Does this Ring a Bell? A Professional Growth Model & Danielson Instructional Framework Refresher5/13/2021 By Dana Bockman, Facilitator of Instruction and Assessment On two late start Wednesdays in May of 2019, staff was introduced to the Professional Growth Model (PGM) which the District would be implementing over the coming years. Around this same time, the Iowa Department of Education was beginning to encourage districts to utilize an instructional framework, introducing the Iowa Instructional Framework as an option for districts. Lucky for us, a PGM revolves around the use of an instructional framework and we were already beginning to implement components of the Danielson Framework to support our shift to a growth model. We were ahead of the game! If you are interested in learning more about the steps Decorah Schools has already taken in the implementation of a Professional Growth Model you can read more here.
Due to the school closure last year, we have not been able to implement the PGM fully nor have we been able to increase understanding of the Danielson Framework and how it is utilized for self-reflection, goal setting, and teacher/administrator conversations. We are now ready to begin moving forward with the next steps in the implementation of the Framework and the PGM. Next week, we will have a chance to take a look at the Danielson Framework to gain an understanding of the four Domains and their Components. Next fall, we will examine the four Levels of Proficiency (LOP) utilized within the instructional framework rubrics before teachers complete their first self-assessment. Want to get a headstart? You can read more about the Danielson Framework in this article from ASCD and review the Danielson Framework rubrics by selecting the links below.
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The Power of Hello by Tyler Wedemeier, K-12 Instructional Coach At a garage sale recently, my wife found the perfect shirt for Eve, our almost two year old. The front of the shirt was adorned with a heart and the word "hi" in big, bold letters. Eve loves to say hi to every person, animal, and object we meet. As the adult companion of this two year old, I have not always enjoyed the small talk that follows with our new found friends. However, as I reflected on these many occurrences, I realized these passing moments almost always end with a smile from both parties. When passing students and colleagues in the hall, I usually offer a polite smile as we meet. With a mask on, this smile often goes unnoticed. I have found this covered smile exchange to be even more awkward as neither party knows if the other even notices the smile that is offered. I decided to start intentionally saying "hello" to those I meet in the hallway. While at first it felt awkward, especially when passing people I do not know as well as others, it allowed smiles to be visible (even under the mask). In a quick Google search on saying "hi", I found the article, The Power of Hello, in Psychology Today. It is a quick three minute read. While it is written from the viewpoint of a university, the principle message is applicable at all levels of the education system, and really it applies for all humans. The subtitle of the article left the most impact on me, "The simplest way to make the world a better place." On Wednesday, Sam informed me that Eve had to say" hi" to each person that they came across while at the park followed by "bye" before she left. This simple exchange, no doubt, put a smile on the faces of those she met. She also wanted to offer kisses. I would caution all of you on that. By Dana Bockman, Facilitator of Instruction & Assessment The inequities in the United States are quite extensive, many with a history of oppressive laws and policies which still influence marginalization today. Others are more recent, due to societal changes, such as family structure. A Snapshot of Educational Inequities in America (Copyright 2017) is a collection of slides and data displaying a large variety of inequities across our country. The organization of the presentation is shown below. Slides 18-46 speak to the range of issues involved with and surrounding equity in education and are worth spending some time reviewing.
What take-aways, surprises, thoughts, or ideas did you have from reviewing these slides?
By Dana Bockman, Facilitator of Instruction and Assessment This past Friday, Mr. Lane shared data from two student focus groups on racial inequities and barriers within our school system. We listened to the first-hand experiences of Iowa students. We were "called to action", to reflect, to learn, and have conversations with colleagues. This is a starting point in our journey of growing, understanding, and evolving as humans and educators. In case you missed the April 23 webinar and focus group feedback, you can access them here: On this day, we also acknowledged that this will be ongoing work and it will take time. We will not have all the answers tomorrow, nor know all we need to know anytime soon. Rather, we commit to active listening, to deepening our understanding, and recognizing the inequities and barriers to learning that exist for our students. We commit to putting into action those things that will remove the barriers and provide a more equitable educational experience for every one of our students. It is important to acknowledge that although the April 23rd presentation focused on racial inequities and barriers to learning, race is only one area of educational equity in which we must increase understanding and work to remove barriers to learning. Let's continue to reflect and keep the conversation going by reading Equity in Education: What it Is and Why it Matters. Take some time to self-reflect on these two questions:
By Liz Fox, DHS English Teacher & Collaborative Teacher I know April is a stressful month for teachers, but this feels different. I’ve caught myself wondering if something’s wrong with me–have I really lost my love of teaching? Then Shannon Horton shared with me a podcast that helped me make sense of how I’ve been feeling. The transcript starts in this way: “The light at the end of the COVID tunnel is tenuously appearing — yet many of us feel as exhausted as at any time in the past year. Memory problems; short fuses; fractured productivity; sudden drops into despair. We’re at once excited and unnerved by the prospect of life opening up again. Clinical psychologist Christine Runyan explains the physiological effects of a year of pandemic and social isolation — what’s happened at the level of stress response and nervous system, the literal mind-body connection. And she offers simple strategies to regain our fullest capacities for the world ahead.” Reading that intro alone validated my concerns, and learning about ways to feel more like my normal self was comforting. Runyan explains that threat is always detected at the level of our nervous system. It keeps us safe and alive, and it’s really sensitive. When it detects threats, it helps prepare the body for fight vs flight. When the threat subsides, the parasympathetic nervous system helps to calm us down. Here we are - a year later - and the threat never went away. Add to that the many stressors that come with teaching during a pandemic–our energy levels have been depleted due to many circumstances. The state of apathy and numbing is our body protecting us, a natural variation of our system. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” - it’s healthy to understand this is a normal consequence of the situation we are in. Here are some suggestions Runyan shared to help feel better: Be curious - be compassionate: especially to yourself. 1. Name it; it will leverage your thinking brain. It will help quiet your nervous system. 2. Take a breath, especially a long exhale. 3. Scents help bring about pleasantness as does music. Both send messages of comfort and safety. 4. Work with your body - intentionally send a message of safety to the nervous system. Something as simple as putting our feet flat on the floor and pressing the balls of the feet to the floor. 5. Make contact with yourself: put your hand on your heart. Our superpower is our self awareness: stepping out of autopilot and pause. Runyan quotes Viktor E. Frankl: She closes by sharing that compassion and gratitude helps us to push away the natural response of looking for what’s wrong.
Listening to this podcast allowed me to navigate these sensations of overwhelming depletion of energy and feelings of doubt and inadequacy. It’s allowed me to stay open to the ways that teaching brings me joy, and that came as a huge relief. I hope this information helps others in similar ways. There is light at the end of the tunnel: we can do this! (For those days when my energy is still at a low, I found helpful this article listing five strategies for salvaging an unproductive day.) By Shannon Horton, DMS Collaborative Teacher It’s time to toss that CRAP test poster! A teacher whose identity will be protected actually removed a small bit of paint from her wall when ripping it down, and Mrs. Sand did a dramatic tear down and cleverly turned it upside down and put it back on the wall. It’s definitely making a point, but what point? Point #1: The CRAP test can no longer be relied upon to efficiently uncover the real motives of who is behind information. Unfortunately, many websites that now easily pass the CRAP test should actually not. We find an “about us” page that boasts the organization is non-profit and non-partisan, a board of directors with slick sounding titles, and domains that are .org and .edu and think we’re in the clear. For example, The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) was brought to my attention by a high school student last year. Applying the CRAP test yielded positive results - just check out their convincing “about us” page! However, a quick Google search led us to several warnings about CIS, including this one from Wikipedia: According to Wikipedia, “The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is an anti-immigration think tank. It favors far lower immigration numbers and produces analyses to further those views. The CIS was founded by historian Otis L. Graham and eugenicist and white nationalist John Tanton.” The Stanford Experiment provides another surprising example of how the CRAP test fails us. Point #2: There is an easier and more effective way to determine credibility. Seriously, all professional fact checkers do this! (If you watched that video I recommended above you will 100% get this.) The technique of using Google to look up a source is called lateral reading because you’re investigating by leaving the website under question, opening a new tab, and searching for outside information about the organization and author. Tools for lateral reading include the Chrome extensions NewsGuard and Media Bias Fact Check (MBFC). Students at DMS and DHS all have access to these, and teachers can use Google Chrome Store to add them. In addition, Wikipedia is your new BFF for lateral reading! Embrace its use by knowing that this peer-reviewed journal concluded that “...it is high time not only to acknowledge Wikipedia's quality but also to start actively promoting its use and development in academia.” Point #3: You’ll make students happy and maybe get a new poster for your room! A fun benefit of ditching the CRAP test is that students will love you for it - gone is the checklist approach that takes way too much time and can easily cause confusion. Plus, you’re embracing Wikipedia as a credible source - they’ve been telling us this for years! DMS students are slowly being introduced to the concept of lateral reading. I’ve worked with some 7th grade students and have incorporated this into the second half of 6th-grade library exploratory. I’m working on a poster of the tools they’ll frequently use for this work, so stay tuned. The SIFT technique below is what I’d like all students at DHS to be trained to use and so far many in 11th and 12th grade already have. (“Investigate the Source” is akin to “Lateral Reading.”) As always, please reach out to me with questions and/or requests to work with your students. I love doing this work and want to help you prepare our students for a complex information landscape.
By Carrie Lee Educators This December, Carrie Lee third and fourth grade teachers were able to collaborate and give the fourth-grade students a few surprises! It’s undecided who enjoyed the day more: teachers or students. In any case, it was the neatest way to end 2020 for all. The third-grade teacher team wrote their annual grant through Farm Bureau for the third-grade students to take a trip to the NICC Dairy Farm; a favorite field trip for Decorah students who come through the third grade. Each May, students learn about how important dairy farming is. Due to the school closure, there was no field trip for this fantastic group of students who were looking forward to making ice cream, seeing real farming artifacts (change over time), seeing baby calves (if lucky enough, one being born and taking its first steps) and learning about dairy production. The third-grade teachers needed to write a grant wrap up report. In doing so, they needed to spend the money from the grant. What better way, than to buy each student a book that is used with the unit? They worked with Kate Rattenborg with Dragonfly Books. Her very generous gift to educators at 20% off, allowed for 125 books to be purchased! All students who were a part of the third-grade class have been, or will be gifted a book, as well as any new fourth grade student at Carrie Lee Elementary. The book is titled, “Milk Makers,” by Gail Gibbons. The fourth-grade teachers worked with the third-grade teachers, so each class could be reunited again! There were many smiles and happy tears! All five teachers felt beyond blessed to have their classes with them again. The five teachers are lucky enough to be some of the only classes in our country who were able to somehow reunite with the class they didn’t get to give well wishes to in a normal school situation. In good old fashion fun, there was also a dairy cow (Elise Bennett) who traveled from class to class with Kathy Oftedahl as she took pictures. Time was short, so they both “mooved” on relatively quick to snap some photos with the dairy cow. Carrie Lee is fortunate to have educators who helped make so many people feel even more grateful in 2020. Our community is blessed to have Dragon Fly Books as well. Thank you to everyone for caring about Decorah students!
By Jennifer DeLaRosa, Michaela Seeman, and Gabe Twedt, JCE & CLE Collaborative Teachers This past fall, we invited you to read The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown. We were planning to meet in December, but time has gotten away from the three of us. Luckily, we get to practice the gifts of imperfection! Sending a blog post during your break is maybe not best practice, but if you continue reading, you’ll see it’s absolutely relevant! As you finally take a moment to pause and relax, there is great hope that you are recognizing that you have given your best to students!
For whatever reason, you may feel like you have not quite been the teacher you were last year. Maybe you have felt more overwhelmed, anxious and the bar is simply set too high with this new way of teaching. Maybe you have felt like there are simply not enough hours in the day to teach students in person AND online at the same time, and the list of “unknowns” are too much. The Gifts of Imperfection is a read that will surely help you see that you deserve to feel proud of yourself. “...we can’t give our children what we don’t have” (p. xi). We need to practice courage, compassion and connection daily, starting with loving ourselves and embracing our vulnerabilities. So, how does one go about practicing those gifts? “[People who were living wholeheartedly]... were slow to judge themselves and others. They appeared to operate from a place of ‘We’re all doing the best we can.’ Their courage, compassion and connection seemed rooted in the way they treated themselves” (p. 59). Michaela, Gabe and Jenn wholeheartedly wish you the best 2021 as you teach through new avenues. We hope you consider reading the book. We hope that over break, you can find time for calm and stillness, whatever that might look like for you. We hope you take time to laugh, sing, dance and connect with yourself and others, and take time to explore your creativity. We will plan to meet at the end of January to discuss the book. As Brown explains it, you are “worthy now. Not if. Not when.” Remember that you deserve space and time to disconnect from what is dragging you down and reconnect to what brings you joy, love, and a sense of belonging. We are worthy of love and belonging now. Right this minute. Exactly as we are. We want to leave you with this quote from Howard Thurman from the book, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive” (p.115). By Tyler Wedemeier, Student-Centered Instructional Coach
Over Thanksgiving break, my two children (Emmett, 4, and Eve, 1) and I enjoyed a warm Friday at the park. Emmett's newest game is "The Ground is Lava" and the park gave our living room furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom pillows, and everything else that can be climbed on, a much needed break. At the park, there was a pretty good distance between two platforms. This was the only time he had to come in contact with "lava". He finally decided he would try to jump the distance. As I was making sure my independent one year old wasn't going to fall off anything, I grabbed his hand in attempt to help guide him to the other platform. It was like a slow motion movie where the car jumps the canyon. In this case, the car didn't reach the other side. Emmett's shins met the side of the platform as he came in contact with the ground. In shock, tears rolled down his cheeks and he wailed uncontrollably. After some consoling, Emmett sat up and said, "I want to try that again." Watching Eve learn to move has been an inspiring and painful six months. What started as face-plants while trying to crawl has now become face-plants as she tries to run. Most times, she picks herself up smiling or giggling. I think she is proud of herself for making it a few more steps each time. With wintertime now here, Eve must master being on the move in snow pants, boots, a big coat, gloves, and hat. She is basically a walking marshmallow. While outside in her new attire, Eve fell every third or fourth step. She was not as happy about her face-plants this time around, but she kept getting up and moving forward. I share these stories for two reasons: 1. I hope they bring a smile to your face as you think about young loved ones you know. 2. I found this to parallel the school year. There is no denying this year has been a challenge. Every third or fourth step seems to bring about a new challenge to tackle. T his week, we have entered "snow pants season" with the transition from face-to-face learning to remote. For many it feels like it is the biggest challenge yet this year. Throughout this week and the other challenges that arise this year, may you lean on those that support you and perhaps after some consoling say, "I want to try that again!" By Liz Fox, Collaborative Teacher I’ll be honest, as a child of the ‘60s, calling attendance on Zoom made me feel like one of the hosts of Romper Room. To move to the 21st century, I knew I could expand my efficacy as a teacher by learning more about ways to utilize Zoom. So I asked my colleagues to share and did some digging myself. For those still concerned about privacy basics, this is a good place to start. To avoid Zoom fatigue, read this. For tips on how to best present yourself online, here are some stylist tips.
I’ve been diving into the social-emotional aspect of Zoom as well, learning about the power of allowing students to collaborate. One article described the power of friendships to increase student engagement and learning, while another discussed ways to build community online. Just this week one of my favorite bloggers shared a bunch of ways to promote engagement in and out of the classroom in her latest post. One thing I enjoyed doing during Zoom meetings is asking students to share one good thing in the chat before leaving the meeting to complete the assignment. I also used breakout rooms for students to discuss with each other answers to questions I posed, and then I asked them to verbally share with the whole group. Next week I plan to have a record of their contributions. I was inspired by this post from a fellow English teacher who used Padlet for just that purpose. I share with gratitude what colleagues added to the conversation: Fellow collaborative teacher Allysen Lovstuen had some great tips:
Brett Wilker added this tip: “I would suggest setting up polls to conduct with your students. They pop up on the screen and you can collect formative data on what they are thinking to use in your discussions and then they have to pay attention to the Zoom in order to see them come up.” Another member of the DHS math department Paige Hageman shared this: “I started scheduling small group conferences with students during class time. This was a good way for me to check in with them or reteach a topic to a few students at once. It's also easier for me to get to know them in smaller groups! At first I let them sign up for their own time, but now I am only scheduling them for students I need to talk to. If they don't come to their conference time, I count them absent for the 'B' part of class. They can also share their screen with me so I can walk them through how to turn something in or find a missing assignment. If they need to keep working but want to stay on so they can ask you questions, you can put them in a breakout room by themselves.” Gina Holthaus added: “I’ve tried breakout rooms, and when I’ve entered into their rooms, they seem to be having good discussions. They don’t always notice me right away, so that helps me to know if they’re focused on the discussion at hand.” Here are some other tips I have collected from various educators over the past few months:
I hope that some of these suggestions will work for you during these unorthodox and challenging times. Do you have any Zoom tips that have worked for you? Please share in the comments! |
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