OSP Connected
March 2021-Office for School Performance-Volume 47
Message from Dayle
This week I was in a meeting and we were talking about building relationships with students and Arcema said something I think we often miss. “You need to know your kids so you can create better services," she said. In our desire to build relationships I think we adults sometimes miss the why.
This year we started off getting to know our students and their needs with our soft start week. I heard many say they appreciated the opportunity to learn about students strengths and needs before the year started; the time to connect with families was really important to connecting in a virtual world. How have you used that information?
There are a variety of “better services” you could offer based on this relational knowledge and here are a few to add to your tool box or celebrate their use:
Create lessons that incorporate the students’ culture or interests. Connecting with and being reflected in the content increases engagement!
Consider the students’ needs when making projects or assessments or timelines. How do your students best show their understanding and how much time to do they need?
Group students or connect with students for small groups or one on one based on need. Students who thrive with teacher feedback should be coming to office hour or small group time.
Use your relationship to be a warm demander. Students work for teachers who believe in them, know them and hold them to high expectations. “You can do this…..” is powerful.
We have said for years that we should know students “by name, strength and need." We should. But as we get to know them we need to be aware of any bias or judgement we bring. It’s a fine dance between being understanding of students’ situations and communicating low expectations or underestimating their need for your support. We need to know our kids in order to know how best to challenge them, support them and encourage them to succeed at high levels. (If you are not sure you are meeting this goal- ask your students- they know how you feel about them!)
HSD Focus 2020-2021
INSTRUCTION: Transitioning to In-Person Learning
As we begin to move forward with our plans to invite students back for in-person instruction in an Interactive Livestream model, it is important to remember everything we have learned over the past year. We have become more comfortable utilizing tech tools in our instruction, found new ways to engage students without being in close proximity, and continued to build connections with and between our students.
In our research, we have come across many helpful resources to support the transition to in-person learning. Take a look at some of the videos and resources that we’ve come across:
District 63 - This K-8 school district in Illinois, just north of Chicago, has been in hybrid learning since January. They have also been utilizing an interactive livestream model (which they refer to as Blended Learning). While their state guidelines and technology might look different than what we are using in HSD, this video provides a good overview, including dual language classrooms, of what interactive livestream could look like in our elementary schools
Fairfax County Public Schools: Learning from Pilot Schools & Concurrent Instruction: Overview - These videos are from Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, a diverse school district serving over 187,000 students. They have been in concurrent instruction (what we call interactive livestream) since the late fall. Again, keep in mind that some of their state safety guidelines and technology may be different than ours, but these videos provide a good example of how they transitioned from full online learning to in person instruction. These videos provide examples of classrooms in both elementary and secondary.
Webinar: Teaching in the Concurrent Classroom - Caitlin Tucker, a frequently sought after expert on blended and online learning, teams with AJ Juliani to provide a 30 minute webinar on the concurrent instructional model (i.e. interactive livestream). She dives into some of the challenges with concurrent instruction and strategies to address these.
CLIMATE AND CULTURE: Collaborative, Inclusive, and Predictable Environment
“Living in unprecedented times, your emotional first aid is critical not only for yourself and your own health but also for that of your students. Students feel our energy and mirror our responses. When a teacher’s blood pressure rises, so can the blood pressure of students around them, even when the classroom is virtual.”
When tuning in and taking care of ourselves, we are also taking care of our students. Just as our students need to feel a sense of belonging in inclusive learning communities, we do also. Below you will find six strategies to support you in the building of collaborative, inclusive, and predictable environments that support learning and resilience for both students and staff. A TeachFlix module will be coming out soon which will provide additional resources related to this topic. For more information on each strategy, check out the full article HERE.
Build an inclusive learning environment.
Develop a predictable management style.
Teach (and model) emotional vocabulary.
Change the environment.
Communicate high expectations and a sense of wonder.
Plan purposeful lesson hooks.
CAREER & COLLEGE READY: It’s forecasting time for the 2021-22 school year!
This year each high school has provided grade level forecasting presentations and forecasting forms online for students and families to explore and plan together for the upcoming school year. Please go to the counseling tab of the school’s homepage to find all information. For additional resources please see our CCP website: click here for examples of these important communication pieces and look for printed examples throughout our high schools. Career and College Readiness resources below are provided by School to Career Counselors. As students are planning for the 2021-22 school year, here is information to share with students about important topics such as testing, scholarship and college application process.
Sample Presentations:
Leading Change in HSD: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable: Color Blind or Color Brave
We are wired to shy away from discomfort. When difficult situations arise, it is natural to want to sway away from the discomfort in order to feel “ok”. However, if we want to move forward and lead for change, then now is the time to be comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation about race. Oftentimes we say “we truly believe in equal rights” and “we believe in creating equal opportunity in America;" however, we have to have real conversations about this issue and not shy away from the conversation. We cannot afford to be color blind. We have to be color brave. We have to be willing to have proactive conversations about race with honesty, understanding and courage, not only because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the smart thing to do. It is the way we lead for change for our students and families.
We can achieve this by having meaningful conversations, with a sincere desire to learn. If discussions are meaningful and candid, we can create brave spaces. Discomfort will be experienced but if that is accompanied by a desire to learn, we are halfway there. It is natural and human to make mistakes, but the important part is creating a forum where these mistakes will be discussed in a manner that contributes to learning.
As educators, we have the ‘magic’, the ‘secret sauce’ to open this gateway for our students. We have the power to create and dismantle. It is our responsibility to students to allow them this magical opportunity to learn and grow, while being accepted and valued. How are you creating brave spaces within your classroom? How are you being color brave rather than color blind?
Commemoration Months Project
The journey continues! HSD has increased the options centered around Black History, Women's History, and the intersectionality between the two. Dedicating effort, time, and collaboration around commemorations is one way we, as educators, can do better for our PreK-12 students! It is an intended purpose that specific commemorations do not solely “live” in the particular months of the year. This is one reason all previously organized Black History commemoration lessons are being refined and elaborated to improve effectiveness with students. For example, we want to thank our student voices from Century, Glencoe, and Hilhi's Black Student Union (BSU) for providing specific lesson perspective, feedback, and considerations to this work.
Presenting diverse information in a neutral way is encouraged and recommended year-round. To further expand our students' exposures connected to Black History, here is a list organized by Zaretta Hammond's Distinctions of Equity: Multicultural Education, Social Justice, and Culturally Relevant Education.
In addition, PreK-12 HSD educators can broaden student learning connected to Women’s History here, including some lessons exploring Black Women History.
Feel free to join the open invitation to broaden our students' perspectives and insights by implementing these sources and/or continuing dialogue by emailing Kellie Petrick, Standards Alignment & Curriculum TOSA, directly.
Tech Teach Grow
Our Purpose
This digital magazine is intended to support educators with technology integration in the classroom. Our hope is to provide HSD staff with tech integration ideas, info and updates via quick digital media easily accessible at your convenience. Everything we share works with current HSD tech.
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Learn What’s Next…
Follow this link to a new (2.7) #TechForward>> digital magazine focused on what’s new in Google Classroom & Google Workspace for Education (formerly known as G Suite for Education).