12. More on Advisory

More on Advisory

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*An adult advocate guides every student’s academic and personal development. Adult Advocate

This we believe (NMSA, 2010) provides sixteen characteristics of exemplary middle schools. This is the twelfth characteristic and falls under the category of Culture and Community.

When I was first teaching, in a middle school, we had an advisory program. I had no resources and had no idea what I was doing. I understood the need for my students to socialize and that they had needs beyond academics, but I was unsure how to establish an advisory. During a team meeting, I asked for help with advisory. One of my teammate’s shared, “You have a masters in middle level education; you should know how to do it.” That was my support. It was an uncomfortable moment for me; I have never forgotten the insensitivity of that comment.

One of our challenges is to find a way to support teachers as they take on advisory. Often it is a different mind-set: Middle school teachers must be more than masters of academia.

The purpose of advisory is to provide a group of students with an adult advocate. Those of us who work with young adolescents agree that this is an obvious need. Children have multiple characteristics: social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and moral. These needs shift during adolescence. No doubt, most of us can think back to our childhood and remember witnessing and experiencing this transition.

Research says, middle school bodies change at an alarming rate as we jettison into and through puberty.  A middle school must embrace a place to nurture and prepare young adolescents to be successful: Academics alone will not make it happen. But asking teachers to have a dual role: advocate and teacher, without any training, can be a challenge. At my school, we are starting the conversation.

I believe the biggest mistake we make as educators is to ask teachers to be advisors with little to no support or training. (I too made this mistake when I worked to create middle schools in the south. We had a definition of what an advisor is, but had no plan for implementing anything.) It was very uncomfortable for some teachers and others embraced the opportunity.

What I have found is that a collaborative approach, whole school and/or whole team, is necessary to supporting the social and emotional needs of young adolescents and that when the social and emotional needs are considered, there is enhanced student academic performance. Teachers need to work together to make it happen, and they must be guided and supported as they take on this new role. Becoming an advisory is not always a natural skill.

When I was talking to teachers yesterday, the majority were open to hearing about advisory, hearing about its purpose, and listening to how we could begin to work together to make Spartan Time more than an academic study hall and tutoring session. And while our students need extra time to do work, it is possible that we could be doing more to develop the social and emotional needs of our students.

One focus of advisory is to allow students time to be social. Several suggestions include: intramurals, clubs, project based learning (PBL), and career exploration. The most widely spread conversation was on initiating “clubs”. Some teachers had conducted clubs in previous settings, and our sister school is piloting clubs and intramurals this year.

Teachers shared clubs they had sponsored, and discussed how club time could allow our students who ride the bus to participate in traditional after-school programs such as Battle of the Books, and Science Olympiad. One teacher suggested having a partner on another team to share in the planning of a club. In some instances teachers were willing to use their Spartan Time to attempt club time several times in the next semester.

My colleague, John Niska, is a master in training teachers to be advisors. He shares that a year of preparation, should include a “design team,” whose responsibility is to help initiate the program. He agrees, it is necessary to prepare teachers and administrators; and important to have everyone’s buy-in. In his most recent work, he found that when advisors were mentored, they were much more likely to engage in student conversations, and felt much more comfortable conducting advisory sessions and activities.

So, we are beginning to move intentionally toward developing the whole child at our middle school. I believe clubs will allow teachers to address their own interests and while teaching personal interests, there is the chance to begin to develop students’ relationships and interests outside of academia. I was pleased with our conversations. Creating an exemplary middle school is challenging. My hope is that we will continue to embrace the challenge.

Advice

1)   Teachers must be willing to learn how to use advisory for the benefit of students. While we are starting slowly, we realize our district has a high drop out rate. We realize we must begin to look at other activities, and to explore different strategies for helping students stay in school.

2)   Teachers could pair up across teams to develop activities and share responsibilities.

3)   Grade level teams who embrace the experience and who collaborate provide much support for their students and work to meet their needs.

4)   Clubs are not a replacement to advisory; but it is a place to start, and I believe it is a good place to start.

CASEL (2005).Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. [website]. http://www.casel.org/

Powell, S. (2015). Introduction to middle school. (3ed.) Pearson: Boston, MA

12. Advisory: Starting Over

Advisory: Starting Over

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*An adult advocate guides every student’s academic and personal development. Adult Advocate

This we believe (NMSA, 2010) identifies sixteen characteristics that exist in exemplary middle schools. This blog addresses the twelfth characteristic, and is part of the section that addresses culture and community.

Advisory is an element of middle schools that provides every student with someone who knows them. It is usually a classroom teacher, but in some schools, other faculty including media specialists, counselors, elective teachers, and administrators can be used to reduce the advisor to advisee ratio. The faculty member serves as the advocate for a group of students. Often, he or she is the point of contact for parents, and serves to communicate with individual students on their performance and their behaviors in school. The purpose of advisory is to engage students in experiences and activities that enhance their social and emotional development. Powell (2010) shares, “Advisory is an attitude more than a program. It is an attitude that leads us to commit to know our students well, to advocate for them when possible, and to wear our advisor hats all day, every day” (p. 156).

I have been asked to talk to our faculty about advisory. Our school is in their second year as a middle school. We have teams, we have PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) celebrations each nine-weeks, and last year faculty were directed to have an advisory program. We have a thirty-minute block of time set aside, called “Spartan Time.” Last year, teachers were given a book of activities. The program failed, and currently the thirty-minutes is used for academic purposes. Teachers use it as a study hall and/or an extension of their class work. 

I had a conversation with a group of teachers this past week. Some teachers are reluctant to embrace an advisory program. Some see it as more work, and share they are not comfortable with the experiences they had. So my first idea is to find out what is working during Spartan-Time, besides study hall and class extensions.

Very often when we try to make change, we skip the step of “fact-finding.” Teachers need a voice; need to be honest with their concerns. The point will be to look at the opportunity, as an opportunity to have impact into what is needed, and or what is possible to advocate for students. It is my view that if there is a mandate to implement advisory, a step in making it happen, is to ask teachers for input in how to make it happen. I believe our teachers are aware of the challenges our children face outside the classroom, and that we all see our students need to be social.

I believe advisory is one of the most difficult components of middle schools to implement. And I believe the biggest problem is that teachers are not prepared emotionally or physically to be an advisor. I have been in three other settings where advisory has struggled, and my first thought on this is that the term advisory suggests intimacy and guidance more than advocacy. Teachers are not prepared. I often hear, “I am not a guidance counselor,” and “I don’t do touchy-feely.”  

Research is clear; the social and emotional needs of students’ impact their academic performance (CASEL, 2005). So my second task will be to have a conversation about our students and their lives.

There are multiple ways to support students’ social and emotional development that do not involve intimate, touchy-feely activities. It is my intent to explore possibilities teachers are willing to consider such as: intramurals, goal-setting, college and career readiness, service learning, and clubs as a start. We shall see….

If we can have the conversation about our students, and agree that there are needs, we can then begin to address a third challenge:  to find a “design team” willing to work together to create experiences and opportunities that allow our students to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. We have the support of the administration and the school counselors. My hope is to open the conversation to possibilities of starting over! (:

Advice

1)   Consider what you believe about the social and emotional needs of young adolescents. If you are unaware of the research on these areas, you can find resources through amle.org.  at: http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/AdvisoryAdvocacy/tabid/90/Default.aspx.

2)   When teams of teachers are aware of the needs of students, it is possible to collaborate on creating experiences that support the social and emotional development of young adolescents. If you are on a team, consider asking how your team serves the students’ needs.

3)   If you are in a school that does not have an advisory program, consider what you can do in your own classroom to support the needs of young adolescents. There are lots of programs and resources. The CASEL.org website gives research-based resources to use.

4)   Parents and school counselors are resources and advocates of young adolescents who must be included in your or in your team’s conversations and plans.

CASEL (2005).Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. [website]. http://www.casel.org/

Powell, S. (2010). Introduction to middle school. Pearson: Boston, MA

2. I made a Critical Mistake: Warm-Ups and Weeklys

I made a critical mistake: Warm-ups and "Weeklys"

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful learning. Active Learning

This we believe (NMSA, 2010) identifies sixteen characteristics that exist in exemplary middle schools. This blog addresses the second characteristic, and is part of the section that addresses curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

When I was teaching in another state, tests were based on students’ abilities to use algorithms. In my classroom, I gave a warm-up every day that included a variety of mathematical skills. Today, tests include basic computation, but also assess students’ abilities to interpret and analyze problems. And while students can benefit from algorithms, warm-ups, and worksheets to practice such activities, I believe learning to think critically must include direct instruction as well as opportunities for students to think independently and in groups, based on problem solving and communication. But this is not new.

In the late twentieth century, when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1989) presented their Standards, discourse and problem solving were part of the original design. So I started the year drilling my students on algorithms and vocabulary. In keeping with traditions of other math teachers, and many elementary teachers, I gave out a “weekly,” which included questions that called for students to be able to think critically, and to solve problems on their own.  For an entire semester, my students have been slogging through "weeklys," not overly impressed, nor interested in the beauty of thinking “outside the box.”

What I found was students trying to do problems, but regularly having few ideas to begin to solve the problems. Those students with older siblings had help, and had answers. Those who had little support, either would not complete the problems or had random answers. The “weekly” format didn’t work for me; but I love the idea of the weekly. I have been concerned that giving challenging problems, like those on the 'weekly,' without communication may reinforce misconceptions, and serve to frustrate my students, rather than engage them in deeper thinking and the joy of playing with mathematics. By the time students turned them in, their interest in going over the 'weekly' also wained.

So starting this week, I have shifted the focus to critical thinking during our warm-up time as opposed to drilling basic facts. I now start my class with two to three questions from the ‘weekly’ that ask students to read, draw pictures, and analyze the question, prior to punching numbers into a calculator. Every day our warm-up consists of problems that allow students the opportunity to work independently, or in pairs, to analyze, draw, try, and communicate their thinking. Because there are only a few problems, students are becoming more comfortable, going back to the original problem, looking at their work, and seeing if the answer makes sense and when possible, checking their work against the original data.

This week, at least five students shared, “I am so glad we are doing these in class.” Students are showing their work and we are spending the first part of our day having a conversation about the problems. I use four steps: Draw something; decide what the question is; make a plan; see if the plan makes sense and check it if you can. This format is based on Polya’s 1965 problem solving strategy. Student success is providing a more positive climate. We are taking the problems and using the TI-84s to check the work, or illustrate the data. There is more joy in the class.

I now believe, that had I started the year with this approach, by now, my students would be able to work on 'weeklys' independently. As teachers, we need to be sure our students have the tools to think before we challenge them to think on their own.

Advice

1) I am finding that my students are willing to think, but different levels of students need different levels of scaffolding. In some classes, I challenge them to work together and think independent of my “hints.” Many of my advanced students beg to think on their own; I let them. In other classes, I give hints, and in some cases I am giving direct instruction. In all classes, I would have to say there is direct instruction. I ask them to share their thinking and model how they examine problems; I talk about how I think about the problems, so that we engage in a conversation about mathematics, problem solving, and ultimately tools they can use when they are assessed.

2) At the beginning of the year, each week, I created my own 'weekly,' or asked to use another eighth grade teacher's sheets. We created them from www.problemattic.com.   This website gives problems in a multiple-choice format and problems are identified by concepts so the weekly reinforces common topics each week. I believe, having students conduct similar problems over time is the best way to help them process algorithms and problem solving.

3) Do not be afraid to change your approach if it is not working. Many teachers use 'weeklys' with their students. They distribute the handout out on a Friday and the assignment is due the following Friday. Right now my "weeklys" are taking about a week and a half. I love listening to my students as they think. To me their ideas are a fresh mathematical bouquet of problems. (:  (I know, kind of geeky.)

8. The courage to teach starts here

The courage to teach starts here…

This we believe (NMSA, 2010)

*Leaders demonstrate courage and collaboration. Courageous & Collaborative Leaders

This we believe (NMSA, 2010) identifies sixteen characteristics that exist in exemplary middle schools. This blog addresses the eighth characteristic and is part of the section that addresses leadership and organization.

I have been on break for over ten days and am surprised at how nice it is to have a long break. It is a time to reflect and to think about the kids. It is also a time to think about how beginning teachers are just about to wind up their first semester, and how weary we all were in early December.

About a year ago, I was working in a local middle school and touched base with beginning teachers throughout the year. I had interviewed the teachers at the end of the school year to find out what had worked and what had not worked. What I found were teachers who looked back on their year and shared how much they learned. I wish I had interviewed them before the December break. I know they were tired.

Over this break, I reconnected with one of those teachers. I remember walking into her classroom in March and seeing that “she had won” (see the blog, “You will win,” dated November 1, 2015). As I reflected on how to encourage beginning teachers to stay the course, I shared the following with her and asked her to reflect on my thoughts. I shared, “ I feel like it is about courage: the courage to believe in yourself, the courage to seek and receive support and encouragement, and the courage to never give up on the kids who so desperately need teachers who care about them."

I asked if she would share ideas about how to help beginning teachers. She is in her second year, and loves her role as their teacher. Here are her words:

You are right, courage plays a big role in teaching. I really struggled with the idea of "failing" or being a "failure" which really drove me to work harder to do what it took to not only survive the rest of the year, but to enjoy it. I constantly told myself that I was not a failure; I never had been in other aspects of my life so I refused to accept that in teaching. I also reached out to some amazing teachers on my team and in my subject area, as well as an assistant principal who kind of took me under her wing to help out. 

As much as I was annoyed and aggravated by many of the students, I continually thought about them as being people outside of school. As a teacher, you have so much influence on kids as they spend so much of their time with you. They may not go home and think about you like you do them every night, but their behaviors, personalities, and curiosities are influenced by their experiences at school with you. You have that incredible impact on their lives and if you dwell on being miserable day after day, that rubs off on these kids who need anything but negative relationships. 

I really strived to not "just survive" the rest of the year, but to almost start over. I re-implemented classroom management and re-emphasized expectations to better myself for the next year, and to not give up on those kids. 

The most helpful thing for me was to reach out to other people for support because I not only found solutions and advice, but I realized that I wasn't the only person who had or was currently experiencing the same feelings. We often think that "no one would understand" or "there's nothing I can do now" which are so far from being true. 

I hope this helps, and hope you are doing well!

Karlee

I love her advice.

·      *Tell yourself every day that you are needed, that you are important, that you can do this.

·      *Re-implement and emphasize expectations, every day if necessary.

·      *Seek the insights and help of teammates and people who teach your subject.

·      *Enlist the help of an administrator.

·      *Never forget that these kids need you.

Advice

1)   If you are teaching an elective class, you must make friends with other teachers. If possible find other elective teachers in the district who will help. A mentor in another field is all well and good, but a teacher in your discipline has specific strategies and tools for creating a successful environment.

2)   When possible, use common team rules and ask teachers for help, especially team leaders. Many schools specify common rules and rewards (PBIS – Positive Behavior Intervention System); these structures are so helpful to elective teachers who sometimes must learn four or five different sets of team rules and procedures to provide consistency for children.

3)   When you get a few years of teaching under your belt, make it a point to support new teachers; reach out to them; give them your tricks and strategies. Listen to them; encourage them. Know that, as teachers, we have to develop our own strategies and routines that work for us; but it is our responsibility to share whatever we have with one another. Having someone to share ideas gives both parties a reason to celebrate and a soul to support.

4)   Colleges of education must find ways to support beginning teachers in their partner districts. One of our partner districts has one person responsible for all six middle schools. Another district has one person for the entire district.  There are few district level administrators to support beginning teachers; we must help. The more support beginning teachers receive, from as many angles as possible… the school, the district, partner universities, and specifically professors in the fields, the more likely beginning teachers will be successful and stay in teaching.

5)   It is everyone’s responsibility. If a beginning teacher feels isolated, feels alone, shame on all of us. Teaching is hard.

6)   The courage to teach starts here, in your heart; but it helps if you surround your heart with lots of collaboration and hope. (:

We have much to learn about how to help beginning teachers. We must find ways to support them at the beginning and throughout their first year, years, of teaching. Karlee teaches seventh-grade math in a rural school in western North Carolina.