Give a man a fish and he eats for a day
Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime
This stuck out to me due to the comparison that was made to the shipment of food to the country. They spoke about smaller doses given at frequent amounts throughout the day versus giving it to them in large amounts once or twice a day. How could this practice relate to instruction of students who maybe behind?
The next phase of chapter 2 that stuck out was the fact of knowing what systems are currently in place. With that being said we are a new group with a blank canvas. What will write on this blank canvas? What will you do to make an impact?
The author then goes into detail about the 6 exceptional systems that will ensure success. Which of these systems do you feel is most important and why?
As with all things in life we need leaders to step up and make the difference. Who is willing to step up to the plate and lead the charge for the turnaround process? Would you be willing to serve on the leadership committee and why? If you would like to serve on the leadership committee, how will you assist in silencing the opposing minority?
At the end if the chapter they spoke on many systems being in place but just not being Exceptional. In your opinion what makes an Exceptional system? I would also like to know what makes a school Exceptional?
Thanks for your willingness to go on this journey before school begins!
I had a hard time choosing just one of the 6 exceptional systems! But I kept going back to data-driven interventions, both academic and social. Data was one of the hardest things for me to keep up with but it was the one thing that I noticed helped my students (& me) most when I did it. It helped me know what to focus on, what to reteach & what was mastered. I wrote better IEPs that were truly individualized when I had good data.
ReplyDeleteI would like to serve on the reading committee because I want to share my love of reading with our students. I want them to be successful. To silence the opposing minority I will be positive!
I think having a clear, concise vision is the key to having an exceptional system. When it's clear & concise I know exactly what I'm working toward & what's expected.
A school is exceptional when they put students first at all costs.
You are correct. We must know each student individually in order to help them reach optimal success! We will have the STUDENTS best interest at heart when we make any decision at Carpenter!
DeleteI feel it relates to instruction because as educators we should not try to push so much information into our students head at one time. We should begin by putting little pieces in all through the day.
ReplyDeleteMy blank canvas will read, “Ready to learn together” I feel if we are learning together no one will be left out. Collaboration and be willing to find things that work for our students is the key. I will be willing to work hard for our students, I will be there for anyone to come and find solutions together. I will always put my students first, and find lessons the students feel comfortable with, and will participate in.
Teacher collaboration is very important because we must talk to find solutions. Teachers need to be willing to visit each other and ask questions, give feedback and just listen. I feel teacher collaboration is very crucial to the success of any school. It is hard if you work at a school and no one socializes or works together. We are here for the students first of all and then we are here for each other.
I will be willing to work on the committee and do what I can to help our students.
To silence the opposing minority I will only have positive things to say. I will support our students daily. I will be someone students can look up to.
An exceptional system starts with a dedicated staff working for students. An exceptional school - a staff that is willing and supportive of the leadership. A staff that is ready to work hard for our students. A staff that is loving, uplifting, and courageous.
I love the idea of small doses of instruction. We all know that a full on lecture doesn’t work with our students. They need to be engaged and in a way entertained. When contents are weaved into each other then the possibility of giving out those small doses increases, and provides a well rounded day of learning.
ReplyDeleteIt’s difficult to choose a system that is most important. Not only do these systems need to be in place throughout the school but also at the classroom level. At the beginning of the year I feel the culture of universal achievement is necessary. We as a campus need to build the confidence with the students, parents, and our peers. Will we have some opposition? Yes, but as a united campus with a direct focus we will conquer.
In my opinion leadership isn’t a title but a personality trait that is expressed throughout all parts of a person’s lifestyle. A leader is honest and open with any member of the team, and willing to collaborate on ideas to come to a solution that is best for the students and campus. A leadership committee needs to be strong and remind peers that we are here for one thing…the students.
An exceptional system begins with collaboration and then is revised and edited to do what is best for the students. Any system can be put into place, but if it isn’t changed and corrected after implementation to fix flaws then what was the point? This is the same with a school. Changes might have to be made the first week, month, mid-year, but they were done in the best interest of the students. As a life-long learner you would never submit a paper without having a peer edit it. In a way this is the same.
We truly are a blank canvas, and it doesn’t matter what happened last year or before that. It’s time to show Nacogdoches and NISD that this is an amazing campus with wonderful students, teachers, and staff. Of course my focus is science, but I am willing to do whatever is needed to achieve greatness.
Of the the six exceptional systems I could not separate the one that stands above the rest. They are built from the ground up with the belief that all children can succeed at the base. Each in turn builds toward the goal of making that a reality. The collaboration of colleagues is always interesting and filled with ideas and emotions. I turn to a TEDtalks (https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_h_cohen_for_argument_s_sake) about shifting the paradigm of arguments. We discuss and argue to learn more and discover different views, not to convince. This is collaboration, the conscious merging of ideas and practices to make our school exceptional. It will take all of us to build our students and support them. Providing the small amounts of information several times a day allows for digestion and understanding of what we are teaching. Linking this to project based learning allows the practical/kinesthetic application that makes it stick.
ReplyDeleteThe alignment of standards is critical, especially if we are feeding small doses. I believe that this is most effective through cross-curricular alignment.
Assessments and data are only as good as they are set up and used. This leads back into being committed to the belief that all children will succeed.
Knowing that we have a dedicated staff that are full of resources and are ready to merge them to become exceptional feels good. I agree that being a life long learner means you are always reviewing data and making adjustments for the betterment of the system. Exceptional means not giving up and continuing the pursuit with the same passion you started with while adding experience and knowledge to the application of the goal.
I would be willing to serve on the leadership committee. I love discussing and merging ideas collaboratively and then putting those into practice. I believe that every student and staff can become exceptional. As for silencing the opposing minority, I believe it is a matter of providing them with tangible results that are irrefutable. The belief that your methods are no longer enough can be difficult to except, and part of being an exceptional school is building relationships, showing empathy/sympathy, and connecting. This is done while applying the exceptional methods agreed upon by the majority. The children are the ones who we are here to teach, though we are all learner and gain important information that we can share through our experiences.
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." The practice of giving instruction in "smaller doses" makes me think back to my SFA days! We were taught that due to young children having such short attention spans, instruction had to be quick and it had to be purposeful in order to achieve learning. Personally I think that mindset applies to everyone! I know that I, as an adult, tune out and lose interest VERY quickly if I'm forced to sit too long without some type of "brain break"! Instruction in smaller doses also reminds me of this week's NBT chat. The guest moderator had a video regarding building a positive school climate that showed how some schools are allowing students a little "down time" and increased interaction with each other in order to increase student productivity. I think as educators we need to sometimes remember that less can actually be more.
ReplyDeleteAs a person that loves art and creative free-thinking, I love the idea of our campus being a blank canvas. I know when I look at a blank piece of paper or a blank wall my mind goes crazy with all the possibilities that lie within. That paper can become whatever I want it to be. It is a direct reflection of me and the time that I put in to it. Carpenter will be just that this school year. Whatever colors, lines, and curves we all contribute will create that final masterpiece that Nacogdoches sits back and admires at the end of the school year.
I don't feel that any ONE of the 6 exceptional systems is any more important than the others. The book states that "...the systems are like a staircase. Each one naturally leads to the next..." In order to close the achievement gap in our students we, as a campus, have to make sure all systems are in place and are truly EXCEPTIONAL.
This chapter was an eye-opener for me and has me SUPER excited to see what this school year holds! While I feel like I am a leader in any capacity, I would most definitely serve on the Leadership Committee for our campus. Carpenter has a lot of ground to make up! I feel like I am a person that can work with whomever I have to and do whatever footwork needs to be done in order to help our campus defy the odds! As for the opposing minority, I had a principal tell me once that the naysayers could either get on board or get run over! The building momentum wasn't going to stop just to appease them!
In my opinion, an exceptional system is one in which teachers and students alike feel empowered! They feel like they have a voice that matters. They know that there are individuals there to offer support whenever they need it. They know there is a long road ahead, but they're willing to take the ride because they believe in the end results. An exceptional school allows all of the previously mentioned things to happen!
How could this practice relate to instruction of students who may be behind? This practice relates to the instruction of our students who may be behind by not overwhelming them with long-drawn-out information all at one time, but instead short target specific intervals of technology enhanced information to help them focus on the task at hand.
ReplyDeleteWhat will you write on this blank canvas? We will write, draw, and design an ideal school for all students with specific concentration in Science, Technology, English, and Math. What will you do to make an impact? I will aid and assist all educational stakeholders on our campus to seamlessly integrate technology enhanced lessons, practices, policies, and procedures.
The author then goes into detail about the 6 exceptional systems that will ensure success. Which of these systems do you feel is most important and why? All six are very important, but in order to communicate our shared vision and mission effectively, we must have a school-wide culture of universal achievement. Studies have shown that the other 5 exceptional systems are incorporated with a culture of universal achievement.
Would you be willing to serve on the leadership committee and why? Yes, I serve as the GT Coordinator. I want to help identify our students who need more rigorous and differentiated curriculum and instruction.
If you would like to serve on the leadership committee, how will you assist in silencing the opposing minority? I am planning on taking our GT to the next level by utilizing my past students to help mentor and guide our robotics, imagination fair, and innovative inventions.
At the end of the chapter they spoke on many systems being in place, but just not being Exceptional. In your opinion what makes an Exceptional system? An exceptional system is a system that all educational stakeholders adopt willingly and practice effectively.
I would also like to know what makes a school Exceptional? An exceptional school has a positive school climate and culture which helps guide, prepare, and form standards, values, and attitudes necessary to promote a constant and nurturing learning environment for all students.
I feel that all the systems go hand in hand. There isn't one bigger than the other. If we build a strong system at Carpenter, we can get things done and turn our campus around. We need to have conversations that involve everyone in order to develop a universal language. No matter how difficult the reality is, we need to face it head on.
ReplyDeleteAn area I feel that is important would be collaboration. I work with all grade levels and I find that teachers collaborate within their team but it was difficult to to collaborate as a campus. At times I would feel like I was alone and we would be on different pages.
This year I would like to see everyone working together and collaborating with each other about all students not just the grade we have. The ultimate goal for the deaf ed population is to get them in the mainstream with their peers.
What would I say to the opposing minority? I would take what they say and turn it around with positivity. I would throw it back to them in a way that forces them to see a different perspective and enlighten them. We all need each other to make this year at Carpenter one of the best. The first step is creating a positive learning and working environment for everyone.
I would love to serve on the leadership committee. I would love the opportunity to lead by example in turning this campus around, and helping everyone understand that it won't be easy but it is doable. I like being involved when it comes to educating students. They are the future of generations to come.
Schools becomes exceptional when the leaders step up and lead. They involve everyone with everything going on. They reach a out and support everyone. Teachers and students hold themselves to high expectations daily. Everyone is accountable for what happens at Carpenter. Consistency is also a big factor. I want to start strong, continue strong, and finish stronger. Schools are exceptional when everyone is working together to achieve the same goal.
How exciting to be part of building an exceptional campus from a blank canvas! I believe our mission statement is the beginning of what needs to go on the blank canvas, " Every student without exception or excuse, will be proficient or advanced in Science, Technology, English and Math!" My belief in the mission statement and my desire to work towards the fruition of the statement is the beginning of my contribution to the canvas.
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to separate the 6 Exceptional Systems as to which is the most important. My understanding is we will create each system to work effectively for our campus. While we are in the building stage, neglecting or putting more emphasis on one of the systems would hinder the success of the other systems. In order to make each system exceptional, the system must be created and implemented by the entire staff at Carpenter.
I guess I have a personal account of why these large doses of instruction just won’t work for some of our struggling students. My youngest son, Ethan, has a language disorder. He has trouble processing both expressive and receptive language, and one of the side effects to this is difficulty with short-term and long-term memory. Please notice that I said that he has “difficulty” and not that he is incapable. My son DOES have the ability to learn. Learning is just more challenging for him than some students. So you see receiving instruction in small doses regularly is the only way he can eventually absorb what is being taught to him. If his teachers were to just throw everything out to him all at once, none of that information would stick with him. We are lucky in that my son’s disability was identified early, he is only 6, but some of our students’ disabilities have not been identified. Because I am a teacher, I knew something just wasn’t right with Ethan. My husband and I pushed for testing to determine what was going on with him. But, let’s just pretend we hadn’t done that. If you had an Ethan in your class and went with the “large amounts once or twice a day” method, my son would be lost! Would you write him off as a student who CAN’T learn, or would you search for a solution?
ReplyDeleteWhat will I do to make an impact? I will be ready to work…work towards building the best learning environment for my students so that they will succeed and be inspired. I will collaborate with my team and fellow teachers to make this possible.
It was hard for me to pick just one of the systems. I guess I would have to go with the first because if we fail to believe in our students and their abilities, the other systems are useless and will not bear fruit.
I would be willing to serve on a leadership committee because I want to be proactive in providing the best for our students. I would silence the opposing minority by pushing forward despite them and hope that, once they see the positive change that is taking place, they will choose to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
For Carpenter to become exceptional, we will have to begin thinking outside of the box. We can’t rely on “typical” practices. We have tried that, and it isn’t working for our students. To be honest, I don’t know what the answers are, but I do know that we can’t afford to continue doing what we have in the past.
a) “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” How does this relate to instruction?
ReplyDeleteI just love this quote. I believe that this relates to the way we as teachers present our instructions. If I stand before my students all day and just give them my version of the content lesson that’s all they get. However, if I present it in such a way that allows them to analysis the material, allows them to take it apart, and evaluate it in such of a way that they begin to think for themselves. They will begin to learn for themselves and ask questions. Soon they do not need a teacher anymore but only someone to facilitate them.
b) We have a blank canvas, what will your canvas say and what will you do to make an impact?
Mine would say, “Ready and willing to learn” As a teacher, I will be the first to stop and say that I do NOT know everything. Like most of my colleagues, I put my students’ education at the top of my list but I must be realistic in saying that not they are not the same and I must be willing to meet them with their individual needs. Therefore I must be willing to learn from my fellow colleagues and listen to their wisdom.
c) What exceptional system works best? What do you feel is most important and why?
Having completed my first year of teaching, I am not sure that I am fully qualified to speak on this but in my personal opinion I feel that collaboration between teachers in very important, especially with my students. I feel that the success of my students depend on how well we can collaborate and discuss together.
d) What makes an exceptional system? What makes an exceptional school?
I believe that it is the people (i.e. administrators, teachers, everyone that comes in contact with that student) believing in that child and their ability to learn.
As an adult, I don’t do well with being taught large amounts at once or twice. It can get OVERWHELMING! What is overwhelming - my mind can no longer take in any more information. Smaller doses given at frequent amounts throughout the day will be more beneficial for our students, especially for those students who maybe behind. We want to make sure that the lessons taught are small, interesting, and engaging for all students. If not, our students that are behind may get lost.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a “blank canvas”! I would write, “What happens at Carpenter Elementary will change the world”! We will be better educators and our students will be better students during this “turn around” process! My “job title” does not determine my duties for the campus. I will do whatever it takes to make an impact in the lives of the students at Carpenter and any other campus that needs my assist.
I feel that all 6 exceptional systems are important and needed for our students to be successful. If I had to choose one it would be, data-driven interventions, both academic and social. We need to know each one of our students academically and socially in order for them to be successful.
An educational leader is one who is: positive, a supporter, listens, willing to implement the ideas of others, and confident in the work that they do. I feel that we have a GREAT leader on our campus. We also need other leaders on our campus in order for our campus to be successful. I am willing to serve on the leadership committee to ensure that our students are loved and that they are learning.
An exceptional system is one that meets the unique needs of others. An exceptional school is one that takes on the “No Box Thinking” mentality; where educators are willing to lead and do whatever it takes to ensure the success of the students at Carpenter.
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ReplyDeleteIf we teach smaller chunks through out the day, the students who maybe behind will have a chance at retaining what has been taught and in return feel more successful. We have to remember, smaller portions does not mean we should water down our instruction. It just means less is best. This will allow students to reach mastery and close gaps.
ReplyDeleteWhat will I do to make an impact? I will do what ever it takes to get the job done and than some.
Out of the 6 exceptional systems that will ensure success, I feel number 6, Data- driven interventions, both academic and social is the most important. The Data tells us how our students are performing and we should take that information to help all our students.We have to take our students beyond just passing by making them independent learners and thinkers. This goes for both the students academics and social involvement.
I will step up and make a difference for our Carpenter students. I will help lead the charge for the turnaround process one day at a time because the time is now.
I will be willing to serve on the leadership committee because it's going take all of us to get the job done and I'm going to do my apart no matter what.
At the end it takes team work to make a school Exceptional. This is Carpenter's community working together for the common good. This includes administrators, Teachers, staff, parents, community worker and our students. We are off to a great start.