April 15

I love the quote to the right to remind ourselves that we will fail sometimes as we work with new instructional strategies, technology, etc! In my eyes the only way we fail is if we are not trying something new to support our move to 21st century learning and CCSS. So, keep at it and give yourself permission not to be perfect! Guess what, SBAC Testing probably will not go perfectly either but we will prepare ourselves and our kids all we can, then learn from our experience! That is what being a lifelong learner is all about! Keep up the great work stretching your comfort zones!

How to Coach for Equity (from a blog)

Recently, I suggested that all coaches should be coaches for equity (see this blog post)--that it is our moral obligation and that if we aren't coaching for equity we are complicit in reproducing an inequitable system. I want to offer some concrete ways in which we can coach teachers and leaders within our education system to build more equitable classrooms and schools.

What does it mean to be a coach for equity? I've landed on five broad domains which encompass coaching for equity: What you see in schools, where you look, who you listen to, your self awareness, and finally, what you say about what you see and hear. In each of these areas there are specific actions that a coach for equity takes. This blog will discuss what you see and where you look.

It's What You See

Where does your gaze settle when you walk in to a classroom? Is it on the teacher and whatever he/she is doing? Is it on the students who are on-task or off-task? What draws your attention?

As a coach for equity, I scan the room for any child who seems left out, cast out, under-served or under-performing; for those who are socially, emotionally or academically not succeeding; for the vulnerable who need us to huddle around and help them get through childhood. Those are the children I look at first. I also see through a lens of power and systemic oppression because my gaze lands first on the children who may come from communities that have been disenfranchised for centuries, the children who may have more hurdles to jump across.

Then I pay attention to how the person with authority (usually the teacher) relates to these children. These highlight the first two indicators of equity in a classroom. I have been in more classrooms than I can count where when I walk in the door, the first thing I see--right by the door--is a "time out" chair occupied by a black or brown male. The inequity stares me in the face. The symbolism of being by the door calls for a re-labeling of so called "drop outs"--I see those who may one day drop out being pushed out in the first, third, fourth grade. I have seen the same in the front office of many schools--black and brown boys (and a fair number of black girls) also being pushed out, waiting to be picked up because of a behavioral infraction. As a coach for equity, I take note of this.

When I go into classrooms, I also notice the following:

• Who is the teacher calling on? And are those students the "successful" ones? Or are they from the group of disengaged boys in the back of the class? And what is the nature of that interaction between the teacher and the students? If the teacher does call on one of those boys, is the interaction positive, neutral or negative?

• If students are doing group work, is every child meaningfully involved? Do they all have input into the work? Do they each contribute? Are each child's contributions appreciated and valued? How do students speak to each other? And are any students treated differently because they are perceived as being different?

• English Learners struggle in many ways when their learning needs aren't met. So I pay attention to how they are given access to the content and curriculum, how their specific language needs are met, and perhaps most importantly, whether they speak at all. We know that ELs need to speak a lot to become proficient in English, but I've been in dozens of classrooms in dozens of schools where many ELs can go an entire week without a single opportunity to speak. So I notice--who speaks? What do they say? How does the teacher respond?

In order to "see" inequities, you really need to know something about where to look--this is also part of the seeing. In other words, you need to have some information about what the inequities are in your school, district, state, and in your country. This information can be found in performance data, attendance rates, graduation rates, participation in AP classes, and so on. You'll usually have to disaggregate data in order to see the equity issues in your school and district. Look at the data by gender, race or ethnicity, English proficiency levels, socio-economic levels, and by students with disabilities of all kinds. You need to hone your ability to see inequities.

SBAC- HERE WE COME!!!

A few reminders as we jump into another

week with a smile ☺

· Please remember that ALL smart phones must have the wifi disabled. When smart phones are online using wifi during testing, it can cause the testing computers to be kicked offline.

· All laptops using wireless and tablets not being used for testing must be offline. When laptops are online during testing, it can cause the testing computers to be kicked offline.

· Please check the Testing schedule carefully. If you come across any problems, let me know so that we can address them prior testing.

· Please plug in all Chromebooks upon completing the test and have them ready to go!! They will ALL be shared among ALL 3rd-8th grades!

· PLEASE let me know if you are having an issue IMMEDIATELY and know that I can’t be in more than one place but I will GET THERE!!

*Progress Reports: due to me on April 28th. Send progress reports home on May 4.

Primary literacy window: April 25-May 20

STAR reading: May 9-20

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Sarah, Patty, and Christina for being there for Carol during a very difficult loss in her family.

Play: Thank you Sarah and ALL teachers and staff that came out to be part of our HAPPY video to kick off our SBAC testing!! Way to have some fun!!

Choose your attitude: 

To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Mrs. Ryan and I get to take 12 boys to the Tim Brown Mentor camp in Sacramento. We get to make their day!!