Eric Jensen's Take On Creating Opportunity for Students

“When teachers focus on what matters most, good things happen,” says Eric Jensen.

So, what matters most? Jensen explored that in his plenary session, “Teaching With Poverty in Mind.” In just seventy minutes, he generated more wonder and excitement for conference attendees than a trip to Neverland with Peter Pan might. Finding the answers to alleviating poverty’s impact, though, isn’t as simple as heading three stars to the right and straight on ‘till morning. Nonetheless, Jensen provided four key facts and strategies that educators can take to support all students with an environment of support, acceptance, and excellence.

Fact #1: Teachers can change the structure of the brain in just five days.

Neurogenesis is the brain’s production of new cells. The brain is so much more plastic than scientists previously thought. But factors such as distress, inactivity, boredom, and depression can suppress neurogenesis. Educators can maximize students’ neurogenesis with exciting, multi-faceted classroom activities, and by getting students moving—research has found that the hippocampus creates new neurons after exercise.

• School Strategy: Never keep kids in at recess. One minute of new activity doesn’t produce new neurons, but 20 minutes does.

Fact #2: Five years in a row of great teaching can erase the effects of poverty on students.

Great teaching is about more than just instruction—classroom climate ranks in the top ten contributors to student achievement. Relationships between teachers and students can decrease distress in students. The well-known adage, “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” rings true.

• School Strategy: Introduce teachers to Jensen’s BASE: Behavior, Attitude, Capacity, Effort system. (See graphic.)

Fact #3: We must demand excellence. Period.

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Jensen emphasizes that creating excellence and high expectations is a good thing. When high expectations aren’t reached, the result still places you higher than where you would be if you settled for mediocrity. When you have high expectations, your students rise to them. Jensen shared an example of an all-boys high school with at-risk students that has sent 100 percent of its graduates to college three years running. So, don’t give excuses. Four-year-olds can point fingers; you can only look in the mirror.

• School Strategy: Jensen gives six steps to High Achieving Schools:

1. Set nearly impossible “gaudy goals.”
2. Foster collaboration and trust. Without these qualities in your school, you can’t reach excellence.
3. Connect the dots between data, behavior, and learning on a daily basis.
4. Build the BASE (see above).
5. Cultivate good culture by taking responsibility rather than pointing fingers and using feedback from colleagues and administration.
6. Manage yourself as a leader.

Fact #4: Empathy, optimism, and patience must be taught.

Fun fact: Brain research indicates that our minds are wired for just six emotions: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. In order to create emotionally and cognitively sound students, we must teach humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude. We wrongly assume our students already know or exhibit these emotions. We must be specific in not only teaching, but recognizing these emotions in our students. 

• School Strategy: Develop a plan that works for your school to ensure that teaching of emotions occurs daily and routinely. One place to start: Prohibit sarcasm. Oh, and give compliments—3 compliments a day is a good place to start.

Next Steps

Jensen left attendees with three simple steps to making a change at your school: ABC, or Agree, Buy-In, and Commit. Agree on a strategy, generate buy-in with your team, and commit to a plan.

Learn more about these facts and strategies in Jensen’s PowerPoint presentation:Jensenlearning.com/NAESP2013#

Dr. Adam D. Drummond is a Director of Professional Learning at the International Center for Leadership in Education.

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Full article origination: https://www.naesp.org/2013-conference-news-online-friday-july-12/focusing-what-matters-four-facts-and-strategies-eric-jens

Exploring the Components of Brain-Compatible Classrooms

EXPLORING THE COMPONENTS OF BRAIN-COMPATIBLE CLASSROOMS

Conference News Online – 2013

By Adam Drummond

Attendees of David Sousa’s session, “The Basics of Creating Brain-Compatible Classrooms” learned the importance of a certain four-letter word.  

(No, not that kind of four-letter word.)

It’s TALK. Turns out, Sousa revealed, too much teacher-talk and not enough student-talk is one way classrooms can be not brain-compatible.

Sousa, author of over a dozen books on brain science and education, shared tips on how to use talking in a way that’s more brain-friendly for students. He also explored other tactics in his two-hour workshop, including basic brain functions (or SET), “feet and seat,” and humor.  

Talk

Teachers work way too hard today, Sousa said. Nearly 80 percent of high school classroom time is spent with a teacher talking. Elementary classrooms are a tad better, with 50 percent of classroom time devoted to teacher talk. Yet, research tells us that students who process information, collaborate, and talk through problems are more likely to move information from short-term to long-term memory. Additionally, talk helps us focus.

Administrators can help curve this percentage by modeling less talk time during staff meetings.

SET

Your brain has three main areas:

• the survival region, or your brain stem;
• the “emotional detector,” or limbic area; and
• the thinking executive function system, or frontal lobe.

Remember these three basic functions as survival, emotions, and thinking, or SET.

Here’s the kicker, though: the limbic system matures, on average, between ages 10 and 12, but the thinking region (the frontal lobe) is not fully mature until the age 22 to 24.

Keep this in mind when working with students, and do yourself a favor: Never ask a student, “Why did you do that?” after they make a poor choice. More than likely, they don’t know.

Feet and Seat

After sitting for 20 minutes, according to conference keynote speaker Freeman Hrabowski, we lose focus. Sousa told us why. The blood from our body has pooled to our feet and our seat.

Blood needs to circulate to keep the brain engaged. Have students stand, walk, move, or do something. This simple break can refocus students for the next task. Do this for yourself, too! If you are at your office desk for over twenty minutes, your mind is not at your sharpest.

Humor

Laughing releases hormones called endorphins, which are good. Cortisol, another hormone, is released when stress enters the body. Chemically speaking, your body thrives much better on endorphins. So, simply put: create opportunities for laughter, fun, and enjoyment.

Here’s a bonus: our brains love novelty. So, dress up as a character, and you will have both—novelty and laughter.

In closing, Sousa provided educators with an easy to implement framework for brain-compatible classrooms. The ideas above—using movement, humor, and the right kind of talking—are simple, easy ways to create classrooms that allow collaboration, fun, and understanding in learning about the brain.                      

Education is the only profession that has the ability to change humans every day. We transform the brain and alter its thinking and emotions through our interactions and plans that we provide our students. Each day is a new day to make a difference. Be the change.

Oh, two more things Sousa taught attendees: Humans cannot effectively multitask. And research has yet to show that technology has changed attention spans of our students—believe it or not, it’s true! 

Adam Drummond is principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Huntington, Indiana.

https://www.naesp.org/2013-conference-news-online-thursday-july-11/exploring-components-brain-compatible-classrooms

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Modeling Behavior's to Elicit Best Practice

Today was a great day (and it is only 10:20 am). I presented the first session of the day at NAESP, and it was focused administrators on how to model and use instructional strategies to create a culture that they desire. The best part of being in education is we all grow continuously. I found new ideas from colleagues visiting me today. Lifelong learning is fantastic. Attached is a link to the five-minute podcast about the session. I plan to share more when I am back at the hotel this evening. Off to learn more!

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1498151-adam-drummond-at-naesp13

A Little Fear is Healthy

Have you watched the Halle Berry movie "The Call"? Don't! You won't sleep and my fear-o-meter is in overdrive. My children may never leave the house again. So, the fear level may be a little out of sorts from the movie, but a little fear of trying something new can be healthy. Educational leader Todd Whitaker write sin his book, "Leading School Change" (2010) that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. This phrase that he adopted as his mantra made me pause and reflect. Change always occur, but fear often allows us to make excuses to grow in that change. In order to grow from change, we must be willing to take the fear and use it to our advantage. Think top of roller coaster fear and not being kidnapped-"The Call" fear.

As educators, our job is so important. Molding young lives, creating a safe place, and moving them along to ensure academic readiness by set standards that have been Pre-determined by some entity. But, we do have control of what that change looks like. Even, if a school had a set schedule (pot calling kettle black). In order to try something new-accept change-it's easy when you think of these few things to help. 

1.Admit you don't know it all. It's okay to jump in and try something without all the answers. At some point you just have to try it. Otherwise we plan to plan the execution of the plan that never comes to fruition.  Set your timeline to try and follow through.

2. Say Your Sorry. What? You bet. I was teaching a group of high school students in Atlanta about GMOs (not sure what they are-look it up-I have your curiosity buzzing). In the midst of the turn and talk, I realized the content I just delivered was inaccurate. So, a simple regroup and an I'm sorry was all it took. They chuckled and said, "We knew what you meant Mr. Adam."  One girl followed up with, "No teacher has ever apologized to us before." Ouch. Really? Come on-we are all human. It's okay for kids to see that. 

3. Think you need help-get it! There is no shame in asking for help or consultation. Why coypu think our President has a cabinet? We don't know it all. So don't fake it. Ask for input, feedback, and clarification. I speak for many administrators when I tell you that we'd rather you (the teacher) come and say help than try to fake it. 

4. Make a goal.  Decide what that goal is. Write in on a sticky note or put in on your desktop of your computer. Make that goal happen. You will feel better. 

Change will occur. What will you do? Don't be fearful. Be brave. Consider the four ideas above and give it a whirl. The downhill on the roller-coaster is thrilling. But you can't experience that without the climb up to the peak of it. 

Time for Them-Make it Count!

The final bell rings. The teachers line the exit to celebrate the fifth graders departure on to the next big chapter in education. They wave goodbye and walk toward the door. Some happy, some with tears, and yet others relieved. Summer is here. 

If I hear one more person tell me the joke of June, July, and August, I may not be responsible for my actions. Educators taking the summer off. Please. Get a grip. As a school principal, I am blessed win working with a staff of lifelong learners. They work to perfect their craft during the summer months. In fact, our district held a free conference and our school had e highest percentage in attendance. I'm only gloating a little-our kids are just so lucky to have people who don't take off June, July, and August. 

So, what can you do to support the teachers in your community during the summer months. So, glad you asked. Here are three simple things to make their summer months a time of rejuvenation and relaxation-while they balance a schedule of craft perfectionism for next year. 

1. Send your teacher a thank you note. Not just your kids, parents...I mean you what would happen I'd every person who read this sent an old-fashioned hand written note thanking an educator?

2. Praise in Public. Nearly every newspaper has a section dedicated to great things that happen or at least space for letters to the editor. Celebrate your school or teachers. Imagine what a positive letter to the editor about your school may have. Wowser!

3. Read to your child. Sound odd? Maybe. But, research has shown that these summer months can be regression dips in your child's learning. It's not that they forget. They just don't use it. Think of it as a bicycle. Today, my boys begged for a bike ride. It's July, mug, and 85 degrees. But, they got a bike ride. It took me a little bit of effort to relearn balance p, but I got there. Had I rode my bike daily, I would have been fine. So, read daily. 

These three simple things can make your teacher's summer a little brighter on the days when the hot, summer sun is taking a siesta. 

Who Taught that Any Way?

I vividly remember the day when my wife brought our youngest home from day care, and she said, "You will never guess what your son said today." First, it's important to note in this particular situation our son is now MY son. Second, my immediate response to said story, "He didn't hear that from me." Now, my wife is not a teacher as a first career, but in a mere two years, she has mastered the teacher stare. You know, the one where it says, "Busted." Se also has impressive wait time. Something, mind you, she hadn't even learned until I taught her-my bad.

Nevertheless, we have all been there. With our students in the classroom, we ink it daily. Yet, how do we go about going from the after the fact teacher stare to the preemptive strike? It's easy. Assume nothing. Do not assume any behavior that you want to have happen has been previously taught.

I will never forget the first day of teaching first grade. Mind you, I went from teaching fifth grade to first. I made a lot of assumptions back then. I made several mistakes that day. I invited them to join me in a circle. Did you know 20 little six year olds cannot form themselves into a circle? Later, line up to wash hands. Wow. What is a line--if we were really teaching math vocabulary, we would ask them to form a segment not a line. The point is...we must teach the expected behaviors.

I border on the organizational spectrum as obsessive compulsive-just a little to the right of the center on that continuum. Our classroom cubbies had to be organized. I had to teach them what it did and what it did not look like. We had to practice that routine daily. I checked it to be sure all my little friends had it. Then, we practiced again. Waiting for Mr. D. In the morning also had an expectation of behavior. Clipboards and paper in direct instruction had a specific way to run.

In other words, leave NOTHING to change. Make no assumptions, don't let the previous year's teacher take care of the routines, and practice! After all, they cannot read what you want from the inside. They have to practice what you say from the outside-then the can internalize it.

Pick Us! We're Your Partner!

Carrying out three teacher bags full of textbooks and walking four kids to my car (two are mine, two are friends of my kids) I think to myself, "All this money and this too could be yours." That's right, folks. It's textbook adoption time. Every six years whether we need it or not! Of course, this round's textbook adoption is all about the Common Core standards. Did you know all three textbook presenters said their material was created for the Common Core in mind, and no one else could make that claim? Crazy, right? Did you know all three have famous educators who have worked with their textbook? Unbelievable! Most of all, did you know all our ipad compatible! Blow me away! Okay, so I share with teachers that they should avoid sarcasm with kids, so I will spare the rest of the sarcasm.

But, in all seriousness, you and I both know that the next great textbook adoption isn't going to suddenly make us have 100% of our kids pass the I-READ test or 100% pass ISTEP+ or make adequate growth on NWEA. Please know, I am not anti-textbook, anti-testing, anti-books. But, I have to ask myself, "What is going to increase our reading scores? It is more likely by the way we the use the resources that are available to us. Don't get me wrong. I think all three presenters were genuinely passionate about their product. But, here's the problem. I am genuinely passionate about my students.

What I want doesn't come in the form of a cool textbook, a box of leveled readers, or even an iPad app. Nope, what I want from readers comes from the heart of you, me, the child, and the family. Reading isn't about which phonics skills are taught when. It's not about whether you agree with whole language. It's not about the running record. It's about the amount of time we spend in the reading process.

Give me a stack of books, 20 volunteers, and 20 kids. Now, let's go town. That's what changes readers. My students need to be read to, read with, and listened to each day. When you read to the special child of yours, stop and tell them what you think while you are reading. Model how you solve words. Make a great prediction based on what has happened in the story. Analyze what the author was really trying to say when he was using metaphors.

What would happen if we even took this notion of reading and brought in volunteers into our schools. If you had a group of 25 members from a service organization, community, or business, give just 1 hour a week. That's like adding almost 3 teachers in one day to a school each week. Imagine if all they did was just read with kids. We could change the world!

Swing the bat. Swing the bat. Swing the bat. That's how you create hitters in baseball.
Shoot the free throw. Shoot the free throw. Shoot the free throw. That's how you win ball. Ask IU. Read. Read. Read. That's how you create readers.

Be Their Cheerleader

The last two weeks was state testing in the state of Indiana. Next week is state testing for reading for third grade. Don't worry, in case you missed it, another round hits at the end of April. I could record my recollections on all the testing, the 5Ws and an H (as a good journalist would), but I am going to embark on a conversation that does not required an extended response, a checklist, or even marking a bubble. But, it's the most important part of the test.

But, let's see how well you would do on a test question. It may have been a while since you have taken a test question, so do your personal best.

Directions: Select the answer the best completes the statement.

1. ______ is most important part of the test for our students.
   A. The Right Answer
   B. Confidence
   C. Noting the key words in the sentence.
   D. A and C.

Tricky question, right? But, the correct answer is B.

Confidence is how we change learning from the Inside Out. If we can help our students believe they can achieve, they will. It's really that simple. I have found myself reflecting on how can I be that cheerleader in the classroom upon every time I enter a classroom. While I have many duties, my number one duty is to my children. I feel very fortunate and blessed to carry the burden of impacting the instructional direction for 450 students daily. I have 180 days to support each child in their quest to become a responsible, caring citizen.

I find that I can do that best by being the child's cheerleader. So, for this round of ISTEP+ testing, I took the knowledge of building confidence, episodic memory, and had some fun. I visited each third, fourth, and fifth grade classroom with a cheer Lincoln shirt, knee high black socks, shorts, and a bandanna. You may or may not have seen me standing on a student's desk (yes, I specifically chose the student who I chose to stand on for that extra bump in confidence), and gave them their cheer:
              E-E-E-A-G, L-L-L-E-S, EAG-LES, EAGLES! EAGLES! EAGLES!

That was followed by a 1-2-3 mini lesson on test-taking tips to build confidence. It was not about how to solve a multi-step math program, read a passage, or write a novel. Simply put, it was a quick and easy way to let them know they can be the best they can be. Then, they made a cheer out of it!

Isn't that the job in education? Letting children know they can be the best they can be.
Inside Out. Cheer On!

"Arg!" and "Read!"

"Arg!" Today was the day when I realized the power of one. Today was the day I realized education can be changed from the inside out. I think I have always known this deep down. However, the responsibilities of the educator seemed to be hidden by data warehouses, data mining, forms, reports, and graphs. Yet, beyond the colorful charts are 20 faces in a classroom that are more than reports. They are the future of education. I often become annoyed with the rhetoric and the cliche comments in education, but yet, I am drawn to the infamous pendulum shift of education. Somewhere between data warehouses and students' first there has to be a common middle ground. It is the responsibility of us all to make education what we want it to be. I have a message to send, and I plan to send it.

Read Across America Day celebrates the pure joy of reading. Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday, each classroom across America found unique and creative ways to recognize reading! At Lincoln Elementary School, I chose to celebrate Lincoln readers as one of my favorite literary characters of all time...the infamous and misunderstood Captain James Hook from the Peter Pan author  J.M. Barrie.

The look of joy, excitement, and fun was evident by all students (and staff). This was one of the most fun days I had in my role as an educator. I think it is safe to say that my students and staff had a very enjoyable day during Read Across America Day. Upon returning to school this week, I still see the finger hooks of students, "arg!" being shared, and heard about the favorite stories from the students.

What does this tell me? Two things: One, we can have fun and do school at the same time (who knew!). Second, kids like to see the adults whom they look up to and admire imitate reality and fiction.

We change schools from the Inside Out by bringing literature alive!