This post will outline 5 steps teachers can implement consistent to run effective small group instruction in their classrooms.

Step 1: Determine your Data Source

Before you begin to pull a small group, you have to decide which piece of data you will be using to formulate groups. Common data sources are formative assessments (formal and graded tests) or informal assessments (student observations, classwork, homework, etc.). Think about which assessment is the most recent reflection of current student learning and use that one. If you use an older assessment, you might group students who no longer need the attention.

Step 2: Make your Flexible Student Groups

Review the data and highlight low performers. Then group together students struggling with the same skill. For example, if a few students all missed question #4 that dealt with two-step word problems, create a group tackling that skill with only the students needing help in that area. Depending on how long your instructional block is will determine how many small groups you can pull. Usually small groups last 15-20 minutes with an -re-introduction to the skill, guided practice together, and independent practice with feedback. Plan out your skill groups for the week.

You may have students attend multiple skill groups a week because they require additional time and attention to master skills. If you notice this, add an additional layer of support during whole group instruction. Otherwise, these groups are meant to be flexible and the students visiting should change based on the skill being covered.

Step 3: Plan Skill Based Mini Lessons

Now that you know what skill you are focusing on and which students need to attend the small group, its time to plan the mini lesson.

• Select your instructional materials
• Write your objective
• Draft or choose an example
• Practice how you will demonstrate the skill
• Draft or choose 2-3 guided practice activities to complete together
• Draft or choose 1-2 independent practice activities for students to do on their own
• Allot time for reviewing student work, providing feedback, and allowing them to make the appropriate changes

Once a student has demonstrated mastery of the skill (ie. they can complete the independent activities with accuracy), they are excused back with the rest of the class to complete whatever assignment everyone else is working on. If after instruction and feedback, students continue to struggle, make note and send them off to the whole class activity after the 20 minute mark. You will likely have to pull those students again another day for that same skill, but do not extend your small group lesson in the moment as it throws off the pace and plan of instruction for the rest of the lesson.

Step 4: Deliver Targeted Instruction

Be sure to teach a skill in isolation. If you add in too many skills or erroneous details, it could add to the confusion that the student is experiencing. In Reading, if you are using a text to practice be sure to focus your teaching on the skill instead of on the storyline of the text. In Math, if you are working on two-step word problems and there is a secondary skill available to teach (ie. cross out irrelevant information or using multiple strategies to check work), do not address it at this time. You can use the same word problem again in a future skill group when teaching a different skill, but keep each group to one skill at a time.

Step 5: Collect & Review Fresh Data

After you have completed the planned small groups for the selected skills, its time to repeat the cycle with new fresh data. Fresh data means the student performance information you are going to use is the most recent data you have access to. As a reminder, if you wait weeks before pulling groups based on a data report, the students may have mastered skills by this time and therefore it is considered “dead data.” Continue to collect recent data and teach small skill groups throughout the year.

This 5 step small group instruction protocol will help ensure every teacher provides high quality differentiated support to students on an ongoing basis. This will lead to an increase in teacher proficiency (skill level) and student achievement (grades, scores, etc.). The domino effect of transforming this one sliver of instruction has tremendous impact on everyone involved.

Practice the steps and if you find yourself needing feedback, reach out for help to instructional leaders (ie. facilitators, coaches, administration, etc.).

Additional Resources:

• Literacy Effectiveness PD
• Novel Study Guides
• Reteaching for Mastery PD

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Steps for Running Small Group Instruction appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I hope you know that you are not alone and that you are not stuck in the four walls of your classroom or school building. There is a great big world out there ready and willing to collaborate with you and encourage you to become your best self.

You might be wondering just how to access like-minded educators who LOVE education and are innovative in the classroom. They might not be in your same school, district or state, but they are there- over the internet waves! That means they are only a CLICK away

I absolutely love connecting with new teachers on Twitter through the #ntchat on Wednesday nights. [Need some Twitter-101? Click here or here for helpful information.] The recent topic was “Building your PLN.” I realized so many people have no idea how to build their professional learning network (PLN). So, here we are in a blog post sharing some information that others could find helpful!

What is a Professional Learning Network?

A professional learning network (PLN) is a community of like-minded professionals who come together to collaborate over a common cause, whether it be in-person or virtually.

Why do I want to become part of a PLN?

A PLN is an empowering group of people. They encourage you to push through on hard days. They inspire you to take risks and try new things in the classroom. They stretch your thinking when you discuss education in other parts of the country.

My PLN has become like a family to me. We talk about education A LOT, but we also talk about life. Being connected to positive, top notch educators has lit a fire under me to make sure I keep everything in perspective, that I avoid feeling burnt out or negative, and that I continue setting goals and trying new things.

This powerful group of people has become my own professional development. I have learned so much from them and I never had a better time learning than I do from conversing with my new found edu-buddies.

How do I become part of a PLN?

Its super easy. First, get yourself connected in-person and virtually.

1. In-Person

Look for conferences that are hosted nearby your home or school. If it requires payment to participate, see if your administrative staff will pay for it since it is going towards your own professional development. When at a conference, make sure to listen and gain as much as you can from the sessions, but put even more intent and attention into building relationships with those attending the conference. Be careful to not stick close to the first person you meet, especially if you go to a conference with a friend you already know. You want to branch out, ask questions about other people to get to know them, find common ground, and exchange contact information. When you continue to meet educators outside of your own school, you are building your PLN. Not everyone inside your PLN has to know one another. Its not some secret club. Its just branches of contacts that you have- a rolodex of sorts.

2. Virtually

Set yourself up on social media. That means, find a picture of yourself that is clear and appropriate. You want to be recognized by the many edu-buddies you have already met in-person. Get your profile set up so its clear you are an educator and want to connect with other educators. If you have other interests that might draw in other educators, include those as well (ie. running, favorite movie quotes, etc.). Start sharing quality content on your social media pages. This will gain attention from other educators and they will start to follow. Please do not ask someone to follow you. You don’t want to bully someone to be your “friend.” Simply continue to have conversations, back and forth, with other educators and let them decide when they want to follow you. At the end of the day, its about exposing yourself to amazing people that will be there when you need them for knowledge, encouragement or inspiration. Overtime, you’ll notice your PLN on social media is HUGE and that means you are doing a great job building relationships with like-minded professionals to better your own instructional practice as an educator.

I mentioned this above, but getting involved on Twitter or Voxer is highly encouraged and helps build your PLN quickly. [Here are some Twitter hashtags you can follow to get you started.] In fact, you know you can always follow me on social media. I would be honored to be the first member of your PLN

How do I help others join a PLN?

Do exactly what I just did for you. Pay it forward. Share what you have learned about building your own PLN and help them begin to build their own. Be a voice for teachers chasing their own professional development that is personalized to their own needs and interests and keeps great teachers in classrooms teaching. We cannot lose any more teachers because they felt they had no one to turn to and they felt stagnant with nothing new to learn or try in their classroom. There is a big world out there to discover and we don’t have to do it alone.

Share the image at the top of this blog post with the hashtag #buildyourPLN and start connecting today. 

The post How to Build your Personal Learning Network [PLN] appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Have you heard of Voxer? [if not, check out my earlier post here.] It has been a wonderful resource for my development as an educator. I wanted to take a moment to highlight for you how this new technology tool can be of benefit to yourself personally and professionally.

Connect with Likeminded Professionals

I have “met” some excellent individuals who have unofficially become my mentor(s). Twitter was my first platform for making these global connections, but now Voxer allows for a more personal interaction allowing our voices to strengthen the bond between us.

Once you get your handle set up (either through the app or computer website), start deciding who you want to connect with. You can do this one-on-one or in a group. I suggest starting with individual conversations until you get the hang of the tool, and then start asking around for Voxer groups to join. You are unable to search for a group or add yourself unfortunately. Therefore, I would use social media to get ideas of what groups exist and then have a member of the group add you into the discussion if they are able. (If you pay for the app, you get more perks and can add lots of people to a discussion, but the free version is what I use and I am happy with it). Once you are in, introduce yourself in 2 minutes or less and then start chiming in to the discussion. And don’t worry, if you feel like the group isn’t for you it is okay to exit the chat- I had to do this with a few chats that had TONS of people and my phone was going off non-stop! [See my recent post on the Do’s and Don’ts of Voxer!]

The relationships you make in group chats will most likely turn to side-voxes, or one-on-one correspondence with another member that you feel most aligned to or excited to chat with on a more personal level; I have really enjoyed the side-voxes because that individual and myself were able to dig deeper on a topic brought up in the group chat without derailing that group’s discussion. Currently, I am really invested in a few groups: #PersonalizedPD, Edupodcasters, Talks with Teachers, #CMSk12Chat and #Educoach. As you can see, most of these chats have spun off from a Twitter chat (showcased with a hashtag symbol). Now we aren’t limited by 140 characters! The groups I am most interested in are focusing on topics that I want to learn and grow in, not just where I feel I have a lot to contribute- hello life long learner!

The key here is just to get started and the connections will naturally start to develop from there.

Engage in Book Club Groups

Some voxer groups come together to discuss specific topics as you saw above, but others come together to discuss impactful books they have come across as being helpful. I am currently reading The Art of Coaching by Elana Aguilar via #TOSAchat bookclub voxer group. I heard about this group while in another group I was in as well as through Twitter and was so excited to jump in to the discussion. As a teacher coach, this book is right up my alley! We never stop learning and growing and I look forward not just to what I will learn through the book, but what I will learn through the connections with others implementing the book ideas into their everyday practice. The stories that these educators share and how quotes from the book hit home with them really motivate me to better understand those teachers I work with and consider multiple perspectives before implementing my coaching plan.

What’s great about Voxer book clubs is you are able to use your time as efficiently as possible by not having to physically meet up to discuss a book. Plus with Voxer you can chime in when its convenient for you. No need to hop on the phone or online at the same time for a specific time period, just join the discussion as it fits your schedule and learn and grow when you can. Talk about convenient learning opportunities!

Experience EdCamp Virtually

Taking group discussion to the next level is the idea to use the format of an EdCamp to discuss a variety of topics using the tool of Voxer. Wow…life changing. Over Christmas break, I “attended” #EdCampVoxer. This was a powerful moment to stretch my own thinking and instructional practices. How it worked was anyone interested in joining in the fun were added to a main chat group. From there, educators shared ideas of topics they wanted to discuss. Instead of assigning topics to physical rooms and times as the EdCamp protocol states, new Voxer groups were established as the “rooms” and everyone could join and chime in at their leisure- again, no specific time you had to log in and no specific time frame to stay. The same idea was true about hopping in and out of rooms when you wanted without anyone taking offense to it. I joined quite a few groups and as always had to exit a few so I could keep up with the ones I was extremely interested in:

• Effectively Leading Teachers through Personalized Coaching
• Personal and Professional Growth through Mentors and Mentoring
• Building a Collaborative Culture through Peer Observation
• Increasing Student Ownership in the Classroom.

These topics I found interesting because they hit home with what I am currently doing as a teacher coach. I wanted to attend professional development to gain experience and exposure to being the most effective coach as possible. EdCamp was going to be the vessel that allowed me to gain this effectiveness without paying a dime- who great is that?! [Stay tuned for a blog post outlining all that I learned during this EdCamp.]

Up-and-Coming Ideas

I have heard administrators use Voxer to communicate with staff in their building instead of walkie talkies. I have heard other coaches using Voxer to leave feedback after an observation with a teacher so the tone of voice couldn’t be misconstrued, as it often happens in emails. I am sure as the app continues to hit educators’ hands, its use will grow in numerous ways and I cannot wait to check back in to update you on just that!

As you can see, Voxer is a tool that is created out of convenience for those that want to collaborate in an efficient and more personalized way than social media currently allows. It has opened doors for me by allowing relationships with heavy hitting educators to develop and expose me to thinking outside of my own to help me learn and grow in ways I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to benefit from if Voxer was not created.

I highly suggest you try Voxer out, even if just to talk to a friend!

Looking for more information about Voxer? Check out these helpful blog posts:

Do’s and Don’ts of Voxer

EdCamp Voxer 2015

Edcamp Voxer 2016

My New Favorite Tech Tool: Voxer

How are you using Voxer to learn and grow personally and/or professionally?

The post How Can an Educator Gain Effectiveness through the Voxer App? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

My school district created a series geared towards new teachers. There were two professional development opportunities available, and as a mentor I thought it was in my best interest to see what resources are available to my mentees. (Okay okay, so I LOVE coaching new teachers and I figured this would help me better coach if I knew what questions new teachers asked and what resources they were attracted to!).

The first portion of The CMS New Teacher Series was with Robyn Jackson based on her book “Never Work Harder than Your Students.” [see my blog post here]

The second portion of the series was with Paula Rutherford about being an effective mentor.

This was extremely beneficial to myself and my interaction with new teachers.

[*New teachers could also benefit from this professional development opportunity because it had lots of resources that help a mentor keep a mentee on track at different points within the year (prior to school beginning, assessment windows, heavy paperwork months, etc). As a new teacher this checklist type resource would help ease my anxiety about the the new road ahead of me.}

I enjoyed getting to meet Paula in person and have a few seconds to chat. She is passionate about education and gives back to her profession in multiple ways. It was an honor to meet her!

This guide book [purchase here] is an easy read that is chalk full of resources to not only make your teaching more effective and manageable, but provides tangible steps for new teachers to follow in order to achieve growth towards effective teaching practices. Her hand-outs were also super helpful and user-friendly!

Paula posed an important question to start off our time together. “What do schools and classrooms look like when they are organized around the commitment to the achievement of high standards by all students?” (I apologize for the fuzzy photo!) This is such a powerful question. Achievement for all students is the mission of most schools. Having high standards for students to achieve is the mission of some schools. But having the COMMITMENT to the achievement of high standards by all students is a mission of very few schools. All teachers need to be driven by this shared commitment. But how do we get teachers there?

It begins with veteran staff and their mindsets. Then they pass on this mindset of commitment through the mentorship of new teachers. “Be an advocate for them!” she shared.

Paula gave us a powerful directive: Go into classrooms with a purpose! This is something I have learned first hand in working with TEACH Charlotte, a new teacher coaching program. When you go into a new teacher’s classroom, there are lots of little things, and sometimes big things, that could be fixed but if you try to correct them all you will overwhelm the teacher and potentially discourage them in the process.

Before entering the classroom choose an aspect of teaching to focus on, look for it in action, leave quick feedback, and then walk out. For example, as a Teacher Development Coach, I hold 1:1 coaching conversations with participants to discuss areas they are doing well in and other areas to focus on. I am transparent that based on that conversation that when I come in to coach I will be looking for that particular growth area (ie. asking higher order questions). During my visit, I look for opportunities for higher order questioning because that is what we together are working on. If the participant does this well, I’ll give a “thumbs up” to encourage them when they attempt the skill, and then cue for the skill when a missed opportunity occurs. When I leave, I put a post-it on the back of the door with one area of achievement (“glow”) and one area for improvement (“grow”). Paula refers to this as “growth producing feedback.” I love that she coins the term in a positive way, that encourages an individual honing their craft to keep trying by having a mentor that supports the growth through feedback that will solely allows for development instead of discouragement and unproductive or unrelated feedback.

Paula is absolutely right. If you go in without a plan, you start to correct lots of minor areas and your new teacher is never able to gain ground in one particular area. I encourage all mentors to share with the mentee the area you are looking for so they can practice showcasing this skill when you are in the classroom. This is the true test of application. If they can talk the talk during your debriefing sessions, then they should be able to walk the walk during an observation. If not, there’s work to do (practice off stage) and that is okay too.

Paula shared an analogy with us that helped describe the community effort for a child’s success. The visual of a 3 legged stool has been referred to in a variety of professional development workshops showcasing each leg being essential for the support of an overarching goal.

In the case of education, each leg could stand for: child, parent and teacher or experienced teacher, new teacher, and principal. In the case of mentorship, focusing on the experienced teacher , new teacher, and principal relationship is essential. The experienced teacher in this case is the mentor, guiding the development and achievement of the new teacher under the support and directives of a principal. Its important that all three individuals share a common vision, so that the mentor and mentee can implement instructional practices with fidelity and meet all requirements for the partnership.

I have had the opportunity of being the new teacher and had great mentors (assigned and unassigned) throughout my journey. It was so helpful to have someone to talk to and use as a resource during my first year and beyond. As I gained momentum in technique and experience, I too became a mentor. I remembered all the questions I had as a new teacher and the resources shared with me, so I made sure to share those same things with my mentee. I continued to grow as my mentee shared other questions they had that I might not have thought of myself, reached out for help implementing new teaching techniques and rolling out new content, as well as needing advice on how to work effectively on a team. These experiences helped me realize how important both the role of the mentee and mentor are for the overall success of the partnership.

Although I am not yet a principal, I am lucky enough to know some pretty darn good ones! A lot of my current (unassigned) mentors are in leadership roles. I love hearing the thought process before an idea comes to fruition, especially in terms of the mentor program. The principal is integral to dreaming up the vision for the partnership, creating a system of accountability to meet expectations, as well as communicating with mentors and mentees often to remain abreast of progress.

Each leg of the stool is so important for the overall success of the new teacher, experienced teacher, and principal partnership that if you were to remove a leg, it would fall apart. Remember, no matter how many years of experience you have, you always have something to contribute to the relationship!

Speaking of partnerships, Paula had us take this short quiz to help identify our relational habits. I learned a lot about myself in terms of how I share information and how I like to receive information. Notice I said “like?” I learned I need to be more open to forms of communication that are unlike my own (fact based, upfront, no frills). This helps me become a more effective team member when I am aware of my own style and my preferences. By respecting an emotionally charged relationship initiator, I know how to translate the message into my own black-and-white style. I then respond in an emotional way that can easily be translated by that individual instead of responding via my own factual- based preference.  Now, a more effective partnership to grow. [purchase the handbook to complete the full survey for yourself!]

Paula then did a very cool exercise with us as a reminder of how it feels to try something new and the amount of time and effort required in order for it to become a habit. She had us sign our names with our dominant hand. Then, sign our names with our other hand. We called out how it felt, stating:

• Awkward
• Have to think about it
• Frustrating
• Takes a long time

This is exactly what it is like for a mentee to become proficient in teaching! Its awkward to try new strategies. There is a TON of thought put in to every move they make. It can be quite frustrating as they wrestle with this new skill. And, of course, it takes a long time until it becomes natural and feels easy.

I highly suggest any mentor, no matter the content or skill, complete this exercise before helping a mentee because it will give you the foundation and foresight to meet the individual where they are as a novice and emotionally connect to the process they are going through. (Nothing frustrates me more than a leader who is so removed from the groundwork that their policies reflect a lack of knowledge of what its like to implement it first hand. This will take care of that!!)

The life-long learner mentality is pivotal to an individual’s success. If you stop trying to help others or yourself you become stagnant and detrimental to growth momentum. Paula is right. You don’t have to have the “mentor” title to contribute to a relationship in order to make it productive.

If you couldn’t tell by this post, I truly enjoyed learning from Paula. She is knowledgeable but gives you the step by step guidance to gain the knowledge too! She has written a few books worth mentioning: Leading the Learning, a field guide for supervision and evaluation, and for all new classroom teachers, Why Didn’t I learn this in College? She also is President of Just Ask Publications  that offers additional professional development. Go check her out!

What resources or experiences have you found effective for mentors/mentees?

The post Being an Effective Mentor with Paula Rutherford appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I recently attended a professional development workshop by Robyn Jackson based on her book Never Work Harder than your Students [order here.]  I loved this book and was excited to meet the author! This was part of a series for new teachers created by my school district called:

Although I am not a new teacher, I am a mentor to several new teachers and thought the information Robyn shared would be of benefit to me and increase my effectiveness in new teacher development.

She is not only a captivating speaker, but vastly knowledgeable in effective teaching. She mentioned, “I’m always teaching. I cannot stop it. It’s in me.” That is how you become the master of your craft- live it, breathe it, love it.

She posed many questions that got me thinking about my own mindset-

1. Did teaching turn out to be what you expected? (No. I used to think it was grading papers and hugging kids. I realize now that its more than that. I’m molding children in powerful ways and its the most honorable job I could have ever dreamed to have!)
2. Have you become the teacher you thought you’d be? (I thought teaching would be easy and I’d be this HUGE game changer. Although I make a positive impact daily, I know I can continue to be better and do better. I am growing each year and proud of my journey but I am certainly not the World’s Best Teacher that I dreamed up as a child… haha!)

She continued, asking what is a good teacher? What is good teaching? What is a master teacher and what does master teaching look like?

I realized that many great teachers out there teach differently, and that is okay. There is not one recipe for effective teaching. This concept is powerful for new teachers to know. Find yourself, create your teaching identity that is true to who you are and who you are becoming, and then borrow teaching strategies that have proven to be effective. This takes a lot of pressure off a teacher trying to follow in someone’s footsteps. You cannot be them. You will never be them. And that is okay. However, find qualities you like in masterful teachers, take a piece of each of them, add in a mix of yourself, and that will be the path you lead. Robyn shared, “Don’t just survive. Thrive. Don’t be someone else’s version of a master teacher.”  She continued, stating you “can’t make a difference if you are trying to be somebody else. Become your best self and give it to students everyday to learn.” She even mentioned to reach out to your principal explaining that “I am on a journey to become a master teacher. I need to find my own teaching style. I need your help.” I thought that was insightful. Many people might think its taboo to tell your boss you are trying to find your way instead of portraying that you are skillful in all areas. I started thinking about the times in my career that I grew the most, and Robyn is right. It was when I was honest with myself about my development and reached out to various leaders in my building. Their expertise can help you figure out your next steps but they also are the able to be supportive of what you are going through. They lay low as you figure it out and only offer advice when you ask, instead of you shutting them out and a potential issue arising because of that.

Robyn also had some great advice to share:

• Learning is a journey and it’s messy; Mastery isn’t a destination it’s a journey.– The journey is what makes mastery so fulfilling. Many master teachers don’t even know that they are master teachers. They feel there is still more work to do. They never feel like they have arrived at the destination. If they solely focused on the end result they would feel very frustrated and unsatisfied. Focus on the growth.
• Invest in yourself continually and you will get there…if you put in the work.– A commitment to working hard in all that you do is character building. I am very goal focused and full of drive. It has paid off and I have been able to achieve many goals that I have set for myself. I want my students to have that same desire and feel how sweet success can be when you give it your all. Moreover, new teachers I work with should also have this mindset. Do not sit back and let teaching happen. Go out there and make teaching happen the best you can. Each day give a little more and the result will be outstanding.
• Teach the students in front of you, not the ones you wished you had. – I started teaching in a Title-One school and know first hand how hard it is to not get caught up in the level the student should be achieving at or the behavior they should be displaying. Rather, accept what is in front of you and do your best each day to cultivate growth in those students. It is too frustrating to focus on some imaginary scenario that is not your current reality. Keep your head out of the clouds and your feet on the ground. Then, find one good thing about the students in front of you and go to work!

What resounded with me the most, however, was when Robyn said to pick one aspect (she calls these principles) of teaching you want to get better at, and begin there. Then as you begin to refine that, add in a part of something else. Everything is interconnected but if you try to implement too many things too fast you will dive bomb and have the opposite effect that you started out wanting. She’s absolutely right. With anything in life, bite off a piece and master that before biting off even more. You cannot hone a craft by trying to fix too many parts all at once. Start small and add on as you go.

The rest of Robyn’s presentation focused on 7 things master teachers can do to increase “leverage” (to gain effectiveness). Although I would love to share all 7 with you, its worth it to hear them first hand. Find out where she is speaking at a city near you, and see for yourself.  In the meantime, I will share a few that stood out to me:

• Catch student under-achievement early so that you don’t work yourself to death. This support begins day 1 with building relationships, defining boundaries, identifying yourself and others, celebrating success, and being on “stand by” throughout the whole learning process.
• Find a way to give feedback students can use. Man, do I still struggle with this! I made novice mistakes and wrote “Good Job” on A papers and “Try Again” on less than average assignments. As I gained momentum and years in teaching, I switched to specific feedback like “try another hook that relates to the reader” or “use an alternate strategy to ensure you understand the mathematical process.” Although this feedback was more specific, students still were not getting better academically. It was not until I heard Robyn speak that I realized I needed to figure out what approach students preferred to receive feedback so that it would be a good use of both our time. Why spend hours writing comments if students just glance at the grade and throw out the paper? Why force students to read comments if they cannot commit them to memory so that they can apply them later? I needed a better system. HELLO…. No Grade Feedback system. I am thinking it might look something like this… In order for a student’s grade to be revealed, they have to read the comments, make the adjustments right then and there, re-submit the assignment and then meet with me individually. During this meeting we would discuss the progress that was made, the original grade (surprise!), and then discuss the final grade based on revisions. This sounds great on paper, so we will have to see once I carry it out! If you have an effective system that works just as well, please share!
• Obviously, never work harder than your students. I am guilty as charged! I thought that when I signed up to be a teacher that I had to come to grips with the work load. But, it wasn’t until I saw the benefits of putting more leadership and ownership onto my students that I realized just how hard I was working- cleaning up the classroom, taking attendance, monitoring bathrooms during recess, etc. Present material and let students work. Provide leadership and let them work. What’s the message? Do more by doing less. I know that sounds crazy, but when you do all the doing and the thinking, students are left to sit back and relax. This is not setting them up for success in the world of college and/or career.

Robyn is a master teacher. Learn more about her and find some free resources, like webinars and tutorials, at www.mindstepsinc.com. She also provides a free monthly teaching tips email that goes out on a Wednesday that I encourage you to sign up for! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and listening to her insight based on many successful years of teaching!

 How else can teachers become masters of their craft?

The post Never Work Harder than your Students- PD Session appeared first on Always A Lesson.