The vision of Functional Subunits is to serve as a resource sharing point and to provide commentary on science and educational issues. Opinions are my own.
Mr. Miyagi was on to something when teaching Daniel(son) about finding the balance. Balance, so to speak, is maintained by a process known as homeostasis in living systems. In "simple" terms, remember this is a series, humans have hormones and nerve cells to regulate bodily functions, such as blood sugar concentration and heart rate. If the classroom is the functional subunit of the school, then the classroom teacher is the primary regulator of that subunit. The classroom teacher is searching for the balance and the one maintaining order. Further, the one working to maintain the steady state for optimum learning, engagement, fun, rigor, relevance, and, perhaps, a multitude of other variables. Not simple.
Building upon the above and the previous post, this can be viewed in the hypothetical classroom with the teacher as artist, diagnostician, and now regulator. From the human digestion unit, the artist teacher has planned, designed, and implemented lessons and activities from the unit. The artist teacher is also regulating student engagement, behavior, environment, etc. Always looking for the steady state for optimum learning...minor adjustments here and there. The diagnostician teacher may now use formative assessment, during the human digestive system application activity, to address errors in process, facts, concepts, skills, etc. Always looking for the steady state for optimum learning...minor adjustments here and there. The positive impact of assessing during learning allows the classroom teacher to make minor adjustments, such as the AID note, thereby maintaining the steady state of student learning and engagement. Simple and minor are synonyms (in my book). Minor adjustments during learning (formative assessment) combined with ongoing major engagement with content and skills can lead to positive impacts in student learning in the classroom. Speaking of engagement...that will be the topic of the next post in the Simplification Series.
Simple can be an insulting word. "Come on, it is sooooo simple!" The person on the receiving end of this exclamation is often times NOT in the midst of a simple endeavor, like teaching. Teaching is not simple. However, processes associated with teaching may be simplified and that is the premise of this series of blog posts: Simplification. I have been influenced by Peter DeWitt's emphasis on de-implementation as well as my own ongoing love affair with reductionism (more here).
I am borrowing a protocol from healthcare to build upon. This healthcare protocol is called a SOAP note. It appears that healthcare and education share their love of acronyms! SOAP is Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan. Without doing a deep dive, this is what a healthcare provider might "note" in a patient's chart: "Patient presents with abdominal pain (Subjective), has a fever (Objective), CT Scan is abnormal/appendix inflamed (Objective), white blood cell count is elevated (Objective). Analysis/conclusion is appendicitis (Assessment) and an appendectomy (Plan) is ordered. That represents a critical moment in time for the patient and the healthcare provider. Let's flip the script.
A science educator's curriculum outlines a lesson (as part of a module/unit) on the human digestive system. At this point, the class has been on this module/unit for several class periods and should be ready for an application-type activity. Should be ready...how does the educator know? Formative assessment would be ideal here and let's say this clever science educator uses a SOAP note on a hypothetical patient as part of the application activity. Of course, the educator wants to mix it up, so collaborative groups of students work on different application activities, with different SOAP notes, associated with the structure, function, and diseases of the human digestive system. What if the educator uses an AID note for themself and their student(s)?
AID is Assess(ment), Instruct(ion), Determine next steps. Nothing earth-shattering here, but what if this AID note is just for this activity/lesson. Feedback is based upon this simple "note". The feedback is for the student and the educator, much like the SOAP note is for the patient and the healthcare provider. Important information for both parties and the information is provided in a simplified, timely, and actionable format.
Scenario: Collaborative student group finishes activity and shares that their patient has indigestion/reflux and should begin a regimen of antacids (this "diagnosis"should sound familiar to the stressed educator!). Well, the SOAP note for this group was the appendicitis SOAP note example from above, so this group is off course. This is where the AID note becomes like a chemical equation because assessment and instruction are reversible in education. Re-teaching is possible, re-looping is possible, re-testing is possible, etc. This is one of the many positives to using formative assessments....actionable assessment information, in the midst of instruction, so adjustments can still be made. The AID process can also be presented like a reversible chemical reaction:
Determine Next Steps <------Assess(ment) <------> Instruct(ion) ------> Determine Next Steps
The last thing the science educator wants is for this group's misdiagnosis to become a misconception. No educator wants an avoidable misconception to move further down the road and then become fossilized. The aware educator visits this group and has a fruitful discussion with the group of students regarding their thinking/analysis of the available information regarding their patient. This process discussion allows the educator to pinpoint where student thinking went off course and now the science educator can, hopefully, right the course. Please note that all of this revolves around one lesson (simplified), in one classroom (functional subunit of the school), during one class period (simplified). Nothing about the above is simple, heck it took six paragraphs to convey the "simple" message and it may not still be clear to the reader. Thankfully, this is a simplification series, sostay tuned!
This article requires commentary, but first, some music to set the tone, but remember, the "more things change, the more they stay the same:"
Well, here we are in the initial stages of the 2023-2024 school year. Many things have changed over the years, but the excitement and chaos of the first week of school is pretty static. However, these days the chaos seems to be generated from above as opposed to the typical building-level chaos. Take what is described in the above hyperlinked article about the "reform" efforts in Houston.
First, give us a break with the increased pay "reform." The one and only compound question is this: "Where did that money come from and why was it not used to prevent this mess?" Educators need more pay and it should not be tied to ridiculous takeover measures. In other words, this is not a reform....it is a "shell" game where the money just appears or moves based upon the current legislative/executive mood. Plus, most building-level folks know that paying core teachers more than elective teachers, or vice versa, is a recipe for needless competition among building-level teachers when now is the time for unity....not more division.
Second, rigorous evaluations do not make folks better, they subjectively measure performance. Professional development, motivation, and shared-purpose are actually effective for those willing to improve. In the article, there is only a brief mention of professional development and it is planned during the summer which I believe is non-contract time for most teachers.
Third, curriculum and instruction reforms. This has been a while in coming, but the writing has been on the wall for a few years. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses have had scripted curriculum for many years and the script can be extremely valuable for early-service educators. In a bind, the new teacher only has to refer to the curriculum prompts to get back on track. For the more experienced teacher, the script may be more of a guide and/or reminder of the "what" that needs to be taught. Scripted curriculum is a worthwhile tool that can be differentiated by the astute educator. Scripted instruction, the "how," may also be helpful to the early service educator, but more so insulting to the experienced educator. Instruction is the "heart and soul" of teaching and to take those elements of artistry and science away from the teacher may be a morale-buster. Scripted instruction may put teachers in the realm of widgets or "bots." Not good.
The only actual "reform" that may be considered novel is the absurd removal of media specialists in favor of having the media center space dedicated to "team centers" which is really a cute way of labeling in-school suspension (ISS) in the media center (sans a media specialist). This is scary on multiple levels. First, this is Texas and does not involve mandatory minimums or zero tolerance, but does involve eliminating a vital school position (media specialist) and re-dedicating a school space for other use (discipline). Applauding Texas for advocating for non-punitive and rational disciplinary measures would be otherwise be called-for here, but they still missed it by a Texas mile. Second, this is already happening in virtual/remote school spaces (ISS via remote school). Increasingly, district leaders are leaning on virtual/remote options for alternative discipline measures which is to say, the measure is essentially just a change in placement....not sure that will affect positive behavior change. This "reform" is surely a response to staffing shortages, but also it seems to fall in line with a more muddled disciplinary approach that appears to be evolving.
The alternative school (read behavior management school) model appears to be fading out. Leaders may have realized that the days of "Scared Straight"-type immersion may not be a viable solution for today's dabblers in habitual/serious behavioral infractions. However, those schools contain staff that may be re-deployed to schools with vacancies....see how that works....no more punitive prison-like school and available bodies to fill vacant school positions. Not so fast. Punitive, non-therapeutic disciplinary settings should be reformed, not shifting the site elsewhere (actual or virtual!), without intentional communication, planning, and implementation.
What is unfortunate is what is NOT mentioned in the article. An article about "New Education System" schools that does not mention (go ahead and ctrl-F to ensure accuracy): collaboration, teacher efficacy, teacher empowerment, teamwork, interdependence, trust, shared purpose, buy-in, critical-thinking (sarcastic chuckle here), problem-solving, etc. The term community is used in the article but only in the sense of something that exists, not something to be built, cared for, and/or repaired.
Methinks musical tie-ins are this blog's mojo, so here we go...let's start with the actual musical piece...wait for it...wait for it...
Wow! That hits hard! Now on to the real meat of the blog post.
Educators must be Harvesters of Hope!
There is enough sorrow in the world, so let's harvest hope. 'Tis the season for summer conferences and all of the mantras, maxims, and platitudes that accompany these hopeful events. Sayings are great when followed up by action. Let's commit ourselves to being harvesters (action verb!) of hope! For farmers, harvesting occurs in the fields, for educators, it is in our classrooms. In order to harvest, we need harvesting strategies, thus we need to re-dedicate ourselves to excellent, needs-based, individualized professional development (PD) for all solutions-focused educators.
The talent pool in education has become diluted due to multiple factors (COVID, compensation, morale, retirement, resignations, politics, etc.). Now is the time to re-focus on those educators that remain involved in educational problem-solving. COVID shifted our focus to survival and also tied us (tightly!) to technology. Classroom management has also be negatively impacted. Professional development is the way to re-focus our energies on once again making the classroom a sacred space for teaching and learning.
Some of the best PD comes from those doing the work....teachers. I am a firm believer in enhancing teacher efficacy (great article here) and having peers present PD is an amazing efficacy-builder and morale booster. PD should be focused on student outcomes and/or student experiences. If educators want great outcomes and great experiences for all students, then we can drill down to what may produce great outcomes and great experiences for our students. Check out this EdWeek article for examples and definitions of educator abilities (not an exhaustive list). The "Mind the Gap" visual in Elena Aguilar's EdWeek article is a great tool for reflection and planning. Let's use the teacher abilities listed (Skill, Knowledge, Capacity, Will, Cultural Competence, & Emotional Intelligence) in Aguilar's visual for convenience.
One area of PD should remain focused on leveled-"beginning" teacher skills (e.g. classroom management & content knowledge), which are relatively objective and measurable. The italicized leveled in the description is an indication that even the most experienced of teachers may need "updates" to their classroom management toolkit. Classroom management and content knowledge are invaluable to a teacher's success in the classroom, yet they appear to be eroding, perhaps due to distraction(s). Teacher will and teacher capacity are absolutely necessary, but may not be within the building admin's locus of influence to develop. Thus, teacher will and teacher capacity are largely up to the individual teacher to develop themselves. I posit that the remaining abilities, cultural competence and emotional intelligence, should be the new frontier for educator PD. The infusion of much-needed student social-emotional learning (SEL) into our classrooms will pair well with teacher PD in the areas of cultural competency and emotional intelligence. By doubling-down on what we know works, effective classroom management & rich content knowledge coupled with greater emphasis on cultural competence and emotional intelligence, then we can set a renewed course for harvesting hope in our classrooms.
Here is the kicker, since collective efficacy goes hand-in-hand with epistemic influence (great article here), then educators should manage PD in their building, perhaps, dare I say it, even in their classrooms. Individualized needs-based PD would be the most meaningful and effective. Building-level PD is a close second, so let's get out there and be Harvesters of Hope!
Imagine a hospital emergency room full of people. These folks come from different backgrounds and have had a variety of experiences, some negative, over their lifetime. Depending upon need, some individuals are diagnosed, treated, and released. Some may require an overnight stay. Others may require a long stay, medical intervention, and/or surgical intervention. The variance in an individual's "health" can be staggering. Consider the following excerpt from Thomas Francis' book entitled, The Emergency:
"Health. We use the word all the time, but what it is, really? The World Health Organization provides an aspirational definition of health: "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." By this definition, none of us is ever fully healthy. Whether we witness violence as a child or we're stressed as an adult, consume too little food while young or too much when we're grown, compounding and interacting physical and social exposures beginning in gestation and progressing over time shape our bodies into a state just short of complete well-being. When these functions work well enough, we call ourselves healthy and are free to pursue meaning in our lives."
What if classrooms were like hospital treatment rooms? Students are patients and educators are practitioners. Educators assess learning, physicians assess health. From there it can be considered in general terms: "treatment" plans are made based upon initial assessment and treatment begins. Progress is monitored and adjustments, if necessary, are made. These practitioners do not work alone, they typically work in teams, different members have different roles and areas of expertise (EC, ESL, content, MTSS, school psychologist, social workers, etc). The progress, or lack thereof, of the treatment plan is analyzed by the team and feedback is provided to the team and to the patient...oops, student.
I think the power to heal is comparable to the power to teach. Every physician had numerous teachers on their road to successful (hopefully) medical practice. Physicians abide by the Hippocratic Oath. According to Britannica.com, physicians pledge to "prescribe only beneficial treatments, according to his ability and judgements; to refrain from causing harm or hurt; and to live an exemplary personal and professional life." I realize these are just words, but most physicians I have encountered (in life and on television) take this oath very seriously and it seems to inspire and impact them in a positive way. What if educators had an oath that inspired us, positively impacted us, and banded us together? This is not a novel idea, I found one opinion piece by Anthony Cody (article linked here) in EducationWeek from 2007. There are many parallels between medicine and education...they are most certainly inter-related and inter-dependent. Why not develop an oath for educators? What would educators pledge to do? How would we agree on an acceptable oath? Who/what would be the inspiration for it? I know our children should be an inspiration given educator impact on our populace. My hope is that an oath is not needed to re-energize educators and remind them of their infinite value, but if it is needed, then let's get to work!
I have never understood when a disconnect exists between administrators and teachers. We all fall under the umbrella of being educators, so I feel as though we should have more in common than not. Administrators and teachers also, generally speaking, have similar shared purposes: academic support & progress, behavioral support & progress. Alas, my experiences have been mixed when looking for consistent admin-teacher synergy. Many days I feel as though I am more successfully connecting with and supporting students, and their parents, than I am with supporting and connecting with teachers. To be frank, I sometimes feel resented by teachers when I connect/support a struggling student and/or their parent. I have scoured my teaching memories for instances of feeling this way towards administrators, but my memories are of cooperation and shared purpose (not well understood back then, but present nonetheless). On my worst day, I recall thinking that administrators should be more vigilant about catching the smokers under the stairwells...I never even thought about the consequences for the student...I was just tired of the smell of cigarettes.
Merriam-Webster defines an educator as: "one skilled in teaching" and "a student of the theory and practice of education." Maybe educational theory is a potential source of disconnect. I am aware of five (5) theories: Behaviorism, Cognitive, Constructivism, Humanism, and Connectivism. I subscribe to a mashup of cognitive, constructive, and humanist theories. Surely our views on educational theories cannot correlate to disconnect...all the theories lead to, or attempt to lead to, learning...right?
How about classroom management theories, perhaps a disconnect exists here. Below is a link to a resource summarizing three (3) types: Operant, Choice theory, and Student-Directed learning.
These all sound reasonable...the article even mentions how these management theories may correlate to enhanced student motivation and less need for punitive consequences...a win-win!
One potential disconnect may be beliefs regarding student discipline. Discipline certainly has a role in education, as it does in many other fields. Here are a few definitions for discipline from Merriam-Webster: "Control gained by enforcing obedience or order" and/or "orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior"...these are versions of noun usage. Most school folks use the transitive verb for discipline which is: "to punish or penalize for the sake of enforcing obedience and perfecting moral character", "to bring a group under control", and/or "to impose order upon". The use of the transitive verbs sound, to me, very military-ish (Sorry Beetle Bailey). The last definition is semi-palatable, "to impose order upon", especially given that order is certainly necessary in schools, but to impose upon does not sound like a collaborative situation and a collaborative approach is most certainly the direction education is moving. Less "command and control" and more "collaborate and innovate".
Views on disciplining other people's children can be a source of consternation for all involved. Check out this article from the National Association of Elementary School Principals:
I am on board with this kind of thinking and action. Effective and situationally sensitive (What?!?! No zero tolerance or mandatory minimums!?).
Student "discipline" should be more than meting out punishments. The "discipline" should be incorporated into the efforts of community-building, which would include all of the above theories, styles, strategies, etc. That could bring us all together...community-building, one classroom at a time. This will involve punishment from time-to-time and if we can just get close to being on the same page, then we may be able to move mountains. I leave you with a thought-provoking article by Alfie Kohn.
Who does not love good music?! More than that, how about a piece of music with a great story, has thought-provoking lyrics, haunting steel guitar(s), and a seemingly endless array of musicians who have re-made the SAME piece of music?! Well, look no further....I present "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues".
There are a few questions to ponder prior to listening to the tune: Who is Charlie? Where did he live? Did he have a prescription for those "pills"?, and how much precipitation does Charlie's town actually get each year?!
My intent it present my Top 5 and, of course, generate a highly influential blog post that earns me millions of dolla bills, garners global attention on folks named Charlie, and facilitates world peace. Actually, a laugh or two will suffice.
Numero Uno!
We begin with the original by the prolific Danny O'Keefe. Is that a raccoon hat he is sporting?
Number Two!
Dwight Yoakam taking the #2 spot with his Tex-Mex (my opinion) take on the classic!
#3!
Elvis, need I write more? I did not think so.
#Quatro!
I love that Chuck felt the need to adjust the age....when are we not a kid anymore?
Nummer Fünf!
Excuse me, is this Tom Hank's wife?
I hope you enjoyed this whimsical music journey....pls Like, Comment, Subscribe, RT, Repost, etc.
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