Desire + Effort = Achievment

I attended an incredible workshop on Thursday, sponsored by the Galileo Teacher Leadership Academy. Jon Saphier, of Research for Better Teaching, Inc. (http://www.rbteach.com) presented about the essential role of teacher leaders in high functioning teams. Dr. Saphier spoke candidly about the role of teacher leaders in school improvement efforts, classroom instruction, and professional learning communities.Dr. Saphier has studied high performing schools for many years. He has found that when schools convey hope to all students about the promise of education and the capacity of each of them to develop their abilities, student achievement significantly increases. He says “Smart is something you can get” and has seen what happens when schools learn and practice strategies to help kids believe in themselves.

Most people can think of something that they feel they are not good at, and most can identify a specific incident that lead them to believe that they were not good at it. We all were asked to think of something that we were not good at. I am not good at softball. I cannot throw the ball, and when at the plate I either strike out or hit the ball to first base. My first memory of feeling that I was not good at softball was in PE class in elementary school. I remember the snide comments and snickers from my classmates, and after that I avoided softball whenever I could. Perhaps if I would have spent more time playing catch and learning how to hit the ball, I would have gone on to play ball in high school and beyond.

The purpose for this activity was to help us all see the importance of instilling hope in our students when they make mistakes or do not perform well. If it is a belief of teachers and students that making mistakes is a normal and expected part of the learning process, then our students would keep trying if given support and encouragement. If we could change the internal belief of students who think they are innately unable to perform at high academic levels, then we would be able to accomplish great things every day.

Dr. Saphier showed video clips of teachers and students during a lesson, and asked us to notice the teacher’s responses to student answers. The teacher skillfully used appropriate responses to award student thinking….even when students gave the wrong answers. The students verbalized their thoughts and commented on their classmates’ ideas. The classroom was truly a community of learners, due to the skillful practices of the teacher. The teacher gave encouragement, praised good thinking, validated students who acknowledged that they were confused, and expressed confidence in kids as they struggled to learn.

What do you think the impact would be if the teachers from an entire school had this belief? “All children can learn to high levels, and that it is within my capacity and within my responsibility as a teacher to assure that it happens. Thus my knowledge base includes knowing how to carry out those beliefs in daily teaching practice as I communicate expectations, cultivate risk taking, and build a climate of mutual support among students.”

Technology can be used as a tool to support teachers as they practice new teaching strategies. There are many strategies to help kids believe in themselves, and video is a powerful tool that can be used for analysis of teaching practices. I would love to be a part of training effort where I would work with teachers on some or all of these strategies.

Listen to entry (mp3)