.

Maybe my students should set a few goals. I asked my students to put their resolution word on the back burner and concentrate on their goals.  Again, students rose to the task and generated goals.

While my students set goals for improving their athletic skills, or earning better grades, or maybe trying out for plays or cheerleading, I modeled for my students by writing my own personal goals using a document camera.  When I reviewed my top three goals (reconnecting with friends, not letting work pile-up, and the traditional “I’m going to get healthy this year”), my first thought was that these goals seemed to have nothing in common.  Then, “Bam,” the word balance jumped out at me. I need balance in my life.  Since I came to this conclusion while thinking aloud in front of my students, my students started to find that after they set their goals, their words were easy to pick out, too.

Apparently, starting with goals aided in gaining clarity.  Students excitedly shouted out words like “commitment”, “focus”, and “drive”.  One girl looked at her goals, decided they would require much effort to accomplish, and said that the word “commitment” was her obvious choice.  Another student said that the word “focus” would help him accomplish his goals.

What one word will guide you when you feel your teaching is veering off course and your workload feels overwhelming? The day after my classes completed their goal setting and one word resolutions, one of my students pulled me aside to tell me she had been in a horrible car accident the night before, but that everyone was alright.  She confided to me that her one word was “survive”.  Yikes, survive? Without context, that word made me wonder what she might be tangling with.  She assured me that she saw this word as powerful and protective; if it were a stone, it would be her talisman. Wow, we both agreed that words can be powerful!

Bloated Binder Blues

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IMG_4876Teachers love attending professional development (pd) seminars while simultaneously preparing to start a new school year, especially if the pd involves data or new curriculum requirements. It ranks right up there with surviving a zombie apocalypse. At least that’s what I can infer after viewing back to school Facebook posts.

When my brilliant team member, Kristy, (witness her brilliance at Educate My Heart) and I were asked to present the new curriculum that our team had produced, we decided to add a little theatrics to our introduction to ease the tension. We rolled in a gnarly, bloated curriculum binder and hoisted this bad boy on the table while excitedly announcing that there would be curriculum binders for everyone.  Wincing and flinching from all corners of the room were evident.  Team member, Lori, came in with an iPad on a silver platter, “Just kidding,” – cue nervous laughter.  We had created assessments that aligned with the CCSS, and had included a teaching toolkit complete with lesson ideas, all of which could be accessed online.

We were thrilled that the new curriculum was well received as we had poured our hearts into this curriculum creation for over two years.  I want to give a quick shout-out to this incredible team of which Kristy and I were lucky to be a part.  Many thanks go to Jill, Jessica, the unbelievably hard working Lori, Kristen (who came to us from another district and we are so lucky to have her), and our ELA coordinator Sue, who has so much positive energy.  Sue supported us in any way she could.

With the new curriculum at hand, the time for planning arrived. Good planning is essential for effective teaching.  Whether you are planning backwards, forwards, or while standing on your head, planning helps you stay on track.  It is worth the time. Too often I have heard teachers say that they like to “wing it”, to just see where the mood takes them.  I’m not saying that inspiration doesn’t strike as the angels shine down on a teachable moment, but I’m fairly sure that teachers who frequently walk in the room without a plan are fooling themselves into thinking everything is cool.  My team member, Bonny, is one of those teachers that is always in tune with what her students need at the moment, and her lessons flow into these accommodating tangents that hit just the right groove.   However, she does not “wing it.”  She coordinates her plans with Kristy and I, her teammates, while meeting the Common Core guidelines, plotting her lessons to align with the common assessments, and allowing her teaching tangents to dance within these guidelines.

Our district, like nearly all schools and districts, has parameters where we must reside.  However, that doesn’t mean teachers can’t creatively teach and help their students master the skills and knowledge.   In order to stay within a district or school’s parameters, but find unique, engaging ways to present the information, it is essential to spend time planning. Planning is hard, but using  Teacher’s Planning Partner lesson plan books makes it easy to stay true to your school district’s requirements while empowering you, the teacher, to plan creatively.  These specialized lesson plan books replace that gnarly, bloated curriculum binder with a useful “un-binder” that lays out the plan of action for you.  The planning book may also be used as a shield in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Three Reasons Common Core Can Rock

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Chances are you want to take the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), stuff them in a crate, and ship them far, far away.  It is true that CCSS carries some nasty testing baggage, and there are a few kinks to work out, but there are definite advantages to keeping the CCSS.  This is a good thing as most states plan to keep them for a while, and states that have discussed doing away with them have not taken serious steps to do so.  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/04/22/traction-limited-in-rolling-back-common-core.html

Reason #1:  Students from any state can enter your classroom mid-year and instantly be at ease and familiar with the learning language and expectations.  No longer do you need to worry about that student who needs intensive intervention to get caught up because he just moved from a state that has the rigor of a cotton ball. (That would be nearly any state but yours.)

Reason #2: You now have access to the best lessons in the country.  Because the standards have been well…standardized, teachers across the country are offering up their best lesson plans.  There is a smorgasbord of CCSS lesson options, and all you have to do is go surfing.  Education sites such as Edutopia zeroed in on what teachers need.  There is a wealth of CCSS teaching ideas broken down by grade and subject.  Your professional learning community is no longer limited to your building.  You can now access lessons for a skill from anywhere in the world.

Reason #3:  The skills your students need to know have been determined.  There may be a few adjustments made to improve the flow of learning expectations, but again, this is no longer on your overfilled plate. These parameters free you to get creative with how you want to teach and what materials you will use.  You don’t have to spin your wheels trying to decide what you want to teach, and if you use the Teacher’s Planning Partner plan book, you don’t have to decide when to teach what. (We did the work for you.)  You and your students know what the end goal is.  If your students need to present their claims and findings in their research, they are free to decide how that might look.  Do they want to create a Public Service Announcement? Do they want to write a poem that includes their findings?  Let their freak flag fly.