As I get a bit older, I find my faint memories of my elementary school experience fading further and further away. One of the moments I do remember quite distinctly was during a grade 2 math class in which I just couldn't seem to get my head around subtraction. The worksheet featured a bunch of quick math facts asking to subtract 1, 2 and 3 from two digit numbers less than 20. My teacher, would circulate the class with the classic red pencil and put checkmarks on the correct ones, and a big old X beside the incorrect ones. My page featured a bunch of Xs. I felt dejected, and I did was most 7-year olds would do when frustrated, I cried. I remember my worksheet becoming riddled with my own tears, causing the red pencil to run, making me even more upset. What happened next was equally memorable, a classmate sitting in front of me named Jan, turned around and showed me how to do it. I think she showed me how to use my ruler to figure them out. That simple trick helped me out, and I got the sheet done. I was the last in the class to finish, and I remember that equally well because I was eager to get out for recess.
My High School experiences with math class fluctuated between "a-ha moments" and similar frustrations. What I do remember about those classes were thick textbooks, a lot of homework, and a series of "Charlie Brown teachers" talking really fast, and really knowledgeably about new learning that seemed hard to grasp. What I ended up taking away with from my math classes was that I "just wasn't a math person". It wasn't until I started working with students in my 20s that I re-discorvered mathematics, and how beautiful it could be. Suddenly, I was being asked to teach math, but I was armed with teaching strategies. I had master teachers, and colleagues who helped me learn how to teach children to understand basic, intermediate and complex concepts. And you know what the result was? I discovered I was indeed a "math person". The concepts that had proven difficult in my youth suddenly made sense. I became a confident teacher, but more directly I started to implement math more instinctively in my day-to-day life. Mental math and estimation were automatic. This week, I saw a great Tweet from one of my teachers, which featured a quote from a student: "Today I realized I'm actually really good at math! Was never confident to share my math with others but now I am for sure!" I don't know what it was about that moment, but I found all those aforementioned experiences came flooding back. I pictured myself as that student, and realized how amazing it would have been if I had experienced that feeling in elementary school. I wonder if my educational experiences would have changed, or if my paths, course selections, and interests may have led me elsewhere. I came across a great article a while back entitled "Why We're Bad at Math: It's a Confidence Thing" (http://educationpost.org/why-were-bad-at-math-its-a-confidence-thing) and I realized that this is a very common theme. As a school administrator I have encountered many colleagues, parents, and other professionals who have all told me stories similar to the ones I have shared. Adults seem to have no problem whatsoever in sharing their proficiency (less so) or deficit (more so) as a math learner. I hear the same refrain over and over: "I'm just not a math person" which is almost always followed up with a story full of rich and vivid memories. Listening to, and learning from afar from Dr. Gina Cherkowski (@gcherkowski) has helped me to understand what an important job we have in ensuring success for our students in mathematics. Her work with STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) has illustrated that helping establish the right attitudes for students, and ensuring they are engaged is essential to the learning process. She illustrates her work through studies and research that show how vital a strong mathematics foundation is for jobs and careers that will be available to our students. I realize we, as teachers and parents, have to be better at shaping the right attitudes toward proficiency in mathematics, and it starts with adding one word to "I'm not a math person", and that word is "yet". Creating a healthy growth mindset for mathematics learning is key to success for our students and children. Some simple steps to assisting in this include: 1) actively listen to your student / child as they talk about their math learning experiences 2) teachers must personalize instruction through formative assessment and a specific plan 3) at indication of struggle, seek to show things in a different way - there are many ways to discover math other than "how we learned it in school". Khan Academy videos are a great example of a useful support (https://www.khanacademy.org) 4) recognize that "getting it" might not happen right away, and that's ok 5) accept that practice, repetition, application, extension, and connection are all parts of the math process, and that learning math is more that a checkmark or an x on a page As educators, we aggressively teach and support our non-readers. We would never accept a student saying something like "I'm just not a reader". I think we need to have the same attitude toward teaching students needing a boost in math. It's important that we always respond directly to our students / children when they say "I'm just not a math person". Simply state, "You mean you're just not a math person, yet." ps. picture at the top is from Good Will Hunting, one of my fave movies that always made me wish I was a math genius
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"How do you do the claw part again?"
- overheard at a staff practice session for Thriller This past week I got to participate in my first staff staff lip sync performance. The event takes place in this early stage of the school year in conjunction with our fundraising initiatives for our Terry Fox Run, and has become a fun and anticipated part of the calendar. But as mentioned, this was my first one. Our school is not unique in our choreographed showcase for students. In fact, I was very impressed by the Salisbury High Staff Grad video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=KATD9DpGdkg) among several others making the rounds on social media. After every one I always say "That's awesome! We should do that!", and I am sure all of you do too. It was amazing how quickly it all came together. Here's the honest part, about a week away from the event we were still conceptualizing what songs people were going to do, and we weren't even practicing yet. Then came the Monday before the Thursday performance, and the call went out announcing practice at 3:10pm. Soon, the gym was full, and everyone was getting into MJ mode. Thirller is not an easy dance to replicate. Thankfully, we have some really talented staff members who took their own time to learn and master the dance, making it easy for the eager others to join in and follow. After three practices, we "had it", and were ready for the assembly on Thursday. The dance was preceded by a few amazing numbers (Shake it Off, Safety Dance, Life of the Party, Pen-Pineapple-Apple Pen, and Lose Yourself) before the ensemble cast of teachers took the stage for Thriller. The message behind this post is pretty simple, sometimes you just got to put it out there. We talk about the need for our students to be collaborative, creative, risk-takers. Well, I can tell you that agreeing to get up in front of the school and strut your stuff to the complexities of Thriller embody all of that. More importantly, we as a staff created a collective experience with which we could share some good times and a few laughs. It was a collective effort and a lot of fun. So, if you're like me and you see one of those great staff videos and you wonder if you can do it too. Well, just shut up and dance. If you're able to check out our Thriller, try www.facebook.com/daniel.polsky/videos/10101906038919731/ or www.twitter.com/mr_polsky/status/784573439394902017 Finally, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I am thankful that you take your time to check in with my blog, and for the inspiration you bring to myself and our profession. “Every child you pass in the hall has a story that needs to be heard. Maybe you were the one meant to hear it.”
I came across this inspirational quote on Twitter some time ago, and I can honestly say that it has stuck with me every day since. I won’t say that it totally changed my practice, as I feel that I’ve always been the kind of principal that would make time for students, but serves me as friendly reminder. Once you’re really tuned in to it you will be surprised how many times you hear “Can I tell you something?” from your students. I had the pleasure of walking into the building the other morning with our kindergarten students. If you haven’t experienced this before, I liken it to one of those feel-good videos of puppies in a ball pit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaiw2hk3Be0). It’s all wonder, all curiosity, all excitement, all the time. And you know what? Every single student wanted to tell me a story. I can tell you the visit wasn’t on my agenda for the day, but making and taking the time for those students made a good day great, not only for me, but (I hope) for those students too. The experience extended to visits with many students, in all grades, throughout the week. Despite the age or grade of the student, they all wanted to tell me a story. Some took a bit more encouragement than others (our grade 6 students aren’t quite puppies in a ball pit), but they were all happy to talk. I learn so much about, and from, our students in a simple, casual conversation. One of the words that I hear constantly is “busy”. Adults are busy, kids are busy…life is busy. It’s become an almost automatic response in small talk. I don’t disagree, life IS busy. However, in our profession we have to remember that no matter how busy we are, there is always a student and a story that takes precedence over the work of the day. Over the next few days, I encourage you to make this kind of time for your students. Your interest, time and visibility make a real difference in your building. I also hope that sharing this powerful motivational quote might serve as a friendly reminder of the importance of this commitment. Professional learning can be as simple as going for a walk.
Over the past several years I have found myself falling completely in love with podcasts, and I have come to value them for not only their entertainment value, but for their contribution to my own professional (and personal) learning. Podcasts are one of those things that people are either really into, or not into at all. Some of us can’t wait for weekly downloads, while others have no idea what that pesky purple icon on their iPhone is for, and why they can’t simply delete it. For anyone in that latter camp, I can tell you that podcasts are completely free, and the content is as diverse as any other mainstream media such as television, movies, music, magazines, or books. In fact, many of these media outlets have turned to podcasting to either relay similar content, or complement their mainstream content with related, new offerings. As an educator, I am drawn specifically to many podcasts, but three in particular are on regular rotation: TEDTalks (audio), The Harvard EdCast, and Educators Lead. I say that much of my own professional learning has come via these three podcasts, and it has influenced the work happening in the classrooms of my school. One of my beliefs about teaching and learning is that we, as teachers, need to learn in the ways we want our students to learn. This can mean seeking new ideas through new technologies. For me, I find that walking the dog is the perfect time to plug in and get down to learning (more on the benefits of dogs and long nature walks in another blog post). It’s my “me time”. I understand that you may not be into Educational Leadership as a theme for your own professional learning, and believe me, I have a lot more interests and favourite podcasts, but I find that the beauty of podcasts is that no matter what you’re into, there is something for you. You can search by interest or subject. You can try one and stick with it, or dump it right away. It’s all free. We all have to walk our dogs anyhow. Why not make it a time for new learning? Enjoy! Here are some of my personal favourite podcasts: Professional Interest TEDTalks (audio) Harvard EdCast Educators Lead TED Radio Hour Hidden Brain Personal Interest This American Life Reply All Revisionist History Radiolab Mystery Show The Jay and Dan Podcast Roenick Life Podcast If you’re like me, you are probably a pretty persistent parent in your desire to initiate a dinner conversation with your child. You likely use some variation of this inquiry, “So, how was school today?” And, if your kids are like mine, you likely receive a response similar to “Fine.” If you try another angle, you might go with, "So, what did you do at school today?' only to be met with a "Not much". I choose to believe that those are conditioned responses rather than reflective ones. Well, enter Twitter.
There are multiple reasons why our school is bringing Twitter forward, but the primary reason is to establish a bridge between the classroom and your home. In this way, your child’s learning becomes visible. Suddenly, the flat responses “fine" or "not much" carry less weight. Then, it is the pending conversation with your child that offers an opportunity to transfer learning across contexts. When your child knows you share an interest in their learning, they strengthen their own connections, and are more likely to pursue and extend new learning independently. In addition, you as the parent are more likely to engage in learning alongside your child. This could include something as simple as side-by-side web browsing, or even related family outings. These are win-win-win situations benefiting your child’s learning, your relationship with my your child, and the work of the school. Secondly, working with Twitter is a tool to assist in teaching our students digital citizenship. Engaging with authentic purpose with adult-to-adult communication helps your child to shadow and learn about social media in a controlled environment between trusted adults. Finally, Twitter is a tool for you to connect to the greater school community. While you child’s teacher and classroom likely remain your primary focus, we are all part of a larger school community. You will find the majority of CBE schools are now on Twitter, including all of our new schools. Teachers and School Administration like Twitter as a communication tool because it’s a) quick and easy – mobile technologies provide quick access, b) succinct – thoughts are compressed to a handy 140 characters or less, and c) specific – it is targeted to an audience that seeks their content. Of course, the main questions about use of Twitter have to do with safety. It is important to know that this is our priority as well. To protect our students, and to comply with privacy laws, we have all been instructed to use photos where students are “not identifiable”. This means that photos are taken from angles where student faces are not visible. In most cases, teachers will also choose to use a photo filter using apps such as Skitch or Waterlogue. All our classroom accounts are monitored by a teacher lead, and the entirety of the school accounts are monitored daily by school administration. As part of our role in digital citizenship we also discuss Twitter with our students, and make this documentation part of our ongoing discussions in the classrooms. Feedback regarding our adoption of Twitter has been very positive. One parent commented that she talks with her child about Twitter posts at the dinner table and also that their child LOVES Twitter. Experience has proven that your child may soon begin to run home, excited, to let you know their teacher posted something from their class, possibly featuring them or their work. In terms of organization, we have decided to join Twitter as grade teams instead of a centrally controlled school account. We encourage all of our families to join Twitter, but respect that some parents choose not to be active on social media. If you have not set up an account, you can do so by visiting www.Twitter.com. Set up is very easy. You may also find the following resources to be helpful: Getting Started with Twitter: https://support.twitter.com/articles/215585 Parent’s Guide to Twitter: http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/blogs/mazza-ptchat-guide.pdf Good luck, and thanks for joining and following. |
AuthorI am an elementary school principal, passionate about engagement, innovation, and learning from the unique skills and interests of students and fellow educators. Archives
February 2019
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