This week's question is not about a specific rule but something mentioned in Rule #18. Rule #18 says "You will make every effort to be as organized as possible." When going into specific details about that rule Ron Clark said...
"Each year, I always ask my former students' new teacher how they are performing in class. Mainly, I am interested in seeing which areas I had prepared the students well, as well as the areas where my students have weaknesses. This is sometimes hard to do and very humbling because it isn't easy hearing a teacher tell you how your students went to her unprepared. If you are really interested in becoming a better teacher, though, I think it is a necessary evaluation, and besides, it is rewarding when you hear positive comments."
(Pgs. 63, 64)
This made me think about several situations in my career when feelings were hurt when someone said things like... "My kids this year are SO low" or "These students do not even know their math facts". Teachers from the grade level before often take that as an attack, their feelings get hurt before they can even ask the questions... "What do you mean by low?" or "What specific skills are they lacking?"
After moving into my current position, I quickly learned that most grade levels are saying the same kinds of things. When teachers get a new group of students, they immediately start to stress about what gains need to be made, what the needs are of each student and just how much work they have to do in a small amount of time.
There is so much stress on all staff members to work harder and get more done with less time. This added stress causes the new teacher to worry about how they will get all students where they need to be. It also causes stress for the previous teacher because they know just how hard they worked and it hurts to hear that your students are still not where they are expected to be. That hurt stands in the way of truly finding out how to get better at what we do.
In every interview, we ask potential employees a very important question. "At the end of the lesson or day, how do you know if your students get what you taught them? This question could be asked of teachers, Project MORE mentors, an aide or anyone else that works with children.
My questions for everyone are...
How do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job?
Do you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in?
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings?
My students are my first source to discover what I am doing well and where I need improvement. I discern the need in several ways, one of which is test results. Last test only 1 student correctly answered one question. That showed me I had taught it (her response could not have come from text), but that most students had not gotten it. I removed those two points from the test, and gave her the two points as bonus. Then, I retaught. I have been teaching long enough that I have had feedback from graduates. Also, the chem/physics teachers have shared with me when students say "Mrs. Taylor taught us that" or something similar. I have not involved community members in evaluation, but parents have been involved when they come in with concerns. Back to students: sometimes they let me know if they don't understand, but that is rare. The more attentive they are, the more I know I am succeeding.
ReplyDeleteThe subject matter we teach is spelled out in the content standards. Recently, I asked a teacher of a grade that precedes my grade how they taught a particular standard and if they would be able to emphasize certain parts which were important to what I had to teach. That colleague responded favorably, so I think I hurt no feelings. I do have concerns about science that is not correct being taught, but I don't know the source. The high school science department may be putting out an email about basic understandings in hopes of revising some ideas. The misunderstandings may come from parents, also. We haven't found a way to cope with that problem!
I agree with Sandra that the more attentive students are, the more I know I am succeeding. When students are engaged and listening to me and each other, then the lesson is meeting their needs. When they start to drift away, something needs revamped.
ReplyDeleteAs far as knowing what I'm doing well, I like to use tests that go along with the curriculum to gauge that. When I've taught a chapter and give a test, I'd like to think that the students will pass because they've successfully learned the content. State tests are really a cumulative reflection of a student's learning, not a direct reflection of my success. I also try to gauge how I'm doing in the affective areas as well. Unfortunately, the only real benchmark there is a lack of complaints.
As far as professional conversations, we used to do them when I taught in Arizona. The rule was 2 positive remarks for every constructive remark. It certainly made it easier to hear criticism if it was tempered by praise.
1. I know that I am good at teaching Kindergarteners about classroom routines and establishing rules and how to get along in the school environment because I have very few behavior issues in my classroom. If you effectively demonstrate what you expect from your students, they are able to internalize how to get along in the classroom and things run very smoothly. You have to take things slowly with Kindergarteners and before you know it they are listening and following along and working independenly in the classroom. You have to let them know what you expect and how you expect them to carry on in your classroom. I know I need to work on being more organized with my Guided Reading groups and establish a better flow with the groups. I often find that is an area that does not meet my own expectations for effectiveness.
ReplyDelete2. At parent-teacher conferences, I ask my parents if they understand what is happening in the room and ask specific questions to see if they are understanding the work that comes home. I ask about my Newsletter to see if it is a valuable tool of communication for my parents to know what is happening in the classroom. I talk with other teachers about expectations to help me prepare my students for the work at the next grade level. I find that most teachers want the best for all students and can have a conversation about what they would like to see from the previous grade level to work on. I don't take it as a put down but as a way to help our students. Communication is key in helping a person to grow. Asking questions and finding help from other teachers helps me to do a better job with my students and makes me a more confident educator.
#1. Going along with what Sandra said, in the past, I have tallied up how many students missed particular questions on tests. This gives me instant feedback on areas that I need to reteach/reinforce and the areas that are ready to be built upon.
ReplyDelete#2. I think I have used parents and students for feedback in the past. I have been fortunate to have a few parents each year dedicated to volunteering to work with children one-on-one. They constantly are giving me feedback about things they see as they are working with children. Students give me feedback every day when they can tell me what they have learned and when they ask questions during lessons. I haven't used the community for feedback before but this can be a resource I have never thought of using. Recently, I was at the Richwood Library. I handed by card to the librarian. She looked at my card and said, "Oh, you're the Mrs. Willey I've been hearing good things about." I could have used this moment to get more feedback from this community member. I will keep that in mind for future situations ;)
#3. Trying not to take things personally is challenging. When I hear another teacher say something about one of my past students it's easy to get defensive and I think it takes practice to not be that way. We have to remember that we work our tails off every day to get our students to where they are at the end of the year. When another teacher comes to us we have to remember it is out of concern for the child - not to degrade anyone's teaching abilities. I would be more concerned if that teacher DIDN'T come to me about a particular student that struggles. I think it's also important to dicuss the positive things we are seeing because it is always hard to hear the negatives. Going back to the question about feedback from others - this is always a great source of feedback, especially if you notice a trend in what the other teachers are saying to you.
Just today, my class and I had a talk about what we were learning well and what we weren't. The LBD theme test provided us with the evidence we needed. The kids have not scored well on those tests. We all realized that they have to pay better attention to what I am teaching and I have to do a better job of teaching it. They know something in an isolated case, but when it comes to a unit test, well it hasn't sunk in.
ReplyDeleteBelinda mentioned conferences as a time for feedback. I always end my conferences with asking what parents need from me for themselves or for their child. (I keep a pad of paper with me to write on so I won't forget.) I also ask last year's students about how I prepared them for 5th grade and they give me great ideas. Finally, it's discussions like this that lead to reflections upon my teaching, communication, and attitudes hopefully resulting in change.
How do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job?
ReplyDeleteSometimes I just "feel" like they aren't getting it or that it didn't go as well as I thought a lesson would. Danae and I share a lot of things and we use what we are good at. She is a whiz at computer things and creating "box-like" things on the computer...not me. I like to make quizzes, read the books for vocab./questions. Things like that where we feel the most comfortable, we dwell on. Sometimes it is vibes from the kids. If they aren't interested any longer, we need to change it up. We are there with LBD right now. We are moving back to the novels for reading groups, but continuing the whole group spelling, reading, skills.
Do you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in?
I am one lucky person because of the team I work with. I also get to share ideas with Danae because we both teach the same subject at our level. We bounce ideas off of each other daily, nearly every day. We discuss what went well in our classes and what didn't. We are using the data like MAPS, Study Island benchmarks, and the theme tests Kathy talked about. Our kids are not scoring well on those either. We are going to try some more emphasis on whole group teaching of the skills, very specifically, rather than generally with our kids. We found some things last year that worked and we want to go back to some of those things because we passed tests last year with some of those things that we thought were effective.
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings?
I am one of those "too sensitive" people, or so I have been told all my life. We did ask a 7th grade teacher and a 6th grade teacher last fall what our kids didn't have when they came to the middle school. It was the same things that we say and the 4th gr. teachers say and so on...math facts, can't write a complete sentence or paragraph. I think that some kids don't want to do some of those things so they don't. We say that they can't and they can, they choose otherwise. I think we need to be able to have conversations where we can lay things on the line without people feeling pinpointed or singled out...not sure how that would look, but I do know that we all want what is BEST for our kids. That might take a hurt feeling or two to get there!
You have got to be joking! After 15 minutes and thinking and typing-my comment did not post!!! Maybe I will weigh in later when the frustration of technology is gone! LOL Seriously!
ReplyDeletePatti- I think it was the same issue you had yesterday! I hit post and it came up blank and said I was not connected to internet!
Just a suggestion, because I ran into that last night and was texing with Patti when she ran into it. It is sometimes easier to ensure that you aren't going to lose your work by typing what you have to say in a Word document and then just copy and paste into the blog before it has the chance to goof up. If it doesn't seem to go successfully the first time, refresh the page. Your comment or post may have actually taken, but it just didn't look like it. If after you refresh the page, your comment REALLY isn't there (I did this too last night) then cut and paste again from your Word doc. It might save some frustration of acually losing the work that you did.
ReplyDeleteDave
One way that I know what I am doing well and what areas I need improvement in is by my evaluations. I usually use these evaluations to set my yearly goals as well. I also rely on my team members. When we meet, we usually discuss and share things that we are doing well, and things that are not going well. I use these discussions in order to reflect on things that I need to change in my own teaching.
ReplyDeleteI do include my students in deciding what areas I need to improve. Brooke gave me a student evaluation a few years ago, and I have my students fill out this evaluation at least twice a year. These student evaluations help me to reflect on my teaching, to to make changes that are needed in my teaching and/or classroom.
I know that it is hard to have professional conversations. I also tend to be a person who gets my feelings hurt easily. I do think that these conversations would be very beneficial to our school. I really like Sharon's comment above about how they paired every constructive comment with 2 positive comments. I think that if a professional conversation like this had more of a "positive appeal" rather than a negative one, then it could be very successful!
When reflecting on my teaching in the past, I, too have gauged it by how engaged my students are during lessons in the classroom. If they are not listening or seem distracted, I know they don’t see the importance of what I am trying to get across to them. When I have a particularly challenging child or group, I have asked another teacher to come in and watch me teach a lesson. When I do that, I hope they can pick up on what is going well and maybe come up with a suggestion of a different way I might present a concept or handle a behavior concern. I have videotaped myself teaching a lesson to see how things looked from another vantage point. That is real eye opener! I have asked my students to complete a survey of how they see me as a teacher by answering different kinds of questions. Finally, if I see my students have reached a goal on their IEPs or at least are making progress, I feel they are learning. I try to involve parents of kids, by asking for ideas for suggestions of ways their children learn best. After all, parents know their children better than I do.
ReplyDeleteWhen receiving criticism, I know I am way too sensitive. I take every little comment to heart when I know I shouldn’t. It does take many more positive comments to offset one negative one, so I try to remember that when interacting with others, whether it is with adults or with children.
Debbie, I bet that videotaping yourself is a huge eye opener! I like that idea, and I also like your idea about having another teacher come in and watch you teach a lesson. I think I may try both of those ideas in the future! Thanks!
ReplyDelete1.Lets see, I believe someone comes into my classroom with a laptop in their hands and a big smile on their face:)
ReplyDelete2. No, but if someone had an idea or a way to improve my approach, I would listen.
3. I am all for constructive critism if I know the person. If someone does not know me I have trouble listening to them. Everyone has their own style of teaching and if the person does not like your style then you could clash with them.
1.)I do a lot of analyzing of what went well and what did not each week to try and improve upon my teaching (deep thinker:). I have found that over the past 5 years, I very rarely keep my lesson plans the same. I’m always learning as I go and discovering what works best for each group of students. I wish I had a chance to collaborate with the first and third grade teachers more often. Maybe an informal survey of what the previous teacher did to positively prepare the students and what areas the students were lacking in that could possibly be implemented the next year would help. Overall I agree with the others that a combination of formal and informal assessments to drive instruction is helpful. Also, I agree with Sharon, if the students are engaged and listening to me then the lesson must be meeting their needs. to me and eachother, then meeting their needs.
ReplyDelete2.) I do try to include community members, students, parents, and whoever else has input on my decisions for improvement. I take everyone’s comments and opinions into consideration. From the beginning of the year I make sure to let the parents know that they can contact me at anytime for whatever reason. I feel that the parents know their child better than anyone and they can really give me a lot of helpful advice on what may or may not work for their child.
3.)Like I said before, maybe informal surveys to fill out to give to the previous teacher with both positive and constructive criticism comments would be helpful. I also believe it would be helpful to have a chance to meet and collaborate with the first and third grade teachers.
Who is up for video taping themselves? 100 years ago when I was a student at Heidelberg we had to do that, and it was as Debbie said, eye opening. Anyone going to try it? If you want there are video cameras in the library and one in my office. If you are willing to take that risk you need to do so knowing that no one other than yourself would see the video. (unless you wanted them to) I think this is an awesome idea for self evaluation. Speaking of evaluation...I would love for some feedback on how Vickie and I can make the evaluation process more meaningful to you, because after all, that is the point. I tend to be wordy in writing up the script part, and I have heard from many people that they like "hearning" what I have to say, but is it actually helping you to become better at what you do on a daily basis? I know that when I talk with other administrators about the evaluation process and I share some of the parts of what our evaluation tool looks like, I generally hear some version of "Wow. That sounds really great." I have to admit though, that I feel like it could be quite a bit more powerful for helping to improve instruction and student learning. Anyone have ideas?
ReplyDeleteI use self evaluation, student performance, and administrative evaluations to review the areas of strength in my teaching, and what areas need improvement. Because I live in the area, I often have parents and community members comment on my teaching. So far, it has been very positive, but I think I am far more critical of myself than anyone else could be; therefore, I am always willing to listen to others for areas of improvement. I am like Debbie, I will ask people to come and sit in my room to evaluate what I need to improve upon in my teaching. I don't see this as a negative, I see it as a colleague or administrator helping me grow professionally.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be very beneficial for me to have team meetings at the beginning and end of each year with the grade level above and below me. Discussing student strengths and skills that would need improvement for the following year, would help me as a professional, and give us a common goal to work towards as a team.
Jen, I really like your idea about the team meetings at the beginning and end of the year with the grade level above and below. I know that I would find something like this very beneficial, and I am sure that many other teachers would as well!
ReplyDelete“Give students more practice in planning, thinking, and deciding and less practice in memorizing, copying, and repeating.” I found this statement at the following website. I think there are a couple good ideas also at this website. Check it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntny/nychelp/energize/monitor.htm
It is extremely important that there be feedback from students to the teacher. This feedback will help us to make important changes in teaching and learning methods. The approach to learning is not "one size fits all.” The feedback from us to our students is very important as well. Our students will be more informed about what they know and what skills they have. They will knows what specifics they need to work on in order to achieve success
I reflect back on my teaching on a daily basis. My students help me every day to make improvements. If I am teaching a concept and I have students struggling then I am not doing what is best for my students.
I feel like from the very beginning, teachers need to be honest with each other and need to get to know each other. Teachers need to always remember that the children are why we are here and that by communicating with each other we are only going to better the education for our students. I feel like having 2 way communication with each other is key and by communicating data and concerns with each other will help us prepare for differentiation. I believe that all the teachers need to feel like we are all on the same team because in the end we are all here for our students.
I look at student performance to evaluate what to make improvements on. If the majority of the students do poorly on a certain part of a test I reteach the concept using a different approach. From talking with parents, I find most of them don't know why their child is struggling. At parent conferences last night, we had a mother say, "I hate school!" This was a conference for the youngest of her 3 children all of whom have had difficulty in school. We tried to reassure her we will do all we can for her child. Parents generally look to us for the answers.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings would not be hurt if a colleague offered a suggestion on how to teach a concept. I would welcome ideas/suggestions. Anyone have any tips on teaching subtraction with borrowing?
Linda, I have an idea on subtraction with borrowing. Ex. 54-28=__ When I taught 2nd grade, I had popsicle sticks rubberbanded in groups of 10. I had one person hold the tens and another hold the ones. They stood next to each other in front of the room. Another student had to be the subtracter. I would say to that student,"Okay...what do you do here? You owe me 28 sticks before you can go to recess." Then I would have them literally take the sticks out of the ones person't hand. Of course, that is not enough...I needed 8 sticks. What do you do? You have to hand me 8 sticks before we can do _____ go to lunch, recess, have a treat, whatever gets their attention at the time. They have to go up and borrow a set of 10s from that person, unwrap the rubberband, count them, and add (on the board) those 10 ones to the 4 in that column..and hand them to the ones person. Then we go on with the "you owe me 8 ones" and solve the problem. I used to give everyone a chance to be the subtracter. Most could actually see and feel it and eventually caught on. I also had a tub of tens already banded and ones in another so they could manipulate them while working. If this sounds dumb, let me know...I will show you! I might have a ton of sticks too, can't remember if I gave them away!
ReplyDeletePatti L., thank you for saying that teachers before and after a particular grade "complain" about students not knowing math facts and not being able to write a sentence or paragraph. Honestly, I thought, based on my students' performance, that math facts were no longer being taught! I have 9th graders who can't subtract 10 minus 2 mentally. Fortunately, there are many that can, so I have to remind myself that math facts must be being taught or none of the students would know them. But the fact that you who teach them are also questioning raises my hopes for improving the numbers of students who do know them. Somewhere they have lost the idea of what basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is. For my information, when do you allow calculators to be used? I have wondered if they might be part of the problem. I am not sure this is "on topic," but it is surely one I experience on a regular basis. It is also true about sentences and paragraphs. I have a number of students who don't use capital letters to begin what they would call a sentence, nor do they use punctuation. I am sure they have been taught these things, but either they have not retained them or have chosen not to put them into practice. Years ago I taught second grade and I remember teaching such things! Here is the question: what can we do to make sure students really do know these basics?
ReplyDeleteSandra,
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught 1st grade (a little over a year ago) we started with facts then. Addition and subtraction facts to 20 were studies and drilled the whole year. We made flash cards, had timed tests, everything you could think of. I always felt like students knew their facts when they left 1st grade. There were times when their 2nd grade teachers would say that they didn't know their facts and I was always shocked, because I spent a lot of time on it. The same is true for Sentences and Paragraphs. I know that capitalization and punctuation begin in Kindergarten. In 1st grade we continued to stress those same skills, but 2nd grade teachers (and up) would say that they didn't use the skills they had been taught.
Maybe we need to be finding a different format for teaching facts and writing skills. I always used fact worksheets (every morning) and wondered if a math fact game (internet based) would help them retain the information. What kinds of games/activities have people found that students like and that may also help them retain the information. I haven't seen anything for writing but I am sure it is out there.
I love talking with other teachers and coworkers and getting feedback from what I am doing. I feel like since I am a new teacher that I am constantly taking mental notes on things that I see in the classroom that I like. By talking and exchanging ideas with our teammates it is only going to help in the end. I always tell myself, "Work smarter,not harder." Whenever something a teacher is doing catches my eye I ask about it and everyone is always very willing to take a little bit of time and discuss it with me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught I used questions at the end of class, everyone had to answer a question before they could leave. I also think teachers need to be reflective and be open to peer comments. Observing others while they teach would be a great way to gain insight into your teaching but most teachers still close their door when they teach.
ReplyDeleteI always like to talk to the regular classroom teachers and special education teachers about the students I have in Project MORE. The more information I have about the student's strengths and weaknesses the better. Many times we all are seeing something different about this child and his effort or achievement. I like to know on what things I need to spend the most time and effort. I also like to hear if they feel anything we are doing in Project MORE is carrying over into the classroom. I aways measure the success of what I am doing during mentoring sessions by the progress the other teachers are seeing in the classroom. I do think that students who are fully engaged and eager to participate reveal what you are doing is effective.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Belinda with knowing what we, as teachers, do well or areas of improvement. We ALL are good teachers and evaluate our thoughts and actions probably harder that anyone else would to the areas we can improve our presentation or direction of instruction. Like others, the obvious answer to this question is formal and informal assessments, informal observations, and analyzing MAP scores as a baseline to drive instruction for each child. I have seen improvement in our data binders and the students are thrilled. Agreeing with Susan, teaching is not a “one size fits all” cookie cutter learning as is evidenced by the ever changing lesson plans year to year to meet the needs of the current year’s class. When a student asks a question, I always classify the question to determine if the student is asking for further explanation or for a deeper meaning of the concept or topic. This tells me that I’ve done a good job of teaching (to that particular student) or that I haven’t because the student didn’t understand. Again, I evaluate myself harder than anyone else could.
ReplyDeleteAt a recent conference, a parent gave an anecdote that her child told her. She said the child went on and on about who Abe Lincoln and how he was connected to “the war.” The child then went on to ask mom whether she knew anything else about any other wars! All of this information was just briefly presented as the introduction to the penny, who’s on it, and its worth. Hmm, I guess the child was really listening and internalizing my instruction. This was a true observance that tells me this part of one of my lessons that should be done again since it had good learning results.
When teachers are in a nonthreatening situation like at lunch or in the hallway, they occasionally discuss their class and issues. The teachers have established a relationship of trust with those teachers and then feel free to address their classroom issues. The few moments used to brainstorm rather than criticize through a challenge to allow the teacher to grow without hurting any feelings. To respond to Vickie’s post about the “grade blame” game – Teachers just can’t be sucked into this harming game. Each grade level would blame the previous grade that goes all the way down to Kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers would have to blame the parents and then who would the parents blame? We all have to take what is dealt to us and work to the best of our abilities to reach what is necessary for success in the next grade level. Teachers can get in a vicious circle of blaming which isn’t very productive and like Vickie said, very hurtful. I think Jen Davis had a very good suggestion about meeting with past and future grade levels to discuss strengths and weaknesses for improvements for the current grade level. This would be very helpful for older grades but Kindergarten gets its information mainly from parents and our KRAL test or information from preschool.
It's interesting getting to answer these questions as an integrated arts teacher, as someone who has the privilege of teaching all the students every week. To answer Vickie’s questions from this perspective: 1) It’s harder to evaluate a student when you only see them once a week; but, on the flip side, I get to see them grow over a 6-year span! In other words, my main mode of self-evaluation is to watch the progress and engagement of the students. I am constantly evaluating my teaching- before, during and after every lesson, so I feel I have a pretty good gage on when a lesson bombed or when it was the bomb. Wow, did I just write that?
ReplyDelete2) It’s hard being the only elementary music teacher to find others to share ideas with, or to evaluate me from a music teacher perspective. I’ve often wanted to be evaluated by a fellow music teacher and haven’t had that since college. I definitely collaborate with Jess, being another teacher in the arts, and that helps a lot. And, yes, I am constantly including students in my decision-making process; from the creative side of things, their uninhibited nature produces incredibly creative ideas, and it would be a shame not to build on those.
3) I think the biggest thing to remember when have a professional conversation with a colleague is our common goal: WE ALL WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS. Now, we all might have different ideas of what that looks like, but we need to be open to hearing new ideas, and genuinely listening to what is being suggested. Whether or not we take the suggestions/comments offered, ultimately, is our own decision, but I do think we need to keep open minds and not get “tunnel vision” in our teaching. It’s important not to take suggestions personally; we need to learn from each other!
Oh, and Dave, yes, bring on the video-taping. That is one of the most objective tools for self-evaluation- there's no arguing with what's right in front of you! But I'm still gonna blow-dry my hair in the morning.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job? Student, Self, peer, and admin evaluation. I think there are many forms of evualation to know what you are doing well and what you are not. I think the important thing to remember is you have to evualate and not just think because you have taught this way or taught this subject for X years that it is effective. I think it is important to take critism of any kind and use it for your benefit. I mean really, would you want your medical doctor to get hurt feelings because someone told him he needed to do something different and he decided to not change?
ReplyDeleteDo you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in? Yes in certain areas and then you also have to realize the times when those who are not the professional do not need to be included in decisions.
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings? I don't see why anyone would get hurt feelings over professional conversations or another group saying the kids know XYZ.(see comment above about your doctor) I do believe what we have to be aware of is the community and area we teach in. We teach in an area of poverty and uneducated parents as the majority. The make up of our district has changed so much over the past 10 years and sometimes I believe we still think of this as an average student white farming community and it's not. The other issue is the state dictates what we teach and I believe most educators would agree that we are putting too much at developmentally inappropriate ages. So with those things in perpective the question is how are we gong to overcome these barries from bottom up and not what did the kids get or did not get from the year before. Our goal should be how are we going to work together so they get it before they leave us. I think any conversation should be taken as we are all reaching a common goal.
As many of you have expressed, I also use students as a primary source of feedback. I build in constructive questions that need to build on previous content and in this way have a responsive gauge from the students how things are being learned. I also use personal reflection time to gauge if I have covered the content as thoroughly or with the correct emphasis as I should and look at not only student outcomes on assessments but the questions that they ask during class. If students are asking thoughtful questions and engaging in content related conversations this tells me a lot.
ReplyDeleteI have involved the parents and students in motivating my growth as a teacher in that I have tried to listen to how they believe they learn best and work to incorporate those methods in various activities or assessments.
I think that in every occupation the best way to grow is to be evaluated. In my past occupation this involved not only you setting goals, but the supervisor setting goals for you. These were tangible and there was a vision for what you needed in order to reach them, both as an individual and as a member of the team. We often ask our students to undergo peer evaluation so why shouldn’t we, but as Ron Clark suggested with Rule 12, if you evaluate unfairly or add comments that don’t improve performance, you’re the one that is really falling short.
I look at several areas to see what I am strong in and where I need improvement. I use worksheets and tests the students complete in class to see if students are grasping certain concepts or if I need to go over the material again. I use MAPS scores and Study Island scores as the school year progresses. I certainly look at my class’s OAA scores. This will allow me to identify where my students’ strengths and weaknesses are as well as my own strengths and weaknesses. I have parents fill out an expectations sheet at the beginning of the year that I use as a model for myself throughout the school year. I think I should start sending out a similar paper at the end of the year for the parents to complete and make comments about any needed improvements. The students fill out papers after certain units telling me what activities/lessons they liked best or least. This helps me design my lesson for the following year. At the end of the year, I also have the class complete a survey where they “grade” me on certain areas. The students enjoy this and I enjoy their honest feedback. I try not to engage in the back and forth blame game that always follows students who are low. In my opinion, if I think they are low, I can only imagine how low they were the year before. I realize that their previous teacher made leaps and bounds with them and they have shown growth from one grade to the next, even if they are not at grade level. My feelings are not easily hurt and I like to hear ways I can get my students ready for next school year. I like the idea of meeting with the previous year’s teachers at the beginning of the year and next year’s teachers later in the year. Vickie asked what the best way was to have these professional conversations without hurting others feelings. One idea I think would help facilitate this process would be to also hear about things that the kids ARE doing well, such as lining up quietly at recess, transitioning from one activity to the next, being organized with their binder, instead of always hearing about what they CAN’T do. As long as these meetings were productive and positive, I think they could be very beneficial for classroom teachers.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of ways I evaluate my effectiveness as a teacher. I am my own worst critic for sure and I continuously evaluate my day to day lessons and students’ response to these lessons. I have always felt student failure was my failure. This daily evaluation allows me to make changes for the short term, but data from DRA, MAPS, anecdotal notes, and other assessments help me make decisions for long term. Last year I was panicked about getting my students to grade level benchmarks, but I had to step back and look at the increases they had made in reading levels and MAPS score increases or I would have felt like a total failure. At the end of the year I was convinced I did not have the right kind of instruction in place for Math groups, but the MAPS data showed increases that were very good-so in this instance my evaluation did not equate to MATH MAPS scores.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I think teachers should discuss former students with previous teachers is that it is important for us to get as much information as possible to be more effective with that student. The previous teacher can help with information about what they tried and what worked or what didn’t work, they also can give insight on parental participation and what personal factors may be affecting that learner. Yes, as a teacher it is hard to hear about your former student’s struggles, but it is something you already know. We don’t need to engage in the blame game as has been said earlier. We know our students are coming to us behind, and we have to help them make as much progress as they can every year. If we provide effective instruction for these students each and every day they are in our class the catch up can happen probably not in one year, but it can happen.
I look at student performance and benchmarks to evaluate my teaching and make adjustments as needed. I feel if students are engaged and actively participating then hopefully I am meeting their needs. As I live in the community I have conversations with parents about students and expectations so I gain feedback in this way. I like to talk to other teachers about their expectations in order to have the students prepared for the next grade level. Most teachers welcome input and feedback from others as long as the information is stated in a way that says, “this is what I am seeing or experiencing” with this class or student and not statement that says “these kids are so low, etc”. We all experience the pressure making sure all students make good progress and it is sometimes difficult to see the growth a child has made especially if it is catch up growth.
ReplyDelete1. I also look mostly at student performance, benchmark data, and administration evaluations to guage my strengths and weaknesses. I know when students have puzzled looks on their faces or when they are not attentive that I am not being successful in getting the information across. I am very critical of myself and know that when I am struggling with ideas to help my students with a concept, I can go to my team for suggestions. We all have areas of strength and weakness and it definitely helps me to bounce ideas off of others to improve.
ReplyDelete2. I do what Kelli does at the beginning of the year in getting parent input but I love the idea of having students give their input at the end of units to help plan for following years. I also think it's a great idea to talk to former and upcoming teachers to discuss student
information. I want to know as much information as possible about my students to help me be more effective with them.
3. We all know that most of our students come to us behind as most of them do not have the advantages that we did growing up. That said, I welcome any input and feedback from others as long as the information is discussed in a way that is helpful. I know that none of us want to hurt each others' feelings but just feel so much pressure to get the students to where they need to be. I would definitely like to have more time to talk to 3rd and 5th grade teachers to get input from both ends.
1.I think an obvious way to get immediate feed back is from your students. Whether it is a discussion, quick question and answers before they head out the door, a paper pencil assessment, or just a thumbs up, sideways or down.
ReplyDelete2.Seeing we just had parent/teacher conferences I made sure I asked every parent if they had an questions, comments or suggestions for anything. If they do not have any at that time they can contact me at anytime via email, phone, note or dropping on in.
I do need to work on getting feedback from community members. Since I do not live in Richwood and only know those who I work with or are students parents I do not reach out or spend a lot of time there, unless I am at school. Which is something I need to work on.
I also think that I work with some amazing people! My team and Roger, work so well together! Each of us are always sharing ideas with each other and trying out new things that one of us came up with. It is sooooo nice to have all of their support and to know that they believe in you!
3.Yes I am a girl and yes I can be sensitive and get my feelings hurt, but when it comes down to it I think we as professional adults need to set that aside. When another staff member of any kind comes up to you asking about another student or have a comment or anything, we need to keep in mind that they are talking to you because they have the students best interest in mind. We are all in out professions to teach the kids and do what is best for the kids. I think these conversations can happen anytime really, but scheduling a meeting would be a good idea if you think it will be a lengthy conversation. I know that I am guilty of just showing up and talking someone’s ear off, sorry if I’ve done that to you! I also love the idea that Jen said about meeting with teachers above and below our grade levels. This way maybe any questions, comments or concerns that teachers have/had/might have can be taken care of, to help open up the lines of communicate between grade levels.
1. I know what I’ve done well in the classroom by paying attention to how well my students understand the concepts I’ve taught. If a large number of the students in my class are doing well in a specific area, I know that the way I’ve taught this concept this year has been beneficial to my students. If I notice that most of them have had trouble in an assessment, I know that I need to improve my teaching. I can also compare student achievement in my classroom compared to other third grade teachers’ classrooms to decide if there is something else I could do to help my students.
ReplyDelete2. I do take information from anyone involved in the education of the students in my classroom to make decisions on how I can improve. The community members or parents that work with the children at school, the students’ parents and the students themselves can give me valuable information on the types of concepts on which students need more instruction.
3. I think that conversations about improving the instruction in classrooms grade level to grade level can be started by making sure that others understand that you’re open to suggestions for your own teaching. If you are able to go to the teachers of your former students and ask how they are doing and then use those comments about certain things they are struggling with, it sets the tone for conversations that you could have with other teachers. More importantly, we need to make a conscious effort to change the belief that because a student doesn’t know their basic math facts that the teacher ahead of us is at fault. It is also important to make sure the teachers ahead of you know what they’re doing well. For example, my third graders are really good at telling time this year, SO THANK YOU 2ND GRADE TEACHERS! Going along with what Jen said, I think it’s a great idea to have team meetings with the overlapping grade levels at the beginning and end of school to talk about how things went that year or the previous year. I think that if I had an idea of what 4th grade teachers really need their students to know, I would make sure to put more emphasis on those things than I might have in the past.
Ok, I thought that I posted this once, but it erased somehow, so I'm going to try and reword what I said. 1. I feel that when my students have done well on tests or quizzes in my classroom, taht I have done well. I also take into consideration their study island questions each week, as they are usually a review of a ti opic that was taught the weeek before. I am also using their MAP s score. I ahve also sent out a survey each year to parents asking them questions on my fifth grade classroom that usually goes home at the end of the nine weeks. (next week) These for the most part have also been very helpful. If I give a test and the majority of them bomb the test, then I take a step back and see what I need to do to improve on that skill with this class. This would answer question number 2. Question #3 is a litle tricky. I am one that does get her feelings hurt easily, and I have tried really hard to work on that. It is not that I can't handle it, it is the stress taht I put myself under to get these students to pass the fifth grade Science test. I do feel comfortable in talking with my 4th grade teachers about students, and usually though it is behavior and not skills, and they are very helpful at different types of strategies that they used on that student last year. I do believe that what Jen suggested can work and help all of us to become more familiar with the concepts that each student needs to know before they head on to the next grade level.
ReplyDeleteEvaluating oneself can always be a daunting and scaring task. However, if we are going to be thoughtful teachers it is required. I evaluate myself in many ways. One, student interactions and engagement; I have 50 minutes to “sell” a concept and if I do not get it right, the entire lesson can be a bust. Therefore, paying attention to how the students are responding to the information and materials gives me a big clue as to if I am headed in the right direction. Second, reflecting on my lessons. I ask myself a series of questions after each class about what went well and what might I change. I can then use that information to alter my lesson for the next group if needed. Reflection is very important when you teach the lesson to 5 separate classes, each with their own unique set of needs.
ReplyDeleteDo you include others in areas for improvement? Yes, particularly students. I am here to teach students, if they are telling me or showing me something does not flow or click then that is a huge red flag for me that something needs to be changed. Getting parent input is fun too. I have experienced the pleasure of parents being taught an area by their children and the parents actually want to find out “how did I do?”.
To have professional conversations, we as adults need to remember we are trying to have a professional conversation and leave personal feelings aside. Ultimately what are we trying to obtain from the conversation? If it is a pat on the back for the many great things we have accomplished, we might not be ready for that conversation. However, if we are concerned about what is best for our students and what will help our students grow, then we are ready. It is important we make time to meet with each other and discuss students openly. We also need to LISTEN to each other. As teachers we are always asking our students to listen, yet if we are only hearing, or thinking of how we are going to respond to what is being said, we are not doing what we ask of our students. Listening and knowing the goal or objective is to do what is best for our students is key.
I think it's important to be a reflective practioner, that's how I was taught when I was in undergrad and grad school. I would suspect that most teachers without realizing it reflect daily or even moment by moment as you gauge how a lesson is going, how the children are responding to you, etc. However, I too agree that you can do more, like video taping or having another teacher come in and observe. I've done that several times, especially when I have a particularly challenging student(s), because I know that in the middle of that particular storm I need clean fresh eyes. And always, they have very supportively pointed out my weaknesses and given suggestions on ways to improve. Students and parents are great resources in giving feedback. I have surveyed my parents for years, asking about homework, communication, what they appreciated, what they didn't appreciate and I always took those comments and made changes so as to better meet the needs of families...I even held PT conferences one year on a Saturday because of parent feedback. I don't really survey my preschool class, but when I taught 2nd grade I always surveyed my students about what they enjoyed most about the year, what they didn't care for, and something they think future 2nd graders might like. I also set learning goals with my 2nd graders, so that they were part of the academic process, at the end of the month when we were reflecting on goals we could ask ourselves, what did we do well, what could we have done better? I do think opening the line of communication is important, but it has to be done very carefully...as the old saying goes, "you never know until you walk a mile in my shoes..." sometimes conversations can become very tense and then the defense goes up and all is lost. Even though I love hearing what K says about my preschoolers, it would be hurtful if they suggested that I hadn't done my best with my students. I know I am not perfect and there's a lot that I need to learn, but how information is shared is the key to how it is recieved. I think we all go into the standards of the grades before and after ours. That is so helpful, I also find it helpful to go to the next grade level and ask, what do you expect of your students upon enter ____ grade? I know that I can prepare them academically, but I'd also like to know the social rules and expectations, so I can prepare my students for the next level. When we communicate with a common goal I think good conversations can come, if we ask, what do expect of my students when they come to, then we're setting ourselves up for success.
ReplyDeleteOk, I too spent time writing a response only to have it not accept my post...ugh!!! I am late getting my response on and then this happens. I'll have to try it again later.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job?
ReplyDeleteI can tell what I did well by how comfortable I felt when presenting the lesson, because if it wasn't comfortable for me, then most likely the students weren't comfortable either. I can also tell my student responses and motivation. If they are participating and really energetic about the topic, I know they are getting what I am trying to teach.
Do you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in?
I try to ask my students what suggestions they have if I have tried my way of presenting any new material and they still aren't getting it. If they are struggling, I try to have them come up with a way that they think they could understand better. I also talk with my team a lot and ask for suggestions. Being that I'm the new kid on the block, I am relying a lot on the experience of others. I tell them my ideas and see what they think. I also go in giving them ideas and seeing how my plan worked in their class.
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings?
Having a conversation with a collegue and trying not to hurt their feelings. I think I would stick to what I mentioned before. I would ask for suggestions, but also try to give some in return. Try to say, "well, this worked for me. Maybe it could work for you." I feel like if you try to come across as helping, not accusing, people would be more willing to have those tough conversations.
@Jen, I totally agree with you! I am more critical on myself than I think anyone else is (or at least, I hope so). So I'm sure that when evaluating myself in the classroom and making sure that the students are understanding, I put pressure on myself.
ReplyDeleteI also like the thought of overlapping grade levels when doing team meetings. I feel it would be beneficial to everyone involved and we could all learn a lot and get a lot more ideas from each other.
How do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job?
ReplyDeleteI look at student achievement first. The students learning is the ultimate goal, so if they are not learning or retaining information I know I need to change my ways of teaching. I look at several pieces of assessments to determine if the students are learning and retaining the information. I look at their MAP scores, OAA scores, Study Island Benchmarking, Short Cycle Assessments & biweekly quizzes. The quizzes give me instant feedback on the material that has been covered up until the day of the quiz. I also like the Study Island Benchmark Assessment. I teach the Math by standard, so currently I am teaching all of the lessons that fall under NNSO. The Study Island Benchmark Assessment will let me know where the students are at the beginning of the year and by the time we assess again we will have finished the unit so I (and the students) can see improvements (hopefully 100%). However, just because that unit has been taught it will be reviewed and assessed for the remaining of the school year for those students who have not mastered the material and as a review for others. I also use my evaluations, but more importantly listen to what Dave & Vickie say throughout the entire school year. It's a good feeling to hear good things that your doing but it also makes me a better teacher when I hear suggestions.
Do you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in?
Students definitely play a huge role in deciding what improvements I need to make. They are the reason I do what I do, because I am here for them. Just hearing a student say out loud "I don't get it" tells me that I need to find another way of explaining the concept. I like the idea about having the parents fill out a survey where they could include any information about improvements they feel is needed.
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings?
Like Erica said, I think being open about the situation is a huge part. Instead of making comments about a grade level or group of students being low, talk to the teacher they had previously to find out tips on how to help the child succeed. I think sometimes when we have a low student we automatically look at the negative side of it. If the two grade level teachers work together and find out what works for that student and what doesn't shows that your not pointing fingers you just want to help the child. I enjoy the cards that are filled out for each child, but sometimes I think it would be helpful to have time to actually talk to the teachers and get more information.
Oh my goodness, my first post did work, it just didn't show on my computer at school...der!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow do you know what you do well or what areas need improvement in your job? I know that things are going well in my classroom when students say “I love Social Studies!” Also, believe it or not, I take it as a good thing when students say, “That test was easy!” after they have taken a chapter test. I am confident that my tests are not easy to begin with, it is the preparation done before the test and the small assessments along the way that tell me if students are ready for their Chapter tests.
ReplyDeleteDo you include community members, students, parents or anyone else in deciding what areas to make improvements in? I have done student and parent surveys that have been very informative. Also, feedback from my 5th grade team is very beneficial. I have not really included community members in this area.
What is the best way to have those professional conversations to help each other grow, without hurting others feelings? We have met with 6th grade teachers at the board office and when we do transitional activities with the middle school and have heard the same comments. It is frustrating to hear when you know you did everything you could for the students, however, I don’t “ignore” everything they say. For example, the Social Studies teacher said she tests students over their 50 states and they fail miserably. Knowing the states is a 5th grade standard, so I have changed my approach in teaching the states (pretest, post test, retest). I have also found more interactive games, websites, etc. that I use in my classroom. Being able to take constructive criticism is an important part of being a teacher. Also, being respectful in your approach is important. We are all in this together!
1. I mostly rely on my instincts or gut feelings. If I am getting blank stares and feel bad about a lesson or concept, there’s a good chance I could have changed the way I was teaching to make it more effective. I also know there is a skill I need to improve on if I feel like ripping my hair out afterwards!!!
ReplyDelete2. I always try to leave meetings open to parents so they feel comfortable offering suggestions for working effectively with their students. I also like student feedback. This can be as simple as “does this make sense?” or I’ve even asked students to write down what they think I do well and what they think I could do better as teacher.
3. As the question states, it should be presented in the form of a conversation rather than an accusation. Asking the teacher what strategies worked with the student the previous year would be a good starter. Regardless who may be at fault, the student losing over the summer or the teacher not doing a great job the year before, what’s done is done and the current teacher should work on how to help the student in the current year.
1. I am best at setting up my LA center routines and organizing my small group/guided reading groups. I find that if the students do not learn the classroom rules and routines then I will pay for it later, by not being able to work uninterrupted during small group time. Since K students have so much ground to cover before they can start to read and meet the end of the year benchmark, it is very important that I not have any LA time wasted in the morning. That means really teaching the center routines with lots and lots of practice and modeling during the first six weeks of school. I know I’ve done a good job when my small group time is very productive on a daily basis because I do not have interruptions.
ReplyDeleteI feel I need improvement with organizing all the stuff I need for teaching K.
Right now I am using the “multiple piles” organizational method.
2. As for getting Parents ideas on how I could improve, well, I send a questionnaire home to the parents at the beginning of the year asking them to give me input on things that I should know about their child.
3. If I’m having a professional conversation with my grade level team, I just ask someone’s opinion. It is a little more difficult with other grade levels.
I guess if we knew what the end of the year benchmarks were for the previous grade level, then we could put what our new class looks like at the beginning of the year into perspective. If the benchmark for reading is a level 3 at the end of the year and at the beginning of the next year the student is still a level 3 that is a good thing. If a teacher has a question about a very low student, coming to the previous teacher and asking for details would be a very professional thing to do.