Samantha Mosher, Author at Samantha Mosher

Being a Reflective Educator: Doing My PD Homework

By Antonio Litterio [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By the time I post this, I’ll be heading to Miami for the CGC Mapping Our Common Ground conference/workshop. As I’m writing this, I’m working on my PD homework. It’s not that I’m not enjoying it–I am. It’s useful, it’s interesting, I can see how it applies to what we’ll be doing at the conference. But it’s hard to put down The False Prince. Seriously.

There were some articles to read, but there was also a “So What?” activity to complete. A “So What?” activity is a reflection activity that asks participants to think about particular ideas or concepts (What) connect to prior learning and their own experiences (So What?–CGC actually did this part for us, explaining a common definition of each “What”), and then figure out what they will do with these concepts (What Next?). In this case, we were given a list of CGC’s guiding principles with explanations and then we had to reflect on what this meant for ourselves and our school. How can we get there? What do we need to do? What’s the action plan?

I work hard at being a reflective educator, but sometimes it is hard to put in the time during the school year. I reflect on the basics–how my lessons went and how students responded; my interactions with teachers in coaching situations or meeting about students I teach, but the big questions take a the downtime provided by summer to really delve into. I’ve learned a lot by doing this activity and wanted to share some of my reflections with you, since I’m working on not just being a reflective educator, but a connected educator too.

The portions below in regular type are from the CGC “So What” activity. The portion in italics is my reflections on how it relates to my own practice. It was difficult, because this is a conference focused on curriculum planning and development, following a specific learning ecosystem developed by CGC. Since most of my work involves intervention or work with teachers, it was a challenge to think about how

We need to define our learning terms.

“Before we can teach for learning, we need common understandings, simply and practically expressed, about what actually happens when we learn. We believe learning includes conceptual understanding, mastery of competencies and development of character traits and have defined each of these components. We support schools in designing learning based on these definitions.”

My teaching focuses on scaffolding understandings and reteaching to help students master competencies. Helping the school to articulate these competencies and then create plans to help students meet them will be extremely important.

People can learn how to learn.

The most important advantage we can give students is to support them to become proficient, self-directed learners. Through our Learning Standards, we support the explicit teaching of the competencies that underpin learning, supporting students in becoming the owners and directors of their own learning.

My job is primarily teaching students how to learn, but I want to work to be more transparent about the process, both with students and with my colleagues. What are the gaps that exist and need to be filled in order to teach students to be learners? How do I assess to find the gaps and then create an intervention plan? How to I instill a love of learning while teaching students to learn? I think the last one becomes the most difficult, because often I am asking my students to work on what is hardest for them, and perhaps connecting that to an assignment that doesn’t meet their particular learning needs. However, I really don’t want to use how others are constructing their curriculum for not making changes that need to be made. I’m just not quite sure what to change yet or how to do it.

Learning happens best in rich, relevant contexts.

Learning is more enduring in authentic contexts in which students can engage with issues, dilemmas and perspectives in settings that are meaningful to them. We support embedding the learning of concepts, competencies and character traits in relevant contexts in order to close the gap between the world of curriculum and the world our students actually inhabit.

This is something I struggle with…I do intervention/remediation work. It is largely skills based. The concepts are things like “how do patterns help us make sense of our world”, and lessons largely connect back to what’s happening in the classroom. It makes it difficult to do this, but I know I want to do more. I have been toying with the idea of creating a bunch of broad Learning Lab Essential Questions (like the patterns question above) to help students make connections between what they do in my class and what happens in their other classes. I’m not sure, however, how well this accomplishes making the context “rich and relevant”.

In learning, less really is more.

Content coverage does not equal learning. To learn conceptually, students need to inquire, think and theorize. They need the space to make meaningful connections between ideas. That means selecting sufficient content to support deep, sustained engagement with our three kinds of learning….and no more than that.

How can I create this space in an intervention classroom? Often it means taking a step back from my natural inclination to explain, and the worry that if, in my small group setting, if I’m not up and talking and constantly working with students rather than letting them work somehow I am not doing my job (or others won’t think I’m doing my job–and yes, this has happened and does happen) I think this also means that I need to try to shift teachers’ perspectives of what I do—if a student works on a project with me, I’ll provide guidance, additional scaffolding, graphic organizers, etc, but this doesn’t mean the work will be perfect, and it doesn’t mean I’m constantly hovering over her to make sure she’s getting work done. If I’m doing that it’s my work and not her work.

Learning is personal.

Individuals have different starting points, different interests and will follow different learning pathways. We support personalizing learning to the maximum extent possible, including the provision of appropriate levels of challenge and choice, and the provision of timely, constructive, personalized feedback, along with opportunities to act on that feedback.

My instruction is largely personalized, but how can I make it more so? I think integrating the International Learning Plan (ILP) into the program this year is going to help a lot with that. Last year was my first year, and yes, I assessed and set goals, but without a formal system to track those goals and the progress, I did tend to gravitate toward activities I could do with the whole group, rather than individualizing. I also would like to start harnessing the power of our 1:1 laptop environment to do this as well. I started a bit last year, but would like to do more.

Everyone has a right to learn.

All people, no matter their learning differences or economic circumstances, should have optimal opportunities to learn. We support inclusive international education and concerted, collaborative efforts among our schools to contribute to the improvement of learning and teaching in locations where there is an expressed need.

Reading this I pretty much did a happy dance and jumped up and down. This is what I want to happen in our school–in all schools. Not that I’m always pro full-inclusion (e.g. is there more harm than good done if one does intensive phonics work with a 5th grader in the class when the rest are well past that or is it better to pull the student out?); however, I think a more inclusive environment puts the responsibility for the success of all students on all teachers.

I need to make more of an effort to work with teachers on how to reach all of the students at our school. This also means beginning to rethink how the school works with students who are having learning differences as well, and look at what is most appropriate for each student. Creating more opportunities for coaching teachers on how to differentiate and discussing students with specific teams (because we’ll have teams next year!) are really important. I’m still working on how to implement this, but I’m excited to try.

Learning is scalable.

The principles that apply to student learning apply also to adult learning and organizational learning. We support schools in applying this belief, bringing consistency and common meaning to processes such as professional learning and organizational change management.

This is a big one for me next year. I get to somewhat be a part of the PD process, since our focus next year is differentiated instruction. I really believe that schools need to make a bigger effort to differentiate their PD. I’ve been working on creating a self-assessment where teachers can rate their level of comfort with specific aspects of differentiation and use that to help guide them toward appropriate PLCs, in-house workshops, and PD experiences outside of school.

Learning is a social activity

While invaluable learning comes from personal reflection and moments of personal insight, we remain a social species. We support schools in creating cultures of sense-making through substantive conversation, encouraging planned, focused team learning and providing opportunities for students to lead learning conversations with their peers.

I really want to create more opportunities for students in my intervention classes to work together. I’ve done things like peer teaching, having a student who grasps a concept well teach another, and I often do group discussions about why particular strategies are effective, but how can I go beyond this? I tried something new this past year when I was teaching persuasive writing and added debate, having the students closely read an article together and then construct an argument as a group on an assigned POV, then the groups tried to persuade the other. Afterward the students planned and wrote their persuasive paragraphs for the side that they thought was the most convincing. I want to spend some time thinking about where I can integrate more of this. Writing is a natural point in intervention work to make this happen, but where else can I create space for learning that is social?

I’m really excited for a few days of collaboration, learning, and looking for deeper answers to these questions, and I’m can’t wait to share all of the new ideas and learnings that I’m sure will come from the conference.

How do you work at being a reflective educator?

Any answers to the questions above? Advice for me as I try to make my ideas into reality?

Why My Pilates Instructor Should Run Our Differentiation PD

Pilates as Differentiation PD? — It’s really hard to find images of Pilates classes that aren’t all uber-fit white ladies. This is the best I could do, doesn’t entirely match the spirit of my post, but you take what you can get sometimes…Source

I enjoy all sorts of exercise: biking (outdoors and spin classes), running, strength training, yoga, hiking, dancing…but Pilates always scared the crap out of me. More than biking in Manhattan. During rush hour. Why, you ask? One word: Teaser.

That’s not entirely true, but that is one exercise that I found quite intimidating. Pilates just seemed like something that my body would not be able to do. I didn’t think I was strong enough. I have a really hard time with spatial relationships and visualization, so when someone describes what I’m supposed to do in words, I have a really hard time figuring out (1) what I’m supposed to do, and (2) how to get my body to do it. Also, whenever you see people doing Pilates they complete things so effortlessly that it’s intimidating. They just float. It’s like some sort of magical power. Pilates seemed nearly impossible to me. Plus, I really don’t like doing things I’m not already good at (yes, I know, I’m working on it). I was never doing it. No way.

Then, about a year and a half ago, I hurt my ankle. I don’t know how I hurt my ankle. The best I can figure it’s one of those injuries that mostly happens to New Yorkers. You’re wearing heals on the subway, heading home from work. The car stops suddenly. Physics happens. The subway and your firmly planted foot stop moving, but the rest of your body keeps going for a bit, somehow straining a ligament or a tendon. And then you are in pain. Forever. Because there’s no way to avoid walking or stairs when you have no car and live in a 5th floor walk-up in Brooklyn.

My doctor told me to rest it, to ice it, to wrap it.

I begged for a boot at least, so people would offer me a seat on the subway.

My doctor told me to rest it, to ice it, to wrap it, and to wear my hiking boots or invest in a pair of Dansco clogs.

I asked when I would be able to exercise again.

My doctor told me I could do core work on the floor, or seated strength training. And once I had a full week where I could comfortably put weight on my foo use an exercise bike, do yoga, or do Pilates. Aquacise was also an option.

I thought Pilates? Hell. No.

Once I could put weight on my foot, however, I really wanted to get out and exercise, so I tried it. And it was hard.

But the instructor, she was amazing. She was helpful, encouraging, and it occurred to me later, the best differentiator I’ve ever met. She does all of the things that I hope to get teachers I coach to do and that I strive to do better myself. This is why–no offense to Bill and Ochan Powell–I think my Sunday afternoon Pilates instructor, Nathalie, should lead our next differentiation PD. Or maybe she should just come and do a class with the faculty and really model good differentiation.

This is either the best or the worst idea I’ve ever had, but since it will likely just float around as an idea in cyberspace and never come to fruition, we can leave that part ambiguous. I am, however, going to enumerate her qualifications below.

She always does a preassessment and engages in formative assessment throughout the lesson

Every week Nathalie walks into the class and asks a few quick questions to get a sense of who her students are and what they need, something we as classroom teachers should be doing as well. Maybe not in the exact same way

Is anyone new to Pilates? (What’s your experience, skill, or content knowledge with what I’m about to teach you?)
Does anyone have any injuries? Had abdominal surgery? Anyone pregnant? (How will I need to modify things for you based on your particular needs?)
Everyone’s feeling OK? You guys look tired/happy/content. (Anything else going on that’s going to make today difficult for you?)

During the lesson, she watches us perform movements and stops to explain how and why things work, how to do the movement correctly, or how to modify the movement as necessary.

Preassessments and other forms of formative assessment are so important for differentiation. It’s how we know how to differentiate. Sure, we all have things in our toolbox that we can pull out to differentiate reactively during class, but preassessments help us to differentiate proactively. During the lesson, ongoing formative assessment in the form of observations can help us to provide additional differentiation.

She gives instruction in a variety of ways

Each time she asks us to do a movement or a series, Nathalie gives the instructions orally, sometimes explaining in two different ways. She also models the movements in two different ways. Once modeling what it looks like laying on the ground, and then frequently a second time offering an “aerial view” while standing.

As classroom teachers we should always be presenting information in a variety of ways in order to reach all of our students. Making this a habit is one simple way to support everyone in the class.

She offers adaptations and modifications of activities

For nearly every movement, Nathalie offers several ways of completing the movement. The movements are different based on your skill level, your body type, any injuries you may have.

However (and even more important, I would say)…

She never refers to a modification as easier or harder and never privileges one way of doing things over another

This is the thing that finally convinced me that Nathalie was one of the best differentiators I had ever met was this: every time she demonstrates a modification she lets us all know one important thing: the modification makes the exercise work for your body. She tells us several things

Modification doesn’t make it easier: It makes it so your body can complete the exercise and benefit from it. Which, yes, does feel easier to you that the original exercise, but makes if feel about the same to you as the “typical” person doing the unmodified move.
Modification doesn’t make it less work.
Modifications are explained completely and we all know why we should choose them. I don’t do my hundreds with my legs straight in the air because I’m trying to make it easier or I’m lazy, I do it that way because I have a tendency to to have a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, whereas the guy next to me always does modified hundreds with his knees bent because he’s a runner and has really tight hamstrings. And someone else is doing modified hundreds because she’s had a C-section. No one really needs to know why each of us selects what we did but us. But having the instructor explain the exercises and the work that’s involved in each modification creates a safe space for us to all do what we need.

As teachers sometimes we unintentionally value one form of work over another (I know I’ve been guilty of it–love to analyze, but really struggle with creative assignments, so sometimes I don’t work as hard at creating them. I’m getting better about it now that I’m aware of it) and set a classroom climate where students feel like choosing that isn’t the one that the teacher clearly values or is deemed the “normal” or “right” way to complete the assignment isn’t OK. If we value all ways of completing assignments and make sure that the work is different, not easier or harder, or better or worse, our students will see the work in the same way. Normalizing the fact that all brains are different the same way Nathalie normalizes the fact that all bodies are different creates the type of classroom where students thrive and learn.

She doesn’t let us get away with slacking–she pushes us toward growth and celebrates it

Yes, Nathalie differentiates and offers modifications, scaffolds, if you will, for those of us who may have been at a lower level of readiness when we started the class, but she observes and assesses (see point #1) and then encourages us to try something new. She doesn’t let the scaffold become a crutch, or let us define ourselves by needing a particular scaffold. She’ll tell us to try a different modification or without a modification if she sees that we are doing really well and should challenge ourselves more. Then, whether we succeed or fail, she applauds us for increased strength, for trying something new, or just for smiling through it all.

As classroom teachers we need to know when to push our students to try something new and different, and when it’s OK for them to stick with activities they feel comfortable with. We need to be aware of growing skill levels and help guide students to choices that will make work a bit more challenging for the student, or when to pull back our scaffolds a bit to promote growth. We also need to celebrate growth and trying new things.

In conclusion, Nathalie should run a Pilates class during our differentiation PD

So, if the higher-ups at my school are reading this, I think our August differentiation PD should include a Pilates class from Nathalie where we can all experience differentiation and gain some empathy for our students who might be out of their comfort zone in a traditional classroom setting. If they’re anything like me, school was always a place where I felt pretty comfortable and I was pretty good at it (that’s part of why I elected to go back there full time for my career). For me, Pilates took me outside of my comfort zone, and really highlighted for me what good differentiators like Nathalie do. And even though I always knew differentiation was important and it was something I valued as an educator, this is the first time I was really cognizant of benefitting from it. I’d like other members of our faculty to experience that as well.

And just in case you were wondering, all that differentiation worked. I can totally do Teaser now. I may not float completely effortlessly yet, but I’m going to get there.

Where else in the world outside of K-12 education do you see excellent differentiated instruction?

Summer Sabbatical (Not Just Vacation)

Last Summer at Long Bech, photo by Samantha Mosher — I may get a view like this occasionally, but most days I’ll be hard at work.

As a teacher you always hear from friends, family, and even complete strangers you just happen to be chatting with at a gym or at a barbecue: “Wow. A teacher’s summer vacation. That must be really nice. It must be your favorite part of the job.” I think it’s this misconception about teachers’ summer vacation that lead Justin Tarte to post this, which I adored. It got me thinking, do we as educators need to reframe how we talk to others about summer vacation? We know all the time we spend prepping and learning for, or just plain sitting and thinking or daydreaming about, our next school year. All the time we spend learning both teaching skills and content that we’ll pass on to our students, or having experiences out in the world that we can turn into amazing classroom experiences for our kids. Teachers’ summer vacations aren’t vacations. They’re sabbaticals, where we learn and grow as professionals and prepare for the next school year. I think the point Justin Tarte was making in his post is that sometimes we focus on the other benefits of summer vacation, rather than the other aspects and it could give others the wrong impression.

This teacher's summer vacation means fresh baked scones for breakfast — ah, the luxury of baking scones for breakfast

And, you know what, I’m not ashamed to admit that teachers’ summer vacations are nice. I can wake up when my body tells me it’s time, instead of when my alarm starts blaring around 5:30 AM. I can exercise more frequently, and have the occasional leisurely breakfast (like the one to the right) or go wait in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets, and maybe, like Justin Tarte suggested, I guilty of talking about those things and giving others the wrong impression of what teachers do in the summer. I definitely spend a good portion of my summer, like most teachers, working. It may not be the same summer camp and summer school jobs I took early in my career to make ends meet, but I am working nonetheless. It is different work than during the school year, but it’s good work and necessary work.

Most teachers love to learn, and during the summer I get to indulge my inner learner full-time. Don’t get me wrong, during the school year I am constantly learning from my colleagues, from my students, from research I’m doing to improve my own practice, but summer moves at a different pace and my learning can be more self-directed and I have the time to follow all of those ideas down various rabbit holes where I don’t have the time to go during the school year.

I generally set goals to keep myself on track. This summer I’m hoping to take my professional learning–my summer sabbatical–to new places by becoming a more connected educator, both through this blog and through other platforms like Twitter. But in addition to the blogging and tweet-chatting I really hope to:

Read all of the books I bought at ASCD 2014 (and then some)

I have quite an ambitious list. I don’t know if I’ll get through them all, but I’m excited to try. The first set on my list are:

The ASCD Aria Self-Regulated Learning for Academic Success by Catherine Germeroth and Crystal Day-Heiss. I’m a big fan of the SRSD writing approach and want to start including more self-regulation work in my classes across subject areas (and especially in math).
Memory at Work in the Classroom by Francis Bailey and Ken Pransky: Memory is often an area where students who I teach struggle, and I always feel like I don’t have enough strategies for them. I’m hoping this will help me.
Close Reading of Informational Texts by Sunday Cummins: I’ve been reading a lot about the potential close reading has for improving reading comprehension with struggling students and I’m hoping to add more of it to my practice next year.

Learn a lot about curriculum design at the CGC conference

I was really excited when my principal selected me to be one of the school’s representatives at the Common Ground Collaborative‘s conference in Miami in July. This group includes teachers and administrators from international schools who are working to create a more inclusive, understanding-based curriculum. I’m even more excited now that I’ve started doing some of my homework.

Rethink my classroom design

This past school year was my first year at my school. I didn’t love the way I ended up setting up my small intervention classroom/office. I’m not sure if it’s conducive to the type of work I want to do with students (and I certainly am not set up to store all of this).

Make the two day summer workshop happen!

My friend and colleague Pooja Patel and I proposed this idea last year (well, Pooja came up with the idea and asked if I was interested and then let me propose it with her): to run a summer institute for teachers who are graduates of our program to summarize the latest research and methods in literacy instruction, assessment, and intervention. And over a year later, it has been brought to life: Cutting Edge Reading & Writing Instruction for Teachers. If you’re in NYC in late July, you should come.

Rethink the sequence and delivery of the curriculum for my graduate class

This is going to be a process. Class doesn’t start up again until January, but I really want to get my students thinking more diagnostically and using more observational data to decide where to go next in their interventions. I’d like to spend some time chatting with other teacher educators and reflecting a bit more on what worked and what didn’t this past year. May was not a time when this could happen, but June and July are.

Of course, I may get to a beach and I’m definitely headed out of town for a wedding or two and to visit family. Maybe I’ll take a few hikes and knit up some sweaters for the fall, but I can’t wait to start my summer sabbatical and engage in some professional learning.

How do you use your summers? Any interesting professional learning lined up?