Research for Better Teaching:High Expectations

Teaching and Learning

D97 Board of EducationApril 29, 2014

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PRESENTERS

Lynne BeauprezRenee DeWaldAngela DolezalKaren FolenoSuzie HackmillerFrances KraftJennifer Las Felicia Starks TurnerMelissa Woods

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INTRODUCTION

HISTORY OF THE RESEARCH FOR BETTER TEACHING

•Founded in 1979 by Dr. Jon Saphier, Research for Better is a school improvement organization with extensive experience in teaching and leadership. We work in-depth with over 100 school districts across the United States each year.

•The mission of RBT is to build individual and institutional capacity to sustain increased student achievement.

•RBT offers programs for teachers to support their professional growth, strengthen collegiality, and encourage experimentation through direct study of the knowledge base on teaching.

THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF TEACHING

Foundation of Essential Beliefs

OverarchingObjectives

CurriculumDesign

Objectives

Assessment LearningExperiences

Personal Relationship Building

Class Climate

Expectations

Clarity Principles ofLearning

Models of Teaching

Space Time Routines

Attention Momentum Discipline

Planning

Management

Instruction Strategies

Motivation

Curriculum Planning

Standards: Established levels of proficiency (quantity and quality of work, work habits and procedures, general routines, interpersonal behavior).

Expectations: Our beliefs about students capacity to achieve the standards.

STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What do teachers do to create an atmosphere in which high expectations are communicated clearly and convincingly to all students, not just some?

COMPONENTS OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS TEACHING

• Teacher choice of language• Regular classroom mechanisms• Daily instructional strategies• Explicitly teaching students what effective

effort is

TEACHER CHOICE OF LANGUAGE IN:

• Patterns of calling on students• Giving Help• Responses to student answers• Dealing with errors• Being tenacious• Giving Tasks and Assignments• Positive Re-framing of Re-Teaching

TEACHER CHOICE OF LANGUAGE

This is important.

You can do it.

I won’t give up on you…even when you give up on yourself.

3 Key Expectations Messages

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RESPONDING TO STUDENT ANSWERS AND TENACITY IN MELISSA WOOD’S 7TH GRADE MATH CLASS

Sticking With Students ----> Wait Time + Prompting = Success!

Wait Time: Can Be Uncomfortable Prompting: Only after waiting (purposeful pause)Success: Rewarding

“Come on, you

can do it!” “Ms. Woods, you didn’t stick with the student!”

“Don’t give Up!”

REGULAR CLASSROOM MECHANISMS (MOTIVATIONAL STRUCTURES):

• Frequent quizzes, feedback and data to students• Student Self-corrections• Student Error Analysis• Regular re-teaching, retakes, and required re-do’s• Grading practices• Cooperative Learning and teaching of group skills• Extra help• Clear, accessible criteria for success and exemplars• Learning study strategies• Self-evaluation• Student goal setting

RETAKING TESTS IN JASON LUKEHART’S 4TH GRADE CLASS

Jason Lukehart

To insist that the original grade is the only one that matters sends children the message that education is about scores and deadlines. “These are the things you’re supposed to know, and if you don’t know them this date, then the time you put in to trying to know them was wasted, because we’re moving on.” On the other hand, allowing students to retake tests sends the message that what matters is learning. Students should be encouraged to keep at something until they understand it, whether that happens on day one, or day one hundred.

SUZIE HACKMILLER’S GOAL SETTING IN HOLMES SCHOOL

SUZIE HACKMILLER’S GOAL SETTING IN HOLMES SCHOOL

DAILY INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR:

• Communicating objectives with criteria for success in student friendly language

• Giving students feedback according to criteria for success with precise diagnostic guidance

• Checking for Understanding• Making Students’ Thinking Visible• Frequent student summarizing

Mastery Objectives

Students will be able to answer…• What will I be able to do when I've finished this lesson?• How will I show that I can do this, and how well will I

have to do it? • What new knowledge or skill is important for me to

learn and understand so that I can do this?

Teachers need to dig into the content to examine its nuances and central ideas before arriving at the objective.

PLANNING CONFERENCESA planning conference • Is a thoughtful look at the nuances of the content to improve lesson effectiveness

• Focuses on the concepts and how they relate to each other and what might be difficult for students to learn

• Identifies what is really important and results in a better sequencing of activities

ANGELA DOLEZAL CONDUCTING PLANNING CONFERENCES AT LONGFELLOW

Steps Quotes

Dive right into the content “What content will you be focusing on?”

Directly examine the actual materials that will be used to teach the content

“What materials will you be handing to the students?”

Focus on key concepts that the teacher wants the students to take away from the lesson

“What are the most important things you want them to understand?”

Delve deeply into the meaning of the content with particular focus on the key concepts

“Can you explain that a little further?”“What exactly do you mean when you say…?”

Break down the concepts hierarchically “What do students need to know from prior experience in order to move forward?” “Which part of this concept do you think students need to understand first?

Have the teacher state the objective in kid-friendly language

“How will you present the objectives to the class?”

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Elicit answers from all students Frequently On the same concept or topic During instruction

Outcomes More active student involvement Data on where the learners are Decisions about the teacher’s next steps

CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING

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CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING IN FRANCES KRAFT’S 5TH GRADE CLASSROOM

EXPLICITLY TEACHING EFFECTIVE EFFORT

• Attribution Theory and Brain Research• Effective Effort Behaviors• Study strategies

Ability-based Believers

• Avoid challenge• Give up easily• See effort as useless• Ignore constructive

feedback• Feel threatened by

success of others

Effort-based Believers

• Embrace challenge• Persist• See effort as path to success• Learn from constructive

feedback• Feel inspired by success of

others• Are invested in learning

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IQ

85 115 14513070552.1% 2.1%

13.6%

34.1% 34.1%

13.6%

Belief #1 Š Ability-based Belief

++

ABILITY AND EFFORT BASED BELIEF SYSTEMS

AbilityAbility

CONFIDENCECONFIDENCE

EFFECTIVE EFFORT

EFFECTIVE EFFORT

Hard Work StrategiesHard Work Strategies

ACHIEVEMENTACHIEVEMENT

Research for Better Teaching, Inc., One Acton Place, Acton, MA 01720 - www.RBTeach.com

EFFORT-BASED BELIEF CYCLE

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TEACHING EFFECTIVE EFFORT IN JENNIFER LAS’S 1st GRADE CLASSROOM

● “Learning is Messy”● “Our Effort Paid Off”

bulletin board● Teaching the parents

about effort during conferences and newsletters

● 3Ps: pay attention, participate, practice

● Role play

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EFFECTIVE EFFORT SELF ASSESSMENT IN JENNIFER LAS’S 1ST GRADE CLASSROOM

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KAREN FOLENO SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION TEACHING STRATEGIES WITH BEYE STAFF

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KAREN FOLENO SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION TEACHING STRATEGIES WITH BEYE STAFF

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LYNNE BEAUPREZ SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION TEACHING STRATEGIES THROUGH MENTORING

Best Practices Class:* Presented information to 1st year staff on growth mindset, high level of questioning for ALL, giving think-time, sticking with students for giving help & error correction, cooperative learning

Observation Feedback:* Feedback given for observation of teacher expectations of ALL students on: building cultural competence and relationships, high level of questioning, giving think-time, giving help & error correction, patterns of calling on students, communicating clear objectives and criteria for success, checking for understanding

School Staff Development:* Co-created a workshop session for all Brooks & Julian staff on mindset, effective effort, and tenacity with ALL students

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Next Steps

• Principal–led professional development at April 23rd building staff meetings

• On-going professional development at schools in 2014-2015 to support systematic implementation

• Continued training and support for this year’s cohort in 2014-2015

• New cohort formed for 2014-2015

• Parent education nights designed to provide parents with strategies and resources to promote effective effort and high expectations at home