thinking about classroom management? what do

THINKING ABOUT
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT?
ASCD
March, 2010
Marcia B. Imbeau
University of Arkansas
[email protected]
WHAT DO YOU
THINK IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT
ELEMENT IN
EFFECTIVE
CLASSROOM
MANAGEMENT?
We often think of “classroom management” as a
synonym for “control.”
We think , then, of the teacher as the person who
must ensure that students stay quiet and still.
Accomplishing that requires that the teacher’s will
supersede that of the student—a battle of wills.
A baseline assumption of such an approach is
the unreliability of young learners.
How many teachers think about managing a differentiated classroom!
1
When we manage students
…the more we “manage”
students’ behavior and try to
make them do what we say,
the more difficult it is for
them to become morally
sophisticated people who think
for themselves and care
others.
Alfie Kohn
The greatest sign of
success for a
teacher…
A Different Approach Is…
Is to be able to say,
“The children are
now working as if I
did not exist.”
-Maria Montessori
LEADING FOR SUCCESS…
First asking…“What do my students need to succeed and how
can my students and I work together to meet those needs?”
Then,
Then, managing the details necessary to accomplish that.
2
What Children Need
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acceptance
Understanding
Respect
Belonging
Contribution
Challenge/Support
Purpose
A Balanced Success-toEffort Ratio
All learners need
a balanced success
to effort ratio
What if we created classrooms like this? Then what?
Struggling
Learners:
Heavy Effort
Little Success
Advanced
Learners:
Great Success,
Little Effort
3
“Batch processing doesn’t work!”
•To provide a framework for thinking about “successful flexibility”
in the classroom,
•To ensure participant clarity about key elements of differentiation,
•To distinguish and show the relationship between leadership
and management in a differentiated classroom,
•To explore the philosophy that guides teacher leadership
in a differentiated classroom,
•To provide practical guidance related to
managing a differentiated classroom,
•To plan for classroom implementation of ideas
and strategies.
Theodore Sizer (2004) Introduction to Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for High School Reform. Reston, VA: NASSP
•Has a vision for something good
•Has the capacity to share the vision
& enlist others in it
•Builds a team for achieving the
vision
•Renews commitment to the vision
•Celebrates successes
•ABOUT PEOPLE
First be a leader
•Plans schedules
•Handles details
•Prepares materials
•Arranges furniture
•Orchestrates movement
•Practices routines
•Troubleshoots
•ABOUT MECHANICS
Then be a manager
4
The PDI is organized around these two ideas:
What it means to lead a differentiated classroom
How to manage a differentiated classroom
D
ICommunity
F
F
E
R
E
N
T
I
A
T
I
O
N
Community
• Teacher-Student
Connections
• Safe Environment
• Shared Partnership
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
• Essential KUDs
• Engagement
• Teaching Up
•
•
•
•
Addressing R, I, LP
Flexible Grouping
Multiple Strategies
Flexible Management
•Pre-assessment
•On-going Assessment to
Inform Instruction
•3-P Grading
Movie Time….
In Rick’s Classroom, Look For:
The nature of the teacher’s mindset
Connections between teacher and students
Quality of curriculum
The nature and uses of assessment
Respectful tasks
Flexibility
Teaching up
Other elements you think are important for defensible
differentiation
Your own questions
Please use the “Look Fors” observation form
to reflect on Rick’s class.
5
To create an environment where each student’s
affective needs can be addressed
To facilitate academic success for each learner
To help young people build sound lives
To enhance the success & professionalism of
teachers
TABLE TALK CARDS: Where Do Your Stand?
Belief Statement
Differentiation is
not a set of
strategies, but
rather a way of
thinking about
teaching & learning.
Agree or Disagree
Implications of your
Answer for Instruction
Every student is worthy of
dignity and respect.
Human differences are
inevitable, normal, &
positive.
The classroom should mirror
the society in which we want
students to live.
Most students can learn
most things that are
essential to an area of study
Every student should have
equity of access to excellent
learning opportunities
A key goal of teaching is to
maximize the capacity of the
learner.
6
Evidence that Schools are
Fixed Mindset Organizations
•Success comes from being
smart
• Genetics, environment
determine what we can do
•Some kids are smart—some
aren’t
•Teachers can’t override
students’ profiles
•Success comes from effort
•With hard work, most students
can do most things
•Teachers can override students’
profiles
•A key role of the teacher is to set
high goals, provide high support,
ensure student focus—to find
the thing that makes school
work for a student
Shapes
Student SelfPerception
Who
Coverage vs.
Whatever it
Takes
How
Mindset
What
I teach what I
believe you
can learn
Evidence that Schools are
Fluid Mindset Organizations
See How Much Evidence for Each Column You can Generate in 3 Minutes
TALK ABOUT IT…
How does teacher
Mindset impact
who, where, what, &
how we teach?
Where
Builds or
Erodes
Group Trust
What are the
implications
of mindset for
differentiation??
Movie Time….
In This Classroom, Look For:
How teacher mindset impacts
who she teaches
where she teachers
what she teaches
how she teaches
What difference mindset, connections, &
community likely make in the
achievement of these students
Also, note your own questions
7
oWork in triads or quads
oMake sure everyone has a group to work with
To Believe in You
Is all that I need
To make believing
More than making believe.
oPull your chairs together so you can hear one another well
oAsk someone in your group to be your scribe
oThink very carefully about the implications of your answers for
students
teachers
society
the “flat” world
Sister Corita
Also talk about alignment between your answers & school realities.
Some Implications of Deep Structure Beliefs about Teaching
Belief
Teacher as teller/Teacher as telling
Student as absorber
Curriculum as coverage • facts/information
Kids as dependent and incapable
Lessons/activities as relatively low level/drill
Pedagogy as teacher performance
Assessment as
• at the end • seeing who got it
• loosely linked to goals • objective
Control as synonym for management
Fair as treating everyone alike
Grades as
• norms • objective • separating sheep and goats
Impl. For
Environment
Impl. For
Curriculum
Impl. For
Instruction
Impl. For
Assessment
Teaching is
Telling
Learning is
Giving Back
Students are
Largely
Dependent
Management
is about
Control
Fair Means
Treating
Everyone
Alike
Tomlinson • 00
8
Some Implications of Deep Structure Beliefs about Teaching
Belief
Impl. For
Environment
Impl. For
Curriculum
Impl. For
Instruction
Impl. For
Assessment
Teaching is
Telling
Students are
passive
Class is teachercentered
Fact-oriented
Low emphasis on
meaning-making
Emphasis on
teaching vs.
learning
Low-level,
single right answer
assessments
Learning is
Giving Back
Low on
collaboration &
problem solving
Shallow, lowlevel, concrete
content
Drill, skill, data
orientation
No need for
authentic
assessment
Students are
Largely
Dependent
Little emphasis on
community of
learners
No trust of
independent
work, thought,
ownership
Open-endedness,
student choice,
student not seen
as viable
Perceive that
students can’t do
authentic/perf.
assessments
Management
is about
Control
Emphasis on
compliance
Little opportunity
for student sensemaking
Group work ,
Assessment of
small group
learning vs. for or
instruction, varied as learning
tasks too risky
Fair Means
Treating
Everyone
Alike
Student
differences largely
irrelevant
Connecting
content w/
individuals not
necessary
Not acceptable to
vary materials,
pace, support,
environment, etc.
One-size fits all
assessments
necessary
Tomlinson 07
Learning Environment RAFT
Administrator
Students
Survey
Questions
To what extent are these
elements present in your
classroom?
Reflection
What I have learned over the
years about what it takes to
make a classroom work for
all kinds of kids
The room in which
you teach
You
A student
The world (as in
the World Wide
Web)
Blog entry
What you need to know
about how a classroom has
to run if it’s gonna work well
for me
Self
Principal
Diagram,
Chart, or Table
Here are the elements I want
you to look for in my
classroom and why I think
they are important
( create your own)
__________
___________
___________
___________
…at the article called
“The Goals of Differentiation.”
Jot down ways in which
the article informs the
nature of the learning
environment in a
differentiated classroom.
Given what we’ve talked
about so far and the contents
of the article, list what you
think are essential
characteristics of a learning
environment that supports DI.
Please read silently for about 10
minutes. Then you’ll have time to
compare notes with colleagues.
9
Kinds of Learning Environments
Learning Environment & DI
• Dysfunctional learning environments--characterized by constant
•
•
•
•
•
•
Respectful
Responsive
Flexible
Planned
Shared
Reflective
struggle to maintain order that overshadows attention to academic work. In
such environments, relatively little sustained academic work takes place.
• Adequate learning environments--characterized by a basic level
of control by the teacher, but with a continuing struggle over order.
Some academic work takes place, but distractions are frequent.
• Orderly learning environments--characterized by effective
management of academic work.
• Orderly, restrictive learning environment--found in smoothly
run, highly structured classrooms, with tightly managed routines
and a relatively narrow range of instructional strategies.
• Orderly, enabling environments--found smoothly run classrooms,
with an often looser (though not loose) structure, and a wider range of
routines and instructional strategies in evidence. These classrooms
were most likely to focus on meaning and understanding.
Essential Characteristics
Relevant Research for School Decisions • Academic Challenge for the children of Poverty
Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA. p. 11
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO ABILITIES
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO ABILITIES
No. 1: Teachers’ ability to manage a set of complex
activities in the classroom
No. 1: Teachers’ ability to manage a set of complex
activities in the classroom
No. 2: Teachers’ ability to teach intellectually
challenging material
No. 2: Teachers’ ability to teach intellectually
challenging material
Because the novel tasks required for problem solving are more
difficult to manage than the routine tasks associated with rote
learning, lack of knowledge about how to manage an inquiryoriented classroom can lead teachers to turn to passive tactics
that dumb down the curriculum (Carter and Doyle, 1987).
Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -- Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Do
by Darling-Hammond & Bransford • Jossey-Bass • p.331
(1 of 2)
In a recent study of four high schools, McNeil (2003) confirms
that intellectual expectations can be lowered when teachers
“teach defensively,” choosing methods of presentation and
evaluation that simplify content and reduce demands on students
in return for classroom order and minimal student compliance
on assignments.
Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -- Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Do
by Darling-Hammond & Bransford • Jossey-Bass • p.331
(2 of 2)
10
An analysis of 100 studies on
classroom management revealed that
the quality of student-teacher relationships
is the most important factor
in all aspects of classroom “management.”
Marzano, R. (2003). Classroom Management that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Teaching
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
To Address Readiness
11
Teaching
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
Teaching
To Address Interests
Movie Time….
In Judy’s Class, Look For:
Evidence of her beliefs about teaching and
learning
Her Mindset
Connections and Community
All the ways she uses classroom elements (time,
space, materials, groupings, etc.)
in flexible ways to maximize growth
in a wide variety of students
Go back to your charts and see if you can add ideas
based on what you saw and thought.
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
To Address Learning Profile
Teaching
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
Provide notes
for students
who struggle
with taking
them
Allow students
to move
ahead in texts
& with skills
Provide
reading & web
material at
different levels
Meet with
Provide
space for
students in
small groups to peer
re-teach or
collaboration
extend
Stop often for
student
sharing and
questions
Provide 2nd
opportunities
for mastery
Use contracts,
tiering, miniworkshops,
etc.
Use
heterogeneous
review groups
Use cue
walls, help
boards, word
walls
Use past
student work
as models
Allow drafts to
be turned in
early for
teacher review
Use computer
programs for
review &
extension
Use
homogeneous
work groups
(esp. for adv.
learners)
Provide
space for
learning &/or
enrichment
centers
To Address Readiness
12
Teaching
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
Teaching
Time
Materials
& Tasks
Groups
Space
Attach key
understandings
to student
interests
Use some
time in each
unit for
relevance
Use interestbased
materials
Use interestalike groups
Devote some
space in the
room to
student
inquiry
Present in
multiple modes
(visual,
auditory,
demonstration)
Provide time
to work alone
and time to
work with
peers
Use Analytical,
Creative, &
Practical
Applications
Use Complex
Instruction
groups
Have quiet
space
available
Share your
interests & how
key ideas &
skills relate to
them
Make time for
studentgenerated
inquiry (e.g.
Orbitals)
Focus RAFTs
journal
prompts, perf.
tasks, etc. on
interests
Use student
expert-groups
Make space
available for
student
collaboration
Give students
advance
signals/cues to
prompt
thinking
Honor
student pace
of working
when
possible
Provide both
competition &
collaboration
Use similar &
mixed learning
profile groups as
part of flexible
grouping
Ensure places
to work
without visual
distractions
Invite students
to co-teach on
interests
Conclude
lessons with
“so what” time
Use biography Use Jigsaw
&
groups
autobiography
Use interest
centers or
boards
Use examples
related to both
genders &
many cultures
Honor cultural Help students
perspectives
use auditory
on time
vs. visual
preferences
Use synthesis
groups to
express ideas in
varied modes
Use an
“independent
study area”
To Address Interests
To Address Learning Profile
John Dewey
Experience and Education
The ultimate aim of
education is creation of
the power of selfself-control.
13
3 Routes to Launching a
Differentiated Classroom
Why Would We Do This?
•To grow
•Because we aren’t carbon copies of each
other
•Because each of us has the need to
develop our talents and shore up our weak
points
Assessment?
•We like different things, learn in different
ways and have different talents
Varied routes to learn about students’
starting points
•Interest surveys
•Writing samples
What Will it Look Like?
•Mini observations
•Starting class/group work
•Sometimes different books, activities,
•Stopping class/group work
homework, projects
•Different individuals and groups doing •Anchor activities
•Skills inventories
•Small group dialogues
different things
•Getting help
•Different spans of time
•Keeping records
•Need to focus on my task
•Setting goals
•Be a colleague
•Learning routines (books, furniture)
Doing the same thing for everyone?
“You’re fair if you like us all alike.”
“It’s fair if everyone gets the support
he/she needs to succeed.”
What
Does
Fair
Mean in
Our
Class?
With starting class?
stopping class?
Materials?
Getting help when the teacher is busy?
Helping colleagues?
Anchor activities?
Sticking with your work?
Finding working conditions that work for you?
Knowing what quality work looks like?
So, Should WeThink About Grades??
Robb
Li
X
X
X
14
…at the article called
Teaching as Jazz.
Jot down ways in which
the article supports the
idea that the classroom
is a system with
interdependent parts.
Note ways in which DI
is part of that system of
interdependence.
Please read silently for
about ten minutes.
You’ll have time to talk
with colleagues after
the silent reading
time.
TALK ABOUT IT…
Discuss/list with a group or alone what
you see as the key hot spots in managing
or leading a differentiated classroom.
Some Hot Spots in the DI Classroom
Getting into groups
Early finishers
Giving directions
Curbing noise
Stray movement
Re-arranging furniture
Stopping and starting
Keeping track of work
“Ragged time”
Grading daily tasks
On-task behavior
Keeping up with papers
Finishing up and moving on
Effective group work
15
Getting Started: A Scenario
Please read the scenario below and then work with colleagues who to give the
teacher in the scenario some advice.
•Mrs. Creighton likes her students and isn’t afraid of modifying what she does in
the classroom when she believes the changes will make her teaching more
effective for her learners. However, it is often hard for her to know what will work in
her classroom and what won’t. It’s like that with a lesson she’s planning for next
week. She hasn’t tried giving different tasks to different groups before, but she
has such a wide variety of readiness levels in her class that it seems like a good idea.
•When her students come to class on Monday, she’s going to tell them they’ll be
working on several different activities. Right now, Ms. Creighton is not quite sure
who will be in which group. Maybe she’ll let the students make the choices.
•She’ll ask the group to send someone to pick up the written directions for their work.
the directions tell them to be sure to get materials that will help them with their
learning goals.
•If students need her, they can come ask her for help. When students finish
their work, they will bring it to her. She will grade it overnight so they can see
how they did. If a student or group doesn’t finish the work, they will have to turn it in
unfinished.
As a group or alone, analyze Ms. Creighton’s plan step-by-step. Jot down advice
you think will facilitate her management of the class she’s planning. Think about
various needs of students who may be in her class, as well as needs of the class
as a whole. Be sure to consider both what she’s thinking about and what she has
Not mentioned but needs to include in her plans.
•She’s going to describe all of the activities to the whole class so they will
understand the directions and what’s going on in other groups. At that point, she’s
planning to call out names of students to let them know what group to work with
so they can find one another and find place to work together.
Every student has to complete the group’s assigned task, but she wants the
students to collaborate on the work.
Movie Time….
In These Classrooms, Look For:
Key elements to which teachers attend to
create classrooms that support flexible
teaching & learning,
Assumptions the teachers are making about
teaching, learning, students, & environment
Ways in which the hot spots addressed in the video
mirror or differ from yours,
Also, note your own questions
16
What am I really trying
to accomplish with
classroom management
or leadership?
With regard to
Planning for a Differentiated Classroom ………….
Some Practical Considerations
• Work from a Philosophy--& Share it with the
Kids (Build it Together!)
• Give Thoughtful Directions
• Establish Routines
• Stay Aware, Stay Organized
• Consider “Home Base” Seats
• Establish Start-up and Wrap-up Procedures
• Teach Students to Work for Quality
• De-brief & troubleshoot with Kids,
Make them Partners
Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom
If students have learned
to work independently
.
and in
groups, then teacher time
can be used efficiently to assist
individual students at just
those points where a student
is stuck.
Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -- Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Do
by Darling-Hammond & Bransford • By Jossey-Bass • p 279 (2 of 2)
17
How do I ensure that
groups are productive?
That they are working for
each student? That
they are flexible?
Students understand the task goals.
Students understand what’s expected of individuals to make the group
work well.
The task matches the goals (leads students to what they should know,
understand, and be able to do).
Most kids should find the task interesting.
The task requires an important contribution from each group
The task is likely to be demanding of the group and its members.
The task requires genuine collaboration to achieve shared understanding.
The timelines are brisk (but not rigid).
Individuals are accountable for their own understanding of all facets of
the task.
There’s a “way out” for students who are not succeeding with the group.
There is opportunity for teacher or peer coaching and in-process quality
checks.
Students understand what to do when they complete their work at a high
level of quality.
Tomlinson • 2000
Assigning Groups
Flexible Grouping Chart
Monday, Feb 2
Date: __________________
Computer
• Clothes pins with student names to assign
them to a particular task
• Color code children to certain groups (a
transparency with student names in color
works well)
• Pre-assigned groups
• Be sure to include groups by readiness,
interest, learning profile, by student
choice, teacher choice, random,
homogeneous and heterogeneous
Jimmy
Invitations
Skills
Teacher
Tonya
Amy
Steven
Michael
Tim
Eric
Chloe
Heidi
Gwen
Katie
Catherine
Regan
Stephanie
Chris
Jane
Note: This teacher used the term “invitations”
for permanent folders inside of which
she gave students assignments based on
readiness, interest, or learning style
Velcro/Sticky tack
18
Pre-Assigned “Standing” Groups
Pre-Assigned “Standing” Groups
Text Teams
10 O’Clock Groups
Think Tanks
11 O’Clock Groups
Interest/StrengthPairs
Mixed Readiness
Writing Generator
Groups of 4 or 5
Similar Readiness
Mixed Readiness
Quads
Reading Pairs
Dip Sticks
Synthesis Squads
Sets of 4 with visual,
performance, writing,
metaphorical (etc.)
preferences
Grouping By The Clock
1 O’Clock Groups
2 O’Clock Groups
Interest/StrengthBased
Quads
Student - Selected
Triads
Teacher Talkers
Tony
Peer Partners
Groups of 5-7 with
similar learning needs
with whom the teacher
will meet to extend and
support growth
Tomlinson - 03
I am writing my rough draft.
Groups of six with varied
profiles used by teacher
to do “dip stick”, crosssection checks of
progress, understanding
I am meeting with my Peer Review
Partner.
Student selected
Groups 3 or 4
I am working with my oral dialogue
I am working with vocabulary.
Mason
Mason
Tim
Tim
Emma
Nick
Kevin
Emma
Nick
Kevin
Jessie
Jessie
Juan
Juan
Reynaldo
Susan
Shante
Roya
Mandy
Josh
Kori
Shante
Roya
I am working in the publishing stage.
Steven
Kelsey
Matt
Reynaldo
Susan
Jen
I am ready for a conference with the
Editor; in the meantime, I will work on an
Anchor Activity.
Andy
Liz
Kyle
Kate
Mandy
I am working on my culture project
Josh
Andy
Matt
Kori
I am working with my teacher
choice assignment
Steven
Kelsey
Paige
Liz
Jen
Kyle
Kate
Tony
Paige
19
I am working on the problem of
the day.
Tony
I am doing homework checkers.
I am working at Lab #1.
Tony
Mason
I am working on Lab #2
Mason
Tim
Tim
Emma
Nick
Kevin
Jessie
Emma
Nick
Kevin
Jessie
Juan
Juan
Reynaldo
Reynaldo
Shante
Susan
Roya
Liz
Shante
Jen
I am doing computer math.
I am working at the math station.
I am ready for a conference with the
teacher; in the meantime, I will work on
an Anchor Activity.
I am working on my lab report.
Steven
Josh
Andy
Liz
Roya
Steven
Kate
Mandy
Kate
Jen
Josh
Andy
Susan
Kori
Matt
Kyle
Kelsey
Matt
Kori
Mandy
Kyle
Paige
Giving Directions for Groupwork
• If the whole class is doing the same activity then give the
directions to the whole group.
• Do not give multiple task directions to the whole class.
• For small group work, tape directions so students can
listen to them repeatedly.
• Use task cards to give directions to small groups.
• Give directions to a group member the day before.
• A general rule is that once the teacher has given directions
the students can’t interrupt while he/she is working with a
small group.
–
–
–
–
“Ask Me” Visors
Expert of the Day
Consultants
Keeper of the Book
Paige
Kelsey
TALKING CHIPS
Each student gets a certain number of chips (e.g., 3)
1 chip = 1 turn (to talk, to contribute, to write)
The group leader or teacher monitors the discussion or
task and redistributes chips according to predetermined
rules or guidelines.
Rules for Group Discussion
1.
One person speaks at a time.
2.
Surrender a chip at the beginning of your turn. You lose a chip if you
speak out of turn.
3.
Address other discussion members directly--not in the third person
(e.g., “Rob, I respectfully disagree with your point,” not “I don’t
agree with what Rob said.”)
4.
Tangents are okay, but begin by making a connection to the current
focus of the discussion, or to an earlier focus.
20
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU
HAVE ABOUT USING GROUPS?
WHAT STRATEGIES
CAN YOU SHARE
WITH COLLEAGUES
FOR MAKING
GROUPWORK
SMOOTH
& EFFECTIVE?
How do students get
help when the teacher
is off-limits?
How do I know which
students to go to when
I am circulating in the
room?
If students are stuck about what to do next
when you’re with a group…
•
•
•
•
They should first try hard to
RECALL what you said.
If that doesn’t work, they should
close their eyes, see you talking,
use good practical intelligence, and
IMAGINE logically what the
directions would have been for the
task.
If that doesn’t help, they can
CHECK with a classmate (someone
at their table or nearby doing the
same task). This should be done
in a whisper.
If that doesn’t work, go to a
designated “EXPERT of the day”
who has the skills necessary to
provide guidance. The “EXPERT”
should continue with his work,
stopping only long enough to help
someone who is genuinely stuck.
When students are beginning to work on a new task
When the teacher is working with a small
group or individual
When more than one thing is going on
simultaneously that is somewhat
unfamiliar to students
(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 102)
If all else fails, begin with an anchor activity until the teacher can get to you.
21
Green = We’re working fine!
#1
Yellow = We need you over
here, but we can continue
working!
Upside down during task
Sign Me Up!
The use of posters and signs can work as
cues to youngsters as well as promote
independence!
Red = S.O.S. We need
you here right now, we’re
stuck!
COLORED CUPS FOR MANAGING GROUPS
You can post a sign like this in the room to teach students how to
use the system.
Place cups on desks prior to the start of the period to “signal”
students that they will be doing group work.
Right-side up when finished
Haiku Poetry
A Japanese verse in three lines.
Line one has 5 syllables, line two has 7 syllables, and line three has 5
syllables.
The 17 syllables are a compressed form which is a composition in
praise of nature.
Many original books of haiku verse in Japanese are illustrated
gracefully in pen and ink sketches which capture the simple moment
in nature.
There is a rhythmic difference between Japanese and English,
therefore much is lost in the translation…
Old Crow in command
Always foraging for food
On his daily route
A color riot
Lilac bush bursts into bloom
A splash of flowers
Ink black night cover
A wrapper of soft silence
Our way lit with stars
Discussion Director
Your job is to list 5 questions that your group
may want to discuss. Don’t worry about the
small details. Help your group discuss the BIG
ideas!
Water slaps the shore
Against the white crystal sand
Under a hot sun
22
Rescue cards
Great for “workshop” times when
the teacher needs to assist
individual or small groups of
students while the rest of the class
works independently.
Hint cards
Chalkboard
Keep them in the same spot and
monitor student use to establish
routine
Loose-leaf Ring
More sets = more students can
access at once
(File Folders with support materials inside)
“My paper won’t print!”
Step 1: Are you connected to Apple Talk? (If not,
and you’re not sure how, go to the “How do I
connect Apple Talk?” card.)
Step 2: Go to the Chooser. Are you connected to
the Room 216 printer?
“My computer says ‘Unexpected Error -10’”
Step 1: Uh-oh! Go see Ms. Thorne, the
technologist, in the library. Take your laptop
with you! Don’t forget to get a pass.
Step 3: If Steps 1 and 2 don’t work, ask another
student to assist you
“Self-help” and reminders for group
or independent work
What is a
symbol?
Can change with units, or be recycled
for similar purposes in different units.
Graphic
organizers for
compare/
contrast
Step 4: See me.
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU
HAVE STUDENTS GETTING HELP
WHEN YOU’RE OFF LIMITS?
WHAT STRATEGIES
CAN YOU SHARE
WITH COLLEAGUES
FOR ENSURING
THAT STUDENTS
HAVE THE HELP
THEY NEED TO SUCCEED?
How do I make sure
students are using their
time well, handling
materials effectively?
Making transitions
smoothly?
23
Handling Materials
• Assign jobs to different students (materials
handler, table captain)
• As a teacher ask yourself, “Is this something I
have to do myself, or can the students learn to
do it?”
• Remember that you have to teach kids how to
become responsible for their own things & the
classroom as a whole.
Routines for Handling Paperwork
•
•
•
•
Color-coded work folders
Portfolios
Baskets for each curricular area or class period
Filing Cabinet
Key to these organizational patterns is that the
children have access to their own work and know
how to file and/or find what they need to
accomplish a task.
Transitions
• Directions for transitions need to be
given with clarity and urgency.
– Time limit for transition
– Address the acceptable noise level
– Rehearsal
– Be a floater during transitions
Time
Must be flexible in order to address every
child’s readiness level
– Catch-up days/Design-A-Day
– Anchor Activities
– Independent Investigations
– Exploration Centers
– Applications for a Time Extension
– Flexible Deadlines
24
Errand Passes
Anchor Activities
A task to which a student automatically moves
when an assigned task is finished,
TRAITS OF EFFECTIVE ANCHOR ACTIVITIES:
Errand passes assume that
routines and expectations are
firmly in place!
Examples of Possible Anchor Activities
Skills practice at the computer
Reading from supplementary material
Completing math applications
Working on final products
Free reading
Journal writing
Analyzing cases (or writing them)
Vocabulary extension
Learning about the people behind ideas
Learning about key ideas at work in the world
Independent Studies
Orbitals
Current events reading
Designing or completing “virtual” science experiments
Developing or completing relevant organizers
An idea for an improvement, invention, innovation
ETC.
Important—related to key knowledge, understanding,
and skill,
Interesting—appeals to student curiosity, interest,
learning preference,
Allow Choice—students can select from a range of
options
Clear Routines and Expectations—students know
what they are to do, how to do it, how to
keep records, etc.
Seldom Graded—teachers should examine the work
as they move around the room. Students may
turn in work for feedback. Students may get
a grade for working effectively, but seldom for
the work itself. The motivation is interest
and/or improved achievement.
Beginning Anchor Activities…
•Teach one key anchor activity to the whole class very carefully.
Later, it can serve as a point of departure for other anchors.
•Explain the rationale.
Let students know you intend the activities to be helpful
and/or interesting to them.
Help them understand why it’s important for them to work
productively.
•Make sure directions are clear and accessible, materials readily
available, and working conditions support success.
•Think about starting with one or two anchor options and expanding the
options as students become proficient with the first ones.
•Monitor student effectiveness with anchors and analyze the way they
are working with your students.
•Encourage your students to propose anchor options.
•Remember that anchor activities need to stem from and be part of
building a positive community of learners.
Generally, homework is not an acceptable anchor activity—and anchor
activities are typically completed individually.
25
When you think you are faced with nothing to do
(OH NO - NOT POSSIBLE!)…
First, ask yourself - is there anything else I need
to finish? If the answer is no, THEN choose
•Keyboarding
something from this list that we brainstormed.
•Arithmetwists
•Illustrate a story you’ve written
•Play a quiet math or language game
•Write a morning message for a class
•Practice your cursive or
•Calligraphy
•Read - comics, letters, books, poetry,
encyclopedia, etc.
•Help someone else (this is NOT an opportunity
to chit chat
•Work on an independent study of your choice
•Find out how to say your spelling words in
Spanish
•Pick something from the X Factor volunteer
Board to do
•Use your imagination and creativity to challenge
yourself
•Write--a letter, poetry in your writer’s notebook,
a story, etc
Judy Rex—Scottsdale, AZ
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU
HAVE ABOUT OF TIME, SPACE, &
MATERIALS?
Discussion Questions: Pick One
• What can you do to ensure all students get to work on
the Anchor Activities at some point?
• A student is consistently finishing his/her work early.
What might this mean and what might you do about it?
• How could you offer different Anchor Activities for
different students that are targeted at their specific
interests and learning styles?
• When or why would you change the Anchor Activities?
• How could you encourage students to create ideas for
Anchor Activities that are focused on the lesson/
unit/class learning goals?
Introducing your Students to
Differentiation
WHAT STRATEGIES
CAN YOU SHARE
WITH COLLEAGUES
FOR MAKING
THESE ELEMENTS
WORK WELL?
26
Me-Graphs
The “Line Up”
• List items on X-axis
– Class items
– Personal choice items
• Y access represents student’s skill/ comfort
level
• Post Graphs and make comments and
generalizations
• Adapt as year progresses
Follow-up Questions:
•Did everyone have a chance to be on the “expert” side of the line?
•Did everyone have a chance to be on the “novice” side of the line?
•Did you learn new things about one another?
Kagan
Other Illustrations
Tomlinson, 03
What is Fair?
Shirts
•Same?
•Equal?
&
Shoes
Brighton, 03
27
What is Fair?
Fair = Same
Fair = Same?
Fair =
Equal Access
Strategies for
discovering
Individual
Identity
28
Design Your own Postcard
Design Your own Postcard
On the reverse side
of your postcard,
describe the significance
of each of your depictions.
Explain why you chose
each image/word.
List Personal Info.:
Name
Period
Email
Parent/Guardian:
Phone (s):
Email(s):
.
.
.
.
Use words or images to create a mini-mural of you.
Doubet, ‘05
Me-Shirts
Doubet, ‘05
A Great Idea
Students decorate their
own personal jerseys (real
or paper) with words or art
depicting who they are,
their strengths,
weaknesses, likes, dislikes,
etc. Shirts are hung
around room or in the hall
and discussed in the same
fashion as “me-graphs.”
I like to have students put their names on the
fronts of their shirts and then decorate the
backs with “clues” about who they are. In the
beginning weeks of school, I hang them around
the room with only the backs showing and
students try to guess whose jersey is whose.
When students eventually “reveal” their
identities, their classmates are invested.
Students really pay attention and get to know
one another better.
Doubet, ‘05
Priscilla, CMS, ‘05
29
“Piecing Together” Community
• Students work in small groups
to assemble different portions
of a rather complex jigsaw
puzzle (no map or picture
available for first portion; “send
a spy” for second portion).
• Teacher circulates and makes
observation notes about
individual student traits and
group dynamics.
“Piecing Together” Community
• Teacher asks students to
reflect on what they
learned learn about
themselves and their
classmates.
• Teacher shares some
things s/he learned via
his/her observations…
SIAD Participant, ‘06
OrientalTrading.com
Strategies for Fostering
Collaboration and
Connection
• Blank Puzzle pieces ready
made to fit together into a
whole
• Each student designs
his/her own puzzle piece;
pieces fit together as a
“class puzzle” that can be
posted in the classroom
Jessica Hacker & Ashley
Brubaker, Henry County, VA
30
Team-Jerseys
Students develop
team names and
corresponding
jerseys (real or
paper) with words
or art depicting
who they are as a
group – their
common strengths,
weaknesses, likes,
dislikes, etc.
Get-to-Know-You ThinkDots
Beach
182
Priscilla, CMS, ‘05
• In small groups you will
take turns rolling a die to
determine which “Get to
Know You” question
you’ll answer for your
group.
• Groups take notes and
introduce each other to
rest of “class.”
ThinkDots © Kay Brimijoin
Attendance Questions
Katie Carson – HS English
As soon as the bell rings, Carson begins taking attendance with an
“attendance question.” The question changes every day. Students
respond when she calls their names with their response to the day’s
question, and perhaps a brief justification for their response. “Okay,
people, this is a big one today. Definitive answer. Coke or Pepsi?” On
another day, she begins, “Okay folks, you’ve just been given a sampler
box of Russell Stover candy, but the map is missing. You bite into a
piece and much to your dismay, find out you’ve chosen
a______________.”
Before long, the students bring her slips of paper and whisper, “Here’s an
attendance question. This is a really good one.”
“I love the idea that I start off all my classes with every kid speaking, every
kid having a right answer, right away,” explains Carson. “And then they
also start to make connections around the room.”
Except for a few overachievers in each class, says
Carson, kids in high school “have zero desire to learn
more about grammar and literature and punctuation.”
The magic of early experiences with reading and
writing are gone, “so unless I create a class in
which they discover one another’s gifts and
challenge one another, or unless they have a
relationship with me, they have zero desire to
learn more in depth about those things.”
Tomlinson, C.A. & Doubet, K.J. (2005). You’ve got to reach them to teach them.
Educational Leadership, 62 (7), 8-15.
Tomlinson, C.A. & Doubet, K.J. (2005). You’ve got to reach them to teach them.
Educational Leadership, 62 (7), 8-15.
31
But What About Logistics?
How Do I…
• Keep groups on task?
• Deal with different different
students completing and
submitting different work?
• Deal with noise and
movement
• Maintain my sanity?
“So….”
So….”
What’s
your
Plan?
Ideas I find…
Movie Time!
As you watch the
following video, make
note of ideas that
answer some of these
questions. You can use
the graphic organizer
depicted on the
following slide (or the
one on slide 3), if you
wish.
…helpful
…questionable
32
Flexible Grouping Chart
Circumvention Strategies
Monday, Feb 2
Date: __________________
Computers
• Getting Kids into groups
Skills
Teacher
Tonya
Amy
Steven
Michael
Tim
Eric
Chloe
Heidi
Gwen
Katie
Catherine
Regan
Stephanie
Chris
Jane
Jimmy
– Visual and oral directions
(recorded if
necessary)
– Anticipate reactions
– Up front – goals, time, space
– PRACTICE (time, movement, signals, etc.)
Invitations
• Keep groups on task
– Task cards
– Time keeping
Note:
This teacher used the term “invitations”
for permanent folders inside of which
she gave students assignments based on
readiness, interest, or learning style
Velcro/Sticky tack
Hockett – UVA – 2007
Board
Board
Station
Computer
Computer
Computer
Grouping Chart
Grouping Chart
Anchor Activity
Interest Groups
B
O
O
K
B
O
O
K
S
H
E
L
V
E
S
S
H
E
L
V
E
S
Hockett – UVA – 2007
Anchor Activity
Station
Computer
Computer
Computer
33
Board
Station
Seminar Format
Grouping Chart
Anchor Activity
Grouping Chart
Home Groups
Board
B
O
O
K
B
O
O
K
S
H
E
L
V
E
S
S
H
E
L
V
E
S
Anchor Activity
Station
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
TPS: How do I get my groups to
produce quality work?
Some thoughts about Movement
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed task cards/tapes
Self-Check rubrics/grading criteria
Between group peer checking
Exemplars
Group evaluation rubrics
34
Hockett – UVA – 2007
Hockett – UVA – 2007
Hint cards
Blue = We’re working fine!
Chalkboard
Yellow = We need you over
here, but we can continue
working!
Upside down during task
(File Folders with support materials inside)
Red = S.O.S. We need you
here right now, and we’ve
stopped working!
COLORED CUPS FOR MANAGING GROUPS
“Self-help” and reminders for group
or independent work
You can post a sign like this in the room to teach students how to
use the system.
Place cups on desks prior to the start of the period to “signal”
students that they will be doing group work.
Right-side up when finished
What is a
symbol?
Can change with units, or be recycled
for similar purposes in different units.
Graphic
organizers for
compare/
contrast
Hockett – UVA – 2007
Rescue cards
TALKING CHIPS
Great for “workshop” times when
the teacher needs to assist
individual or small groups of
students while the rest of the class
works independently.
1 chip = 1 turn (to talk, to contribute, to write)
The group leader or teacher monitors the discussion or
task and redistributes chips according to predetermined
rules or guidelines.
Keep them in the same spot and
monitor student use to establish
routine
Looseleaf Ring
Each student gets a certain number of chips (e.g., 3)
More sets = more students can
access at once
Rules for Group Discussion
“My paper won’t print!”
Step 1: Are you connected to Apple Talk? (If not,
and you’re not sure how, go to the “How do I
connect Apple Talk?” card.)
Step 2: Go to the Chooser. Are you connected to
the Room 216 printer?
1.
One person speaks at a time.
“My computer says ‘Unexpected Error -10’”
2.
Surrender a chip at the beginning of your turn. You lose a chip if you speak
out of turn.
Step 1: Uh-oh! Go see Ms. Thorne, the
technologist, in the library. Bring your
laptop with you!
3.
Address other discussion members directly--not in the third person (e.g.,
“Rob, I respectfully disagree with your point,” not “I don’t agree with what
Rob said.”)
4.
Tangents are okay, but begin by making a connection to the current focus
of the discussion, or to an earlier focus.
Step 3: If Steps 1 and 2 don’t work, ask another
student to assist you
Step 4: See me.
Hockett – UVA – 2007
35
Judy Rex
QUESTION CHIPS
What if Students are Absent?
“Absentee Station”
“Keeper of the Book”
Rules for Using Question Chips
1. Each student or group gets a certain number of chips (e.g., 3)
2. 1 chip = 1 opportunity to ask the teacher a question; when you’re out, you’re out!
3. During group or independent work, students must decide if they need the
teacher to answer their question. If they can figure it out together or ask another
student/group for help, they should “reserve” their chip for a situation that
seems more “urgent.”
– Spiral or 3-ring notebook
– Rotating assignment
– “Keeper” records assignments,
important announcements. Etc.
– Serves as both
• Community/responsibility builder
• An organizational resource
SAMPLE ROUTINE
Our Work Teams
Introduce
and teach
concept
[idea, skill]
Provide
examples to
illustrate
Allow for
in-class
practice
Assign
homework
What subject does this look like?
What students might experience the most success
within the structure of this routine?
What students might experience the least success
within the structure of this routine?
36
Movie Time….
In This Classroom, Look For:
An enacted definition of differentiation…
If this is “it,” what is differentiation?
How does this classroom match the kind of differentiation
we’ve discussed in our two sessions?
How does it differ?
How does “management” play out in Susan’s class?
What would be a good next step for you in the journey toward
more responsive teaching?
SAMPLE ROUTINE
Introduce
and teach
concept
[idea, skill]
Provide
examples to
illustrate
Allow for
in-class
practice
SUSAN BRAY
Assign
homework
What subject does this look like?
What students might experience the most success
within the structure of this routine?
Relatively New to Differentiation
During the video of Susan Bray, look for components of a
differentiated classroom. What is she doing to respond
to student differences?
Comfortable with Differentiation
During the video of Susan Bray, look for systems and
routines she has in place that facilitate differentiation.
What students might experience the least success
within the structure of this routine?
37
Susan’s Routine
Opening question
Student selfevaluation
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU
HAVE ABOUT KEEPING TRACK OF
WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING?
Teacher
records on clip
board
Reteach
Extension
Computers
Anchor activities
Notes for test
practice
enrich
WHAT STRATEGIES
CAN YOU SHARE
WITH COLLEAGUES
FOR KEEPING
TRACK?
Card game
Exit slip for all
38
(For which groups of students are
our current grading practices a
source of motivation to learn?)
1. What does grading have to do with:
•the success to effort ratio
•student and teacher mindset
•teacher-student connections
•Community
All learners need
a balanced success
to effort ratio
2. What does best practice grading look like?
Struggling
Learners:
Heavy Effort
Little Success
39
Advanced
Learners:
Great Success,
Little Effort
40
Principles of Effective Grading & Reporting
Principles of Effective Grading & Reporting
Principle #1
Principle #2
• It’s unwise to
over-grade
student work
Grades should be
based on clearly
specified learning
goals
Principles of Effective Grading & Reporting
Principles of Effective Grading and Reporting
Principle #3
Principle # 4
Grades should be
criterion-based,
not norm-based
Data used for grading
must be valid (measure
what we intend to measure).
That is, the data must be free
of “Grade Fog.”
41
Zeros Cause Grade Fog
Grades are broken when zeros are used:
Zeros distort the actual achievement record
and can decrease student motivation to
learn.
There are, however, many fixes in the form of grading alternatives.
Schools/districts develop policies regarding these alternatives, then indicate to
their teachers which alternative(s) they can or should use in their classrooms.
A zero has an underserved and devastating influence so much so that
no matter what the student does, the grade distorts the final grade as a
true indicator of mastery. Mathematically and ethically this is
unacceptable.
Wormeli, 2006, pp. 137-138
A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor • Educational Testing Service, • p. 91-92
Assigning a Mean Can Cause Grade Fog
Whenever I hear statistics being quoted, I am
reminded of the statistician who drowned
while wading across a river with an average
depth of three feet.
(McMann, 2003, np)
The mean can be very well named -- it is truly “mean” to students because it
overemphasizes outlier scores, which are most often low outliners. As we see
in the following case, the calculation of the mean can distort the final grade.
Ten assessments have been converted to percentage scores to calculate a final
grade:
91, 91, 91, 91. 91. 91. 91. 70. 91. 91
Total; = 889. Mean = 88/9. Final grade = B
Principles of Effective Grading and Reporting
Principle # 5
Grade later in the
learning cycle
rather than
earlier.
This student performed at an A level, 9 times out of 10 and the 70 is clearly an
anomaly. But the grade as calculated in most schools would be a B.
A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor • Educational Testing Service • p. 81-82
42
Principles of Effective Grading and Reporting
Principle # 6
What About Report Cards?
Some Possible Solutions
When it’s time for
report cards,
practice 3-P
grading.
Achievement
on clearly
delineated
content goals
Growth in
achievement
on clearly
delineated
content goals
Habits of
mind and
work
43
The very least you can do in your life is figure out
what you hope for,
And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it
from a distance but live right in it,
under its roof.
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver, 1997
Start slowly.
Lead your students—make them your partners.
Plan the details carefully and at a pace that
works for you.
Rehearse and review.
Be reflective--celebrate successes and learn from
rough spots.
Remember what you want to accomplish
& why it matters!
Yes, But…
I teach in a four-wall box of drab proportions,
But choose to make it a place that feels like home.
I see too many students to know them as they need to be known,
But refuse to let that render them faceless in my mind.
I am overcome with the transmission of a canon I can scarcely recall myself,
But will not represent learning as a burden to the young.
I suffer from a poverty of time,
And so will use what I have to best advantage those I teach.
I am an echo of the way school has been since forever,
But will not agree to perpetuate the echo another generation.
I am told I am as good a teacher as the test scores I generate,
But will not allow my students to see themselves as data.
I work in isolation,
And am all the more determined to connect my students with the world.
I am small in the chain of power,
But have the power to change young lives.
There are many reasons succumb,
And thirty reasons five times a day to succeed.
Most decisions about my job are removed from me.
Except the ones that matter most.
I am teaching. ...It’s
kind of like having a
love affair with a
rhinoceros.
Anne Sexton
Quotations on Education • Compiled by Rosalie Maggio
Prentice Hall, Paramus, N.J. p. 40
Tomlinson 06
44