Superintendent's Corner

Click on a link below to read about any of a variety of instructional topics as submitted by our superintendent, Ms. Piazza.

In this Teacher Magazine article, Massachusetts 6th-grade teacher Laurie Wasserman, who is National Board Certified and works with special-needs children in self-contained and mainstream classes, says the one characteristic most common among middle-school students is that they are disorganized. Moving from the structured, self-contained world of the elementary school, where many tasks are done for them, middle-school students suddenly have to keep track of assignments from four or five teachers, change classes every 45 minutes - and remember their locker combinations. Kids will be kids, says Wasserman. Its hard sometimes to realize that students don't deliberately misplace papers, forget pencils, or lose track of assignments. They just don't have our experience or habits of mind. It's our job to teach them the tools and strategies for getting organized and feeling successful. Here are Wasserman's suggestions:
Agenda books - Buying every student a calendar/assignment book (they sell for around $5.00) and making a routine of having students get out their agenda books at the beginning or end of every class and writing homework and other assignments (with the teacher strolling around to check to see that students are writing in the correct day) can bring order out of confusion and teach life-long skills. If the school can't afford agenda books, teachers can always Xerox their own assignment reminder sheets, perhaps distributing packets one week at a time.
Team homework - Wasserman writes all regular-education teachers homework assignments on her board so her special-needs students can keep track in case they forgot to write them down.
Schoolnotes.com - This free Internet site allows teachers to post assignments online so students and parents, using computers at home, in a library, or at work, can quickly find out what the homework is. The site is at http://www.schoolnotes.com - just type in the school's Zip code and go to the teacher's name.
Giving a grade for preparation - Wasserman's students get a separate grade for coming to class prepared. If students have to make an extra locker trip or don't have something they're supposed to have, she deducts a point from their grade. She finds that this tough policy, if announced up front, get students' attention and changes behavior.
Pencil ransom - If students have to borrow a pencil from Wasserman (her expectation is that they come to class with writing tools), she demands a sneaker as collateral. Even the most absent-minded or larcenous student won't leave the classroom without checking back with the teacher and coughing up the pencil.
Catch-up papers for absent students - Wasserman asks student helpers who are passing out worksheets and other handouts to write the name of each absent student on the paper and put it in an accordion file in the absent-student crate. This box also contains three-ring binders with all class assignments and handouts in each subject up to that point in the year. When students return from an absence, Wasserman directs them to the crate so they can catch up on the work they missed. 'Basically, I'm modeling good organization for my kids,' she says.
An I.O.U. board - Wasserman has an area on her board where she writes the names of students who owe her assignments and what they need to hand in. In her special-needs classes, she also writes any assignments that students owe mainstream teachers.
Work-in-progress pocket folders - Wasserman buys all students a pocket folder; the left pocket is for 'to do' work, the right pocket for completed work. Once assignments are completely done, students hand them in or put them in finished-work binders or notebooks.

Teaching Secrets: Organizing Middle Schoolers by Laurie Wasserman in Teacher Magazine (online), Oct. 3, 2007, available after free registration at: http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/10/03/06tin_wasserman_web.h19.html

• Some people have been asking about what consequences they can use at the classroom level. When thinking about that, please think about not just stopping a behavior temporarily, but about teaching alternative behaviors that are more acceptable. One way to do this is through "appologies of action." Have the child think about what was "broken" by his / her behavior (i.e. an object, a relationship, someone's feelings, the continuity of instruction) and then discuss what that child can do to "repair" it (clean it, make something to compliment another, create class notes or a learning poster or activity to explain the concepts that were interrupted, do a project or presentation about bullying and teasing, watch a video or reading a book on the topic and do a reflection, etc.). Those "repairing" tasks can be done during a detention, silent homeroom, silent lunch, etc. They can also be their "ticket" back into class. Be creative and often, the kids will be harder on themselves than we can think to be, so enlist their input!
  
  Sometimes, by getting to the heart of a behavior (identifying the motivator) you can use a detention or special time together to teach an alternative pathway to achieving that goal. I.e. if a child is seeking attention, teach an alternative way to get attention. If a child is seeking power, how can you empower the child without relinquishing your own power? If a child is seeking to avoid something, how can they accomplish the task in a non-threatening way?
  
  I am always impressed with how many of you do all of these things (and much more) very naturally. Please use each other as resources to bounce ideas around, etc. Feel free to observe in each others classes, and observe your own students in various environments.
  
  Also, we do encourage parent involvement as much as possible. We know some are more effective than others at reinforcing messages at home but we can still try. Hey, if they won't reinforce the message at home, ask them to come and sit next to the child in the room for the day. Or bring in a lawn chair for the parent to sit right outside the classroom and the child will be sent to the parent if they act up. (This is very effective if the behavior is intentional, not for kids who have unconcious nervous energy.)
  
  As administrators, we are here to support you. Please let us know if you need assistance in any way what so ever.
  

In this Education Leadership article, University of Delaware education professor Nancy Jordan says that we?re making two mistakes with students who have math difficultie: we're not diagnosing them early enough, and we're drilling them on basic number facts rather than getting to the root of the problem.

Students with math difficulties havent developed calculation fluency - the ability to quickly solve problems like 9 + 7 or 16 - 9. Most other students learn how to solve such problems by counting up or down and then becoming fluent in basic number relationships. But students with math difficulties continue to count on their fingers, don't develop fluency with basic math facts, and are seriously handicapped as math gets more difficult. The result is a downward spiral of frustration and failure. Most teachers assume the problem is that these students haven't memorized basic math facts, so their strategy is to assign lots of drill and practice. This approach isn?t working, says Jordan, because the real problem is that struggling students don't have number sense.

What is number sense? It's an intuitive knowledge of number concepts, says Jordan, including

: - Grasping and comparing quantities (6 versus 8);
- Internalizing counting principles (e.g., the final number in a count is the quantity of the set; numbers are always counted in the same order);
- Estimating quantities on a number line.

Struggling students need to grasp these concepts to be successful in math. The problem is that students with math difficulties are often are not diagnosed until fourth grade or later. Jordan says the warning signs are there in kindergarten ? and can be addressed early on. She and her colleagues have developed a number-sense screening test designed to be given three or four times during kindergarten. It measures:

- Counting skills and principles;
- Number knowledge (e.g., which number is larger or smaller);
- Nonverbal calculation (e.g., the student is shown two chips, which are then hidden from view; the student is shown three more chips, which are then hidden, and is asked how many chips there are in all);
- Story problems related to objects (e.g., Jack has three pennies; Sue gives him two more pennies; how many pennies does Jack have now?);
- Number combinations not related to objects (e.g., how much is two plus three?).
Researchers screened 400 kindergarteners four times during the year and continued to assess 300 of them in first grade. Three distinct growth trajectories emerged from the study:
- Students who started kindergarten with low number sense progressed very little;
- Students who started kindergarten with low-to-moderate number sense made steep improvements starting mid-way through kindergarten;
- Students who started kindergarten with a high degree of number sense continued to be proficient.

There were three findings from the study: (a) A student?s proficiency in number sense at the beginning of kindergarten was highly correlated with math achievement at the end of first grade; (b) Low-income students were four times more likely to be in the first group; and (c) Students in the second group -- those who improved their number sense did well in math at the end of first grade, irrespective of social class. The inescapable conclusion: teachers need to intervene early, and those interventions can make a significant long-term difference, especially for low-SES students.

What can help students who enter school with undeveloped number sense? Not memorization drill, says Jordan. What these students need is explicit help representing, comparing, and ordering numbers and joining and separating sets, particularly with totals of 5 or less. Teaching or tutoring should begin with hands-on manipulation of concrete objects, then transition to imagining set transformations without concrete materials (e.g., Imagine four pennies. Now take away one penny. How many pennies are left?). Number lists and board games that use number lists (like Chutes and Ladders) are very helpful. Number lines, on the other hand, are not recommended, because they start at zero and confuse young learners.

The Need for Number Sense by Nancy Jordan in Educational Leadership, October 2007 (Vol. 65, #2, p. 63-66); go to http://www.ascd.org and navigate to the October issue to purchase this article.

• In this helpful Harvard Business Review article, New York-based author/consultant Tony Schwartz paints a vivid picture of the fix in which many leaders find themselves: working 12- to 14-hour days, sleeping and eating poorly, always feeling exhausted, not engaging with family members and feeling guilty and dissatisfied. Schwartz and his colleagues, who work with corporate executives who are caught up in this syndrome, maintain that the capacity to work hard can be systematically expanded and regularly renewed through simple rituals that nurture four sources of energy: the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit. Here are his recommendations in each area, preceded by the self-assessment he asks clients to fill out. If you are scoring yourself, here is Schwartz's guide to interpreting the number of items checked in each area:
  - 0 Excellent energy management skills
  - 1 Strong energy management skills
  - 2 Significant deficits
  - 3 Poor energy management skills
  - 4 A full-fledged energy crisis
  
  The body: physical energy? It's scarcely news that inadequate nutrition, exercise, sleep, and rest diminish people's basic energy levels, as well as their ability to manage their emotions and focus their attention,? writes Schwartz. Here's the first part of his energy audit; check any that apply:
  o I seldom get 7-8 hours of sleep and often wake up feeling tired.
  o I frequently skip breakfast, or I settle for something that isn't nutritious; I often eat lunch at my desk, if I eat it at all.
  o I engage in less than three cardiovascular workouts and one strength workout a week.
  o I don't take regular breaks during the day to renew and recharge. Schwartz says the people he works with often find responding to these questions uncomfortable, sobering, and galvanizing. When they look at the data, they're ready to change their ways.
  This involves establishing rituals: a regular bedtime that allows for a good night's sleep; a good breakfast and moderate, nutritious meals during the day; three vigorous 20-minute aerobic workouts a week, one combined with strength training; and regular breaks during the day; for many people, these don't need to last more than a few minutes getting outside, listening to music, or talking to a colleague about something other than work.
  The emotions: quality of energy To take control of our emotions, says Schwartz, it's important to be aware of how we feel at various points during the workday and the impact of these emotions on our effectiveness. Here's his inventory:
  o I frequently find myself feeling irritable, impatient, or anxious at work, especially when the pressure is on.
  o I don't have enough time with my family and loved ones, and when I'm with them, I'm not always present.
  o I have too little time for the activities I most deeply enjoy.
  o I don't stop frequently enough to express my appreciation to others or to savor my accomplishments and blessings.
  Confronted with relentless demands and unexpected challenges, says Schwartz, people tend to slip into negative emotions the fight-or-flight mode often multiple times a day. They become irritable and impatient, or anxious and insecure. Such states of mind drain people's energy and cause friction in their relationships. Fight-or-flight emotions also make it impossible to think clearly, logically, and reflectively.
  One simple but powerful ritual for defusing negative emotions is deep abdominal breathing inhaling and exhaling slowly for five or six seconds each can turn off the fight-or-flight response and induce relaxation and recovery. Another ritual that fuels positive emotions is showing appreciation to others, either in a hand-written note, an e-mail, a call, or a face-to-face conversation. This can be as beneficial to the giver as it is to the recipient but it's important to build it into one's schedule, says Schwartz, for example, regularly having lunch with colleagues and making a point of passing along specific, detailed positive feedback when it's warranted.
  A third way to cultivate positive emotions is to change the story we tell ourselves about the events in our lives. Often, people in conflict cast themselves in the role of victim, says Schwartz, blaming others or external circumstances for their problems? It's been a revelation for many of the people we work with to discover they have a choice about how to view a given event and to recognize how powerfully the story they tell influences the emotions they feel. The trick is to tell the most hopeful and personally empowering story possible, without denying or minimizing the facts, by looking through one of three lenses: (a) the reverse lens, asking, What would the other person in this conflict say and in what ways might that be true? (b) the long lens, asking, How will I most likely view this situation in six months? and (c) the wide lens, asking, Regardless of the outcome of this issue, how can I grow and learn from it? The mind: focus of energy Most leaders regard multitasking as smart time management, but Schwartz has doubts. Here's his audit for this area; check any that apply:
  o I have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, and I am easily distracted during the day, especially by e-mail.
  o I spend much of my day reacting to immediate crises and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value and high leverage.
  o I don't take enough time for reflection, strategizing, and creative thinking.
  o I work in the evenings or on weekends, and I almost never take an e-mail-free vacation.
  Distractions are inefficient, says Schwartz. The switching time we spend when we jump from one activity to another answering a phone call or looking at an e-mail, for example can increase the amount of time needed to finish the primary task by as much as 25%. It's far more efficient to fully focus for a period of time, take a true break, and then fully focus on the next activity. Schwartz suggests several rituals to help focus: (a) When doing a task that requires concentration, go to a secluded location away from phones and e-mails; (b) During meetings in your office, don't allow phone calls and focus completely on the people you're with, answering the accumulated messages or voicemails in one chunk afterwards; (c) turn off the ping on your e-mail and establish a ritual of doing e-mail in two 30- to 45-minute chunks a day, and explain to colleagues that if it's an emergency, they should phone or see you in person.
  The hardest thing, says Schwartz, is focusing on the activities that have the most long-term leverage. Unless people intentionally schedule time for more challenging work, he writes, they tend not to get to it at all or rush through it at the last minute. To counteract this tendency, he suggests the following ritual: each night, identify the most important challenge for the next day and then make it the very first priority in the morning, rather than checking e-mail or opening mail. People who do this often find that by ten in the morning they already feel they've had a productive day.
  The human spirit: energy of meaning and purpose Here's the final segment of Schwartz's energy audit; check any that apply:
  o I don't spend enough time at work doing what I enjoy most and do best.
  o There are significant gaps between what I say is most important to me in my life and how I actually allocate my time and energy.
  o My decisions at work are more often influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of my own purpose.
  o I don't invest enough time and energy in making a positive difference to others or to the world.
  People tap into the energy of the human spirit when their everyday work and activities are consistent with what they value most and with what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose, says Schwartz. If the work they're doing really matters to them, they typically feel more positive energy, focus better, and demonstrate greater perseverance.' One corporate executive asked himself, What do I want to be remembered for? Having asked the question, he knew he didn't want to be remembered as the crazy guy who worked long hours and made his people miserable. When his son called and asked him to come to a band concert, he wanted to say, Yes, I'll be there and I'll be in the front row. He didn't want to be the father who comes in and sits in the back and is on his BlackBerry and has to step out to take a phone call.
  Putting first things first, says Schwartz, involves clarifying priorities and establishing rituals that allocate time and energy in three areas:
  First, doing what you enjoy most and do best To identify these areas, Schwartz asks his clients to remember at least two work situations in recent months when they've experienced flow they feel effective, effortlessly absorbed, inspired, and fulfilled and then analyze what energized them and what talents they were drawing on. It's important to realize that people can feel good at activities they don't truly enjoy, and, conversely, they may love doing things they don't have a natural gift for and require a lot of energy and time to do well. Having identified their sweet spots, leaders should, as much as possible, delegate the tasks they don't enjoy (ideally to people who do enjoy doing them) and block out time for doing the things that produce flow.
  Second, consciously allocating time and energy to the most important areas of life Many of Schwartz's clients are conflicted about how little time and focus they give to their families. Simple rituals help: one executive decided to switch off for three hours every evening to be with his wife and kids. Another stopped talking on his cell phone at a particular spot on the highway twenty minutes from home so he had calmed down and gotten himself into a home mode by the time he arrived.
  Third, living our core values in our daily behaviors Most people are living at such a furious pace that they rarely stop to ask themselves what they stand for and who they want to be, says Schwartz. As a consequence, they let external demands dictate their actions. Interestingly, Schwartz doesn't recommend explicitly defining one's values; the results of this exercise are too predictable, he says. Instead, he suggests uncovering values by answering questions like, What are the qualities that you find most off-putting when you see them in others? When leaders identify what they can't stand in other people for example, stinginess or rudeness they are pinpointing what they value in this case, generosity and civility. The next step is to confront areas where there's a conflict between what they value and how they actually behave. For example, if they realize that consideration is a core value but they're often late for meetings, they might establish a ritual of ending meetings five minutes early to allow time to be punctual (or even early) for the next meeting.
  Schwartz concludes by saying that people are much more likely to establish and maintain energy-building rituals if their boss actively supports this philosophy and practices the key tenets. Organizational support also entails shifts in policies, practices, and cultural messages, he writes. Some examples: a rule about not looking at e-mail during meetings; a no-meeting zone from 8:00 9:00 a.m. to give people space to do first things first; a group-exercise time; and a renewal room where people can go to chill out and refuel.
  
  Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time by Tony Schwartz in Harvard Business Review, October 2007 (Vol. 85, #10, p. 63-73), no e-link available; Schwartz can be contacted at tony@theenergyproject.com. He is the author of The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal (Free Press, 2003).