Okay versus Great, planning is key

So I have entered my 10th year of teaching (how I am not sure, actually I cannot believe 10 years has already pasted, but that is another topic for another day), and most educational "people" would say that those years make me better.  And that I agree with - so as I prepped for the first week of school - prepared my room, my google classroom (my virtual room), and many details with the telepresence course I teach - I decided to use my daily plans from last year for the first 3 days.   I am always thinking about ways to skip good to do great - reusing did NOT result in great.....

So this experiment I ran with planning just did not work.  I felt under-prepared, it took me 10 minutes to plan 3 days by "re-using" (copying) last year's plans.  I typically would take 90 minutes and I now know with certainty that I must give that time and thought to each week.  It is a combination of planning and reflection, where reflection of how to teach and reach the students is my driving consideration.

So the plan was there, but the reflection was not.  It kept me from having the insights, often when planning I think about misconceptions, vocab, common errors - when I just reused the opening days I missed those thoughts and thus felt like I was chasing my tail during the lessons (FYI - I teach the very first day -- I do "class" stuff, like rules, etc later -- we have math to do!).

So even though I have more experience, shortening planning time is not a trade of good for great.  Planning time is a requirement of great.

9 Things You Should Know About Teaching Through Teleprensce

Working in a small district means figuring out ways to be creative with course offerings, there just is not enough time to offer all the classes a larger school can offer.  One way to be creative, which is happening in my school, is shared courses with other districts using telepresence units (thanks WTI!).  After doing this for some time I have some suggestions.  There are issues like homework moving and grading that must be dealt with, but as I think about the telepresence there are other things.  So for those "other" things here are some tips.

9 Things You Should Know About Teaching Through Telepresence:

1) It is not just a camera and a TV.   
I started sharing about 6-7 years ago.  There was a student at a neighboring district who really wanted Calculus, I used a webcam and Web-Ex -- that was like Web 0.2 versus Web 2.0!  A motivated single student and it went okay - he watched but really could not interact.   Now with my CISCO system and SMART board connected to all the other districts we all share a board and can interact in real-time.  Again, I am teaching Calculus to a fairly motivated group(s) - I loathe to think how I would teach a class that took a "high-level" of classroom management, cause.....

2) Students can tell where the camera is looking, or not-looking.
Even a college course like Calculus meant students did not always do what they were suppose to do.  Students are mice, teachers are cats and you know what mice do when the cat is away (or when the cat is trying to watch by telepresence).  Motivation really falls to the students, or someone on location making sure that students are on-task.  Moving the camera around a lot is not an answer either, we are not camera-persons.  Personally I don't worry about the other end with on-taskness, I teach, help and make sure I have someone at the other school to help - to be an ally, so.......

3) Get an ally on the other end - some staff member - a teacher, an aide, a secretary (oh -my!).
These people are your salvation when you need just a bit of help for whatever reason they will rescue you  -- copying a quiz, getting homework back or anything.  Also, administrators are tricky, they may seem like allies (or not!), but their time is always in the air and sometimes they cannot help - typically not the ally you need.  The simplest teaching tasks are difficult without an ally.

4)  Completely test everything for your telepresence class before the start of the year.
Telepresence is different than other classes, when the details don't work your class won't work.  You need to test your connections before school, check how students will get grades, assignments, everything.  Check your roster closely - and make sure all the students have access to your materials (books, emails, etc).  The simple things like adding a student to Google Classroom take more time to do (you cannot add a student from a different district to Google Classroom, last year it meant setting up new emails for my non-district students).  Things like this must be handled prior to the start of the class, because......

5) Start on time, figure out the schedule so teaching time is maximized!
It is easy to lose minutes moving the unit, adjusting unit, etc.  Remember students have a remote let them fine-tune.  As the teacher - you gotta use those precious minutes.  Get the class and students started ASAP, it is important to use the time you get because.....

6) Know that some days it just does not work.
No matter what they tell you, sometimes for reasons known and unknown the unit will not connect (internet lost at your school, their school -- someone forgot to sacrifice the chicken, etc).  The point is pick a set time to work on it (say 10 minutes) - then just record your class.

7) Remember, it is still teaching math (or whatever subject); you are not teaching about technology or to the technology.
I try to remember not to teach about the unit or how we connect.  I teach calculus and treat the camera like another set of student eyes, making sure I look directly at it when I make room scans.  I also remind myself that it really is not a camera but another student.   That helps reduce my Rockwell induced nervousness with the camera watching me.

8) And probably most importantly, since it is teaching - remember relationships matter.
Don't get caught up in the telepresence unit or your material too much.  Even at a HS level you need to take time to make relationships -- even with a real-time connection you as the teacher must make the real-life connection.

9) Finally - have fun.  
Passion sells, if you are excited about telepresence and chance to gain more students, then the students will be excited about you and your course (the telepresence  is just a porthole).

Teach 15 Reflect 4

So how do we make students really reinforce concepts and ideas we spend our precious class time showing, leading and/or guiding?  How do we make sure they are reflecting on the lesson objective, using the practices  - that they are making connections?  It is an interesting question - I often ask how do I make sure my students understand the concept and embrace their learning - but perhaps I should be asking how do I make students reflect?

Thinking about student reflection was part of a speech from Naomi Harms at a professional event I recently attended - she spoke about the need to only do 15 minutes of teaching, lecturing, practicing, working, etc and then 4 minutes where the students reflect.  That reflection can happen any number of ways - but the key is to allow that time.    And I am now working hard to set up my daily teaching to make sure students are reflecting, and that they are really embracing their learning.

It may seem like a modest change, but after reflecting on it I am hopeful that it can have a large impact in my students.  I think this reflection can have a large payback - the investment is small, about 8 minutes per period - but if students can make their connections in those few minutes then the impact will be much greater than 8 minutes of more lecture, or more practice, or more anything,

Seriously only 4 minutes reflection for 15 minutes of attention, seems too easy.  But when I think about myself - even now as an adult I struggle to pay attention and connect ideas when a lecture or speech is more than 15 minutes straight.  I am shifting my classroom, I had provided time to make connections but never said "Reflect on this," or "Discuss this with a partner," etc.

So I am going to add it and see how the first month goes.  Nothing ventured.....
Finally I just want to thank Juda, JAM'M, WTI and Morgridge Family for making the conference possible - hearing Naomi is making me think about my teaching and work on making it better.  So it was a good day.

Curriculum - searching for the grail.....

So how do you select curriculum in a small district?  Form a committee?  There is only a few of us in the entire district (Grades:  4K-5, MS, HS, Admin -- ~7 to 8 of us).  So as the HS teacher, the only HS teacher it feel likes it starts with me.  So like any other school you ask for books and start searching through them, and finding what?

I hope for the book that helps our school make the students better problem solvers and learners, ready for whatever they do upon graduation.  And I am constantly thinking about what that should look like in a textbook.  How does that text book progress from Kindergarten to Calculus?  (or 4K versus Kindergarten)

I am feeling like I am searching for the holy grail, I need the theme song to Indiana Jones just to survive it.  I am sent books that are over a 1000 pages long (1300 pages/180 days --- 7.2 pages per day -- CRAZY!) -- I know that I don't have to teach the whole book - but we (the students and I) get to carry them around all the same.

I have looked at integrated and non-integrated, CCSS aligned, ACT College and Career Readiness models.....  And it leads me to one common belief, it is what we do in the room, not which book we have that matters most.

It is how we make sure they understand concepts versus procedures.  It how we lead them in problems solving, encouraging/modeling persistence.

The curriculum is not that important, the teaching is...      except....

Except I really need the text book series to have assessments and workbooks - because with so many different preps there is no time to make everything I need.  (Which is why I am scared of CPM, great book - but I don't feel I can prep for it, not enough hours in the day).  I currently make a lot of my own assessments with projects, but sometimes I need to use book assessment or worksheet as a base for a class (then just add a question or two, cross one off, etc).  This modification process is what keeps me sane (or at my present level of insanity).

So as a small district searching for texts you would figure someone would have made good assessments that use high level skills and practices -- cause big or small we all want that resource.  You wish for assessments that would be awesome (I mean they are written by the authors!),  But often they are the same "pump & dump" - little different than the 10 plus year old texts I have -- except they cost $100 each.

Perhaps I want too much, but I will keep combing the desert in search of that text book series that matches my school's vision.

STEM, Teaching Math is more than just the M

I have been lucky to be part of a STEM grant at UW-Platteville the last couple of days (STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) - we, the participants, have had the opportunity to do some STEM projects, reflecting on practices and working with a great group of dedicated excited educators.

And the big thing for me - with 2 days out of 8 done is a new mantra to repeat - that STEM has M (math) in the STE part too.  Meaning that the STE part can have a huge impact on my students - a bigger impact in their ability to problem solve, their ability to be ready for the world versus just doing M.

So a question discussed was: are you a STEM teacher? The question followed the story of a 5th grade teacher using STEM to teach Math (and her need to teach parents that M is STE).  And my answer today is I am a math teacher who has large STEM projects.  I integrate STEM into math as I can but I rely on the projects I assign to do STEM things (and also the math practices).  For me the next step is continuously improving my lessons to include more STE - to teach more math concepts.

The practices we want are there in the STE part and any math room will always have M - so a message to myself : keep pushing the STE part.  Keep finding the projects, keep making the math learning happening through discovery.  Keep using a holistic approach and make each class just a little bit better (continuous improvement).

And

A day without math is like a day without sunshine.

is still true (love that phrase)!!  Now we know that STE portion is pure sunshine too.

A broken foot slows you down..... A thought on expectations.....

March 8

So  I have not posted at all in the last 2 months and the reason is sort of ironic.  I broke my foot by landing on it incorrectly playing volleyball (remember the rule - always land on two).

Ironic because I have been chair bound for 12+ weeks; and yet I have not reflected on my teaching much, and have not blogged once since early April.  I did complete an award applicant which required reflection during that time which I will blog about later this summer.  Currently my mind is on why I have not blogged.

I know for me, in this case, when  large external stresses, non-normal stresses entered my life everything suffered.  I was not the same teacher (or same husband, dad or community member).

As a teacher, my students and I covered less, unfortunately learned less, and we did many more worksheets.  I was truly doing the best I could, yet it was less, seemingly to me far less, than before.  I think everyone understood from the students (my customers), to my co-workers, to my bosses (board, parents and administrators) but it was frustrating.

June 23

Working and learning are affected by outside situations.  A simple statement we often forget in teaching.  We have to be aware of our students, their life's and situations.  It is not fair to be equal.  When an external event happens to a student - that student's learning plan changes - because their capability to learn has changed.

Yet - sometimes I expect student's to make up too much work on their return or during a time of stress.  I need to remind myself that plans change as conditions change.  Meaning not everyone has to do problems 1, 3, 5 and 7 in Section 4.2 on page 240 -- they have to master the concept, but once external pressures come into play how that mastery is achieved must change.

So is this idea due to empathy?  Perhaps.  Sympathy?  Not sure.  But our job is to teach students regardless of conditions or situations  - which means we need to adjust our lessons on conditions and situations.

Now, finally, my foot is healing - crutch free I am now searching through new math curriculum.  But I have a renewed focus on working with students when life throws them their landing on one foot incidents.

And perhaps to help them land on two feet the next time.....

Testing burn out will lead to poor student effort.

Most teachers and educators (and politicians) were good students, did their best - wanted good grades, tried hard on standardized tests.  So as schools & states set up their testing it was often with little thought about how the student is going to react.  There was little thought of what a student finds reasonable.

We are entering a period of state mandated testing that borders on insanity in my opinion.  We are looking at many days of testing.  And I think about myself - I received good grades, but never was accused of being a great student.  The instance something did not affect my grade it became non-essential (part of my disdain of education due to my early struggles in reading - another post for another day).    So in High School, the Iowa Basic Skills Test became just a fill in the blank exercise - I just filled in B... and stated "I had a premonition that the answer was B."  Ironic that now I will be at least partially rated by student test results - where the students have nothing at stake.

Sometimes we need to remember that students are people and unreasonable things are met with the equivalent amount of effort.  Perhaps we should inform our lawmakers....