Marshall Memo 769
A Weekly Round-up of Important Ideas and Research in K-12 Education
January 14, 2019
1. An array of response options for school leaders
2. Efficient and effective ways to deal with a busy boss
3. “Trauma-informed” management of student behavior
4. Improving students’ assertiveness about consent
5. High-involvement teaching needn’t burn out teachers
6. Classroom moves that boost learning for students with disabilities
7. Getting maximum value from literacy computer games
8. The impact of eyeglass-wearing on Baltimore elementary students
9. Jennifer Gonzalez on the best classroom tech tools
10. Listening 101
“96% believe they are good listeners and that’s baloney.”
Dan Rockwell (see item #10)
“The message you intended to send is not necessarily the message received.”
David Perlmutter (see item #1)
“Head jailer.”
The title conferred on a disciplinarian principal by a sardonic colleague (see item #3)
“In many classrooms and computer labs, students are expected to ‘sit still’ and ‘pay attention’ for an entire class period or for several hours in a row. For some with disabilities or learning differences, this can be an impossible task.”
Shannon Gilfeather (see item #6)
“There’s the pressure to do test prep, whereas the best test prep in the world is reading. You can spend all kinds of time with list-based vocabulary instruction, but how did you learn all the words you know? Not with flashcards, but simply through meeting those words again and again in different contexts as you read.”
Carol Jago in “Q&A” with Michelle Healy in American School Board Journal,
February 2019 (Vol. 206, #1, p. 50), https://bit.ly/2RFiDw4
“Of course.”
The best response to a request from a superior (see item #2)
“Once you become an academic administrator, one of the most valuable skills you should cultivate is the ability to repeat yourself and still sound fresh and sincere,” says David Perlmutter (Texas Tech University) in this Chronicle of Higher Educationarticle. “Sometimes that’s a relief. It means you need not flail about searching for an entirely new response every time. Similar questions to a similar audience result in similar answers.” Some examples:
•“Thank you for telling me about this. Let me get back to you after looking into it.”The reality is that a conversation or e-mail rarely provides all the facts needed to make a decision, and people sometimes don’t lay all the cards on the table. If the matter doesn’t have an immediate, urgent deadline, take the time to gather information and make a thoughtful decision.
•“We have to follow operating procedure.”This sounds bureaucratic, but with sensitive decisions about hiring, promotion, and dismissal, for example, process matters. “Obviously,” says Perlmutter, “you open yourself up to charges of incompetence, unfairness, and even illegality if you don’t follow your own procedures to the letter.”
•“Let me clarify and confirm.”Perlmutter, a communication professor, says the research in his field is definitive on one thing: The message you intended to send is not necessarily the message received.Smart people can take part in a meeting and walk out with completely different impressions of what was discussed and decided. It’s a good idea to end conversations and meetings with something like, “So, wrapping up, I will do X and you will do Y. Sound good to you?” and then follow up with an e-mail along these lines: “Just to clarify: We covered the following points ---. And just to confirm, I will do X and you will do Y.”
•“What is the outcome you are seeking?”When colleagues ask for something, there is often a hidden agenda, or an ideé fixeabout how things should be done. Asking a few more questions, digging a little deeper about proposed goals and ways of achieving them, can reduce angst later on. “Your job as an academic leader is to solve problems,” says Perlmutter, “but not necessarily in the way people want them solved.”
•“Thanks to everyone for your contributions. Not it’s time to make a decision.”It’s possible to get bogged down discussing an issue – paralysis by analysis – and waste valuable time. One of the leader’s most important jobs is knowing when to bring closure, either by calling for a vote or announcing a decision. “The key,” says Perlmutter, “is to satisfy both yourself and the people involved (or at least a majority) that there was a reasonable process of fact-finding and deliberation leading to your decision.”
In this article in The Cut, Catie L’Heureux suggests some savvy strategies for interacting with a harried superior:
• Start every e-mail with a question and then, if necessary, quickly explain the context. A manager scrolling through scores of e-mails sees only the first few words before moving on, deleting, or responding. Initial words like “Do you think…” “Could we…” “Is it correct that…” or “Will you please confirm…” signal that this is an easy e-mail that can be answered with a Yes or No, greatly increasing the chances of a quick response.
• Replace words like “can you…” or “will you…” with “could you please…” or “would you consider…” “Big-name fashion publicists do this,” says L’Heureux, “and I think it’s one of the reasons they’re on top.”
• With an important, action-forcing matter, front-load urgency in the e-mail, perhaps like this: “Something urgent has come up that I need to discuss with you before Friday. Could we talk tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.?” (this after checking the master calendar to make sure 2:00 p.m. is available).
• If your boss requests that you do a report, here’s an ideal response: “Of course. I can e-mail it to you by 3:00 p.m., a single page focusing on X, Y, and Z. Does that sound right?” Because you’ve said how you’ll do the task and what time you’ll finish it, all the boss has to say is “Yes” or quickly suggest a different approach or timeline.
• When asked to do something by a superior, always respond with “Of course” rather than “No problem” or “Sure.” The first response, says L’Heureux, “makes it sound as if you were already planning to do it.”
“There’s Only One Good Way to E-Mail Your Boss” by Catie L’Heureux in The Cut, November 13, 2018, https://bit.ly/2zdqlDa; L’Heureux is at [email protected].
In this Virginia Journal of Educationarticle, Lauren Dotson (Emory and Henry College) says that as a school leader, she dealt with so many discipline problems that a colleague jokingly called her the “head jailer.” Disturbed by this appellation, Dotson explored the literature on alternative approaches and began to look at disruptive behavior in a different way. Sometimes she and a misbehaving student took a walk around the campus problem-solving together. Sometimes she had students practice “five-finger breathing” or sit for peer mediation. Dotson started asking students what she could do to make their days better. In some cases, questioning revealed that a student had been in an altercation with a family member before school. “My office became a ‘cool-down spot’ rather than a place of punishment,” she says, “a place where students could vent, cry, draw, or simply sit in silence until they were in a better state to process their emotions.”
In extreme cases, the school’s trauma team (a social worker, guidance counselor, therapist, teacher, and administrator) took over, writing a behavior plan and setting up a series of meetings with a counselor or therapist. Some students were referred to other mental health professionals, physicians, or the district’s therapeutic classroom. “During the intervention process,” says Dotson, “either in a regular education or therapeutic classroom setting, students were taught about their brain’s response to stressful triggers, how to calm the brain from a state of survival to one where higher-level learning can occur, and emotion-regulation strategies.” If interventions were effective, students were gradually transitioned back to regular classrooms, sometimes with a one-on-one aide, and teachers and administrators were briefed on strategies that seemed to work with each student.
“Using this approach,” says Dotson, “we saw a noticeable decline in discipline referrals, fewer outbursts from traumatized students, and more students using their strategies… Teachers became so invested in the idea of trauma-informed care that they started a ‘secret mentor’ program, in which each teacher would choose an at-risk student with whom to develop a positive relationship. As a result, more students had a ‘safe’ adult advocate they could reach out to in the building. Our school climate grew much calmer and happier, and adults became more proactive than reactive.”
Dotson goes on to describe a 2011-2016 study of a trauma-informed program implemented in the Buncombe County Schools in North Carolina. The district saw a marked decline in discipline problems and a significant improvement in student achievement.
“A Practical Guide for a Difficult Topic” by Monica Rivera in Education Week, January 9, 2019, https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/01/09/were-teaching-consent-all-wrong.html
In this Chronicle of Higher Educationarticle, Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) and Dana Dunn (Moravian College) say that high-involvement classroom strategies are beneficial for students, but they’re also labor-intensive and potentially exhausting for instructors. Some examples:
“In many classrooms and computer labs, students are expected to ‘sit still’ and ‘pay attention’ for an entire class period or for several hours in a row,” says middle-school teacher Shannon Gilfeather (Spokane Public Schools) in this article in Education Drive. “For some with disabilities or learning differences, this can be an impossible task.” Gilfeather uses five strategies to get all her students “ready, willing, and able to learn”:
• Begin with a mindful minute. When students enter a classroom from the excitement and disruption of a transition, they are not primed to listen and learn. Gilfeather dims the lights, has students sit up straight, put their feet flat on the floor, rest their hands on their legs, close their eyes, and focus on their breathing. “Research shows that when we calm the nervous system,” says Gilfeather, “we move oxygen into the brain, which reduces anxiety and stress. I have found that the mindful minute is the best 60 seconds I spend to help students maximize the amount of learning possible each day.”
• Incorporate movement. Gilfeather uses yoga balls, wiggle seat cushions, and bouncy bands, all of which let students move without making a sound. She’s not a fan of fidget spinners, which can be noisy and distract classmates.
• Take sensory breaks. For some students, a little movement isn’t enough, and they may express anxiety, fear, or depression by becoming aggressive and noncompliant. A good way to prevent such disruptions is to encourage students to take short breaks with a coloring book, a pocket Etch A Sketch, water beads, or a white noise sound machine. “Instead of becoming frustrated and giving up on an activity or lesson,” says Gilfeather, “students learn that by taking a quick break, they can refresh, reset, and return to their seat ready to learn.”
• Build foundational cognitive skills. For some students, an important barrier to attention and focus is gaps in their language and reading skills. These students need intensive, individual practice in target literacy and math skills, perhaps aided by programs like Fast ForWord https://bit.ly/2RMR97M.
“Five Strategies to Help Students with Learning Differences” by Shannon Gilfeather in Education Drive, April 20, 2018, https://bit.ly/2HaVc9L; Gilfeather can be reached at
[email protected](spotted in Education Digest, January 2019)
In this article in The Reading Teacher, Erin McTigue and Per Henning Uppstad (University of Stavanger, Norway) debunk six myths about elementary literacy computer games and suggest how they can be used well:
•Myth #1: Computer games are more motivating than pencil-and-paper activities. “Probably not,” say McTigue and Uppstad, “and beware high initial interest!” Students’ early fascination can quickly wane, and some international studies show lower reading achievement when students play computer games. According to one theory, motivation is driven by three components: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Computer games give students plenty of autonomy, but do less well on competence (students seeing growth and understanding that putting forth effort yields results). Unless teachers are explicit on the learning goals of computer games, students tend to see fun as the goal. As for relatedness, computer games are often a solo, monastic activity, and to prevent this, teachers need to encourage playing with partners and sharing successes with others.
•Myth #2: Students are digital natives and can play games with little instruction. “No, generational status does not ensure technological competence,” say McTighe and Uppstad. “As in most learning situations, a gradual release of framework is optimal.” A good sequence might be introducing a literacy concept without technology, teaching how to use the same, making connections to the literacy skill, and then using the game for practice and reinforcement.
•Myth #3: Computer games are inherently interactive. While there may be some opportunities for interactivity, researchers have found that students tend to play games at warp speed and not use many of their features. What’s more, there’s often little interaction and sharing with other human beings. “Modeling how to interact mindfully with serious games is essential for learning,” say McTigue and Uppstad. “Therefore, the most essential step is coaching students to slow down during play and reflect on their choices. Rushing is kryptonite for even the most robust games.” Teacher thinkalouds are a good way to model deliberate play.
•Myth #4: Students will readily transfer learning from games to reading and writing. Transfer cannot be assumed, say the authors. In fact, it’s one of the biggest challenges for game-based learning. Why is it so difficult for students to transfer learning from a game to reading? One theory is that computer games involve “inert knowledge” – students know something only in the context of a game. “Students can even show growth on tasks with the game,” say McTigue and Uppstad, “but such knowledge stays stuck in that situation and cannot be applied to a new one (e.g., a book).” Another theory is that games are intuitive and students can’t verbalize their learning. To overcome these built-in problems, teachers have to have a good understanding of exactly what type of learning tasks are involved in the computer game – which means playing the game themselves. Second, teachers should embed instructionally substantive games into their overall plan, versus having students play the games parallel to mainstream classroom activities.
•Myth #5: When students play games, teachers are freed up to work with other students. Yes, computer games can serve a classroom management function, but teachers need to take an active role in what students do with games: choosing the right ones, planning, modeling, goal-setting, tracking, and integrating instruction. All this ensures that classes get a real instructional bang for the buck. If tutors, paraprofessionals, or volunteers are available, they can also work with students as they play computer games, which adds instructional value.
•Myth #6: Computer games provide individualized instruction for struggling readers. “No,” say McTigue and Uppstad, “teachers provide instruction, and games provide practice opportunities… Unfortunately, learning games can be overused with below-grade-level readers.” The worst-case scenario is where struggling students end up having less face-to-face interaction with their teachers.
In this article in Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk(JESPAR), Robert Slavin (Johns Hopkins University) and six colleagues report that many disadvantaged students with myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) don’t wear glasses, and this has a negative impact on their reading progress. The researchers believe this is a hidden reason for economic and racial achievement gaps. “Teachers and parents may not be surprised if a disadvantaged child fails to read well,” say Slavin et al., “and may not investigate to find out whether vision problems could be involved in a child’s reading difficulties. In contrast, parents with more financial resources and time may be more likely to make certain their children’s vision has been tested, provide them with glasses if necessary, and encourage their use.”
There are a number of reasons disadvantaged students who need glasses aren’t using them on a regular basis:
To fill this gap, Slavin and colleagues conducted a study in 12 Baltimore City elementary schools. Of 317 second and third graders who had their vision checked, 182 needed glasses (of those, 40% said they had been given glasses in the past, but only 6 percent had their glasses with them). The researchers took the following steps to ensure that all students who needed glasses would wear them on a regular basis:
“96% believe they are good listeners and that’s baloney,” says Dan Rockwell in this Leadership Freakarticle. He quotes Stephen Covey: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
Being a good listener conveys respect and appreciation, says Rockwell. To be a better listener, we need to interrupt less, talk less, and listen to ask a question. The unspoken questions in a good listener’s mind: What do you wish I understood better? What are you glad that I understand about you? What are you thinking and feeling right now?“Take people seriously and they’ll think before they speak,” Rockwell concludes.
© Copyright 2019 Marshall Memo LLC
About the Marshall Memo
Mission and focus:
This weekly memo is designed to keep principals, teachers, superintendents, and other educators very well-informed on current research and effective practices in K-12 education. Kim Marshall, drawing on 48 years’ experience as a teacher, principal, central office administrator, writer, and consultant lightens the load of busy educators by serving as their “designated reader.”
To produce the Marshall Memo, Kim subscribes to 60 carefully-chosen publications (see list to the right), sifts through more than a hundred articles each week, and selects 5-10 that have the greatest potential to improve teaching, leadership, and learning. He then writes a brief summary of each article, pulls out several striking quotes, provides e-links to full articles when available, and e-mails the Memo to subscribers every Monday evening (with occasional breaks; there are 50 issues a year). Every week there’s a podcast and HTML version as well.
Individual subscriptions are $50 for a year. Rates decline steeply for multiple readers within the same organization. See the website for these rates and how to pay by check, credit card, or purchase order.
Website:
If you go to http://www.marshallmemo.comyou will find detailed information on:
• How to subscribe or renew
• A detailed rationale for the Marshall Memo
• Publications (with a count of articles from each)
• Article selection criteria
• Topics (with a running count of articles)
• Headlines for all issues
• Reader opinions
• About Kim Marshall (bio, writings, consulting)
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• The current issue (in Word and PDF)
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Core list of publications covered
Those read this week are underlined.
All Things PLC
American Educational Research Journal
American Educator
American Journal of Education
AMLE Magazine
ASCA School Counselor
District Management Journal
Ed. Magazine
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
Educational Horizons
Educational Leadership
Elementary School Journal
English Journal
Essential Teacher
Exceptional Children
Go Teach
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Educational Review
Independent School
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk (JESPAR)
Kappa Delta Pi Record
Knowledge Quest
Language Arts
Literacy Today (formerly Reading Today)
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Middle School Journal
Peabody Journal of Education
Phi Delta Kappan
Principal
Principal Leadership
Reading Research Quarterly
Responsive Classroom Newsletter
Rethinking Schools
Review of Educational Research
School Administrator
School Library Journal
Social Education
Social Studies and the Young Learner
Teaching Children Mathematics
Teaching Exceptional Children
The Atlantic
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Journal of the Learning Sciences
The Language Educator
The Learning Professional (formerly Journal of Staff Development)
The Reading Teacher
Theory Into Practice
Time Magazine