Eric C. Sheninger's Blog, page 21

Using Feedback to Create a Culture of Excellence

Growth is a huge component of the change process. In order for each of us to pave a path for success, there must be feedback along the way.  When it comes to navigating the process of change, this might be the most essential element to help individuals improve while also validating efforts made to get better.  Cultures of excellence are created and fostered when feedback is used to commend effort while providing considerations for growth regularly.  In a previous post, I highlighted five considerations to help maximize this powerful tool, which you can see below:

Positive facilitationPractical and specificTimelyConsistentUse the right medium

In my role as a coach, I am constantly providing educators with feedback based on qualitative and quantitative evidence in alignment with the principles listed above.  On a typical day when I visit classrooms with principals in my partner districts across the country, both the building and district leaders receive a 1000-to-5000-word document laden with practical feedback. They get this before I physically leave for the day.  I have always done this because I know that timely information has been critical to my professional growth.  The best outcome of this process has been the feedback I have received from leaders who have stated how valuable this resource has been for them.

During my recent work with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), I had the honor of sharing what I have learned from the field while helping them look at and analyze evidence from their change efforts during our time together.  During each virtual coaching session, they were pushed to bring artifacts from their respective cohort.  Recently I shared what Jill Angelucci, an assistant principal from George Rogers Clark High School, created as a result of the project.  My role was to provide then direct feedback on all the evidence shared while also engaging the group to do the same. One of the key points I tried to make was how important it is to do the same with teachers.  It warmed my heart when Amy Rhodes, the principal of Bevins Elementary, shared what she had recently implemented in regard to feedback. The result was “Feedback Fridays.” 

You can see examples of the slips she created HERE and read the summary below:

While our district was on all virtual learning, I began asking my teachers to submit one thing each week they wanted me to give feedback on from Canvas. Teachers could ask for feedback on a module, lesson, or recorded video from Canvas. They could ask me to join a Zoom for the upcoming week or look at a piece of student work. The options are endless. I gave each teacher feedback on what he/she submitted. If the teacher submitted something to me before 2:30 on Friday, I allowed them to leave work 30 minutes early (while we are on all virtual learning and students were not in the building). 

I recently checked back in with Amy Rhodes after reviewing the feedback slips she had shared during the KDE coaching sessions to gain more insight into her views on why and how she moved forward with this strategy.  Below are her thoughts.

Feedback and coaching have been part of my professional growth goal for the last few years.  Being an instructional leader is my top priority, and I know how vital teacher efficacy is to student achievement. When our school closed in March of 2020, we were not prepared for virtual learning. We did the best we could with the resources we had. Going into the new school year in August of 2020, we needed a learning management system and ways to improve virtual learning. Being all virtual, I was unable to observe instruction in the classrooms, and I had to teach myself how to conduct virtual observations through Canvas and by participating in Zooms. 

I noticed that my teachers worked very hard at making their virtual classrooms presentable and designing their Canvas courses so they were easy to navigate. I did not see the sound instruction that I would see in the classrooms if we were not virtual. Some of the things I look for while doing classroom visits, using our district walkthrough document, are learning targets, higher-level questioning and discussion, active engagement, student feedback, technology, and formative assessment. I knew my teachers were already overwhelmed with all the changes, but I also know how vital it is for our students to receive sound instruction rather than be virtual or in person. 

We meet in PLCs every Wednesday and were able to use this time to discuss and have teachers share out their Canvas pages and virtual lessons. When I would see something from the week that I liked, I asked that teacher to share out at PLC. For example, while conducting a virtual observation in Canvas, I noticed a third-grade teacher found a fantastic way to engage students even through virtual learning. I asked her to share her screen I PLC and show her colleagues what she did. This was an excellent way for teachers to learn ideas from others. 

As I already said, my teachers were so overwhelmed, so I chunked the things I look for from our walkthrough document.t I started with learning targets, and I provided coaching and feedback until every teacher had learning targets on their virtual lessons each day. Next, we moved on to formative assessment and then on to questioning and discussion. We chunked the areas and worked on them in small groups. With the coaching and feedback I provided, along with the PLC discussions, it did not take too long until I was observing high-quality teaching and learning virtually!

If there isn’t a concerted effort to improve progress, it is often hard to come by in many cases. Most educators need and want feedback to grow. There is no one right way to do this, in my opinion.  However, once feedback is prioritized and consistently provided, the stage is set for a culture of excellence.

Organize, Streamline, and Empower Learning with Hāpara

The world has radically changed in unprecedented ways. Educators navigate uncharted waters that continually fluctuate as a result of COVID-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Even with all of these challenges, opportunities have arisen to take education in a different and better direction to create a new normal that better meets learners' needs. Teachers have risen to the occasion like never before. With increases in technology and adapting to both remote and hybrid learning, we have seen them become nimble while embracing innovative pathways to create a more equitable learning experience.

As someone who has actively worked in schools physically and virtually throughout the pandemic, I have seen some of the most extraordinary examples of sound pedagogy. I will even go out on a limb and state that what I have seen the past couple of months is significantly better at scale than what was observed prior to COVID-19's emergence. Now don't get me wrong.  There were definitely excellent practices taking place in classrooms across the globe. However, they were more isolated than widespread. All of that has changed in many schools.  

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you have seen examples of what I am talking about in terms of the use of time, differentiation, purposeful integration of technology, and educator collaboration. My role has not only been to provide strategies and ongoing coaching but also to make recommendations on solutions that can make the lives of teachers, administrators, and students easier in the process.  Hāpara is one such solution if you are using Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite).  They offer a suite of tools for differentiation, promoting digital citizenship, establishing productive workflows, providing feedback, and allowing learners to work at their own pace. 

Below you can see all that Hāpara does:

Highlights: Encourages a gradual release of responsibility approach to monitoring digital learning to grow digital citizenship and develop critical competencies amongst learners. Highlights give teachers a window into what learners are working on in their Chrome browsers and provides the ability to provide formative feedback and positive reinforcement while also facilitating guided practice. Teacher Dashboard : Simplifies teacher workflows in Google Workspace by organizing all student Drive files into one convenient dashboard. This makes it easier for teachers to access student work and provide timely, consistent, formative feedback. Workspace: Consider this the place to organize all of those Google apps and tools. Hāpara workspace is a home base for learning that teachers can use to facilitate instruction, automate differentiation, personalize tasks and provide a collaborative experience. Educators can benefit from thousands of publicly shared Workspaces aligned to the local curriculum and customize them to meet their learners' needs.  Student Dashboard : A one-stop hub where learners can find their Google Classroom assignments, Drive files, announcements, and communications from their teachers. Student Dashboard can establish a path to developing more vital executive function skills, greater autonomy, and increased student agency.  Private Library: Allows schools and districts to secure their Hāpara Workspaces in private library collections. Only those within the school or district can see these Workspaces, and they cannot be shared publicly. This has the benefit of protecting licensed content so that copyright is not violated by sharing outside of the organization.Classroom Dashboard: Provides schools and districts visibility into Google Classroom engagement metrics to make better-informed learning decisions. The valuable data provides insight into how Google Classroom is being used, whether or not students are engaged in learning, and developing a coaching and professional learning plan to ensure student success. Digital Backpack: A flexible solution for equitable distribution of textbooks, resources, and other content. 

The resiliency of educators during the pandemic has not gone unnoticed.  We need to continue to celebrate all that they have and continue to accomplish while also moving forward with pedagogical change that will transform classrooms in ways that future-proof learning. One way to ensure lasting success is to streamline workflows for teachers and students alike. In this case, Hāpara fits the bill for Google users. 

Learning Recovery Through Acceleration

There is an emerging sense of relief amongst educators as more and more schools are welcoming back students or that the most difficult year is finally coming to an end.  With this excitement comes renewed fears of where many of these kids are academically or will be by the beginning of the next school year.  As such, the most common messaging has focused on the impending learning loss epidemic that is about to plague virtually every school.  While we know there are and will be challenges with re-entry and assimilation, my concern is how the use of a deficit thinking approach to stereotype kids who, in many cases, have experienced immense trauma will affect them.  It’s not their fault that a pandemic occurred. 

A more sensitive and pragmatic strategy is to develop systemwide supports for learning recovery through acceleration.  Remediation techniques tend to address foundational skills and lower-level standards and concepts that emphasize perceived weaknesses—employing an asset-based approach instead of a deficit model shifts the focus to strengths and equity. So why learning recovery through acceleration as opposed to remediation?  Suzy Pepper Rollins provides this take:

The primary focus of remediation is mastering concepts of the past. On the other hand, acceleration strategically prepares students for success in the present—this week, on this content. Rather than concentrating on a litany of items that students have failed to master, acceleration readies students for new learning.

With this approach, as opposed to a deficit thinking focus on learning loss, districts and schools work to develop a comprehensive plan to determine where their learners currently are to help them get back on track and accelerate their learning.  With both a sense of urgency and an array of competing interests trying to advocate for why their way is the best, it is critical not to make the process more complicated than it is.  Don’t overanalyze it or be made to think that just a technology solution will do the trick.  To accelerate student learning, my colleague Kyra Donovan at the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) suggests the following:

Develop teacher clarity by prioritizing standards using consistent and specific criteria.Implement quick differentiation through vertical alignment of priority standards so teachers can dip down a grade level if needed but move quickly back to grade-level standards.Emphasize rigorous and relevant learning through scaffolded questions and tasks that teach priority standards while allowing immersion in key concepts and skills. Create checks for understanding by creating and aligning formative. assessments to priority standards.Establish continuous high expectations to instill a belief that all students can and will learn. Be bold by questioning current assessments and their purpose to determine if you need them all.
It is critical to move past remediations that will further exacerbate learning gaps while identifying and implementing strategies that represent a sound investment to help learners get back on track and accelerate their learning. Below are some more thoughts from Kyra. 

At ICLE, we have developed comprehensive learning recovery through acceleration solutions.  With the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, Congress has made money available to school districts to tackle the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The two rounds of funding are primarily focused on learning recovery but can be used for a variety of professional learning needs. The time is now to develop a longitudinal plan.  Feel free to email me at any time (esheninger@leadered.com) for more information.  

The Power of Collaboration

There is nothing more gratifying, in my opinion than watching people work together to achieve a common goal.  In a previous post, I shared how members of the 4th-grade team at Red Cliffs Elementary School in the Juab School district collaborated to create a personalized experience that combined choice and data to differentiate.  I was so empowered by what I saw that I captured the story of both teachers. My point was to illustrate an exceptional practice that benefitted all learners and how this might have never come to pass had they not embraced the spirit of collaboration.  It goes without saying that together we are all better, and leveraging others' collective intelligence will only strengthen both individual practices and school culture.

It is rare for me actually to see differentiation during my school visits. Now, this is not to say that it's not happening, but in over thousands of different classroom visits, I have only seen it a handful of times.  The week following my work with the Juab School District in Utah, I traveled to Elmhurst Community School District 205 in Illinois. My week-long visit there was a follow-up from 2019, where hundreds of classroom walk-throughs were conducted with a focus on improving digital pedagogy.  Extensive feedback was provided to district and building leadership, and a plan was developed to begin implemented specific strategies for growth over a period of time.  It was during the return trip that I once again saw differentiation firmly in part of a personalized learning experience. 

  

Upon entering the second-grade classroom, students were observed either completing their list of must-do activities or if they finished a choice board.  Activities were differentiated, consisting of slight alterations in choice board activities, based on proficiency data. The teacher, Lauren Joyce, was observed providing targeted instruction for a few remote learners. Some kids were already at mastery and were able to move forward along their own path. I also noticed Katie Murphy, the instructional coach, playing an active role in the classroom. This was a fantastic lesson that genuinely personalized the experience for all kids where they got what they needed when and where they needed it. 

Naturally, I wanted to capture Lauren and Katie's story, which you can read below.

Teaching during this past year has definitely challenged me, Lauren, to view things a little bit differently and has forced me out of my comfort zone in many ways. Teachers have had no choice but to instruct online, and students have had no choice but to sit on the other side of a computer screen for hours on end. I have had to adapt and think outside the box since I had never taught this way before. Because of the pandemic, this year has been unpredictable and has constantly been changing. Our students have been in school in three formats; all remote, hybrid, and now entirely in-person. I was hesitant at the start of the year about starting small group instruction given the circumstances. I had trouble envisioning what small group instruction would like in a remote and/or hybrid setting.    

District 205 has given us the opportunity to have an instructional coach at each elementary building. For the past four years, Katie and I have worked closely together on different classroom instructional strategies. This year, I knew I would need her support more than ever, especially in leveraging the best instructional strategies using technology. One of my biggest goals this year was to provide purposeful and engaging differentiation in math to meet all learners' needs in my classroom. I had somewhat of a vision about what I wanted this to look like but wasn't sure where or how to start. I often see things as "big picture" or what I want my end goal to be. Katie helped me utilize student data to bring my vision to life. Together, we looked at student data and decided which students demonstrated mastery of math standards and wanted to create more rigorous learning opportunities for these students. This is how Katie helped my big picture vision begin to come to life. A classroom environment was created that integrated the following structures and routines:

Collaborative conversationsIndependenceChoice (must do may do) Self-advocating 

This year has really taught me that we can teach with resilience and still allow for learning to be fun. Katie and I want to make sure learning is engaging and effective. We think with this approach to teaching; we are seeing the students thrive in any setting. They are excited about math as it is personalized through voice and choice while also emphasizing critical thinking and problem-solving. Collaborative conversations with groups help to create the expectations for speaking and listening for them to follow as they work together. Below is a description of what Eric saw during his visit. 

Goal was to differentiate math based on pre-assessment data based on proficiency of standards while providing students choice along with teacher instructionCollaborative groups and structures were established where students could work together Opportunities to follow a unique path to meet or exceed the standard were developedResources were made available in Google Classroom, such as anchor charts, the daily agenda, and a Google Form for students to communicate with a teacher around their learning.

 

 

One thing Lauren emphasized to me through email was the importance and influence instructional coaching has had on her instructional practice while also improving the classroom environment. She has significantly benefited from Katie's help, guidance, and feedback over the course of their time working together. Katie is the person she goes to immediately with any and every idea she has; her support has genuinely made Lauren a better teacher.

I don't think I would be willing to try some of these things if it weren't for her giving me a gentle nudge and supporting me every step of the way. Additionally, the students view Katie as a member of our classroom community. She has even been given the title "Class Celebrity."

Lauren and Katie exemplify the power of collaboration and the positive impact on both kids and school culture.  The moral of the story here is to work smarter, not harder, and great things will happen.  Be sure to leverage all the resources you have available, the greatest of which are the colleagues in your school.

Differentiating in the Personalized Classroom

I love visiting classrooms around the country to not only support but to see educators in action.  In my opinion, I learn just as much, if not more, from them as they hopefully do from me.  During the spring of 2020, I connected with the Juab School District in Utah and began what would be two years of longitudinal work to help them take personalized learning to the next level.  The pandemic derailed our planned first face-to-face day. As a result, Royd Darrington, the assistant superintendent, asked me to create asynchronous models for the staff to watch at their own pace. The first was an overview of foundational instructional strategies and pedagogy, while the other five focused on voice, choice, path, pace, and place. 

During the summer, I worked with the entire staff and visited each school to make some observations while offering feedback to the principals. Recently I visited the district where I met with each school to visit classrooms and see how they were progressing with personalized learning. Little did I know that my visit to Red Cliffs Elementary was going to blow my socks off. Upon entering the 4th-grade classroom of Jordan Jones, I saw probably the best examples of differentiation I have ever physically seen in real-time.  One of the hallmarks of personalization is the purposeful use of data, which can be used to group, regroup, facilitate targeted instruction, or differentiate. Upon questioning Jordan, she was implementing all of these!  There was also choice in the form of a must-do and may-do that varied for each group. Below is the picture I captured.  

I could not contain my excitement and awe, so I decided to reach out to get her perspective on this activity. Below is her detailed explanation of what I saw and why she created this activity. 

I have done small group instruction for years. Although it felt differentiated, most of the time, each group was receiving nearly the same instruction. I had a hard time grasping how to personalize instruction to my students' needs because I didn't truly understand which skills they were missing. This year, I have been dedicated to using and analyzing data. This has completely changed my classroom. I can honestly say that I know my students this year better than any other group in past years. Learning how to read and understand student data is what started me onto this personalized learning path.

Starting out this year, my students were in 4 reading groups, similar to what I have always done. Students each went to the same groups, and when the timer went off, they would rotate to the next one. It worked, but it was far from personalized. I had data, and I knew what students needed, but I wanted to find a way to truly make my groups targeted and intentional.

This is when we (my teammate and I) came up with the Must Do; May Do idea. There are certain things that I want each student to complete each day, but these are different for different students. Each group has its own Must Do, and May Do activities. Must-Do activities are intentional activities that target individual student needs. May Do activities help reinforce content and skills that have been taught in class. Some activities stay the same each week, while others change. I have found that mixing up activities with different technologies has helped keep students actively engaged.

While students are completing these individualized activities, my instructional assistant and I can work individually or in small groups with students. In these groups, we use data to identify reading and/or phonics skills that students have not yet mastered and then teach them explicitly. Data is the most significant piece of the success of this format of teaching and learning. Groups are formed based on DIBELS data and data from our i-Ready Reading digital component. Students who are working on skills with myself and my instructional assistant are reassessed every three weeks. This helps me know whether the interventions and instruction that are being given are working if the student has mastered the skill, and what to teach next.

During the week that Eric visited my classroom, students completed a Padlet as a Must Do. On this Padlet, students had to write a character analysis paragraph about a character in a book that we have been reading. We chose a Padlet to complete this task for multiple reasons. The first was to help engage my students in a new way to complete this specific task. In class, we had written these on paper, as well as on Google Docs. The second reason was to allow students to see how others had written theirs. This gave students the ability to read their peers' writing and possibly use them as a model.

I have never felt so confident in my teaching. This year, I can honestly say that I am the best teacher I have ever been, and I am growing every day. I feel confident that my students are getting the instruction and practice that they need. My students have learned to make choices that help them learn the most. I had a student last week say, "I don't care how long it takes. I am here to learn. I like to learn."

A few days later, I learned that Jordan had a partner in crime on the 4th-grade team and collaborated on this activity.  So naturally, I needed to reach out to Crissa Peterson to get her take as well. Success is typically a team effort, and it was so refreshing to hear how shared goals are achieved by working smarter, not harder.  Below is Crissa's take on the activity. 

My teammate and I felt that we needed to create a personalized learning experience that was meaningful and engaging to our students. We didn't want our students just completing activities as busywork. We wanted all of the activities to have meaning and value for that specific student. In order to create our groups, we looked at a few different data points. We used DIBELS data, a Phonic Screener for intervention (PSI assessment) that aligns with 95% group phonic skill interventions; we also used the iReady reading diagnostic results and then teacher discretion. From these results, we grouped students with similar learning needs/levels.

We also wanted to create activities that emphasized what we had been working on during our ELA module and All-Block tasks. We knew that Padlet would be a great option because students can share ideas with one another and modify them later if needed. It gave them a chance to enhance their typing skills as well while reinforcing the ELA standards we had been working on during that unit. We also felt that Nearpod was a great way to assess learning. It is an engaging and interactive tool that provides instant feedback to our students.

In creating our groups, we wanted to give our students voice and choice as well. In doing so, we decided to make our groups using the "must do" and "may do" templates. Each group is assigned different personalized "must do" and "may do" activities," so this means students are doing a variety of assignments throughout the block of time. Using this platform also allows the students to work at their own pace, and it also will enable students to master a standard/skill before moving on. "Must do" activities are the activities that are required for students to accomplish. These are personalized for them based on their learning needs. If students have finished their "must-do" activities, then they can go to a "may do" activity for the last round.

Students often tell us that they love being able to choose the order they complete their tasks in and that the activities frequently change for them. I, as a teacher, love that it gives my students the freedom and accountability to finish their assigned activities while keeping them engaged. Most of all, I love that I am personalizing their learning activities based on their individual needs and providing them the opportunity to work at their own pace, all while using technology and interactive tools.

Personalization is about giving all kids what they need, when and where they need it, to succeed. The dynamic combination of differentiation, choice, and targeted instruction does this. By capturing Jordan's and Crissa's story, I hope that other educators will not only see that this is doable whether or not we are in a pandemic but results in an equitable learning experience for learners.  

8 Elements of Effective Coaching

I absolutely love coaching educators in small groups.  During these sessions, I get to see firsthand how they are implementing ideas and strategies into practice to grow.  While giving keynotes and facilitation workshops is something I love, both lack an on-going component, which is one of the most critical aspects of professional learning that leads to scalable results.  While one-and-done and drive-by events are great at establishing the why once the excitement dies down, people are often clamoring to figure out how to make what they just heard a reality in their specific context. Having multiple touchpoints and small groups allows for more engagement, personalization, mentoring, feedback, and the time to dive more deeply into concepts.  

There are so many ways to implement coaching effectively, but some specific strategies are listed below:

Ask questionsListen intentlyBe non-judgmentalAlign ideas to research and evidenceModel strategiesProvide honest feedbackCreate a safe environment that encourages conversationUtilize positive reinforcement

The other day, I facilitated a coaching session with leaders as part of a year-long partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) on digital leadership.  The stage was set in separate large group sessions described below:

In order to fully understand the impact remote learning has on teaching and learning, we must be purposeful in the role we play in supporting and leading teachers in a digital environment. We must inspect what we expect. The only way to do this is to roll up our sleeves and jump into the digital learning environment with our teachers and students. To best assess our current levels of teaching and learning performance in a digital environment, we must understand how to collect the evidence that helps shape our overall understanding of learning now and in the future. 

Once we have gathered the appropriate evidence of teaching and learning in a digital environment, participants will be led through the process of analyzing and interpreting evidence collected in an effort to understand the current conditions teachers are creating, and students are learning in each day. Once there is an understanding of the current landscape, practical ways will be shared in how to coach teachers to keep sound instructional design at the forefront of teaching and learning.

During these touchpoints, I offered specific ways for leaders to successfully gather and interpret evidence of teaching and learning to be in a better position to lead pedagogical change. In between two major workshops have been many small sessions where participants have been tasked with bringing evidence to illustrate how they are successfully leading change in their districts and get valuable feedback.  Each coaching cycle has been designed to personalize the experience for all participants.  My facilitation partner from KDE, Ben Maynard, has been incredible at using Google Jamboard for participants to upload artifacts, ask questions, and brainstorm strategies that the leaders hope to implement in the near future.  

During one session, Jill Angelucci, an assistant principal from George Rogers Clark High School, shared an extraordinary artifact that resulted from professional learning that had been implemented throughout the year.  Since things have been challenging during the pandemic, her school wanted to move beyond the challenges and instead focus on the positives.  What they came up with was having teachers routinely present on what’s worked well. In my opinion, this was genius and not only shared effective practices but also built people up in the process.  

Teachers presented for approximately 30 minutes once a month on Thursday. Below you can see on example of what was created using Canva as a result of the sessions at Jill’s school. You can see all of them HERE. 

She was able to model digital strategies and ways for teachers to incorporate voice, choice, and path into their learning. It created a second piece to the overall strategy of ‘Think Tank Thursday’ where they continually share and identify other strategies made available to all staff. This was all accomplished while students were remote and almost entirely through Google Meet sessions. An innovative use of space and time was made available, and they plan to continue this while kids return to the building.

The artifact above was one of many that have been shared during the longitudinal work with KDE.  The effective elements of coaching listed earlier in this post weren’t just used by me, but instead the entire group. It was a collaborative process where tangible outcomes were shared and analyzed.  Coaching takes the “why” and moves educators along a continuum of effectively leading change and what can be used to show success.

Digitally-Enhanced Exit Tickets

I love coaching as it provides a lens to see how teachers and administrators act on feedback to grow and improve. It also provides evidence that strategies aligned to research and sound instructional design are implemented in practical ways. Even though this year has been dramatically different as a result of the pandemic, I have found myself even more busy supporting districts through job-embedded and on-going professional learning.  Whether face-to-face, hybrid or remote, the elements of learning and good teaching remain the same.  

No matter where I am, one aspect of instructional design that I often identify as an area for growth is closure.   I have written in the past how important including this strategy is, no matter the grade level of students or the content being addressed.  Closure draws attention to the end of the lesson, helps students organize their learning, reinforces the significant aspects of the concepts explored, allows students to practice what was learned, and provides an opportunity for feedback, review, and reflective thinking. It is hard to determine the effectiveness of a lesson or whether learners understood the concepts presented without some form of closure.  

While there are many strategies out there, the exit ticket is probably the one that is utilized the most. While learners can solve problems or answer specific questions related to the content or concepts addressed, more general prompts can also be used, such as:

What exactly did I learn?Why did we learn this?How will I use what was learned today outside of school, and how does it connect to the real world?

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Dr. Nathan Hall, the Corinth Middle School principal in Mississippi.  I have been coaching in the district for over two years now and have written extensively about how the schools' staff have been open to innovative change with the evidence to back it up.  Below is a message that Lori Snyder, one of his 7/8th grade math teachers, sent him regarding using exit tickets for closure:

I had asked about a program for my exit tickets.  I need something like Padlet that allows them to enter their answer anonymously but will not show everyone's answer until I am ready.  I want to use it for real-time feedback. The trouble with Padlet is that they can see everyone's responses as they are posted, and some are copying others' answers instead of doing their own work. Mentimeter won't let them type in numbers. Canvas discussion is not anonymous. You had said something about asking Mr. Sheninger before he came for his next visit.

After thinking about it, I suggested GoSoapBox.  Dr. Hall then passed this along to Ms. Snyder, and her feedback is below:

When they are online answering, the barometer at the top tells me if they need help.  After seeing that some require the problem worked out, I add it to the exit ticket page.

It is always a great day when a teacher or administrator shoots me an email looking for ways to improve.  Little did I know that I would see the GoSoapBox exit ticket in action a few weeks later.  As I conducted my monthly coaching visit at Corinth Middle School, here is what I saw in Ms. Snyder's class:

Students solved math problems on dry-erase desks and then submitted their answers.Their work was added to their notebook, which both they and the teacher could refer to see where issues were.The teacher was able to see where misconceptions were immediately.Names were removed from public view, so students weren't embarrassed.The teacher was able to address issues that the majority of the class was having right away by modeling or re-teaching.Individual students who had misconceptions were emailed after school to maximize class time.

I am so proud of this teacher for looking for ways to implement exit tickets using technology.  From the bullets above, you can see the many positive outcomes one small, yet significant, change made.  The key lesson here is that there are always elements of practice that can be tweaked, adapted, or changed in order to improve.  Great educators never stop chasing growth. 

Extending Grace to Yourself

The shift to remote and hybrid learning has not been easy, and I don't think anyone would claim that the journey was smooth sailing.  As I continue to work with districts and schools on an on-going basis, I try my best to help them overcome continuous challenges and frustrations. Through it all, educators have risen to the occasion and have innovated their practice at a more frequent pace than any time in history. At least, that is the way I see it, but as the pandemic wears on, educators are still trying to figure things out.  I am here to tell you that you are not alone. Virtually everyone, no matter the profession, has and continues to experience challenges during this unique time.  Just take a look below at what this lawyer went through.

I can't help but laugh every time I watch the video above and never even knew that there were avatar filters available in Zoom. However, there is a fundamental lesson here. We are still in a constant state of flux.  So much of what we are attempting to do is new, or other challenges materialize out of the blue.  Professional learning can most certainly help, but that has been placed on the back burner in many cases.  Thus, it often falls on educators themselves to figure things out.  Then there is the fact that students and colleagues are in desperate need of support so that natural reaction is to put individual needs on the back burner to help others.  While this is admirable and the right thing to do, it is imperative that educators extend some grace to themselves. 

It seems simple, but the reality is that extending grace to yourself isn't easy or something one aspires to do because it just doesn't feel right. Nancy Fulkerson explains why it is essential to do so.

When you feel like your day is unraveling or you've been hard on yourself for whatever reason, "giving yourself grace" is about giving yourself that kindness you often deserve. Sounds awesome. The type of thing you'd want your best friend to do for herself because you don't want to see her breakdown.

The fact of the matter is that what you have done and will continue to do matters. During tough times giving yourself some grace can make all the difference. Here are five ways to do this:

Dedicate an hour doing something you are passionate about.Give yourself a pat on the back or even look in the mirror while stating that you did well today.Engage in something that is all about YOU.Close your eyes and take a deep breath when something doesn't go right.Begin and conclude your workday with self-affirmations.

Things will not always go as planned, and adversity will always be around the corner.  Continue to always show grace to others while remembering that you need it as well. It is more than ok to give yourself a pick-me-up when needed.  Please know that your dedication and commitment are truly appreciated. 

Adapting Ideas to Drive Real Change

One of the joys and challenges of blogging regularly is trying to come up with original content that has substance. I can tell you firsthand that this is no easy feat as it seems like virtually everything has been written about in some form or another.  In many cases, content and ideas are remixed into something that is or seems, new. My angle has always been to use coaching experiences in classrooms and schools to illustrate how specific strategies are successfully integrated resulting in changes to practice.  Without these opportunities of working side by side with educators, I would have run out of things to write about years ago.  However, this doesn’t imply that it is still easy to come up with blog ideas. 

With the onset of the pandemic, new ideas began to percolate as remote and hybrid learning quickly became the norm.  These were foreign areas for most of us, especially in relation to PreK-12 education.  Thus, since Mach 2019, almost all of my posts have been dedicated to this topic because, quite frankly, there weren’t really any applicable content or practical strategies out there.  While I have focused on sound pedagogical techniques that have just as much value now as they did before COVID-19, I explored emerging aspects of personalization to provide a relevant angle that could help educators implement remote and hybrid learning with fidelity. In particular, one post addressed the challenge of managing face-to-face and remote learners at the same time.  As a result of my work with a school, I developed a template for educators to use or adapt as they see fit.  Below is what I created.

It has been fantastic to hear how the above image is being used in classrooms around the world.  The other day I received a message from Kate Tinguely on Twitter, which led to a conversation on how she adapted it for a recent lesson. Here is her take:

This year has been so full of change, adjustment, and anticipation of the unknown due to COVID-19. As a specialist, I have had to completely change the way I approach my lesson planning due to the frequency of times the classes come to me, the arrangement of my space & materials (for social distancing), being new to the school, and keeping in mind how I can foster connections with my students.  Your template and ideas were so helpful and inspired me to act on what I was hoping would be a change for the better. 

I was humbled, to say the least, by what Kate shared, so I asked for a visual as to how she tweaked the template.  You can see what she created below:

Here is how the lesson was structured in her words:

Beginning Connection: I always begin class with a question to help connect with my students, give them a chance to share, and learn all of their names. The question was to name one animal they know that hibernates in the winter (first grade). They can answer or say pass.Then I read Bear Snores On (with the Novel Effects app)Station one: Seesaw activity (Animals in the Winter)Station two: Polar Bear Arctic Virtual Field Trip    Wrap up: Think-Pair-Share one fun fact they learned about winter animals or polar bears.The lesson the day before was all about algorithms and coding, so the stations had to do with those concepts involving Kodable and a Seesaw Activity.

It is great to see how educators like Kate are innovating their practice during these difficult times.  Information was used to construct new knowledge and then actively apply it to practice. Since this is what we want from our learners, it is critical that adults model this as well.  On a personal note, her message about why and how the template was used provided validation for why I blog consistently in an attempt to share valuable information.  The lesson learned here is that ideas are great, but it’s what we do with them aligned to effective strategies that truly matters.

The Lengths Teachers Will Go For Kids

While the challenges schools have faced during the pandemic are often portrayed in the media, some notable changes to practice have occurred. Each day I am in awe as I see innovation in action shared on social media, especially in the areas of blended, remote, and hybrid pedagogy.  It goes without saying that there has also been a significant uptick in the purposeful use of technology. All successes, big and small, should be celebrated.  In my work with school leaders, one of my goals is to push them to unearth these exemplars while also supporting teachers to grow and improve.  

Recently I was facilitating some longitudinal coaching work with administrators from Paterson Public Schools in NJ. Leaders had been broken up into four different cohorts (elementary, middle, high school, and district supervisors).  During a previous session, I assigned each leader some meaningful homework, which consisted of bringing an artifact to share with the group that showed growth in the area. During each conversation, it was empowering to see and hear the progress educators made in their schools.  Therein lies what separates effective vs. ineffective professional learning.  The latter is defined by one-and-done and drive-by touchpoints, while the former is ongoing, job-embedded, laden with feedback, and substantiated with evidence.

While each group shared amazing artifacts, I was blown away by the supervisor cohort. In particular, those who oversee Pre-K teaching and learning shared as a team with concrete examples. Then Stephanie Wright, the Supervisor of Early Education, provided us all with a bird's eye view of what Sofia Kadrmas was doing with her pre-K class.  In a nutshell, she had replicated her real classroom in terms of how it looked and felt before the pandemic into a vibrant virtual environment. As I immersed myself in the experience, it was like I was in the classroom myself. I immediately begged Stephanie to get me permission from Sofia to view and share.  Below you can see her work of art. The interactive classroom can be accessed HERE. 

I was blown away and feel that this is the best example of a remote learning environment that I have seen in the field.  Once I got access to it, I immediately set up a call with Sofia to ask her some questions and commend her on her efforts.  My first question was in regard to how she learned to create this in Google Slides. She explained that she taught herself and always had a knack for technology.  The other, probably obvious, question was how she had the time to create such a masterpiece.  Her response was invigorating and the essence behind why teachers do what they do for kids.  Sofia explained that she is passionate and motivated to help her students in any way that she can.  Her goal was, and is, to create a fantastic experience for kids during this difficult time. She saw an opportunity during the pandemic and ran with it.

Below is Sofia's story in her own words:

When it was announced that our school district would begin the 2020-2021 school year fully remote, I knew it would be a challenge to engage my Pre-K students remotely while still adhering to developmentally appropriate practices and maintaining fidelity to our curriculum. One day I woke up with the idea that I could convert my physical classroom into a virtual format. As you will see in the Slides that have been shared with you, I've created a virtual classroom that accurately resembles Room #204 of Paterson Public School #28, complete with the same area rug, furniture, and interactive whiteboard. It also features a replica of the Tri-Fold Choice Time "Planning Board" I created last year. Clicking on it will redirect the viewer to an enlarged version of the board, including visual representations of the Interest Areas (or "centers"), which contain images of most of the same toys and materials that can be found in my classroom. The realistic aspect of my virtual classroom was intended to provide my students with a sense of familiarity with the physical classroom that they would hopefully someday enter in person.

My goal from the beginning was to create a virtual learning environment that would not only engage my students but also give them a reason to look forward to logging on for class each day. I do feel that I have accomplished this goal, as I have had several parents reach out to me in the last five months to express how much their child loves the resources I post daily. One of my students begs his mother to help him play the "games" that I post on my Daily Google Classroom Agenda almost immediately after the end of our live sessions. These are activities aligned with our curriculum that I have converted into Google Slides to draw my students into the lesson. I use them daily as my primary method of instruction so that both students and parents can efficiently utilize them outside of our live sessions as an extension of learning. I also heavily rely on the Google Translate Chrome extension to make these Slides equally accessible to my bilingual students' families and have posted many of my Google Classroom resources in three different languages. 

It is essential to remind ourselves that these are unprecedented times we are living in currently. It's during times like these, especially when we must open ourselves up to the possibility that continuing to teach in the way "we have always done" may not be what's in the best interests of our students.  Our profession is one that requires us to be lifelong learners. That includes the willingness to adapt to, as well as adopt new teaching practices as the world continues to transform around us. That is precisely what I set forth to accomplish this school year. I adapted. 

Calm Down Corner

My final piece of advice to all teachers in my position is this: Don't resist the change. Face your fears. Ask for help when you need it. It's never too late to learn a new skill, and you will never truly know the extent to which that newly acquired skill could benefit your students until you try it. The last several months have proven to me, beyond any doubt, that my "new way" of teaching is highly effective. My students are learning and growing every day, but most importantly, their smiles and laughter show me that they are having FUN in the process! That's more than enough motivation for me to keep pushing forward. 

During the pandemic, so many teachers like Sofia have gone to great lengths for their kids.  They have persevered in the face of adversity while embracing innovative approaches. Their example is to be celebrated.