Discipline or Punishment and Powerful Mindsets

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." ~William Jame

It's that time of the year.  Assessment season, spring fever, the thought of what still needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time, increase in spring activities, graduations, etc...  Life is happening and can be a whirlwind!  Managing it all can result in stress, which does impact choices and focus. 

This week, several questions about ways to respond to stress were posed to our Teacher Leader Coalition members.  They had great ideas such as: exercise, eat healthy, engage in mindfulness activities, provide brain breaks for students, cover a recess/class for a colleague, among many others.  I was impressed with the number of ideas that they came up with in a short amount of time! I felt better just from participating in this brainstorming session, so might be an idea for staff/team meeting kickoff!

Relating to this topic, I recently came across an article from Edutopia that provided additional ideas for turning stress into a positive force.  Here is the link if you are interested: 4 Powerful Mindsets for Turning Stress into a Positive Force.  This is what caught my eye from the article: If stress is the norm, is burnout inevitable?  The good news is, the answer is no. The latest research on resilience suggests that you can think about stress in ways that help prevent burnout and enhance well-being.  Check out the article for 4 powerful mindsets!

Another wonderful resource available to all staff is our Employee Assistance Program (EAP.)   They offer counseling, massage therapy, classes on mindfulness, among many other options to meet individual needs.  GIPS employees and eligible family members can participate in up to 6 free sessions!  They are also willing to come to the buildings and provide information to staff.  We all want to be our best for our students and families everyday, so a great support for anyone!  It's definitely worth investigating!

On another, and somewhat related topic, understanding how stress impacts the student brain is so important to the actions we take to address undesired behaviors that distract from the classroom learning environment.  This article from Edutopia provides some clarity around the difference between discipline and punishment to accomplish the goal "Every Student, Every Day a Success":  Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment.  I appreciate the examples of consequences that teach, restore and repair relationships and focus on our desired outcomes for all students. It's a short, informative read based on recent research. Strategies to consider to "RISE UP" for our students!

In closing, take care of yourself, be caring and thoughtful about others, and see the upside to how stress can positively impact your life!  Wishing you all a blessed and enjoyable upcoming Easter Weekend! 

The Value of our Substitute Teachers

 "We want to feel like part of the team, so appreciate it when the principal and other teachers welcome us and check to see how the day is going."  "GIPS teachers are leaving us with great lesson plans." "We want to continue instruction for students so they don't lose any learning time."

These are just a few quotes from a recent meeting with substitute teachers, and former long-term retired GIPS teachers.  This was a great opportunity to gain valuable insight about what is going well and what can be improved on our campuses to support our substitute teachers.

Although our desire is to have teachers and staff in attendance everyday due to the relationships, knowledge of students, content expertise, routines, and consistency, however, reality is that there are unavoidable circumstances, illnesses, and professional responsibilities that happen.  It is then that we call upon and rely on our substitute teachers!

This year, we are averaging approximately 60 substitute teachers per day across the district (the numbers are much higher on Mondays and Fridays).  Fortunately, we are also averaging a 95% fill rate which means we have a large pool of substitutes willing teach in your absence.

The role of the substitute is not just about coverage, it's about continuing to maximize learning time with students.  As you can imagine, this is not an easy job as substitutes have not had the time to build the relationships with students, analyze recent assessments to adjust to student performance, or have knowledge of the little tricks, strategies to support students that need additional academic and behavioral supports.

So how do we keep our high quality substitutes coming back when we need them? Here are a few tips beyond the typical sub binder information that evolved from our recent meeting as well as some suggestions from other resources:

• Identify someone to welcome substitutes and assist with getting to their classroom, making sure they have what they need.  The principal and/or colleagues plan to check in to see how the day is going.
• Train students to take on roles/responsibilities during your absence:  assign managers, directors, jobs that students can easily take ownership.  Leave pictures with names.
• Share learning targets, success criteria and outcomes expected during your absence to prep students ahead of time.
• Work with colleagues/principal to make sure everything is covered (plans for students that need additional support academically, behaviorally).  Clearly communicate any triggers and what strategies work with specific students and if there is a plan to follow.
• Include special schedules for in-class, pull-out supports and expectations of paraprofessionals when in the room.
• Clearly communicate brain break routines-resources and identify students to lead
• Use technology to inform the substitute ahead of time if appropriate: website, video of you providing instruction or directions, google classroom with materials to reference.
• Provide plan b options that engage students in quality work time (still follow routines)
• Leave contact information/extension numbers, identify key people to call if needing support
• Include a thank you note or comments of appreciation 

These ideas represent just a few ways to prepare and improve the experience for our substitutes, and as a result, the day of learning for our students. Please feel free to respond and share additional suggestions! Thank you for making an effort to make substitutes feel part of the team!  It takes all of us to RISE GI!

Dr. Seuss and the Study of Hope

Dr. Seuss and Hope

                 

Did you feel a lift inside when you read those words? Did you feel empowered, even if just for a second? This Friday, March 2nd, is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Of course, the name Dr. Seuss conjures up images of Horton, the Lorax, and the Cat in the Hat. Seuss left us many beloved characters and tales, but one of his most enduring legacies is his message of hope, and the importance of our belief in a brighter future.

Dr. Seuss was an expert at creating hope with his words. But what is hope, really? Scientific studies have narrowed it down to two beliefs: 1) that the future will be better than the present and 2) that you have the power to make it so. Hope is about expectation, and involves a plan or a pathway to desired outcomes. Hope can change the chemistry of the brain, releasing endorphins and other pain-blocking chemicals. It can be a key element in physical healing, and can lessen the effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. Studies of hope show that hopeful students have better outcomes in life, whether that be in school, relationships, or their future careers. Hopeful kids try harder, persist longer, and achieve more.

Unfortunately, hope can be hard to come by for our students from backgrounds of poverty, simply because their lives are often filled with challenging circumstances. They do not have the experiences, connections, and support systems that help instill others with hope. It is hard for them to imagine what a successful future might look like. The opposite of hope is learned helplessness, which is an adaptive response that occurs when a person feels like they have no control over their situation. We see that in many of our students. They feel like no matter what they do, failure is imminent and trying is futile.

The good news is that hope can be taught!  Here are some ways to help instill hope in your students:

• Tell hopeful stories and show hopeful videos 
• Teach students how to set goals
• Maintain high expectations - treat all students as capable of high achievement
• Use daily affirmations to help students maintain a positive mindset
• Talk to your students about their hopes and dreams, and reaffirm them
• Teach your students about grit and a growth mindset  “I can do this. I won’t give up.”
• Make connections with students, and help them learn to connect with one another

Remember, this is not a pie-in-the-sky pep talk. The message is that students have dreams, and by working hard, planning, and persisting, they can accomplish them!

Today's blog is brought to you by Kate Crowe, Title I Coordinator. Thank you for this inspiring and informative message. Wishing you all a wonderful, well-deserved spring break! Looking forward to a STRONG finish, where together we will RISE GI!

Success in the midst of the Whirlwind?

Do you ever go home at the end of the day and wonder, "what did I accomplish today?"  The numerous decisions, thoughtful responses, intentional planning, collaboration with others, problem solving, managing of self and others, and unexpected distractions consume the day to day.  The daily whirlwind seems to describe it best!

Most days, we are all just trying to survive the whirlwind, and whether we admit or not, how we respond to it impacts our well-being, socially, emotionally and physically. It's most obvious that the whirlwind isn't going away, it's just life the way we know it!  So what can we do ensure that we maintain our well-being and continue to progress towards our goals in the midst of the whirlwind? In today's blog, I thought I would share some suggestions on how to move forward on the important goals while the whirlwind happens.

I recently read "The Four Disciplines of Execution" by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling and made some connections between the four disciplines and our four Strategic Plan Pillars.  I'll try to be brief but want to describe a few strategies that can keep the focus on the important in the midst of the whirlwind and impact our overall well-being in the end. 

1. Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG)--(Personalize)this could be District Level Goals, School Level-School Improvement Goals, PLC-grade level or content specific goals.  This also relates to personal goals around saving money, losing weight, balance in life, etc...The idea behind this discipline is to focus on LESS so you can do MORE! 
2. Act on Lead Measures (Empower) (Personalize)--they must be predictive and be influenced by the team.  At the district level, our three priority goals (PLC's, Standards Based Planning, and Designing instruction using data) are the actions that we believe will move the needle.  As a result of this focus, we have been intentional with professional learning.  At the building level, school improvement plan strategies such as PLC's, standards based planning and using data may be lead measures. In the classroom, standards based instruction -learning targets and success criteria aligned to the standards, specific actions around establishing conditions for learning. formative assessment results on specific standards, student goals, ELOs may be lead measures.
3. Keep a compelling scorecard (DESIGN)--at the district level-Wednesday walks and student achievement results are a way to keep a compelling scorecard.  At the school level many schools are keeping actions boards, have data rooms, regularly reflect on action plans in school improvement plan, and surveys regarding implementation.  At the classroom level-formative assessment, student data dashboards, pre-test/post test data, office referrals (positive/negative) may be included in the scorecard.  
4. Create a cadence of accountability (Partner)-Data Rounds are one way to create a cadence of accountability-meeting two times a year with principals to have process continuous school improvement progress and needs for support.  At the school level, PLC members holding each other accountable, school improvement teams driving next steps along with observations and coaching all provide ways to be accountable to make progress toward goals.  At the classroom level, students goal setting and regular monitoring and feedback may be the accountability measure.

The authors refer to research, when team members are involved in creating the commitments of themselves and to each other, ownership increases. The team can then focus energy on the wildly important goal(s) without getting blocked by the shifting whirlwind of change that happens day to day.  Feeling success drives motivation and engagement as well as improves overall well-being.  

I'm sure you can all make connections to what you are already doing that aligns to these four disciplines and describe other ways that you are successfully achieving goals in the midst of the whirlwind!  After reading this book, I continue to reflect on how I can improve and grow in the four areas of discipline to improve my leadership.  My goal is to not allow the whirlwind to take me away from the important- achieving the vision for our students! 

Having Hard Conversations

"The quality of our lives depends not on whether or not we have conflicts, but on how we respond to them."  ~Thomas Crumm

Conflict is inevitable. Home, work, in the community, it happens and everyone responds to it differently. Some handle conflict positively, some avoid it, some are able to face it head on, and some become emotional about it.  I'm pretty sure there are very few people that actually enjoy it! However, conflict can result in positive outcomes, it can improve our lives, and cause reflection and change for the better.

In our day to day roles, we need to be the best for our students, which means we have to interact, collaborate, communicate, and partner with parents, teachers, staff members, and administrators. How we view and respond to conflict can have a direct impact on our ability to be our best and do what is right in the interest of our students! In addition, unresolved conflict increases stress, anxiety, and overall job satisfaction. It's not good for our health!

So, today I'm sharing an article "Working with Angry Adults: Ideas to Manage Conflict and Still Achieve Good Outcomes" with some tips and strategies that can be used to achieve win/win or more positive outcomes when faced with conflict.  I paid particular attention to how to separate the "problems from the people" and "focus on interests and not solutions or positions".  There is an example in the article that explains what this might look like in action. It definitely made me think about how I will approach future conflicts.

No matter if your conflict is with your direct supervisor, a parent or a colleague, I am encouraging you to address it.  Try some of the strategies mentioned in the article and I believe the outcomes will result in a better you, which will in turn be better for our students!

In conclusion, I leave you with a message reminding us of our "why" from Starr students this week!

 

Demonstration Schools for Rigor? What's Going on?

Last summer, three of our schools, Walnut Middle School, Starr, and Jefferson Elementaries embarked on a journey to become Demonstration Schools for Rigor(the only ones in the state of Nebraska)!  This commitment has required, and continues to require, additional professional learning, coaching, and a shift in pedagogy.  Yes, there are challenges, productive struggles, and new learning.  However, staff at all three campuses have embraced this opportunity and now with a semester of learning and implementation, are ready to share what they have learned and show you the impact on students.  Throughout this semester, I will have the pleasure to host guest blogs from our Demonstration Schools to keep you updated and informed of their progress along the way.

Our first guest blog is a spotlight on Walnut Middle School with videos of students and testimonials from staff.  Teachers and administrators have created a slideshow to give you glimpse inside their classrooms as well as provide testimonials from teachers about the transformation. Click here to view   the powerpoint.

What a great opportunity to hear about the successes and celebrations of this work, how instructional practices are changing, and observe the impact on students.  This success would not be evident without the instructional leadership of our teachers and school leaders and continuous focus on student learning.

In the future, our Demonstration Schools will become learning laboratories that will be open for instructional rounds to all GIPS schools.  This will provide opportunities to learn from each other and continue to chart the course for achieving student centered instruction with rigor in all GIPS classrooms.

We are fortunate that the professional learning with Learning Sciences International has also provided our district team the opportunity to learn alongside the staff in our Demonstration Schools for Rigor.  As a result, we are able to better support all of our GIPS campuses in their efforts to professionally grow in practice in ways that meet all students needs.

I would like to personally thank our guest bloggers from Walnut Middle school today, and invite you to join in celebrating their progress as well as provide support as our Demonstration Schools continue this exciting journey.  Rising up to ensure our students THRIVE in an ever changing world!

We Teach Hearts As Well as Minds

"Students prepared to make positive contributions and thrive in an ever-changing world."  This is the GIPS vision.

What does this really mean?  How do we accomplish this?   Obviously, there is no one action, program, or curriculum to make this happen. We can, however, be very intentional about the systems that we put in place to support teaching and learning that aligns with our vision.

This week, Dr. Dexter, Mrs. Engel, and I had the pleasure of meeting with members of our District Climate Team to continue our study on our current practices that impact positive school climate within our Grand Island Public Schools. As all effective teams do, we defined our purpose, reviewed our value and belief statements, clearly defined our targets, and established team norms.  This set the foundation for our morning work. 

The pictures show team members digging into the strategic plan objectives 2.1.1 & 2.1.3 / 2.1.2 / 2.1.4 / 2.4, by identifying key vocabulary, asking questions, describing current practices, and making connections. These objectives and initiatives all connect back to the conditions for learning as defined in the Marzano Instructional Model. It's so important to address the needs of the whole child; social emotional learning skills, behavioral supports and interventions, professional learning and supportive partnerships.


After processing this activity, there was in depth discussion about how we can build on our current practices and establish clarity around the systems that may improve consistency and effectiveness of implementation.  There is data to collect and research to be conducted to further understand what systems we need in place district wide to address this objectives. 

In addition to addressing our objectives and initiatives, districts also have the responsibility to incorporate a non-academic indicator into our school accountability system as a requirement of the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  This team will ensure that we develop measures that align with the federal and state recommendations and our GIPS needs.

GET TO KNOW THE TEAM:
This team is comprised of advocates for all of you and our students representing all levels, including certified and classified staff.  They are passionate and invested in establishing positive climate and culture.  I encourage you to reach out to them for more information about the purpose of this team and provide feedback, suggestions, and support with this work.

District Climate Team Members:                                               

Angela Runquist-Skills Academy
Calvin Hubbard-Walnut
Erlinda Amen-Shoemaker
Greg Morrow-GISH
Dr. Gregg Bieber-GISH/OMB/Success
Jennifer Shafer-Ehlers-Engleman
Julie Brunning-Walnut
Kahsi Lawson-West Lawn
Kara Coble-Wasmer
Kelly Kastens-Gates
Michael Persampieri-Starr

Nate Balcom-Starr
Patrick Harder-GISH
Paula Gonzalez-Dodge
Renee Engel-CNSSP
Dr. Robin Dexter-Student Services
Dr. Toni Palmer-Leadership and Development
Sally Smith-ELC/Lincoln
Sara Koehler-Westridge
Sarah Haahr-Howard/Knickrehm/Seedling Mile
Shanna Gannon-Professional Learning
Thompson Koch-Lincoln/Westridge
Tina Godfrey-Wasmer
Josh Redman-GISH
Kelly Klanecky-Knickrehm
Rebecca Wilhelmi-Jefferson


"Can our school be so welcoming, so inviting, and so comfortable that every person who walks through our doors believes they are about to have an amazing experience?"