Author: Bret Olson

JV Volleyball – A Model of Excellence

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This past week I spent all day Thursday watching CAISSA volleyball in the newly improved Athletic Center as the “site coordinator” and it couldn’t have been a more enjoyable experience.  Before I start, I just want to say that we received a lot of positive comments about our facilities and the experience we were able to offer for this tournament due to having access to three nice courts.  Our Athletic Center truly is a celebration for this school and we are lucky to have such a fine space available to us!

As you may or may not know our Junior Varsity teams were asked to play in this Varsity-level tournament to add one more game experience to the mix for those teams who’ve traveled from afar.  As I watched the opening ceremonies and introductions I started to grow concerned, not only for our JV teams’ egos but also for their safety!  Some of the players from these other schools are very physically gifted and were quite intimidating to watch play (this coming from a former volleyball player!)  However, none of that seemed to matter to our young JV players (mostly middle schoolers and freshmen) as they stepped on the court and matched up against juniors and seniors.  Perhaps their inexperience created an air of blissful ignorance but I think it was something deeper inside of our kids that allowed them to face such stiff competition with grace.

The challenge our young JV students faced was certainly steep and in all reality it was a next to impossible task for them to win any matches against such strong and experienced competition.  However, that being said, our JV students came to play every single game!!  I don’t just mean they showed up and went through the motions, that would’ve almost been understandable considering their position, but they played their hearts out every point of every game!  Our JV girls team pulled out two one-game victories throughout their matches, they were gut-wrenching wins that will most certainly last in these girls’ hearts and minds for a long time to come.  Shortly after the girls’ first motivating win our JV boys made a run at an upset of their own, taking the ECA boys all the way to a 31-29 finish (a normal game ends at 25 but you must win by two).  The grit and determination demonstrated by these young student-athletes was inspiring to say the least; they never gave up, they never hung their heads 🙂

The smiles, the determination, and the hard work that our JV student-athletes exhibited during this tournament should be praised and celebrated.  This tournament was never going to be easy for these kids but they pressed on and worked through even the most difficult situations with a grace and energy that reflects a culture that we’ve established here at AC.  From their coaches who led them and worked with them continuously throughout the season, to Ms. Darson and her leadership in the athletic department, to the varsity teams’ great examples, to their parents and other supporters along the way, these kids have learned an attitude and work ethic that will help to make them successful in whatever they choose to do in the future.  This is the model and example of our school that I know stands as the rule instead of merely an exception!

Our staff and students come to school every day to work hard and achieve more than just academic success.  Both groups face challenges on a regular basis and despite those hurdles we continue to watch as our students learn and our staff grows professionally.  What we’ve become as a community was demonstrated on a microcosmic level this weekend by our young JV volleyball teams, they represented our community better than anyone could’ve asked.  We’re a determined and hard working community, we strive for success always, and never turn our backs on a challenge.  This is a wonderful community and one that we should all be proud to represent.

Grit and Growth Mindset…Necessities!

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The other day a teacher walked into my office with some questions about student learning goals.  He wanted to teach his students “grit” and find a way to measure their growth.  I have to be honest, this was one of the most exciting educational conversations I’ve had this year.  When he left my office I was off and running on an uncontrollable urge to re-read all of the grit articles I had bookmarked and re-watch all of the related videos…it’s just too inspiring!

If you’re unfamiliar with the character strength called “grit”, then I strongly urge you to stop right now and watch this TED talk by Angela Duckworth, it is only 6:09 long and not shockingly has only 7.3 Million views…more people need to see this!!

For those of you who are in that 7 million plus viewer group, you’re already a convert…I’m sure of it!  The idea of “grit” and the data coming out of the research is just too impactful to ignore.  However, as Duckworth points out, there’s a problem…we (humans) still aren’t 100% sure of how to teach grit.  In her TED Talk, Duckworth points out that Carol Dweck’s concept of the growth-mindset is likely the best available theory for approaching the teaching/learning of grit.  If you’re not familiar with Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset then…stop and watch this now!  

Growth Mindset is something that is so crucial to success that it just can’t be ignored.  There are, of course, very successful people who’ve never learned a Growth Mindset but there is just too much evidence that shows how having a Growth Mindset and believing in “the power of yet” can change someone’s life.  

The implications for “grit” and Growth Mindset for educators (and parents) are astronomical.  It may require slowing down a bit in class, taking time to help students “relearn” material, or adjusting our practice as educators.  Rick Wormeli, a former Disney Teacher of the year and one of the first Nationally Certified Teachers in the USA, speaks about the implications of the Growth Mindset for our classrooms.  This video is an absolute must watch for all educators, no question about it!  No matter if you’ve seen this video before or not, please watch it and contemplate the implications for your classroom.  

Our role as educators is extremely important.  The tasks we are charged with are many but the most important of all is the future success of our students.  “Grit” and Growth Mindset are two of the factors that research has shown to dictate success in life; how do these two things fit into your classroom?

The Importance of Celebration in the Classroom

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During our Learning Walks a few weeks ago we focused on the idea of celebration and kept a specific eye out for all the amazing things happening in classrooms.  In quick visits to the classroom it’s not realistic for us to see all of the ways that people are celebrating their students and the learning that is happening.  However, we are able to see so many wonderful things happening that we decided we wanted to celebrate you and all of your hard work!  

The importance of celebration in the classroom is something that is often overlooked in the planning process.  With so many other pieces to coordinate and account for, there is a lot to do to get ready for a successful class.  However, celebration can not and should not be overlooked if you want to create a truly positive culture and community in your classroom.  Take the Marzano Teacher Toolkit as an example of the importance of celebration.  There is no doubt about the amount of research that Robert Marzano has put into his work and he includes the reflective question “What do I typically do to celebrate success?” as Element 3.  So, today I challenge you to ask that question of yourself…

As the first quarter has come to a close and reports have just gone home, we have a lot to celebrate (starting with a much deserved 4 day weekend!)  Our students have made it through the start of another school year and they’ve done it (for the most part) with grace.  Some of our students have learned the importance of grit and how to fail.  Others still need to perfect the art of failing and the resilience that goes along with it.  If you’re not one of the 7 million plus people who has watched Angela Duckworth’s Ted Talk about the importance of Grit I urge you to do so soon, it’s fantastic!  However, I digress…celebration is the agenda item today – Our students are worth a lot of celebrations and so are you!

In the High School meeting on Wednesday we started out with the “Shout-Outs” protocol and it went very well, so well that I’m worried there were still more celebrations to share…we’ll continue this practice next time we meet and MS teachers we’ll implement it soon 🙂  This is a powerful tool for celebrating in your classes as well, teach your students and get them celebrating each other (especially after group work or other situations where their classmates were involved in their learning.)  Another great tool is one that I came across while searching for student support resources but it totally applies to everyone, it’s called “The Fridge”.  A great way for students to be recognized and recognize their own hard work at the same time, the best part is that it’s voluntary!  

I love the idea of student self-reflection and even more so when it focuses on the positive.  Have a look at this video (it’s only 1 minute 20 seconds!) to see another great way of recognizing students’ “shining moments”.  How could you implement something like this in your classroom?  At the bottom of a rubric like this teacher?  As an exit ticket at the end of class?  As a blog post?  Maybe a comment on Edmodo.  Self-reflection is an incredibly powerful tool and a discussion for another time; today focus on how you can implement more celebration into your classroom.

Here’s to all of you and the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing 4 day weekend!!

Positive School Culture: The Importance of School Spirit

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There is an exciting week ahead at AC!  Saturday is the PTO Family Fun Run and all of next week is a school-wide Spirit Week sponsored by the High School Student Council.  Personally, I couldn’t be more excited to dig through my closet and come up with some spirit-wear for the week…it’s going to be awesome!!  

School spirit doesn’t depend solely on a positive school culture but these two things are most certainly correlated.  We’ve worked hard at Academia Cotopaxi to build a positive school culture.  Whether thinking about the collegial atmosphere in the staff room or the positive student relationships, AC has a great vibe and is a positive place to learn and work.  We’ve introduced the “I See AC” uniform policy this year, in part to increase the sense of school spirit among our students.  I’d love to see the ‘battle’ over uniform become a thing of the past, with our students so proud of their school that a uniform is a badge of honor instead of a nuisance!

This weekend we have the PTO Fun Run happening.  Our parents have worked very hard to create a wonderful community event that will bring together students and families for a wonderful morning of exercise and community building.  The beautiful t-shirts designed by one of our very own high school students have sold out!  The amount of people clamoring to get their hands on these shirts is inspiring, the sense of spirit behind the Fun Run is exactly the kind of feeling we want to be generating here at AC!

All of next week, for what I think is the first time in a very long time, we will have a school-wide Spirit Week.  This event was put together by our High School Student Council.  Their vision was an event that brought the whole community together to celebrate our amazing school.  Each day has been well thought out, with all age levels considered.  The grade level that shows the most spirit throughout the week will even be rewarded with an ice cream party in the future…yum!

The importance of school spirit on the learning environment has been well documented but it’s important role is frequently over-looked.  In fact, some of the people who believe most strongly in the power of school spirit are the students themselves!  An interesting paradox often arises amongst our teenagers as they struggle between ‘fitting-in’, ‘being cool’, and ‘standing out’.  As some of the most important adults in their life, one of the best things we can do is model the behavior we would like to see from them.  To that end, we need to demonstrate school spirit for our students and continue to build the positive atmosphere that will lead to, not only a happier school, but also a more productive learning environment.

So, come on out to the PTO Fun Run and show your spirit.  Join the run (even if you missed the early sign up, you can still run!)  It begins at 8:30 with registration starting at 8:00.  If running isn’t your thing, then be sure to join for the free breakfast beginning at 9:30.  It’s a great way to get your Saturday started and a fantastic way to support our PTO’s efforts to brighten our community!  Finally, start rummaging through your closets and planning your outfits for next week…let’s be the best dressed ‘class’ out there next week 🙂

Monday:  Pajama Day

Tuesday:  Nationality Day

Wednesday:  Fandom Day (Who are you a fan of?  Sports teams, People you admire (Einstein), etc.)

Thursday:  Wacky Day (Crazy hair, clashing clothes, backwards clothes, etc.)

Friday:  Costume Day (Book characters are best, please nothing too scary!)

Learning Beyond Academics

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This past week sure has been busy and a good microcosm of the school year as a whole so far.  Wednesday in the High School was PSAT testing for the 10th and 11th graders and Group 4 project time for the Seniors.  I was lucky enough to spend my time working with the 9th grade class during this time and we had a blast working as a whole grade level group!  Our 9th grade class is certainly a strong bunch but they are also very nervous about what the future holds for them.  As they look to the future and see college looming they begin to quake ever so slightly.  What are they most worried about?  Academic success?  Yes, certainly.  However, they’re beginning to realize that they’re going to have to make it in this big, scary world on their own and they’re curious about what they have termed “life-skills”.  This revelation has made me step back and think, “what are we doing to prepare our kids to become ‘free-range’ adults?”

Our 9th grade students, when asked what they’re most interested in for mentor time lessons, overwhelmingly said ‘life skills’…but where to start?  And, is four years really enough time to teach them all they need to know?  So we started here, close to home, in our community.  The focus was on community building and the importance of communicating effectively with those around you.  We had lessons on introducing yourself professionally, engaging in conversation with new acquaintances, and discussed the importance of understanding differences (cultural or otherwise.)  Our aim was to start working through some of the things that just don’t seem to get taught within the course of a normal workload during the school day.  This all culminated in a huge pot-luck brunch (life skill: following a recipe and cooking) which allowed them to practice and improve their conversation and community skills, it was awesome and the feedback from the kids is that they really enjoyed and took a lot away from this opportunity.

Take a moment, no matter what level you teach, and think back to your days in school.  Think back beyond university or high school if possible.  Who was that teacher who had the biggest impact on your time in school?  Maybe there are a few names that come up.  Now, WHY did their name come to you so quickly?  What was it that they did to make you remember them after all of these years?  I have a strong feeling that it wasn’t something academic, they may have had a huge impact on your academic success but I would guess that their impact wasn’t specifically academic in nature.  They probably influenced you in more of a ‘life skills’ sense.  In your classroom there are plenty of opportunities for teaching students skills that will transcend your subject area and stay with them further on in their lives.  

Have a look at this article, it’s an interesting view on some things that we may or may not explicitly teach our students during their academic time (some may be more relevant to our context than others.)  How can lessons like these be incorporated into the things you do on a daily basis?  I would also suggest that there are a lot more ‘life skills’ being taught every day in your classes…what are some of those skills?  I’d love to hear from everyone about the amazing opportunities that our students have to grow beyond the classroom!

Take the Leap, Get Connected!

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For the last four years I was living in Shanghai, stuck behind The Great Firewall of China, and it was frustrating!  The government restricted internet access to the sites that they wanted people to view and nothing else.  This meant that social media sites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and many blogs were considered off limits.  Fortunately for communication purposes with my family and friends back home I was able to find a way to access Facebook 🙂  An even better break was that I learned to access and take advantage of Twitter and blogging as a tool for professional growth.

Over the last few years I have slowly built my Personal Learning Network (PLN) in what, I’ve come to realize, is a very close knit and supportive educational network organized on social media sites.  It was no accident that I came to be involved in this network, it was very intentional and motivated by the tremendous amount of articles I was reading about Twitter for educators.

As I continued to read about the power of social media, specifically Twitter, as a tool for educators to grow professionally I realized I needed to investigate further.  I started my Twitter account and began lurking, it was intimidating for a long time, so I just kind of watched.  Then things slowly started to come clear and Twitter became a tool for my personal growth.  At the height of my use I was interacting with people all over the world on a regular basis including standing, hour-long, Twitter chats twice a week.  I’ve slowed down a bit with the transition to a new job but I continue to use Twitter as a resource for professional growth.  The power of social media to help educators find the tools, resources, and support needed to grow in a very individualized way is truly inspiring.

Next week we will hold our first SIPs of the year and I will be offering a SIP on getting your Twitter network up and running.  I plan to supplement this session with follow ups and perhaps more intermediate level sessions in the future.  If you could use a solid resource for growing as a professional, come check out my SIP.  If you’re at all intrigued but just not sure of how or what to do, please come to this session.  If you’ve heard of this “Twitter thing” and just want to learn more about the possibilities, come investigate!!

This past summer by PLN led me to some amazing opportunities that, without Twitter, I would’ve never discovered.  I attended a free edcamp, I was given a free book and wrote a review for Middleweb, and I was able to meet some of my virtual PLN friends in real life…it was really cool!!  I’m still learning, growing, and expanding my PLN – the process will never end.

At this point in time, with the power of the internet and social media, there’s just too many amazing ideas out there for you NOT to go explore and discover.  Take the leap, get connected.

The Pursuit of Positive

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We’ve had students in our classes for six weeks now and in some ways it seems like just yesterday that we were coming back from summer.  Classes are in full swing, multiple assessments have already happened, and we’re talking about first quarter reports and comments.  School is in full swing and while we all love our jobs, things can definitely get stressful and even a bit overwhelming.  

Fortunately we have a small reprieve coming next week in the way of a three-day weekend and a chance to get out of the city and enjoy a few days of relaxation.  Before we get too far ahead of ourselves I’d like to share a few ideas for helping to continue pushing a growth mindset in our classrooms.  Not only is this way of thinking the best way to help our students grow but it is also a great tool for helping ease the anxiety and stress that comes from consistently working with all of these growing, changing, and (at times) awkward teenagers.

We’ve all surely heard of the placebo effect and the power of this phenomenon.  While it is most often discussed in the context of medicine, there is a lot of evidence that supports the power of the mind as a tool to help students grow in school.  The power of positive thinking has many implications in the classroom.  I’d like to share a couple different articles about how this might look in your work with your students.

This first piece discusses the importance of positive relationships in the classroom and just how powerful they can be in the pursuit of student learning.  The article speaks, briefly, about the science behind positive thinking, the necessity for sincere interactions with students, and the importance of character.  It comes from Mind/Shift, a blog focused on the “future of learning.”

The second piece comes from a wonderful blogger, Elena Aguilar, whose articles are regular reading for me.  She blogs for edutopia.org and is a Transformational Leadership Coach in Oakland, California.  In this piece Elena discusses a strategy that will help you as a teacher to manage stress and at the same time build resilience. Focusing on the positives, no matter how small, will help foster positive interactions and improved classroom performance.  As Elena says, “The good news about our brains is that we can rewire them. We can train them to notice the positive.”

Mindset research and its impact on education is a topic for another day but these two articles are a very interesting segment of the Mindset conversation. Enjoy those articles and as an additional bonus have a look at this inspirational video about a young man, Austin Hatch, who has one of the most tremendous stories ever…it’s 15 minutes or so, watch until the end, it’s absolutely amazing…I promise it won’t disappoint!

“Feedforward” not back!

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Making the transition to a new teacher feedback tool, while slow and often cumbersome, is an exciting process.  As a new member of this community I have no previous experience with teacher feedback at Academia Cotopaxi.  However, over the last couple years I’ve made the supervision and evaluation process a professional focus of mine.  It’s an incredibly powerful tool for improving student learning and the conversations that come from frequent classroom visits and follow up conversations are, honestly, one of my favorite parts of my job.

As a former Language Arts teacher, I often equate the process of teacher supervision to helping students with the writing process.  Being the outside observer, there is only so much one can do to push the process forward.  Just as I was never the one doing the actual writing, I can’t dictate where the classroom (or story) goes.  The goal of the supervision process is much the same as guiding a writer; through observations and conversations we hope to lead a teacher through a reflective process that allows them to grow and improve as a teacher…leading to an overall better story of success in the classroom.

At the end of the day the process of reflecting and growing as a teacher shouldn’t really be any more work than normal.  Through reflective conversations we hope to help teachers think about their classroom and the teaching process on a deeper level by providing ‘outside’ observations and feedback.  Similar to how you might guide a writer through the reflective process of revising a piece of writing, the aim of teacher supervision is to take something that is already well developed and help move it to the next level.  We’re all working every day to grow and be better at what we do, having someone along to help with the reflective process shouldn’t create more work but rather ensure that the process of reflecting is an even more valuable use of your time.

We’re currently at the beginning stages of the reflective process (as far as our school year is concerned) and have been asked to self-assess and set some goals for professional growth.  I recently read a fantastic blog post about the concept of “feedforward” as opposed to the over-used “feedback”.  The concept is simple, instead of focusing on the past, look forward instead.  The concept of feedforward is rooted in the idea that growth should be driven not by the supervisor looking from the top down but rather from our own goals and desire to improve.  In the context of “feedforward” the goal setting process becomes even more important, as the goal(s) you choose will have a direct correlation to your growth throughout the school year.  Have a look at this fantastic post, it’s not too long and written with educators in mind (it’s from edutopia.com)  As you go through the self-assessment and goal setting process please keep the idea of “feedforward” in your mind; the power of growth comes from within.  

This great quote from the blog post says it all (and sounds very similar to what we hope to see with students in the classrooms):

“Feedforward means that teachers are not simply empty vessels waiting to be filled, but change agents waiting to be launched.”

Good luck and happy reflecting 🙂

A New Year, A New School…Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador

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It was an amazing summer, filled with a whirlwind finish as my youngest sister got married (the wedding was two days before our departure to Ecuador).  However, it seems like ages ago.  We’ve been here for just over three weeks now but we’ve jumped right into the mix and summer is a distant memory already.

After a little more than two weeks at Academia Cotopaxi I couldn’t feel more welcome!!  I’m tempted to say “I couldn’t feel more at home” but I realize that the ‘home’ feeling takes time, so for now I’ll stick with feeling welcome.  Making a transition to a new school/company is always difficult but add in the extra stress of moving to a new country and the level of difficulty is multiplied exponentially.

Thankfully we’ve hit the ground running here at AC.  Quito is high up in the Andes mountains (more than 9000 ft.) but the obvious lack of oxygen hasn’t prevented anyone from being extremely positive.  During our time with the returning teachers we were consistently invited to join any number of events and activities, all of which showed us a piece of Quito, gave us new experiences and introduced us to new people.  Being welcomed into a new community with such gusto is more than anyone could ask for as they make such a huge transition like moving from China to Ecuador.  

The students here at AC, as everywhere I’ve been, are amazing.  They’ve encouraged me as I’ve stumbled through learning over 300 names in just one week (I even received a standing ovation from one student when I finally got his name correct after about 20 mistakes…they’ve had such patience with me!)  The returning students here have welcomed new students so warmly that I have at times mistaken new students for returners because of the sheer number of friends surrounding them at lunch and break.  It is a truly welcoming group of students, astounding really!

All of this, however, pales in comparison to the interactions I have witnessed over the last week as everyone has welcomed new special needs students into the community.  As an inclusive school we are working to make AC as diverse a learning community as possible.  The staff, students, and overall community couldn’t be a more welcoming and inclusive group…awesome!!  I couldn’t be more excited for the years ahead working with this amazing selection of educators and students.

As the school year unfolds I will continue to write about the professional experiences at AC as well as share other important learnings.  There is always a lot to learn but being new makes it even easier to find opportunities to grow and improve 🙂

My EdCamp Leadership Experience

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Five out of my last six summers have been spent either in Bethlehem, PA at Lehigh University or in Miami at the PTC.  However, having already completed my goals at those fine institutions I figured that this summer I’d focus on spending time with family and friends instead of racing from one spot to the next.  That being said, and as I mentioned in my last 2 Cents post, I still had professional learning plans for the summer.

I’m about half way through The Multiplier Effect and the #admin2b Twitter Chats have been excellent, even though I missed a couple due to travel.  More to come on that when I’ve finished the book.

Similarly, I’m rolling along nicely on Insights:  How Expert Principals Make Difficult Decisions which I’m reviewing this summer for Middleweb.com.

Today, I want to reflect on the amazing experience I had yesterday at the edCamp Leadership unconference in Chicago.  This was my first unconference and it far exceeded my already high expectations!  For those who’ve never been…basically when you show up there is no schedule, this gets set during the first half hour or so as people bring ideas forth (or share on a Google Doc) and offer up different topics.  For the most part these are discussion sessions instead of teaching or “sage on the stage” style presentations.

The edCamp Leadership idea has been around for a while but this was the first year that it was coordinated on such a grand scale.  There were 17 sites around the country involved on the same date, at the same time.  #edcampldr was on fire all day long as people shared all the amazing learning that was happening at their specific sites.  I attended in Chicago where we were hosted by the amazing crew at East Leyden High School, huge shout out to them!

At each session there was something new for me, from personalized learning to, standards based grading, to Google Hangouts, even the session about “Getting Started in a New District” was interesting as I’m preparing to move into my new school, Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador.  The insights and perspectives that were shared throughout the day were eye-opening for me in many ways.  As someone who’s been working in international schools more than US schools throughout my career I don’t always identify with the struggles that US based educators present.  However, during EdCamp Leadership the conversations weren’t about state laws, unions, or political mumbo jumbo; every discussion I heard was focused on being a better educator for the benefit of the students.  It didn’t matter if someone was working in a school in Illinois, Wisconsin, China, or Mars…it was all about the kids, anyone could follow these conversations.

Along with all the wonderful professional learning that was happening throughout the day I was excited to meet some of the amazing educators who I’ve been following on Twitter for the last couple years.  Having been in China and struggling to access the internet at times, let alone social media, many of these outstanding educators have been my source of professional information, whether they knew it or not.  It was inspiring to meet so many wonderful educators, it was truly an all-star lineup of educational leaders from the midwest region!

Finally, and perhaps the biggest take away for me, was the amazing connections that all of these educational leaders had already established…many without ever meeting face to face!  Lots of these people were clearly friends prior to this unconference but it was shocking to learn that so many of them had, so far, only met via Twitter, Voxer, or some other form of social media.  These educators, who previously may have functioned in isolation at their respective schools had found friends, mentors, and resources without leaving the comfort of their homes or schools.  The collegial atmosphere and laughter at lunch time and throughout the day was inspiring beyond words, awesome stuff.

EdCamp Leadership was my first edcamp but it most definitely won’t be my last!!  I look forward to maintaining the connections I made yesterday and as I continue to learn from these amazing educators.  If you’ve ever thought about attending an edcamp then stop hesitating and get moving…have a look here for edcamps coming up near you.