Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #50 – May 15, 2010
Each year in California, over 18,000 teachers quit the profession. This poses a serious threat to the quality of education.provided for our children. A survey by The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) revealed, one of the main reasons for teachers not quitting was, in spite of all the difficulties, they had the support of the administration.
Many college graduates enter the teaching profession with hopes of being challenged and making a difference in the lives of children. However, somewhere during their first year, they face reality. They consistently feel defeated and systemically undervalued and under-appreciated. How can principals inspire teachers to want to stay in the profession?
Even new teachers enjoy intrinsic rewards from the job, but all teachers yearn for some extrinsic reassurance they are doing a good job. Principals should make it a priority to recognize teachers’ efforts by offering positive feedback, both publicly and privately. Memos, e-mails and staff meetings are all great forums for recognizing special contributions teachers are making.
Here are a few suggestions to keep your teachers encouraged and motivated:
Principal Observation
Principals should make a point of observing every teacher at least twice a month. These should preferably be unscheduled visits. The principal should make at least one or two positive comments, write them on a post it, and leave it on the teacher’s desk on the way out. If there is a specific problem noticed, the principal can set up a meeting to discuss that at a separate time.
Professional Development
Good principals should encourage their teachers to attend professional development and workshops. Principals should work with other principals to arrange collaboration and professional learning communities among their schools. Principals should be the Instructional Leaders of their schools. They should be willing to roll up their sleeves and show their teachers how it’s done. Encouraging professional development contributes to teachers’ sense of self-actualization and is extremely rewarding.
The Mission Statement
Work with your staff to create a mission statement for your school. Make sure it is meaningful, genuine and something the entire group believes in. Then, as teachers contribute to progress toward the mission, you can specifically praise individual teachers or the entire team as they complete targets and goals toward achieving the mission statement.
Provide Positive Feedback
People are far better motivated by the use of positive feedback. Rather than focusing on weaknesses, focus on strengths and praise them whenever praise is deserved. School leaders who identify the specific reasons for success when they present positive results at staff meetings, and who are able to temper success with the recognition that there will always be challenges ahead, can inspire the faculty to continue working to improve their practice. When mistakes or poor performance happen, harsh criticism may result in an inhibition of motivation and growth. Instead, use constructive criticism, and modeling with the intent of helping the teacher to improve. Let teachers know you are confident in their ability to improve and let them know they are valued. Principals must offer support, tangible help and guidance for their teachers.
The simple act of recognition by a principal is often just enough to keep a teacher motivated to continue and not become a NCES statistic. There are several ideas listed above but please continue to come up with your own. For example, school leaders can also demonstrate care by giving recognition for a job well done in a card or an announcement in the weekly bulletin. It also won’t “break the bank” to provide a nice breakfast each quarter for your teachers, just to show how much you care.
Author Pearl Buck said it well:
Only the Brave Should Teach
Pearl Buck
Only the brave should teach.
Only those who love the young should teach.
Teaching is a vocation.
It is as sacred as the priesthood;
as innate a desire,
as inescapable as the genius which compels a great artist.
If he has not the concern for humanity,
The love of living creatures,
The vision of the priest and the artist,
He must not teach.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Exciting News!
Dear Friends,
I’m very excited to announce the release of my first published book just released Monday, April 26. It’s a non-fiction compilation of true stories of some really cool adventures I’ve had with students at various schools where I taught. The title is: Unleashing The Student’s “I Can!” It is meant as an inspirational book with the message: Never give up on a child. There’s always a way. You just have to find each child’s gift or talent waiting to be “unleashed.” The book can be purchased through the publisher at:
http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html
Best wishes always!
Wendy-- Wendy Ghiora, Ed.D
I’m very excited to announce the release of my first published book just released Monday, April 26. It’s a non-fiction compilation of true stories of some really cool adventures I’ve had with students at various schools where I taught. The title is: Unleashing The Student’s “I Can!” It is meant as an inspirational book with the message: Never give up on a child. There’s always a way. You just have to find each child’s gift or talent waiting to be “unleashed.” The book can be purchased through the publisher at:
http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html
Best wishes always!
Wendy-- Wendy Ghiora, Ed.D
IS MUSIC THAT IMPORTANT?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #49 – May 8, 2010
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if music simply did not exist? From the time we are born many of us are lucky enough to be lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of our mom singing. As we grow up, we learn so many delightful childhood rhymes and games set to animated music. What would it be like to watch a movie with no music to set the mood or introduce a melody one will remember always? What glorious sound would accompany those precision parade participants, students striding proudly into their graduation ceremony or a bride as she gracefully walks down the aisle? What could possibly replace Handel’s Messiah, Mancini’s The Pink Panther or Queen’s We Will Rock You? There are so many events and occasions, or even just for one’s own pleasure, where a musical tune is simply irreplaceable.
In a good music class, students learn about the historical events that were taking place when the music they play was written. They learn what the music was typically used for (was it sung? was it an opera? dancing music? for royal families or poorer ones?). So much of our culture is absorbed in music and has been for centuries.
Studying music also helps students with math and science. Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't. As they learn, they use prior knowledge to figure out what else might sound good together, which can lead to composing. Students also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagoras came up with back around Medieval times. This theory is how music is produced by vibration and why.
Good music teachers also make sure their students learn a lot about languages. Many choral songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. Some songs are famous literary poems or short works set to music; so students are exposed to that. Also, the markings in music (how fast, how loud, what style) are typically written in Italian. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.
Students learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students must use fine and gross motor skills in order to play an instrument. Singers and wind players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play.
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex patterns (where does my part fit into the whole? How can I make my part sound better? What are some tiny adjustments I can make to adjust tone or intonation? How does this music and these different parts fit together?). Students have to be absolutely aware of what every other musician does at all times. In that way, it fosters cooperation, as well. Music students learn teamwork and cooperation. No musician is independent of the whole, and yet each musician is a part of that whole, with a unique part and sound that leads to the brilliant sound of the entire ensemble.
As one can see, music is very important in our lives. It is frequently underestimated and thought of as "easy" or "play time;" not true.. Students frequently appear to be having fun while they are making music because music IS fun (though not easy). Music can portray any mood, and it takes a special, interested person in order to make it good. Music can lift one's spirits or calm one after a stressful day. These are just a few reasons why music is very important.
For those of you craving some research-based evidence, here are some facts and figures:
1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
2. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs.
3. Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program.
4. Students in top quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in Math than children in schools without a music program.
5. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and Math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs.
6. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and Math than students who had no music at all.
MENC (Music Educators National Conference) Journal of Research in Music Education, Winter 2006, vol. 54, No. 4, pgs. 293- 307; “Examination of Relationship between Participation in School Music Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results” Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, University of Kansas
So, what do you think? Should we continue to allow school districts to simply cut all music programs? Or is music that important?
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if music simply did not exist? From the time we are born many of us are lucky enough to be lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of our mom singing. As we grow up, we learn so many delightful childhood rhymes and games set to animated music. What would it be like to watch a movie with no music to set the mood or introduce a melody one will remember always? What glorious sound would accompany those precision parade participants, students striding proudly into their graduation ceremony or a bride as she gracefully walks down the aisle? What could possibly replace Handel’s Messiah, Mancini’s The Pink Panther or Queen’s We Will Rock You? There are so many events and occasions, or even just for one’s own pleasure, where a musical tune is simply irreplaceable.
In a good music class, students learn about the historical events that were taking place when the music they play was written. They learn what the music was typically used for (was it sung? was it an opera? dancing music? for royal families or poorer ones?). So much of our culture is absorbed in music and has been for centuries.
Studying music also helps students with math and science. Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't. As they learn, they use prior knowledge to figure out what else might sound good together, which can lead to composing. Students also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagoras came up with back around Medieval times. This theory is how music is produced by vibration and why.
Good music teachers also make sure their students learn a lot about languages. Many choral songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. Some songs are famous literary poems or short works set to music; so students are exposed to that. Also, the markings in music (how fast, how loud, what style) are typically written in Italian. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.
Students learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students must use fine and gross motor skills in order to play an instrument. Singers and wind players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play.
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex patterns (where does my part fit into the whole? How can I make my part sound better? What are some tiny adjustments I can make to adjust tone or intonation? How does this music and these different parts fit together?). Students have to be absolutely aware of what every other musician does at all times. In that way, it fosters cooperation, as well. Music students learn teamwork and cooperation. No musician is independent of the whole, and yet each musician is a part of that whole, with a unique part and sound that leads to the brilliant sound of the entire ensemble.
As one can see, music is very important in our lives. It is frequently underestimated and thought of as "easy" or "play time;" not true.. Students frequently appear to be having fun while they are making music because music IS fun (though not easy). Music can portray any mood, and it takes a special, interested person in order to make it good. Music can lift one's spirits or calm one after a stressful day. These are just a few reasons why music is very important.
For those of you craving some research-based evidence, here are some facts and figures:
1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
2. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs.
3. Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program.
4. Students in top quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in Math than children in schools without a music program.
5. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and Math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs.
6. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and Math than students who had no music at all.
MENC (Music Educators National Conference) Journal of Research in Music Education, Winter 2006, vol. 54, No. 4, pgs. 293- 307; “Examination of Relationship between Participation in School Music Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results” Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, University of Kansas
So, what do you think? Should we continue to allow school districts to simply cut all music programs? Or is music that important?
Saturday, May 1, 2010
WHO SAID HISTORY AND ENGLISH ARE BORING?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #48 – May 1, 2010
Have you ever wondered where many of the “sayings” in English come from? There are some that just don’t seem to make any sense. Try asking your students if they know where a saying like: “It’s raining cats and dogs,” came from. If they don’t know, I’m sure they will invent some very creative answers. As they say, “truth is stranger than fiction.”
Present the following information to your students, and then challenge them to get the real scoop on other famous sayings and nuances. It could even be fun to see which group finds the most unusual, gross or entertaining tidbits. The kids will really plow into this one.
Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof.When it rained it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (the straw left over after threshing grain) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more and more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. To prevent this, a piece of wood was placed in the entrance way - hence a "thresh hold."They cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite awhile, -- hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old." Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach on to the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers (a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl). Often trenchers were made from stale bread that was so old and hard that they could use them for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth." Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, "the upper crust. "Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up hence, the custom of holding a "wake." England is old and small and they started out running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered "a dead ringer." And that's the truth.
Who said History and English are Boring?
Have you ever wondered where many of the “sayings” in English come from? There are some that just don’t seem to make any sense. Try asking your students if they know where a saying like: “It’s raining cats and dogs,” came from. If they don’t know, I’m sure they will invent some very creative answers. As they say, “truth is stranger than fiction.”
Present the following information to your students, and then challenge them to get the real scoop on other famous sayings and nuances. It could even be fun to see which group finds the most unusual, gross or entertaining tidbits. The kids will really plow into this one.
Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof.When it rained it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (the straw left over after threshing grain) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more and more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. To prevent this, a piece of wood was placed in the entrance way - hence a "thresh hold."They cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite awhile, -- hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old." Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach on to the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers (a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl). Often trenchers were made from stale bread that was so old and hard that they could use them for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth." Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, "the upper crust. "Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up hence, the custom of holding a "wake." England is old and small and they started out running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered "a dead ringer." And that's the truth.
Who said History and English are Boring?
Saturday, April 24, 2010
IS YOUR SCHOOL ACCREDITED?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #47 – April 24, 2010
I just returned from serving on a WASC team, which evaluated a local high school in Los Angeles County. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. The Commission provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and East Asia. WASC is the official agency that has the authority to grant accreditation to schools and colleges.
The following description is taken from the WASC Website:
Accreditation is a term that originally meant trustworthiness in its middle French, Old Italian usage. The original purpose of accreditation in the United States was designed to encourage the standardization of secondary school programs, primarily to ensure for the benefit of colleges and universities that graduating students had mastered a particular body of knowledge. However, today the process developed by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), involves a dual purpose that continues the expectation that schools must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high quality learning opportunities, but with the added requirement that they clearly demonstrate that they are about the critical business of continual self-improvement.
Ultimately, the accreditation process is all about fostering excellence in the elementary, secondary, adult, postsecondary and supplementary education programs we accredit. Our fundamental cause involves helping schools meaningfully create the highest quality learning experience they can envision for all students. It is WASC's consistent purpose to professionally support schools in creating for themselves a clear vision of what they desire their students to know and be able to do and then to ensure that efficient and relevant systems are in place that predictably result in the fulfillment of those expectations for every child.
The capacity of any organization to improve is directly related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act on its identified strengths and limitations. The accreditation process is a vehicle that enables schools to improve student learning and school performance based on an analysis of those strengths and limitations. Participating schools must meet rigorous, research-based standards that reflect the essential elements of a quality and effective school, but again, must also be able to demonstrate engagement in as well as capacity to provide continuous school improvement.
The school I visited was an alternative high school. I would like to make two recommendations to my readers:
1. Volunteer to serve on a WASC Committee; or if you live in a different state, join the accreditation committee that serves your area. It is the very best, free professional development you could ask for. I learn so much from each school I observe as well as from the other members of the team. You are given the opportunity to help improve the education of both the students and staff of a school as well as receiving new knowledge and ideas you may not have been able to acquire anywhere else.
2. Thank someone you know who works in an alternative high school. The teachers in these schools are largely unnoticed for the enormous service they are doing for our society and for our country. They use their patience, care and of course their teaching skills to make sure these students (who couldn’t make it in a “traditional high school,”) succeed. If it were not for the dedicated staff at these schools, most of the kids would not graduate and lead successful lives. Instead, they would probably be dead or in jail. The students and parents of the school expressed gratitude for the help and guidance given their students. I, for one commend these schools and their dedicated staff.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am very excited to announce the release of my first published book: Unleashing the Student's "I Can!" It is a compilation of true stories of some very cool adventures I've had with students while teaching at various schools. The message is to never give up on a child. There's always a way. Just find the gift or talent each student has that is just waiting to be "unleashed." Hopefully, it will inspire.
You can purchase the book through the publisher at this link: http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html
I just returned from serving on a WASC team, which evaluated a local high school in Los Angeles County. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. The Commission provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and East Asia. WASC is the official agency that has the authority to grant accreditation to schools and colleges.
The following description is taken from the WASC Website:
Accreditation is a term that originally meant trustworthiness in its middle French, Old Italian usage. The original purpose of accreditation in the United States was designed to encourage the standardization of secondary school programs, primarily to ensure for the benefit of colleges and universities that graduating students had mastered a particular body of knowledge. However, today the process developed by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), involves a dual purpose that continues the expectation that schools must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high quality learning opportunities, but with the added requirement that they clearly demonstrate that they are about the critical business of continual self-improvement.
Ultimately, the accreditation process is all about fostering excellence in the elementary, secondary, adult, postsecondary and supplementary education programs we accredit. Our fundamental cause involves helping schools meaningfully create the highest quality learning experience they can envision for all students. It is WASC's consistent purpose to professionally support schools in creating for themselves a clear vision of what they desire their students to know and be able to do and then to ensure that efficient and relevant systems are in place that predictably result in the fulfillment of those expectations for every child.
The capacity of any organization to improve is directly related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act on its identified strengths and limitations. The accreditation process is a vehicle that enables schools to improve student learning and school performance based on an analysis of those strengths and limitations. Participating schools must meet rigorous, research-based standards that reflect the essential elements of a quality and effective school, but again, must also be able to demonstrate engagement in as well as capacity to provide continuous school improvement.
The school I visited was an alternative high school. I would like to make two recommendations to my readers:
1. Volunteer to serve on a WASC Committee; or if you live in a different state, join the accreditation committee that serves your area. It is the very best, free professional development you could ask for. I learn so much from each school I observe as well as from the other members of the team. You are given the opportunity to help improve the education of both the students and staff of a school as well as receiving new knowledge and ideas you may not have been able to acquire anywhere else.
2. Thank someone you know who works in an alternative high school. The teachers in these schools are largely unnoticed for the enormous service they are doing for our society and for our country. They use their patience, care and of course their teaching skills to make sure these students (who couldn’t make it in a “traditional high school,”) succeed. If it were not for the dedicated staff at these schools, most of the kids would not graduate and lead successful lives. Instead, they would probably be dead or in jail. The students and parents of the school expressed gratitude for the help and guidance given their students. I, for one commend these schools and their dedicated staff.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am very excited to announce the release of my first published book: Unleashing the Student's "I Can!" It is a compilation of true stories of some very cool adventures I've had with students while teaching at various schools. The message is to never give up on a child. There's always a way. Just find the gift or talent each student has that is just waiting to be "unleashed." Hopefully, it will inspire.
You can purchase the book through the publisher at this link: http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html
Saturday, April 17, 2010
EVALUATING STUDENT LEARNING
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #46 – April 17, 2010
Many educators view assessment of student learning as a comprehensive task. However, evaluating a student’s performance can actually be done in a formative and/or a summative way.
Formative evaluation is a process of ongoing feedback on performance. The purposes are to identify aspects of performance that need to improve and to offer corrective suggestions. The formative version of learning assessment, deals with the different ways teachers can evaluate students based on the material presented in class. The students themselves get to see where they need to concentrate more efforts on then use the information collected from this type of assessment. The teachers can also use the results to focus in on the areas where extra time should be spent on instruction.
Summative evaluation is a process of identifying larger patterns and trends in performance and judging these summary statements against criteria to obtain performance ratings. You must rely upon your evidence and perceptions to justify ratings. The summative version of assessment of learning gives teachers the opportunity to grade work that evaluates the quality of the student’s work through different assignments. Not only is this data graded for accuracy but also how well the student translates their knowledge of the subject matter at hand.
The bottom line is that assessment of learning is what many educators do to determine whether a student is ready to pass to the next level of study. It is not always at the end of the year before grade promotions. In fact, it can and should happen frequently throughout the year and should incorporate more than just grades but also level of competency in other areas of learning as well.
Evaluation lies at the heart of improving teaching and learning. However you look at it, change only comes about when you determine to make a change. In order to come to that determination, you must first consider your current practice, and come to the conclusion that change is necessary. If you don't want to change your practice, or to improve your practice, if you don't want to improve the learning experience of your students, then there is no need to evaluate their learning experience or the learning environment you have created for them. However, if you are eager to improve the learning experience of your students, then it is important for you to consider where change can best be effected. It is quite valuable to begin by evaluating that experience. Appropriate and effective evaluation can lead to appropriate and effective change and development. Indeed, evaluation should not be seen as something additional to your teaching. It should be seen as an integral part of the design and delivery of a program of teaching for high quality student learning.
An educator serious about effecting positive change in their teaching should be able to do the following:
· Identify and describe the learning outcomes you are trying to achieve for your students
· Distinguish between the different kinds of outcomes commonly achieved in education
· Study some of the most common evaluation systems used in education
· Evaluate these systems and determine those that are suitable for your purposes
· Identify how you can build evaluation into your own teaching as a normal part of your design and development practice
· Determine how to design and use student self-assessment as part of your evaluation process
· Identify and describe how to create meaningful rubrics to measure student progress in several different subject areas
· Design a “Teacher Evaluation” to be completed by your students for the purpose of letting you know what changes they need and what they consider is working well for them in your class
. 'teachers who respond to their children's message, and not to their mistakes, appeared to help their children more.' John Smith Warwick Elley New Zealand Educators
Many educators view assessment of student learning as a comprehensive task. However, evaluating a student’s performance can actually be done in a formative and/or a summative way.
Formative evaluation is a process of ongoing feedback on performance. The purposes are to identify aspects of performance that need to improve and to offer corrective suggestions. The formative version of learning assessment, deals with the different ways teachers can evaluate students based on the material presented in class. The students themselves get to see where they need to concentrate more efforts on then use the information collected from this type of assessment. The teachers can also use the results to focus in on the areas where extra time should be spent on instruction.
Summative evaluation is a process of identifying larger patterns and trends in performance and judging these summary statements against criteria to obtain performance ratings. You must rely upon your evidence and perceptions to justify ratings. The summative version of assessment of learning gives teachers the opportunity to grade work that evaluates the quality of the student’s work through different assignments. Not only is this data graded for accuracy but also how well the student translates their knowledge of the subject matter at hand.
The bottom line is that assessment of learning is what many educators do to determine whether a student is ready to pass to the next level of study. It is not always at the end of the year before grade promotions. In fact, it can and should happen frequently throughout the year and should incorporate more than just grades but also level of competency in other areas of learning as well.
Evaluation lies at the heart of improving teaching and learning. However you look at it, change only comes about when you determine to make a change. In order to come to that determination, you must first consider your current practice, and come to the conclusion that change is necessary. If you don't want to change your practice, or to improve your practice, if you don't want to improve the learning experience of your students, then there is no need to evaluate their learning experience or the learning environment you have created for them. However, if you are eager to improve the learning experience of your students, then it is important for you to consider where change can best be effected. It is quite valuable to begin by evaluating that experience. Appropriate and effective evaluation can lead to appropriate and effective change and development. Indeed, evaluation should not be seen as something additional to your teaching. It should be seen as an integral part of the design and delivery of a program of teaching for high quality student learning.
An educator serious about effecting positive change in their teaching should be able to do the following:
· Identify and describe the learning outcomes you are trying to achieve for your students
· Distinguish between the different kinds of outcomes commonly achieved in education
· Study some of the most common evaluation systems used in education
· Evaluate these systems and determine those that are suitable for your purposes
· Identify how you can build evaluation into your own teaching as a normal part of your design and development practice
· Determine how to design and use student self-assessment as part of your evaluation process
· Identify and describe how to create meaningful rubrics to measure student progress in several different subject areas
· Design a “Teacher Evaluation” to be completed by your students for the purpose of letting you know what changes they need and what they consider is working well for them in your class
. 'teachers who respond to their children's message, and not to their mistakes, appeared to help their children more.' John Smith Warwick Elley New Zealand Educators
Saturday, April 10, 2010
About Student Trust
About Student Trust
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Blog Posting #45 – April 10, 2010
Have you ever thought about the importance of student trust? Does it really matter if your students trust you? Let’s look at what trust really means:
Trust: Noun. Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin: akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English treowe faithful.
1. a: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed.
Wow! This is such a small word, with such a powerful definition. Accordingly, in order to step into the shoes of one who is worthy of trust, one would exude the qualities of assured reliance on their own character, ability, strength and/or truth and be someone in whom confidence is placed. It takes a very special, caring and ethical person to fill these shoes and walk in them daily.
Effective teachers know the importance of building trust with their students. It may not be written in the official job description, but teaching without gaining a student’s trust, is like trying to sail a ship without any sails.
Trust building begins on day one and requires consistency as the year progresses. Students who come to trust you will not be classroom management problems: to the contrary, they will help you achieve your goals and they will help other students see you in the best possible light.
One of the best ways to gain student trust is to show that really do care and you are genuinely interested in your students' lives.
Let Your Students Know They Are Important
Step 1- Greeting
Say hi. As your students enter your classroom, greet them with a smile and a simple hello. You don't have to engage them in a lengthy conversation; just talk to them. This shows them that you recognize their existence and that you are glad to see them. This means the world to many students, since they might come from families where their parents aren't glad to see them.
Step 2- Caring Conversation
When you have some time after class or if you see one of your students in the hallway, take a moment to ask how their day went or ask what their plans are for the weekend. Be careful not to be too intense with the questioning; some students would rather not talk to their teachers about their lives, and this is fine. Find something nice to say to the student. As long as your statements or compliments are genuine, they will be well received. Many of your students will welcome the interest you show in them, and this will help them to feel that you are trustworthy.
Step 3- Inclusive Instruction
Include your students in your lessons (always in a positive manner). One of the surest ways to attract the attention of your students is to use them in your teaching. If you are giving an example of something, then use your student's names in the example. If you need some volunteers to demonstrate a concept, ask some of your students to help you. The more student involvement, the more they learn and feel at ease in your class. This not only helps students want to be involved in your lesson, but it also helps the other students pay attention better, as they naturally do when they hear or see their own peers in your lesson.
Step 4-Building and Creating Emotional Safety
Consistently let students know that you are someone who they can come to with any question or concern. Questions like “How are you doing?” or “Is something bothering you?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” signal that you care. Beginning of the year confusion, intimidation, inconsistency and threats may create short-term compliance, but you put genuine trust at risk. Over time, students will come to you with their concerns trusting that you will listen and that you care about them. Students, like most people, just want to be in the presence of someone who cares. The most effective and trusted teachers are the ones who take time to ask students how they are doing. They reassure them that if they had any questions about the new school they should come to them. An example is a teacher that did this by making sure that students knew how to unlock their hall lockers. Middle school was the first time many of them had ever used a combination lock. Because she took the time to care about their “locker anxiety,” she helped them feel more safe and started earning their trust.
Step-5 Consistency and Reliability
There are 180 school days in most academic years. A teacher can gain the trust of students by making every day, every week and every unit as structured, yet as interesting as possible. Students should know exactly what the goals of the lesson are, and what they are expected to know and be able to do at lesson’s end. Many students lack consistency and reliability in their own lives. Once the trusting starts, some of your students will begin to make up reasons to stay after school. On Fridays, some will even tell you that they cannot wait for Monday. They know that, for at least five days, someone whom they trust will be there for them, care about their learning progress and keep them safe. Your face should bring a sense of joy to their hearts and they should smile when they see you.
Whom Do You Trust?
You trust people who anticipate your needs.
You trust people who demonstrate that they care about you.
You trust people who are reliable and consistent
You trust people who correct your mistakes and help you learn.
You trust people who help you to feel competent and successful.
Guess what? Students will trust you for the same reasons. They will come to trust you if they feel safe physically, socially and emotionally in your classroom. Students who know you care about them will trust you. Students who know you are reliable and consistent will trust you. Students who get academic and personal help when they make mistakes will trust you. Students, who feel competent and successful because of you, will give you much of the credit for their achievements. The teacher worthy of trust is the teacher you always want to thank in person.
Conclusion
To earn a student’s trust is as essential to teaching as the knowledge you have of your subject. Trust is the power given to you by your students enabling you together, to muster the wind needed to set sail. Bon voyage!
"To reach a port, we must sail - sail, not tie at anchor - sail, not drift. "--Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Blog Posting #45 – April 10, 2010
Have you ever thought about the importance of student trust? Does it really matter if your students trust you? Let’s look at what trust really means:
Trust: Noun. Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin: akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English treowe faithful.
1. a: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed.
Wow! This is such a small word, with such a powerful definition. Accordingly, in order to step into the shoes of one who is worthy of trust, one would exude the qualities of assured reliance on their own character, ability, strength and/or truth and be someone in whom confidence is placed. It takes a very special, caring and ethical person to fill these shoes and walk in them daily.
Effective teachers know the importance of building trust with their students. It may not be written in the official job description, but teaching without gaining a student’s trust, is like trying to sail a ship without any sails.
Trust building begins on day one and requires consistency as the year progresses. Students who come to trust you will not be classroom management problems: to the contrary, they will help you achieve your goals and they will help other students see you in the best possible light.
One of the best ways to gain student trust is to show that really do care and you are genuinely interested in your students' lives.
Let Your Students Know They Are Important
Step 1- Greeting
Say hi. As your students enter your classroom, greet them with a smile and a simple hello. You don't have to engage them in a lengthy conversation; just talk to them. This shows them that you recognize their existence and that you are glad to see them. This means the world to many students, since they might come from families where their parents aren't glad to see them.
Step 2- Caring Conversation
When you have some time after class or if you see one of your students in the hallway, take a moment to ask how their day went or ask what their plans are for the weekend. Be careful not to be too intense with the questioning; some students would rather not talk to their teachers about their lives, and this is fine. Find something nice to say to the student. As long as your statements or compliments are genuine, they will be well received. Many of your students will welcome the interest you show in them, and this will help them to feel that you are trustworthy.
Step 3- Inclusive Instruction
Include your students in your lessons (always in a positive manner). One of the surest ways to attract the attention of your students is to use them in your teaching. If you are giving an example of something, then use your student's names in the example. If you need some volunteers to demonstrate a concept, ask some of your students to help you. The more student involvement, the more they learn and feel at ease in your class. This not only helps students want to be involved in your lesson, but it also helps the other students pay attention better, as they naturally do when they hear or see their own peers in your lesson.
Step 4-Building and Creating Emotional Safety
Consistently let students know that you are someone who they can come to with any question or concern. Questions like “How are you doing?” or “Is something bothering you?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” signal that you care. Beginning of the year confusion, intimidation, inconsistency and threats may create short-term compliance, but you put genuine trust at risk. Over time, students will come to you with their concerns trusting that you will listen and that you care about them. Students, like most people, just want to be in the presence of someone who cares. The most effective and trusted teachers are the ones who take time to ask students how they are doing. They reassure them that if they had any questions about the new school they should come to them. An example is a teacher that did this by making sure that students knew how to unlock their hall lockers. Middle school was the first time many of them had ever used a combination lock. Because she took the time to care about their “locker anxiety,” she helped them feel more safe and started earning their trust.
Step-5 Consistency and Reliability
There are 180 school days in most academic years. A teacher can gain the trust of students by making every day, every week and every unit as structured, yet as interesting as possible. Students should know exactly what the goals of the lesson are, and what they are expected to know and be able to do at lesson’s end. Many students lack consistency and reliability in their own lives. Once the trusting starts, some of your students will begin to make up reasons to stay after school. On Fridays, some will even tell you that they cannot wait for Monday. They know that, for at least five days, someone whom they trust will be there for them, care about their learning progress and keep them safe. Your face should bring a sense of joy to their hearts and they should smile when they see you.
Whom Do You Trust?
You trust people who anticipate your needs.
You trust people who demonstrate that they care about you.
You trust people who are reliable and consistent
You trust people who correct your mistakes and help you learn.
You trust people who help you to feel competent and successful.
Guess what? Students will trust you for the same reasons. They will come to trust you if they feel safe physically, socially and emotionally in your classroom. Students who know you care about them will trust you. Students who know you are reliable and consistent will trust you. Students who get academic and personal help when they make mistakes will trust you. Students, who feel competent and successful because of you, will give you much of the credit for their achievements. The teacher worthy of trust is the teacher you always want to thank in person.
Conclusion
To earn a student’s trust is as essential to teaching as the knowledge you have of your subject. Trust is the power given to you by your students enabling you together, to muster the wind needed to set sail. Bon voyage!
"To reach a port, we must sail - sail, not tie at anchor - sail, not drift. "--Franklin D. Roosevelt
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