Qualities of Success

One of the main goals of every teacher at Belle Plaine is to help kids succeed.  We do all we can to provide them with the skills, knowledge, and preparation to take what they have learned and succeed in life.  More and more however, schools and teachers are being asked to provide some of the instruction when in comes to the morals, values, and character skills needed for success that kids also get from parents, families, friends, and the community.

The information I found the other night as I was surfing the Twitter world had some ideas within it that not only connect with me as a principal, but also as a husband, father, friend, coach, and role model.  The qualities relate to both the professional and personal sides of who I am and who I want to be.

As I usually do, I shared this info with staff and received several responses and I'm glad to hear that several also shared it with students or plan to incorporate the information into a lesson.  Hopefully, there is some qualities and beliefs that can guide you as well.  

The Differences Between Successful People and Unsuccessful People

1. Embrace change vs. Fear change

Embracing change is one of the hardest things a person can do. With the world moving so fast and constantly changing, and technology accelerating faster than ever, we need to embrace what’s coming and adapt, rather than fear it, deny it or hide from it.

2. Want others to succeed vs. Secretly hope others fail

When you’re in an organization with a group of people, in order to be successful, you all have to be successful. We need to want to see our co-workers succeed and grow. If you wish for their demise, why even work with them at all?

3. Exude joy vs. Exude anger

In business and in life, it’s always better to be happy and exude that joy to others. It becomes contagious and encourages other to exude their joy as well. When people are happier they tend to be more focused and successful. If a person exudes anger, it puts everyone around them in a horrible, unmotivated mood and little success comes from it.

4. Accept responsibly for your failures vs. Blame others for your failures

Where there are ups, there are most always downs. Being a leader and successful businessperson means always having to accept responsibility for your failures. Blaming others solves nothing; it just puts other people down and absolutely no good comes from it.

5. Talk about ideas vs. Talk about people

What did we all learn in high school? Gossip gets you nowhere. Much of the time it’s false and most of the time it's negative. Instead of gossiping about people, successful people talk about ideas. Sharing ideas with others will only make them better.

6. Share data & info vs. Hoard data & info

As we all learned in kindergarten, sharing is caring. In social media, in business and in life, sharing is important to be successful. When you share you info and data with others, you can get others involved in what you are doing to achieve success. Hoarding data and info is selfish and short-sighted.

7. Give people all the credit for their victories vs. Take all the credit from others

Teamwork is a key to success. When working with others, don’t take credit from their ideas. Letting others have their own victories and moments to shine motivates them and in the long term, the better they perform, the better you'll look anyway.

8. Set goals and life plans vs. Do not set goals

You can't possibly be successful without knowing where you're going in life. A life vision board, 10 year plan, 3 year forecast, annual strategic plan, and daily goal lists are are useful tools of the mega-successful people in your life. Get your vision and goals down on paper!

9. Keep a journal vs. Say you keep a journal but don’t

Keeping a journal is a great way to jot down quick ideas or thoughts that come to mind that are not worth forgetting. Writing them down can lead to something even greater. You can even use mobile apps or your Notes function in your phone. But don’t fool yourself by saying you keep a journal and not following through.

10. Read every day vs. Watch TV every day

Reading every day educates you on new subjects. Whether you are reading a blog, your favorite magazine or a good book, you can learn and become more knowledgeable as you read. Watching television, on the other hand, may be good entertainment or an escape, but you'll rarely get anything out of TV to help you become more successful.

11. Operate from a transformational perspective vs. Operate from a transactional perspective

Transformational leaders go above and beyond to reach success on another level. They focus on team building, motivation and collaboration across organizations. They're always looking ahead to see how they can transform themselves and others, instead of looking to just make a sale or generate more revenue or get something out of the way.

12. Continuously learn vs. Fly by the seat of your pants

Continuously learning and improving is the only way to grow. You can be a step above your competition and become more flexible because you know more. If you just fly by the seat of your pants, you could be passing up opportunities that prevent you from learning (and growing!)

13. Compliment others vs. Criticize others

Complimenting someone is always a great way to show someone you care. A compliment gives a natural boost of energy to someone, and is an act of kindness that makes you feel better as well. Criticizing produces negativity and leads to nothing good.

14. Forgive others vs. Hold a grudge

Everybody makes mistakes; it’s human. The only way to get past the mistake is to forgive and move on. Dwelling on anger only makes things worse - for you.

15. Keep a “To-Be” list vs. Don’t know what you want to be

A “To-Be” list is a great way to strategize for the future. I want to be an elected official one day. I want to be a TED speaker. I want to be the CEO of a public company. I want to be a great father and husband. Unsuccessful people have no idea what they want to be. If you don’t know what you want to be, how can you achieve success? What do you want to be?

16. Have Gratitude vs Don't appreciate others and the world around you.

Moments of gratitude, each and every one, transform my life each day- and unquestionably have made me more successful and more happy. The people who you are grateful for are often the ones who have a huge part in your success. Be sure to thank everyone you come in contact with and walk with a spirit of gratitude and appreciation and even wonder, about the world around you. Gratitude is the ultimate key to being successful in business and in life.

The Purpose of Tests and Testing

A few days ago I shared this information with teachers for them to use to assess the assessments they give and serve as a guide for them to use to determine if the assessments they use are serving the purpose they intend.  The key for teachers is to use all tests as a formal assessment of the learning that is occurring within the classroom.  Formal assessments involve testing students in the midst of an ongoing instructional unit/sequence and then using the test results to improve or adjust instruction to enhance understanding or the skills or concepts.  Even a test at the end of a unit that is intended to be summative can still be formative when used by the teacher to measure the effectiveness of instruction.  The 10 questions listed below are from a Blog titled, Life Of An Educator by Justin Tarte.  I've included the link because I've found lots of useful information:

Life of an Educator- Justin Tarte

10 questions to ask yourself before giving an assessment

1). What's the point and purpose of the assessment?

2). Is this a preventative check-up (formative) type assessment or an autopsy (summative) type assessment?

3). Did your students have any voice and input into the assessment design and/or assessment process?

4). Are you able to assess more than one learning objective/goal with this assessment or is the assessment isolated to one specific learning objective/goal?

5). Is the assessment aligned to what you are currently teaching in a format similar to the way you've been conducting your instruction?

6). Will you provide multiple assessment formats for students to demonstrate their mastery/skills in a way of their choosing or will there be just one format? 

7). Does the assessment have a learning component to it that supplements the current learning objectives and goals?

8). Does the assessment allow for students to self-assess and track their overall understanding of the content/skills?

9). Are there a wide-range of questions at varying degrees of difficulty? What is the ratio of level 1 basic recall questions to level 4 higher order thinking questions?

10). Will you allow redos of this assessment? If not, please refer back to your answers in questions 1 and 2. Does this affect your decision not to allow redos?

Standards Based Grading and the Flipped Classroom

As you've read on this Blog previously, Belle Plaine science teacher Ricky Kremer is using some innovative teaching and grading strategies this semester in his Physical Science classes.  As with any change it has had its ups and downs.  After nine weeks however students are beginning to get a better idea of how the system/process works and are understanding more what is expected.  One of the key things that IS occurring at a deeper and higher level is LEARNING.  Students can no longer get by on the fluff and minutia that occurs in some classes at other schools.

All staff members at Belle Plaine are in the process of creating web-sites that they will use to share information with students and parents.  Mr. Kremer has worked very hard this semester to communicate with parents about the changes taking place in his classroom.  I have included a link to his web-site below and encourage you to check out the information on his site about Standards Based Grading and Flipped Classrooms.

https://sites.google.com/site/belleplainephysicalscience/

A few other teachers have their sites active as well.  Those can be found at the following link.

http://www.belle-plaine.k12.ia.us/highschool/staff/index.shtml

Please feel free to contact us with ideas or feedback about how we can better communicate.

P/T Conferences at Belle Plaine

Next week on Wednesday and Thursday, March 19th and 20th, Belle Plaine Schools will be holding their spring Parent/Teacher Conferences.  In the fall, attendance at the conferences was outstanding with over 94% attendance.  Our goal this spring is to surpass this mark and possibly shoot for 100% attendance.  A key ingredient for educational achievement is the parent-teacher conference, and to make sure they're successful for both parents and teachers, some advice for effective parent/teacher conferences is listed below.

The first on the list: Show up, please!

We know parents are busy, but it is important to carve out time to invest in your child’s education and ensure success at school.  To get the most out of parent-teacher conferences, parents need to take an active role in their child’s education year-round and come prepared to discuss how their child can reach their full potential.

Get Ready.  Do your homework prior to parent-teacher conferences. Prepare by writing notes to yourself concerning:

◦   Any questions about the school’s programs or policies.

◦   Things you can share with the teacher about your child and his life at home.

◦   Questions about your child’s progress.

Ask Important Questions

Don’t be afraid to engage in a honest conversation with your child’s teacher. Your goal is to develop a plan for your child’s success at school. Good questions to ask the teacher include:

◦   What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses?

◦   How does my child get along with classmates?

◦   Is my child working up to his/her ability? Where could he/she use improvement?

◦   What can we do at home to support what you are doing in the classroom?

Initiate the Plan

Start immediately on the plan you and the teacher put together. Discuss the plan with your child and track their progress. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher throughout the year and keep the communication lines open.

Parental support is one of the most important factors in student achievement.  The support and encouragement from home is extremely important to the overall growth and development of every student.  

"It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings." -Ann Landers

See you all next week!!

PBIS Reward Day at Belle Plaine

PBIS Reward Day

On Friday we held our second school-wide PBIS reward day for students who had successfully demonstrated positive behaviors over the previous month.  During the last hour of the day, all students were able to participate in a a variety a games and activities that were available to them throughout the building.  Students could play board games, cards, bingo, twister, or go to the gym for table tennis, bean bags, or knockout.  The concession stand was also open with free popcorn as well as items for purchase.  

About a month prior to Friday, all students were informed that any student who was received more than one office referral would not be allowed to participate in the reward day.  Also, any student who was tardy for any class period more than two times for an unexcused reason would not be allowed to participate unless they spent at least 15 minutes per tardy with the teacher either before or after school. Any student who had unserved detentions on the afternoon of the February 28th would not be able to participate in the reward activities.  Students who did not meet the requirements to participate in the reward day attended study hall.

Feedback from both students and staff about the afternoon was extremely positive and we hope that students recognize that days like this are a result of their efforts to display positive behaviors. It was a great way to end the week and the month. The PBIS team will meet this week to reflect on the day and begin planning for the March reward day. Each month the team will raise the bar for the students. Thus far the students have responded really well and we are excited about the continued enhancement of our school climate and learning environment.

Information about PBIS

Unfortunately, no magic wand single-handedly works to remove the barriers to learning that occur when behaviors are disrupting the learning community. The climate of each learning community is different; therefore, a one size fits all approach is less effective than interventions based on the needs of each school.

One of the foremost advances in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a piecemeal approach of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and nonclassroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms). Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making targeted behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.

The following diagram illustrates the multi-level approach offered to all students in the school. These group depictions represent systems of support not children:

Advice for Parents of Kids in Activities

Someone at school left this article in my mailbox the other day and after reading it I knew this was good information for many parents who have kids involved in athletics or even in any type of extra curricular activity.  As a coach I observed nearly every one of these habits multiple times and often times the parent or parents don't even realize it's happening.  Having spent a great deal on the coach side of this and worked with and recruited kids who had the parents who were in too deep, I've seen how these behaviors suck the enjoyment out of playing for too many kids.  

Now that my own kids are becoming fully active in youth sports this serves as a good reminder for me as well.  My own advice for parents is to always encourage from the positive aspect.  Tell your kids that mistakes are OK and that without them you won't learn and improve.  Let them know that they can ask for help anytime and you won't criticize or be critical.  My boys both know that I have only three rules when it comes to playing sports.  These are the same three rules I told every team I ever coached before playing a game. 1.) PLAY HARD 2.) PLAY SMART and 3.) HAVE FUN.  Winning was never mentioned as the ultimate outcome for a contest.  My belief was, if the three rules were followed then winning would take care of itself and if we didn't win and still followed the rules then we should be content that we gave our best.  I have told my boys that they don't have to like losing, but when they do, what are they going to do to help them and their teams have a better chance of succeeding in the future. As the article shares below, they first have to have fun if they are truly going to dedicate themselves to an activity.

I hope your able to take something from the ideas below!  

Why Your Child Has Fun In Sports — and You Don’t

2/3/2014

You remember your child’s first game? His first touchdown or tackle? Remember how cute he looked in his little pads or in his flag football uniform? Or how serious he looked as he headed toward the huddle?

It was all so fun at first, wasn’t it?

But sometime between then and now, a very subtle change comes over many sports parents. Perhaps you’ve felt it. Instead of experiencing pure enjoyment at watching your kids play, you now have tinges of stress and uncertainty.

If that’s true, then chances are you’ve developed one or more of these parental habits that can suck the fun right out of watching your child play sports. 

• Having unrealistic expectations of your child. Instead of demanding near perfection from your child, let him make mistakes without fear. Let him not always be on his game. Let him have brain farts. Let him be a kid.
• Comparing your athlete to another athlete. This one is so subtle most parents don’t realize they are doing it. “Look how fast Sammy ran towards the end zone!” “Wow, did you see him catch that pass?” We point out how good another athlete does in hopes of motivating ours to do better. Guess what? It doesn’t work. Your athlete has his own strengths and abilities. Let him excel in those without measuring him up to his teammates.
• Taking the game too seriously. Do you get really really mad at the officials? Do you feel depressed after a loss or after your child has a bad game? Do you pour over your child’s stats and insist that the records be perfect? Do you push your kid so hard that they are starting to push back? These are pretty good indicators that your child’s games have become way too important. Remember, they are called games. They are supposed to be fun.
• Missing the opportunities to laugh. For two years, my daughter was on a volleyball team where the girls laughed a lot when they played. Perhaps they seemed silly to some, but these girls learned a very important lesson that many sports parents need to learn: sometimes you just gotta laugh about your mistakes.  
• Worrying about your child’s performance. The funny thing about worry is that it never once helped my kids play better. It only stressed me out and made watching the game less fun.
• Over-analyzing the game. Learning from the game is one thing; dissecting the coach’s actions,  your child’s performance or the team’s mistakes until you are sick of thinking about them is quite another. As an analytical person, I have lost my appetite, sleep and rationality because I tend to over-think. Sometimes, you’ve just got to let it go. 
• Failing to see the bigger picture. And just what is the bigger picture? That sports are not the end in themselves.  Playing sports brings excitement and recognition. It may even help pay for college and open doors for the future (for a very small %), but nothing will ever be more important than the type of person your child becomes in the process.

I know about these sports fun-suckers because I have done every one of them.  And I have learned there is only one way to beat them: perspective.

 

Take a step back and look at the world outside your child’s sports.  Being too wrapped up in their competition makes parents lose sight of what’s really important in life.

  

With a healthy perspective on the importance of your child’s games, there is not much that beats the fun of watching your kid play sports.  

Janis Meredith, sports mom and coach’s wife, writes a sports parenting blog called JBM Thinks. Check out her Sports Parenting Survival Guide Series with survival guides for football, basketball and volleyball moms.

Enhancing Reading Achievement

Next week we begin Iowa Assessment testing and one of the main indicators of student success on these test is reading.  As the basis for learning, reading ability is absolutely key to student growth and development.  Visiting classrooms this morning I observed several classes with students independently reading.  To some this may seem like the students aren't doing much in class but then when we consider how this time can have such an impact on learning we see the value in the time spent reading.  The key for us as educators at Belle Plaine is to continue to encourage this practice in class and encourage students to make reading a habit rather than a requirement to assignment.  We must guide and challenge students to choose books that capture their mind and encourage them to inquire and question the things they read about and seek to learn more.  

The Effects of Independent Reading on Reading Achievement

Research clearly shows that the reading of meaningful, connected text results in improved reading achievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988; Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkerson, 1985; Elley & Mangubhai, 1983; Ingham, 1981; Taylor, Frye, & Maruyama, 1990).
In one of the most extensive studies of independent reading yet conducted, Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988) investigated a broad array of activities and their relationship to reading achievement and growth in reading. They found that the amount of time students spent in independent reading was the best predictor of reading achievement and also the best predictor of the amount of gain in reading achievement made by students between second and fifth grade.

Among the many benefits of independent reading are the following:

Builds Fluency

Independent reading builds fluency. There is substantial evidence that unless students can accurately and effortlessly deal with the word-identification demands of reading, difficulties will result in comprehension and overall reading achievement (LaBerge & Samuels, 1974). There is also evidence that unless children read substantial amounts of print, their reading will remain laborious and limited in effectiveness (Allington, 1984; Stanovich, 1991). Finally, evidence exists which shows that when students do read substantial amounts of text, their reading performance improves (Bridge, Winograd, & Haley, 1983; Dowhower, 1987; Herman, 1985).

Increases Vocabulary

Independent reading leads to increased vocabulary development. One of the best-established relationships in the field of reading is the very significant relationship between vocabulary development and achievement in reading (Baumann & Kameenui, 1991; Nagy, 1988). There is also evidence that shows that independent reading is probably the major source of vocabulary acquisition beyond the beginning stages of learning to read (Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987; Nagy, Herman, & Anderson, 1985). This same research shows that while the probability of acquiring the meaning of any specific word simply through reading it in the context in which it appears in independent reading materials is not high, students who read widely can learn the meanings of thousands of new words each year.

Builds Background

Independent reading builds background knowledge, or schema. Another extremely well-established research finding is that students' reading ability is dramatically influenced by the amount of interrelated information (schema) they have about the topic about which they are reading (Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Ausubel & Robinson, 1969; Bartlett, 1932). By reading widely, students are exposed to diverse topics and information which they can then use in future reading.