Rhino Competition Heats Up

Here's an opportunity to win a rhino point.  Any team that has had all of its units reviewed by me prior to Friday the 20th will receive a rhino point. Check with your teammates and take advantage of this amazing offer!!

Carol York's Holiday Gift to Us

Below is a letter from Carol that reinforces the student-centered focus so critical in successful schools.

   Something pretty special happened to me last week.  I know this doesn’t exactly fit with designing lesson plans but I wanted to share this antidote because it’s about what’s really important; it’s all about the kids. I don’t know how to send things to your blog so I’m sending you this email.  As we work through our lesson plans and common cores and national standards, we need to be mindful of how we interact with the students and that this is equally, if not more important.  One can have the best lesson plan but if the teacher can’t reach the child, what’s the point.  My story is not about me,  but about another teacher who took the opportunity to make a connection with a student. 

To set the stage, I’m involved in a yearlong STEM PD.  During these sessions, a big emphasis is placed on the importance of affirmations and how it must be incorporated into the classroom.  Sitting in the session, I would listen but, honestly, it seemed a bit to contrived for my taste.   On Wednesday, I had a full day PD session. 

Here’s the story:  Tuesday I took my students on a field trip to a nature center.  An adult leader there was impressed with the questions one particular student was asking.  She told the student, Dashavia, that she has the mind of a scientist and could have a great career in science.  The instructor mentioned this conversation to me as well.  Wednesday, I was at the STEM PD and had a sub.  When I returned to school on Thursday, one particular class complained about the sub saying this, that and the other thing.  I didn’t think too much about it, until they said “and she told Dashavia that she was going to go to jail”.  That caught my attention.  This young lady can be talkative and show a bit of attitude but jail?  Really?  I thought of what was said to her at the field trip and took the opportunity to say, in front of the class,  “Dashavia, what did the teacher say to you on the field trip?”  With a big smile, she said “I’m going to make a great scientist”.   I nearly cried.  I told her  “the only way you’ll go to a jail is if you’re doing some scientific research there”.  This got a big laugh from the class and Dashavia was obviously happy.  I am so thankful to that instructor.  I will thank her and relay this story to her.  And, you can bet that that sub. is never welcome back in my class.

What we say can have a huge impact on a child.  As we plan our lessons, we need to be constantly mindful of not only what we teach, but what we say when teaching.  I realize this particular example would not have been written in to a lesson and would not have been as effective if it had.  But we should keep, in our ever expanding tool box, ways in which we can support a student (child) as they grow and move on.  I don’t know what’s in store for Dashavia or even if she’ll remember this particular detail of her 6^th grade year.  But I believe she will remember a warm feeling that someone thought she was pretty special.

Carol York

Send Me Your Stage One's for Feedback

Several of you have sent me your Stage One's for feedback, and I would love to see additional units.  Please take this opportunity to get some feedback on your unit.  Remember, my email is 1lindahenke@gmail.com.  Also, Jay McTighe has put together a terrific collection of websites to help with Stage One.  Access that useful resource in the Pages section of the blog. 

Having Questions about Essential Questions?

If you are struggling with drafting your essential questions, there are lots of resources out there that can help you.

Grant Wiggins discusses essential questions in this short video: video  There is also an essential question exchange that might help get a stuck mind moving.  You can find that here: exchange 

Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins have a brand new book out about essential questions that is really good...and you can access the spectacular first chapter that gives all kinds of examples of essential questions in various content areas and a wonderful description of what makes a question essential right here: book.  

Still questioning questions?  Email me: 1lindahenke@gmail.com

A Reminder of the Power of Mental Models to Shape Behavior

Developing Curriculum In Essential Schools

I have posted a great article on curriculum design in Essential Schools.  While they do not use UbD, there are tremendous similarities in the way they think about curriculum and the work Grand is doing.  Please take the time to read it and think about what designing curriculum means for the school, for your department, and for you as a professional.  How would your life be different if your class was governed by a textbook only? I would also encourage you to revisit the learning principles Grand teachers developed during the first two days of our work.  Those are also posted here.

From the Designer Mind of Amber: A Great Example of the Iceberg Model

Iceberg Model (Team Juice): Homework

Events: Students coming to class without homework completed

Patterns of Behavior: Students do not write down homework or keep assignments in one central location. They often forget what the homework was, lose it or forget to do it.

Systemic Structure: There is no consistent system for how students should track homework or how homework is given. It varies from class to class and teacher to teacher. Most teachers go over homework with students and write it on the board every day.

Mental Models: Teachers believe it is the student’s responsibility to write down their homework and create an organizational structure. As they get older, they have to become more responsible and self-motivated. Students believe they get too much homework, and it is overwhelming to keep track of it.

SOLUTION: ENGLISH TEACHERS GAVE STUDENTS “HOMEWORK SHEETS.” AT THE END OF EVERY CLASS. THEY LEAVE 5 MINUTES TO WRITE DOWN THE STUDENTS HOMEWORK EITHER ON THE SHEET, IN AN AGENDA OR ON THEIR PHONE.

SUGGESTION: WE SHOULD CREATE A MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL APPROACH TO THIS PROBLEM TO HELP CREATE CONSISTENCY (during homeroom/e period??)


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