What Good Professional Development Does for Teachers and How to Make PD Good

   

     I start every school year feeling like I can change the world, one student at a time. I really do.  Going back to school after summer break is easy because I truly believe in the power of education. Education is the key for social justice.  Education is the great equalizer.  I love teaching and the joy of each day's adventure.  However, ask me if I love my job around testing season (February-April), and I'm sure the response won't be pretty.  Except for this year.  This year was different than the others.

     Our school was awarded a grant that has given us professional development opportunities that we could only dream of before this year.  In the past year, I talked about argumentative writing strategies with Kelly Gallagher, learned ways to engage kids in a rigorous text from Kylene Beers and Bob Probst, discussed goal and technique charts with Lucy Calkins, came up with academic vocabulary lessons (and triggers!) with Kristina Smekens, and laughed at school day shenanigans with Gerry Brooks (twice!).   Not only did I get to hear them speak, but each opportunity kind of rekindled that back-to-school eagerness that starts to smolder around the third quarter of school.

     That's what good professional development does for a teacher.  It empowers, encourages, and engages teachers for the work ahead.  This doesn't happen easily, though. Want to make sure your PD is one teachers love?  Here are the 3 things teachers want from PD:

All the materials I received
at the Smekens Literacy Retreat

Lessons that are ready to use

There are times to talk theory and there are times to talk strategies.  A good PD talks strategies immediately.  My favorite thing about the PDs I've attended this year is that each one gave me strategies I could immediately use in my classroom with very little prep.  For example, after an entire session on tangible triggers for lessons, Kristina Smekens then gave every teacher those triggers, including a card to explain how to implement the trigger in the lesson.  

Opportunities to collaborate

When I hear a great idea, my first instinct is to turn to my colleague and say something like, "We could totally use it for..." and then they will usually explain how they were thinking we could use it.  I give my kids time to talk to each other to make sense of what we're doing in class, and I want the same from a PD.  I need that time to collaborate with my colleagues and bounce ideas off of each other.  Kylene Beers and Bob Probst did a great job of providing that "turn and talk" time during their sessions at the National Reading Recovery Conference in January.  Like they mentioned, "The smartest person in the room...is the room."  I'm an okay teacher, but the opportunity to discuss new things with my colleagues makes me a much better teacher!

Humor

Teaching is a stressful job.  Any opportunity we get to laugh at the ridiculously funny things that happen during our day makes that job a little easier, and a good presenter recognizes that.  Gerry Brooks is phenomenal at this.  Brooks engages the audience by getting us to laugh at the absurd-to-any-other-profession events that happen in our day, and then uses those events to teach us valuable lessons, like unwritten teacher-code when talking to parents and then teaching how to effectively communicate with parents.

Professional Development not only teaches new strategies, but when well-executed, it also gives much needed inspiration.  Be sure to leave your favorite PDs in the comments!

Love and Sparkle,

Narrative Writing: The Most Undervalued Element of the Language Arts Curriculum

     During a recent meeting, I was shocked when I felt like the importance of narrative writing was questioned.  No one was trying to diminish the work of an ELA teacher, but really, just trying to decide where does it fit in the middle school literacy curriculum, and how does the ELA curriculum support Social Studies and Science.  More or less, the rationale was the narrative writing is taught in grades K-5, so why is there such an importance in grades 6-12?

     As a teacher, I understand there are too many standards for kids to master in grades K-12.  In fact, if a teacher were to truly teach each standard to student mastery, we would need to change K-12 to K-22 before sending them off to college.  As the leader of my classroom, I choose which standards need our attention, and for how long. Sure, we have a pacing guide, but I'm not tied to it. During a quarter that focuses Reading Literature standards, I can choose how long my students need to spend on narrative writing in that time frame.  And as long as I have an option, I will always teach narrative writing because I see a great value in it. Narrative writing is the most undervalued element of the ELA classroom.

Student works on autobiography portfolio unit.
This student stated it was her favorite project 
of the year, and her favorite assignment since 
starting middle school.

     Narrative writing is still important in grades 6-12 for a myriad of reasons.  Narrative writing and storytelling is something our students do everyday, from telling friends what happened over the weekend to describing the cafeteria food fight to the dean.  Narrative writing and telling a story in a logical sequence is a relevant skill students - and adults - use daily, whether school officials want to believe it or not.

     I think one of the reasons for narrative writing's bad rap in grades 6-12 is that the wording of the standard doesn't drastically change, leading some to believe that narrative writing is just a repetition of previous years.  In middle school, it isn't.  This is a time for students to explore with structure - start with the exposition or the climax?  It is a time for students to play with the timing - do we slow down time with lots of description of the short time, do we use a technique like a flashback? Basically, the standard becomes as rigorous the teacher makes it.

     Most importantly, though, is that this is a time for students to find their voice.  Our kids see and experience so much in their lives.  Writing about it, processing it, working through it is therapeutic.  The creative release of narrative writing is something some kids seek and relish during their school day.

     I've been reading Disrupting Thinking by Kylene Beers and Bob Probst (expect a book review on here soon).  If you've read anything else from Beers, you'll remember her anecdotes from Marcus, an 8th grader in 2008.  His story is very haunting for me because I know his story is very similar to some of my students.  When asked about his spiral notebook, he replies "its kinda private" and that the writing he does in his notebook is the "wrong kinda writing for school" because it doesn't have topic sentences.  With his full notebook, it is obvious Marcus is a writer, yet he doesn't see himself as one.  In fact, when asked if likes to write, he responded with "No I don't think so.  I got a D in writing last year.  I turned in this one paper about the time my dad came for a visit and the teacher says it was good but it had agreement errors and that was why it had to get a D."

     Have we really reduced good writing to nothing but topic sentences and subject-verb agreement?

     Similar to Marcus, I have a student who lost a parent this fall.  Just two weeks ago, we worked on a visual I Am poem.  Students wrote the poem, then created a slideshow of images to go along with the poem, and then used Screencastify to record themselves reciting the poem over the images being displayed.  The student chose to write about her mother's death, and what her life is like now without her mother here with her.  She is a reluctant writer on most days, but spent a week on this project, perfecting every line, every word.  When recording, she rushed through the poem because she didn't want to start crying.  She stopped the recording and then started to tear up.  "Moman, that's the first time I've said any of that stuff out loud.  You know, I think it all the time, but I thought saying it would just make me more sad.  It didn't though.  I liked remembering my mom."  Narrative writing that allows for reflection - on an life event, on yourself, anything - helps our students grow in ways that we can't fully understand

     Common Core's push for more argumentative and informational writing has made several administrators and Language Arts teachers question how much time classrooms spend on narrative writing. Topic sentences, claims, good evidence,and attribution are all important, don't get me wrong.  But in real life, argumentative writing is best when supported with a strong narrative.  Kelly Gallagher urges us to think to about it in his book, In The Best Interest of Students.  Gallagher states that during the State of the Union Address, while the president is convincing other legislators the importance in his initiatives, he stops to point to at the crowd, illustrating the story of everyday Americans whose stories support his agenda.  We have to balance the writing genres our students are exposed to in order to make sure we have a well-rounded student.

     While argumentative and informational writing are important skills, our students having a voice and the opportunity express themselves in our classrooms should be the forefront of our teaching.  Forget the subject-verb agreement.  Narrative writing that gives students an outlet for creative expression is the "why" in my classroom.

Love and Sparkle,

     

They Work Hard for the Money: Rewarding Middle School Students with a Token Economy

I love my kids.  I really do.  And I love working with them everyday.  But, if we can be honest for a minute, if something happened and I didn't get my paycheck one Friday, I would be finding a different job.  I'm not in teaching for the money; however, my paycheck that is used to buy me a Cookies-n-Cream milkshake from Chick-fil-a during a stressful week is my incentive to work really hard. Without it, I would definitely move on to something else that could bankroll my milkshakes.

While seeing my kids grow throughout the year is definitely a reward for me, so is my paycheck.  This is why I fully believe in rewarding students for their hard work.  I am asking them to think critically, dig deeper, and work hard every single day in my room.  I am pushing them outside their comfort zone, and because of that, they are growing so much, but that doesn't make the work any less challenging. Going to school is a job for our students, and while a good education is the outcome, they really need something immediate and tangible for their efforts, much like teachers get a paycheck for their work.

What the students earn, how they earn it, and what they can spend it on are the important concepts of an token economy system.  Hopefully this post will give you some ideas for all three parts.

1. School Money

When I first started teaching middle school, our 6th grade teams had team money that was used as an incentive.  The next year, that concept was incorporated throughout the whole school.  Our students can earn Raider Bucks (our mascot is a Raider) from any staff or faculty member in the building.  Raider Bucks come in $1 and $5 bills.  It is up to each teacher to determine what warrants Raider Bucks in their classroom.  I give Raider Bucks for sharing writing pieces, 100% on tests or quizzes, improvement on progress monitoring tests for reading, answering questions, as Reading Counts prizes, and doing anything "extra" (helping others when finished, proofreading papers for others, etc.).

2. Prize Wheel

The Prize Wheel is a big hit in our room!

Sometimes, just handing out the Raider Bucks gets to be a little monotonous.  To help switch it up, I bought this prize wheel from Amazon last year. (Click here to purchase it.) Kids love it - it really adds another "umph" of motivation.  For example, if we are working on Moby Max skills in class, I might say, "Okay, for 20 minutes, anyone who earns an 80% or higher on a skill will get to spin the prize wheel."  They go crazy!  Student show me their screen so I can see where they've earned it, and then they spin the prize wheel.  They can earn Raider Bucks or candy from it.  Another time we use it is when we play Kahoot!  Top three winners get to spin the wheel as their prize.  Nothing is more entertaining than first place getting $1 Raider Buck, but third place winning candy!  Their faces are priceless!

3. Prize Closet

Prize Closet visits happen once a month.

Students can use Raider Bucks at our school Success Store on items like pencils, calculators, notebooks, erasers, lanyards, hat passes, lunch level passes, and all sorts of other items.  It is a work of art!  Anyway, I wanted kids to be able to spend the money in my room, too, so I created a Prize Closet.

We do Prize Closet about once a month, and it usually takes between 15-20 minutes.  I sell mechanical pencils, eraser, posters, books, bracelets, nail wraps, games, craft supplies (tie-dye kits are really popular with my kids!), stickers, and anything else I think the kids will buy with their Raider Bucks.  The best part is that most of the items are free to me, or really inexpensive.  The books are usually free books from Scholastic orders, craft supplies and games are usually donated (one kid's

Inside of the Prize Closet. The lights mean it
is open for business!

junk is another kid's treasure), and the Dollar Tree is perfect for cheap, fun prizes.

4. Reward Coupons

The most popular items in the Prize Closet cost no more than the paper used for printing.  My students love purchasing different coupons I have created.  I have coupons for lunch in my room with three friends, music during writing time, 15 minutes of computer game time, no homework pass, extra time to work on an assignment, and a class game.  I make the cards about the size of a business card, and then I use library pockets to store them on the doors of the cabinet. (See the picture of the Prize Closet).

Click here to download the Reward Coupons from my TeachersPayTeachers store - for FREE!

5. Popcorn Fridays

A student enjoying popcorn
while reading.

Last school year, I really wanted to add another reward for students.  My students love food and will do just about anything for a food reward, but I didn't want it to be too unhealthy.  So, I thought a popcorn reward would be okay, and relatively cheap.  However, I wanted the popcorn machine to be in my room, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting popcorn from our concession stand to my classroom.  I put up a Donor's Choose project for a popcorn machine and it was funded!  Once a month, students can spend $30 Raider Bucks to buy a bag of popcorn to eat during Independent Reading.


These are just some of the ways I reward my kiddos.  What kind of rewards and incentives do you use in your classroom?  Be sure to share your ideas in the comments!

Love and Sparkle,

Experimenting with Technology: My Real-Life Oregon Trail

Check out my post for the Indiana Department of Education's Digital Learning Month Blog!  I am so excited to get to be a part of this and their webinar on Tuesday, February 16th.

I remember 5th grade like it was yesterday. My family and I were in our cart. We had very little food. My sister had died of a broken arm. My brother had a snake bite and I had dysentery, yet my family persevered on to Williamette Valley. When we reached it, I felt like I had won.

Even back in 1995 in a rural community, my teachers recognized how the right technology can aide, engage, and inspire student learning. I was raised on the Oregon Trail. Well, not literally. I actually grew up in Small Town, Indiana, but my 5th grade world revolved around escaping to the high-ability room and knowing that if I had to die on the Oregon Trail, I needed to at least die by dysentery rather than a fever, because, let’s face it, dysentery was way cooler than an ordinary fever. As a 6th grader, I got to show 5th grade students which key was the spacebar so they could continue their journey on the Oregon Trail, and how to save medicine for a snake bite. I was allowed to teach them the things that I had learned while playing the game.

I live this same philosophy now with my 7th graders. We try new technology to aide in our learning of extremely challenging standards. As a teacher, I am trying to engage my students with technology in the same way that Oregon Trail engaged me, just with more relevant technology. Because I use technology with every student, every day, lots can go wrong.

Yes, lessons always turn out differently than planned, but when you add more moving parts to a lesson, there are more things that can go wrong. Wi-fi is down, the battery on a device won’t stay charged, kids show up without their device. The best thing we can do as teachers, though, is probably the most uncomfortable for us - do not solve the problems for them.

One of the classes I teach is our school newspaper. We recently added a poll to our paper to feature more students each week. We wanted to make this section visually appealing, so we searched and found piktochart.com, a website specializing in infographics. The two students working on this new feature were struggling with how to add pictures from their phones to the infographic on their Chromebook. Almost immediately, my instinct was to save them, to take the Chromebook and the phone from their hands and email the pictures to myself to open and save to the computer, and then import the images to their design. It would have taken a matter of minutes for me to finish the infographic. I knew exactly what steps needed to be completed, so it would have been easy for me to do it for them.

But, I didn’t. I didn’t learn how to survive the Oregon Trail because someone did it for. In fact, I learned because my teacher walked away, making me ask myself some important questions, so that’s what I did for my students. “Okay, so we have some issues. What should we do now?” By asking that simple question, I became the sounding-board for their discussion, not the leader of it. I put the learning, experimenting - and maybe even failing - experience back on them. After 5 minutes or so, they had a plan. I asked them, “Why do you think that’s the best way to do it?” Asking them to think about their thinking showed me how they eliminated other options. I know they were processing through information. Once they completed their assignment, I asked them to show the rest of the staff how to use this website for future issues. This assignment took much longer than needed to complete, but I know they learned not only how to use the website, but they also learned how to be persistent and problem-solve.

Technology is changing. A teacher’s desire for her students to be creative, analytical thinkers does not. Think about technology in the classroom as the Oregon Trail - lots of things will go wrong in the beginning, but don’t get discouraged. By asking the right questions, teachers will see how technology revolutionizes the type of thinking students will do and that will be like the teacher-version of making it to Willamette Valley.

Love and Sparkle,