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Burying Our Students

4/26/2015

Burying our students. Sounds scary right? Sadly it's happening all over the world. Educators from all walks of life are allowing or helping students dig a hole that they can't possibly get out of. Have I been guilty of this before? Probably, and all for the sake of sending a message and holding them accountable for their actions. Why? Because it will prepare them for the real world. Really? Last I checked, I live and work in the real world and always get second chances. And so should students.

Giving students a zero or letting them earn a zero is the easy way out in my opinion. Look, as a teacher I made the same error early on in my career. A student didn't hand in the assignment or project? No problem, you just earned yourself a zero. I will teach you a lesson. Really? As time went on though, I realized that there must be a better way. I would make sure every option imaginable was exhausted in order to put this student in a position to succeed. I would also question whether or not I was providing engaging learning experiences. Towards the end of my teaching career, I finally felt that I truly was doing right by kids. It was no longer cool to bury them and basically give them no chance to somehow learn the material on their terms.

As I transitioned to administration I wanted to make sure that student's best interests were kept at heart. It was no longer acceptable to simply hand out a zero or fail a child just because that's what they earned. It should be more about mastery of content rather than a "I gotcha!" Don't get wrong, at some point if a student does not do the work then they don't do the work. No one every said that being an educators was going to be easy. Motivation, differentiation, relevancy, innovation, and finding a way to connect with each child should always be at the forefront of all our minds. But this all easier said than done. It takes a different mind on behalf of all school stakeholders to understand that mastery of content trumps a student receiving a letter grade.

So how can students, parents, teachers, and administrators come together to ensure things stay above ground? Over the years I have experienced or researched the following best practices......

Connect with students outside of the classroom setting. AMLE's This We Believe speaks to the importance of every child having an adult advocate. Advisory programs and extracurricular activities provide educators with an enormous opportunity to connect with and change the lives of kids.
In Eric Sheninger's blog post Grade Change: Moving a School Culture Forward he speaks to the idea of "no zeroes" and "retests" in order to help promote the success of students.
Reed Gillespie highlights real world examples in this blog post of adults getting second chances all the time. I dare anyone to think of a time when they needed a second chance to right a wrong.
Utilize a tool like ClassDojo to conduct a real time conversation about student progress with everyone who is responsible, including the student.
Leverage the power of personal learning networks to stay current with new ideas in the field of education. I speak to this very thing in a blog post titled 100 Minutes a Week.
Provide opportunities for stakeholder voice as decisions are made that improve school culture. In my book All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities I share insight on the power of student and parent roundtables as a way to improve the learning environment.
Ensure teachers and administrators have time during the school day to share and find ways to help students that are struggling. Common planning time, professional learning communities, and collaboration time during professional development days goes a long way in helping educators to ultimately help students.
Find ways and not excuses to provide students with learning experiences that matter. There will always be standardized testing and curriculum road blocks that we encounter. How do we as educators think outside of the box to provide students with the education they deserve?

So what do you say, pull those students out of the holes that we have collectively dug, fill them back in, and make a commitment to never bury another student during your time as an educator. We will all be better off in the long run.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

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100 Minutes a Week

4/18/2015

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Sometimes I wish educators had a little more time to engage in true professional growth opportunities during the work day. All it would take is 100 minutes a week or 20 minutes each day to just close the classroom or office door and simply learn.

Monday

Read a book for 20 minutes a day. Better yet, share out your thoughts via an online book talk using a tool like Edmodo. Currently I am reading a book titled 17,000 Classroom Visits Can't Be Wrong by Antonetti and Garver.

Tuesday

Follow a particular hashtag on Twitter for 20 minutes. #Satchat, #EdChat, #NTchat, #EdTechChat, #ColChat or #ArkEdChat. Make sure to lurk, consume, share, and reflect.

Wednesday

Watch a webinar on a best practice strategy or initiative in the field of education for 20 minutes. EdWeb.net and SimpleK12 have an abundance of content that can take you from good to great.

Thursday

Read or write a blog post for 20 minutes. Blogs have provided educators a great opportunity to reflect. Two of my favorite blogs to read are ClassTechTips by Monica Burns and Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne.

Friday

Listen to a podcast from the Bam! Radio Betwork for 20 minutes as you drive into work. Check out Jason Bodnar's Principally Speaking Podcast or Adnan Iftekar's E.T.P. Podcast for great educational insight as well.

Weekend (Bonus Points!)

Find someone in your PLN that will chat with you via Google Hangout about a particular topic in education or sign up for Voxer and connect with like-minded educators from around the world.

Obviously there are a plethora of other ways to stay sharp professionally. As this school year winds down and we gear up for the next, time should be put aside in the master schedule that allows for educators to grow on a daily basis. Modeling what it is to be a lead learner becomes contagious and will ultimately impact the success of all students.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Bammy Award Finalist. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

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Flipping the Interview Process

4/9/2015

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Photo Credit: www.teachhub.com

Recently I was involved in a interview process to fill a position in our district. One candidate in particular did a phenomenal job in "flipping" the interview. She literally turned the entire interview into a discussion. The passion and insight she shared was simply amazing. Quite honestly I have never experienced this before. I asked only one question, and that was at the end because I felt like I had to ask just one. She addressed every possible scenario from tech integration to the importance of connecting with kids. She did it by providing specific examples and evidence of what it actually looked like to be a student in her class.

So how can a prospective candidate "flip" their interview successfully? Here are some suggestions......

Create a ePortfolio highlighting your entire educational career. Check out my friend Dana Sirotiak's ePortfolio.
Bring a mobile device with you to the interview. Why? So you can show video evidence of your experiences.
Consider conducting a Google Hangout or Skype session that is either recorded or in real time to showcase all that you have to offer.
Provide the interviewer with examples of how you are a connected educator via Twitter, Blogging, and Pinterest.

There are so many ways to creatively show why you are the right candidate for the job. The proliferation of various technologies and web applications give candidates an edge over those who provide a basic resume during the interview process. Personally, I would take a chance on somebody who leveraged the power of technology to tell their story over someone who just sat there and answered question after question.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Bammy Award Finalist. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

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Burying Our Students

100 Minutes a Week

Flipping the Interview Process

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