Our Journey With Planning

The journey with lesson planning and transparency in our practice, for us, started in late July with our Leadership Academy Team's determination to make this a focus on our campus Problem of Practice. We have had our leadership team, vertical PLCs, and grade level PLCs review, discuss and provide feedback. Now we move forward in action.

We have in place a lesson planning guide to direct our discussions in planning and drive our plans for instruction deeper in collaboration and independently. To see what we are doing, and encourage as well as sharpen our practice, we have designed a focused walkthrough form for peer to peer walkthroughs.

There are a few questions that continue to circle and the hope is that this blog post answers those questions.

• Is the Lesson Planning Guide going to be a "gotcha?"
• Not at all, this is designed to be used as an accountability piece among your team as you plan and as a way for us as a campus to be able to move forward and grow together. It is a way to identify components of lesson planning that are effective and encourage those practices to be the expectation as we continually improve together.
• What evidence are we looking for?
• We are looking for lessons that are warm to you. When you deliver a lesson it is already been discussed deeply with your team, reflected on by you and shows evidence of that. Evidence of that could be shown in the format like what was presented to the leadership team with the Origo lesson (pictured here).

Or it can be notes added to a lesson via post its and/or the actual artifacts and teacher model journals (also pictured below). 

• How will accountability remain if the expectation for turning lesson plans is no longer in place?
• The question that we asked ourselves was what was the purpose of "turning in lesson plans" and who was it for? The overwhelming answer... it was for administration. We want your planning to be about the intentional planning and delivery of instruction for the LEARNERS in your classroom. How will we know planning is being done? It goes right back to good teaching... it must be planned. We will be looking for alignment with learning targets, CBAs will help us see alignment and hold accountable your instruction. Additionally, we want to see your plans in your hands in use as we walk in and observe you instructing your learners. They should not look pristine and untouched but have evidence of your thoughts, reflections and the components from the the lesson planning guide.
• This is also where the walkthroughs indirectly hold each other accountable. The walkthroughs are designed for us to learn from each other and the root of our instruction comes from our planning.
• What is the expectation/philosophy for Learning Targets?
• Our lesson guide speaks to this. We also believe that as teams/content areas plan together their Learning Targets should be created together and be aligned to the standards. (Learning Targets should look the same in each grade level, each content area.)
• We do want to revisit and tighten up our understanding of Learning Targets at a later date. For now, our approach is to have alignment both to the standard and with your team/content partner(s) and is it "kid-friendly" in that the students understand and own it.
• What is the expectation for "turning in" lesson plans with T-TESS?
• Of course with T-TESS the plans should be brought to the pre-conference with a copy for your evaluator. Providing a copy ahead of time is helpful but not required. Using the T-TESS Pre-Conference form is also a guide... teachers can use the form or just a lesson plan that you are able to show how the lesson plan addresses the components of the pre-conference form.

We look forward to the growth, discussions and continued progress we make as a campus and as individuals in this journey. What are your thoughts on this? Please comment below.

-John and Kirsten

Lesson Planning: Process over Product

As a first grade team sat before the district's AP PLC, the team lead, in a matter-of-fact demeanor shared, "We thought we were rocking the planning. We were checking off boxes, getting our learning targets written, addressing the standard, handing out planned activities and sharing what would be the student products. Then we met with our ICLE coach and everything changed." 

The team lead then shared that the team realized they were simply sharing a guide, not going beyond the scope/curriculum to deeply understand the why of the instruction. As a team they were not utilizing the power of collaboration to strengthen their questioning, nor were they utilizing their CIR Rigor and Relevance rubrics to empower the planning to bump up their daily lessons.

This strategic shift in mindset has enhanced and enriched an already efficient, high-performing team. As a dynamic, growth focused team they were able to strategically move from the idea of a product approach for lesson planning to focusing on the process. 

In addition to this shift, the team also shared that in order for this mind shift to successfully occur they worked from a closely adhered to set of norms. These norms included:

• Come Prepared- each team member looks at the scope for all content teaching to familiarize and anticipate what is being planned; each team member has content responsible for planning ready with skeleton plan that anticipates where the rigor and relevance of the lesson falls as well as ideas for student product, but not finalized and ready for input: questions, learning target, opening, work period, closing and student product
• Stay Focused- silence digital tools not pertaining to planning/stay off cell phones; limit side conversations and personal conversations not pertaining to planning
• Keep Each Other Accountable- team members ok with ideas not being utilized; listen to others; have plans ready by Wednesday and be ready/open to modify lessons as needed up until instruction is delivered
• Stay Professional- keep focus on why we do what we do; keep it about the kids... kids come first; resolve problems within the team and keep the concerns/differences between the team with intent to resolve

With these norms in place and coming with the expectation of focusing on the process, they were able to bring in the CIR Rigor and Relevance rubrics with ease finding opportunities within each lesson and each content area to bump up instruction and student learning.

It can be overwhelming when a mind shift occurs with lesson planning. This is an area that reflects the most personal part of a teacher's craft. However, taking steps to challenge oneself and one's team can bring about the most rewarding results. In addition to being privy to an amazing conversation with a first grade team as they went through this mind shift, a recent article titled "Start With Higher Order Thinking" in the October 2016 Educational Leadership, provides an excellent model on how to utilize three strategies to incorporate into lessons to encourage students to think deeply. This article is an excellent read either for individual professional development or as your team expands their understanding of lesson planning. Article: https://drive.google.com/a/nisdtx.org/file/d/0B719zui4hJZHMHJRR1ZONFpIRWs/view?usp=sharing

As we move forward here is the Lesson Planning Look For/Template we, as a campus have collaborated together on and created:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-83qjtHzpOOtRy9PT-EZf26ebCSTAsuOVzXhhxc1B5M/copy 

You do not have to use as a template for planning. However, this is intended, as designed by our campus, to be used as a guide as you and your team plan, along with the CIR Rigor and Relevance Rubrics. (Remember this is a living document and can change as we grow and determine need.)

The challenge? It will take time... at first it will more than likely take more time than what you presently use to plan. Our highly efficient first grade team even said it took a bit of time to change from a product approach to a process approach. However, now the team is finishing planning within approximately the same time frame as they did before they implemented these purposeful, strategic and transformative changes to their planning. Do they follow their norms with fidelity? "We cannot afford not to, we have kids we can't let down," responded the first grade team lead with conviction.

What are your next steps in moving from product to process in your planning?

Does your team rotate who plans what content throughout the year to ensure depth of understanding regarding the district resources and processes in place to ensure successful lesson planning?

How can this article move your team forward in this shift?

How will your team utilize the Lesson Planning Look For/Template and CIR Rigor/Relevance Rubrics as you plan together?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Let's begin a conversation together that brings greater depth to our planning.

Resource: Brookhart, Susan M. "Start with Higher-Order Thinking." Educational Leadership:Powerful Lesson Planning:. ASCD, Oct. 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Thank you for reading this week's SRE Longhorn Learning Post.

John and Kirsten

We want to know what you know...

Dr. Thornell recently went to an education symposium in Washington, D.C. There a renowned scientist who was part of a team that recently acquired the most expensive research microscope in the world was asked what was most valuable to him in his research. Without hesitation he replied, "My journals. It has all my thinking, problem solving, my research." Not one mention of the telescope.

In our quest of growing and intentionally utilizing student journals, at the heart of it all, we want our students to value their journals in the same way that the scientist does.

To move to that authentic use of journals as a learning community it is essential to gather data not only on student performance, but also on our own learning and thinking. As we have had conversations about journals, had journal walks, shared resources with each other, and made progress, we also need to know where YOU are in this process. This week's post we want you to take time to fill out a survey on teacher model journals and student journals for all content areas.

This survey is completely anonymous. Please be transparent and honest. Your feedback will help guide our next steps for learning and practice as a campus. Here is the link: https://goo.gl/forms/xmbxxmnh16iykyEY2

Thank you in advance for your transparency and honesty. 

-John and Kirsten

Teacher Model Journals, Feedback and Frequency of Entries...

Teacher Model Journals are a part of our district and campus focus in all areas. The power of models has already proven to be profoundly powerful. One part of the intentional practice of using Teacher Model Journals in our instruction is "think aloud" as we share our "model."
Children mimic,internalize and make their own the learning practiced in front of them. It is the way they learn... in everything they do. Even today, as I walked through Tom Thumb, I saw a mother with a baby in a carrier inside a cart and her young preschooler with her own "just my size" cart. They were standing together at the deli counter waiting on their deli meat to be sliced. The baby was crying with little sign of quieting down. Mom, rolling the grocery cart, with baby inside, back and forth. And the little girl? Doing the same exact thing with her pre-school sized grocery cart. She was following her model with expectancy and precision. The "think aloud" is one way our model becomes powerful.

In the online article "Think Aloud Strategy" from TeacherVision the importance of journaling along with using the "Think Aloud" in all content areas was shared:

"How Can You Stretch Students' Thinking?

Reflective journals and learning logs are a natural extension of thinking out loud. By jotting down what you say, you can model the journaling process as you model thinking out loud. As students start to keep journals or learning logs, review them on an ongoing basis to monitor the students' metacognition and use of essential strategies.

When Can You Use It?

Reading/English

The process of thinking out loud can be used in K-12 classes during all phases of the reading process. Before reading you may think out loud to demonstrate accessing prior knowledge or to make predictions about the text. During reading, model reading comprehension using fix-up strategies or examining text structure to maintain meaning. After reading, model using the text to support an opinion, or analyze the text from the author's point of view.

Writing

Thinking out loud can be used to model all phases of the writing process. In pre-writing, model the strategies writers use to get the process started; during the drafting process, model creating "sloppy copies"; during revision, model how to ask questions and think about readers' needs; and during the editing process, model how to use conventions to help readers understand the message. As students engage in reciprocal think-alouds, they dialogue about their texts. This dialoguing helps students to internalize their sense of audience and fine-tune their craftsmanship as writers.

Math

When teaching a new math process or strategy, think aloud to model its use. Ask students to work with a partner to practice thinking aloud to describe how they use the new process or strategy. Listen to students as they think aloud to assess their understanding.

Social Studies

In classroom discussions of difficult social studies topics, such as capital punishment or affirmative action, ask that students not only give their opinions but explain their reasoning by thinking out loud. Model thinking out loud yourself as you read a difficult text or express your own opinion on a complex issue.

Science

Think-alouds can be used to model the inquiry process in science. During instruction, have students continue the inquiry process using reciprocal think-alouds and then reflect upon the process in their journals or learning logs."

With the power of Teacher Model Journals comes the importance of feedback. Frequent, specific feedback is essential. However, feedback is only as powerful as the opportunity to respond/reflect to the feedback. A second grade team at a campus in NISD has done away with morning work and has purposefully structured the first 20 minutes of every day for students to respond to feedback in any content area. These teachers have constructed feedback so that students reflect, revise and improve their journal works. Again, the teachers review and give more feedback, and the cycle continues. The learning goes deeper. The learning becomes not about the destination of "complete" but continuous improvement and growth.

With modeling and feedback there is power, but how do the students consistently move forward?

That is where the frequency comes into play. An analogy was shared with our Southwest Learning Team that helped us all understand why frequency of entries in journals was an essential look for in our journal walks. The analogy was about training for a marathon. When one trains for a marathon, one doesn't go run a couple of weeks before the marathon a few miles every day. It is a lengthy, purposefully planned training process. Training runs consist of multiple weekly runs with planned longer runs to build stamina and endurance. In much the same way students need to respond frequently in their journals. In readers workshop it is an expectation K-5 that students are responding to their reading every day, having 3-4 completed responses per week to build that stamina and endurance, while maintaining quality in their responses.

As we move forward as a campus in our POP with literacy rich student work, journals are a perfect place to start. How are you and your team utilizing frequent entries, Teacher Model Journal, and the cycle of Feedback to encourage growth and depth of learning with students? Where is time provided for students to self-assess and respond to feedback? Does their work mirror the work of the Teacher Model Journal with expectancy and precision?  How do students know when their entries are showing deeper thinking? How often are they building those muscles of metacognition through responding to their learning through their journals (in any content area)?

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

Talking about Journaling...

As we move into the final week of the first six weeks, we have secured our rituals and routines in the

classroom. We have moved beyond the first 30 days, completed our DRAs and BOY of math assessments. We are now bringing into focus the day to day instructional practices with rigor and relevance. In particular we are honing the practice of capturing learning through our journals. A literacy rich best practice.






Becoming transparent in our practice in regards to journals is two fold... it is, on one hand, examining teacher model journals and how we utilize them to guide student work; on the other hand, it is examining student journal work/responses.

With teacher models, we consider what are we wanting to focus on, sharing what work meets expectations (utilizing rubrics to guide our responses), syncing with our grade level/content in regards to aligned task/model entries and demonstrating reflection/depth in the responses. Additionally, ongoing action research supports that quality teacher models encourage longer student responses.

With student journals we want to consider number of opportunities to respond (3 to 4 times per week), the responses of students in journals vs. anchor charts/resource items, depth of responses, teacher/peer feedback provided in student journals, and student's opportunity to respond to/ reflect on feedback.

Journaling both for student and teacher models requires specific, purposeful and intentional planning to ensure time for journaling. Time must be taken to pre-plan/create the teacher model for journal responses. Furthermore, finding effective ways to leave feedback in a timely manner both for individual student growth and to inform instruction must also be a consideration.

As we close our first chapter in the 2016-17 year and move into our next six weeks, what are ways we can continue to grow in this area? How can we strive for best practices? What are ways we are being purposeful, intentional and sharing/collaborating on this practice?

In Student-friendly Terms...

Before the kids walked through our doors to begin the 2016-17 school year, we, as a campus, had a vision for what this year would look like for all learners. Our Problem of Practice, while heavy with content and intent, needed to be in kid-friendly language if it would be meaningful for students. As teams we wrote kid-friendly POPs that could become part of the everyday foundational focus for learning.

As we reflect, consider:

• How are we bringing those kid-friendly POPs into our everyday learning focus? 
• Is it read, reviewed and reflected upon with the students? 
• Is the kid-friendly POP accessible for reference by students at any time? 
• Do the students see themselves as part of the vision to move forward as learners?

Here are the student-friendly POPs that were written before the start of the school year:

“Longhorns encourage one another to give our best effort and hold each other accountable by communicating our learning.”

 -created by GLAMP plus Intervention Specialist Team

 As Longhorns, we will be responsible for challenging and helping each other to grow in our learning.

2^nd  and 3^rd grade

  

Mrs. Webster and Mrs. Aslin will work together, and with your classroom teachers, to create lessons and activities that will challenge you and encourage you to grow in your learning.  You will work with your friends and challenge each other to create your own thoughtful work in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science.

Teachers check in with each other to help each other reach goals. Students work together and challenge each other in a positive way.

Teachers will provide opportunities to read, write, and communicate in all classes. Students will actively participate to develop quality work in all classes.

Teachers and students will be partners in learning.

4^th and 5^th grade

Longhorn Learning Goal…Kinder and 1st

We will…

1      Work together as a team

2       Help others

         Work hard to do our best

4.     Make connections and share ideas

   Share in the comments how you and/or your team are being intentional in fostering student ownership of our campus Problem of Practice (kid friendly version)?
 
    Sendera Elementary 2016-17 Problem of Practice

    "Longhorn Master Builder News September 19, 2016"

Purposeful Planning...

Planning is integral to student success in the classroom. No longer is it a quickly written page number from a teacher's edition or a title to a blackline master activity sheet. Today, lesson plans include many components including, but not limited to, the standard(s), learning target(s), guiding questions, anticipated misconceptions, breakdown of the lesson cycle (opening, work period, closing), differentiation, and targeted small group instruction. Additionally, this year factors to consider are the dimensions in T-TESS and Rigor/Relevance through the Curriculum Instructional Review Process.
Collaboration and Reflection while planning and as instruction is delivered is key. Todd Finley, in the recently online article "9 Ways to Plan Transformational Lessons..." concisely shares the layers of thought and action that goes into planning. How, as a campus, can we grow in our practice with purposeful planning? What are tools or practices we can streamline/develop to foster best practices?

Longhorn Master Builder News 9-12-2016