Announcing the May 2013 Educator Spotlight honorees! Congratulations to our educators as they end another great school year.

The Educator Spotlight is a monthly feature on our Catapult Corner Blog. The educators that are highlighted are nominated by their Catapult colleagues in recognition of the positive impact they have on children and schools throughout the country. They are our very own shining stars!

• Jennifer Dillman – Teacher – Schuylkill County, PA

• Cathy Elston – Teacher – Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Jean Griffin – Teacher – Orlando, FL

• Lorraine Hansen – Nurse – Bayonne, NJ

• Kathy Lindberg – Teacher – Jupiter, FL

• Jasmine Morales – Teacher – Chicago, IL

• Larry Porterfield – Teacher – Greensburg, PA

• Angela Purrin – Teacher – Schuylkill County, PA

• Peggy Gautreaux Rivers – Consultant – New Smyrna Beach, FL

• April Robertson – Teacher – Jacksonville, FL 

Jennifer Dillman – Teacher

• Tamaqua, PA
• Elementary Education K-6/ESL Program Specialist

Why did you first become a teacher?

I became a teacher because I always loved working with children. I wanted a career in which I thought I would be able to make a difference with whatever it was I was doing.  I had a few teachers who were absolutely amazing at their career and I aspired to be like them.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

What I love most about Catapult Learning is that the program tailors to the students’ specific needs.  I love the variety of teaching materials and methods that we use and I believe that the program is the most beneficial to the students because of these reasons.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

My greatest teaching success story just happened about a month or so ago.  A student had been struggling with long division, and finally after countless times of demonstrating to the student how to solve the problems, it just all of a sudden seemed to “click” to him and he was so excited and happy that he was able to remember how to solve the problem! It was a great feeling to see him finally get and remember the procedure to solve long division!

What have you learned from your students?

I’ve learned from my students that perseverance pays off.  Even when things seem too hard for them, my students don’t ever seem to give up.  Sure, they may become frustrated, but they are always willing to keep trying!

 

Cathy Elston – Teacher

• Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Mathematics, Science, and Content & Methods

Why did you first become a teacher?

Like a lot of teachers I’ve talked with, I didn’t so much become a teacher but believe I was born a teacher. From my earliest memories, I can remember lining my stuffed animals up in a row and teaching them how to read.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

What I love most about teaching for Catapult Learning is being able to use my creativity to differentiate my instruction to meet each child’s needs.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

My greatest success story with Catapult Learning is with a 4^th grader that I teach both in a group and in an individual setting.  At the beginning of the year, this child really struggled with reading even simple words, thus his confidence was extremely low.  By using reading strategies, whisper reading, buddy reading, phonic lessons, word families, picture cards, and by finding books at his level and interest, he has greatly improved his reading.  He now comes in my room with a smile and is excited to read.

What have you learned from your students?

I learn from my students every day.  I have learned there are many unique and individual ways to solve a problem.  I have also learned to listen carefully to what the student is showing and telling me. 

Jean Griffin – Teacher

• Orlando, FL
• Flagler College, BA in Communications. Emphasis on Public Relations/Advertising

Why did you become a teacher?

After working in a private school for six years I decided I had a lot to offer students.  I came to realize how many events in my life prepared me for teaching.  As a child my education did not come easy for me so I can identify with many of my struggling students and help them find solutions while building confidence.  In addition, I have a son with learning differences so I can identify with parents and help them find hope for their child’s future.  Furthermore, my business background helps me identify with principals and supervisors in this wonderful business of educating our future leaders.  I have to say the acting classes even paid off!  A little drama in the classroom keeps things lively and enjoyable for all of us.

Looking back, it has taken a long time to get here but I needed all those life experiences to bring me to the best career ever!

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

My favorite part of teaching for Catapult Learning is working with small groups of students with academic needs in a wide range of grades.  I value the time with them and I’m so thankful I don’t have carpool and cafeteria duties that take me away from that teaching time.  As I explained to a friend recently, “I’m not surviving in the classroom…I’m thriving!”

In addition, I place a high value on the leadership style of my Catapult Learning supervisors.  Out of all the bosses I’ve had in my varied careers, these ladies are at the top of the list.  They are a large part of why I love teaching for Catapult Learning.  Thank you Spring Malone and Lisa Mallard!

What is your greatest Catapult teaching success story?

As I reach the end of my second year with Catapult Learning it has been a million little things that add up to my greatest success story.  Simple things like hearing students say, “Oh, I get it now!”  I celebrate those moments.  I count it a success when my fifth graders ask to take a book home because they don’t want to wait until next week’s class to find out what happens next.  I count it a success when other students stop me in the hallway and ask how they can join my classes or the student who started the year in tears because the work was hard but ended the year confident and looking forward to learning more.

What have you learned from your students?

While teaching at a Muslim school a couple days a week, I have learned that kids are kids no matter what culture or part of the world they are from.  They have taught me to see a larger, world picture of education. 

Lorraine Hansen – Nurse

• Bayonne, NJ
• Nursing RN, BS, MA, and CSN

How long have you been with Catapult Learning?

13 Years

To which schools are you assigned and what service do you provide there?

I am the school nurse at All Saints Catholic Academy in Bayonne.

How is working for Catapult Learning important in meeting your professional goals?

Each day I work in a position I enjoy, helping to keep the students I serve safe and healthy in an environment conducive to that goal, with professionals and peers who have the same ideals. I enjoy the constant support of supervisors who are there at any time. I, with each daily experience, hope to convey to the children I serve, good health and safety practices.

What is your most recent Catapult Learning success story?

Over these many years of service I really can’t think of just one story in particular. I just hope that at the end of each day I am glad those I have cared for in that time period, left my office and my care better than they came, even if it was just for a band-aid. 

Kathy Lindberg – Teacher

• Jupiter, FL
• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Elementary Education.

Why did you first become a teacher?

I have always been a person who enjoys helping others.  As a little girl I liked to play “school’ with my sisters.  I looked at teaching as an exciting profession, where each day is different from the day before.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I enjoy teaching in small groups.  I feel that I can really focus on what  individual student needs are.  Small groups give me the opportunity to teach on a much more personal level.  I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the students for several years.  It’s wonderful to hear them say “I want to go with you again next year!”

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

Overall it would be the changing attitudes students had for math or reading.  Starting out the year saying how much they disliked a certain subject and ending the year with a sense of accomplishment and success.

What have you learned from your students?

If you keep lessons interesting and motivating then the students will look forward to learning. 

Jasmine Morales – Teacher

• Chicago, IL
• Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Early Childhood Education

Why did you first become a teacher?

I became a teacher because I loved working with children and so many of my role models are educators. Also because of my big brother, Devon, who inspires young people everyday.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love the fact that Catapult recognizes the children who are at risk, and that our program is designed to bridge the achievement gap and build self confidence in the process. I love the fact that I can make a difference in the lives of children. I am an advocate for my students through Catapult. I am so honored to work for a company that can help children feel confident about learning.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

When I begin each new lesson, I decide exactly what it is I want my students to know or be able to do, my joy comes from the children that say, “I love math now because of you”, or the many letters I get from students who tell me thank you for teaching me. My eighth graders are so proud that they can go to ninth grade and feel like they can keep up with the math curriculum. That makes me feel like I have made a difference in their education. Math is not a talent… but a skilled learned.

What have you learned from your students?

I have learned patience (over and over again!) I have learned that everyone is capable of learning but not everyone learns in the same way. I have learned humility; they have taught me that I am always a student and we never stop learning.

Larry Porterfield – Teacher 

• Kittanning, PA
• Elementary Education

Why did you first become a teacher?

My focus on becoming a teacher developed from my love of working with children.  The opportunity to be a Math-only teacher was presented to me and I jumped on that chance since Math had always been my favorite subject and strength in school.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love the following aspects of teaching for Catapult Learning – flexibility, working in different schools with students and staff members who I like and enjoy, and helping students learn at a pace that enhances their learning and stretches their capabilities in Math.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

I would like to believe that I’ve had success with all of my students.   My greatest sense of satisfaction comes from running into former students who tell me how well they are doing in Math now thanks to my work with them.

What have you learned from your students?

Over the years I have learned the importance of being patient and how giving students the time, appropriate work and directions needed on a meaningful and personalized level of instruction creates a tremendous environment of trust and learning. 

Angela Purrin – Teacher

• Tamaqua, PA
• Kutztown University, Elementary Education with a Concentration in Mathematics

Why did you first become a teacher?

From the time I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. While I was in elementary school I had a lot of influential teachers and I wanted to be the same. I always admired teachers that took a special interest in a student that needed extra help. I strive to be the type of teacher willing to do everything I can to help a student learn the best way they can.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love the small class size and being able to get to know my students. The benefit of having a small class is being able to know and understand how the student learns. By knowing this, I am able to adapt my lessons to their learning style. My students and I form a great teacher-student relationship and I believe that by doing so they feel comfortable and relaxed in our classroom enabling them to learn with comfort.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

I’ve had a student for the past three years and she has always struggled with Math. This is the last year that I will have her and as I look back on the progress she has made I am very happy. Although she still needs help she has come very far in the past three years. She can now recognize if she gets a problem wrong and goes back through the steps to figure out where she made her mistake. She isn’t so dependent on a calculator to do computation for a problem and she will always ask if she needs help or is unsure. This was not always the case when I began teaching her. I think since becoming part of  Catapult she has gained confidence in her ability and we have been able to teach her basic skills that she missed along the way.

What have you learned from your students?

My students are great! I’ve enjoyed them so much and they taught me what makes a good teacher. My students respond to someone who enjoys their job and cares for them. They taught me that even though they may struggle in school they still are happy kids. As an adult, when things go wrong I don’t always see the bright side of it. My students remind me that there always is a bright side and to be happy for it. 

Peggy Gautreaux Rivers – Literacy First Consultant 

• New Smyrna Beach, FL
• University of Central Florida, BS Elementary Education, MS Administration and Supervision, Doctorate Educational Leadership

How did you become a Literacy First consultant?

I am one of the 5 original senior consultants who accompanied Bill Blokker on two trips to California to visit Bill Honig and CORE, which resulted in the development of Literacy First in 1997.

What do you love most about being a consultant for Literacy First?

I love seeing the positive results of our work with improved instructional strategies implemented by teachers and their excitement with the success of their students.

What is your greatest Literacy First consulting success story?

In Florida the DOE grades schools based on student growth on the FCAT. One school I worked with had a strong leadership team and when I began Literacy First training they were a “D” school. Each year following they improved a letter grade and at the end of year 3 they became an “A” school! It was very exciting and rewarding to be a part of their success.

What have you learned from your experience as a consultant?

I have learned that principals and teachers are working harder than ever to ensure their students reach their maximum potential for success. 

April Roberson – Teacher

• Jacksonville, FL
• CSU Domiquez Hills, BA Sociology/Psychology; Central Michigan, MS Administration; Capella University EdD Leadership and Administration (projected completion date June 2015)

Why did you first become a teacher?

I went into education for several reasons: I love learning; I love becoming an actress when I act out my lessons; I love kids.  In addition, I realized that being a teacher is about making an impact, an impression, an indelible mark, and teaching truly affects the future generations. As a teacher, what I say, what I do, and how I do it will stay with students and they in turn may pass it along to their own children in some way, shape, or form. I believe that as a teacher I am touching many lives of the future far beyond just my students – lives of people my students come in contact with.  Therefore, indirectly my personal style of teaching defines the course of the future as well.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love the small-group teaching environment that compliments both the caliber of students I teach and the promotion of individualized (group) instruction through the Student Plans.  In addition, I love the Catapult team with whom I work, from my supervisor to my fellow teachers.  It has been my experience that an organization, department, section is a reflection of its leadership, and our supervisor is the epitome of professionalism.  Our teachers are an extension of that leadership as we serve as a resource for one another.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

My greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story would have to be the year I taught reading at the Youth Crisis Center (YCC).  The Youth Crisis Center is one of the largest and best-known providers of services for runaway, displaced and troubled youth and their families.  Working with the youth in this residential program was gratifying as an educator, as I was able to engage these students academically despite their current life circumstances.  My role in their lives changed daily, but I contribute my success with them and their academics to one thing, and that was the ability to establish respect at the beginning  by let them know I was going to respect them and in return I hoped that  they could respect me.  I was able to build their confidence and self-esteem through my reading assignments. One in particular was an assignment given by an English teacher in the book, The Skin I’m In  by Sharon Flake.  I assigned the students a writing assignment which they would write an essay titled “What does my face say to the world?”  This assignment allowed students to work on the total student in regards to both their academics as well as personal traits (physical and mental) that affect their academic success.  This assignment fostered trust and personal safety in the classroom for the troubled students that indirectly supported the programs at YCC.

What have you learned from your students?

I have kept up with the times. I learn current trends, good and bad. New slang (always good to know !)
I have learned patience (over and over again!)
I have learned that everyone is capable of learning but not everyone learns in the same way.
I have learned humility.
They have taught me that I am always a student. I never stop learning.
I have learned to find love in my most challenging student.
You dig deepest to find the greatest rewards.

Catapult Learning has long recognized that our teachers, coaches, specialized services professionals, and consultants are the foundation upon which our company stands. We literally wouldn’t be here without their tireless efforts to help struggling students succeed!

Thanks again to all of this month’s honorees! You can thank them too, please leave your comments for our educators below!

The post Educator Spotlight: May 2013 appeared first on Catapult Learning.

Last month we talked about the six performance-related character values that Catapult Learning has selected to focus on and support in our new programs to help students become independent and successful adults. They were:

• Persisting towards solutions
• Working with precision
• Asking questions
• Working with others
• Making connections
• Monitoring progress and embracing learning

I think it’s worth taking some time to look a little more closely at the first trait on the list.

Persisting Towards Solutions

It is easy to see persistence as a moral value rather than an academic one—a sign of integrity or strength that people embody as some kind of spiritual or genetic gift.  But the willingness and ability to persist towards a goal can be taught and nourished—and it can just as easily be undermined.

Researcher Carol Dweck has written extensively about what she calls a “growth mindset” towards intelligence—a belief that a person’s intellectual ability is neither fixed nor destined, but is, instead, the result of hard work. Her studies have demonstrated that students who believe that intelligence is malleable and open to improvement do better in school than those who believe their intelligence is fixed and innate…even when those “fixed mindset” students have high IQs and have done well in school.

This becomes very clear around the middle school years, when the level of challenge tends to be raised across the board. Students who had previously thought of themselves as the “smart kids” find themselves facing challenges and expectations that can be daunting, and if they can’t handle the work, they often retreat, surrender, and then turn on themselves, feeling betrayed by their native intelligence. Students with a growth mindset, however, understand that a greater challenge simply requires greater work on their part…and that “failure,” rightly understood, is just a step along the pathway to success. What is even more interesting is that students with a fixed mindset can change—and that a change in their mindset can have profound effects on their academic outcomes (research study abstract here).

This willingness to dig in and work hard in spite of obstacles or frustration is what people used to call “grit,” and it’s a quality that University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth believes may contribute much more to academic achievement than intelligence. Dr. Duckworth has even developed a “grit quiz” to help people assess how much of the quality they possess.

Author Daniel Coyle, in The Talent Code, gives us some dramatic examples of grit and persistence in what he calls “deep practice,” which others call “deliberate practice.” He describes tennis players in Russia, soccer players in Brazil, and student musicians here in the United States who approach practice in an intensely focused way, aiming straight for their areas of weakness and using their practice sessions to work and work and work each area until it improves. It is radically different from the way, say, my 9-year-old practices the saxophone, which involves playing a song one time, straight through, and then putting the instrument away. When student athletes or student musicians engage in deep practice, they make enormous improvements in a very short time. And as Malcolm Gladwell has shown us, about ten thousand hours of this kind of practice is what separates true masters from the rest of us.

Take a look at the graph above and note the difference between the violinists who, after ten years of practice, are good enough to become teachers, and those who are good enough to be professional musicians. The difference isn’t just that the professionals have put in more hours over the same period. It’s that their trend line starts to curve. The more time they put in, the more time they want to put in. Getting better makes them practice more, which makes them get even better, and so on.

That wonderful feedback loop doesn’t happen on day one, though. So why are those soccer players in Brazil willing to practice one particular move over and over again, day upon day, when my son can’t manage to get through a simple scale? Part of it has to do with focused coaching and timely, specific feedback. That’s our job, as educators. It’s human nature to avoid and ignore errors and mistakes. No one likes to focus on what they’re doing wrong—but that’s exactly what deep practice requires, and it’s exactly what a good coach pushes athletes and performers to do. The question is: are we being good coaches?

There’s another piece of the puzzle, and that’s desire. If kids don’t care—if they don’t really want to be successful at [fill in the blank], they won’t put in the hard time needed to get there. Persistence requires desire, or, as Daniel Coyle calls it, “ignition.” Something’s got to light your fire. Desire isn’t everything, of course, but you can’t get very far without it. So engaging and motivating students—getting them hooked, interested, and passionately involved in what we’re teaching—is clearly important. Simply getting them to sit still, behave, and take notes is not enough. We’ve talked for years about classroom management, but the subtext of our terminology suggests that the classroom is a problem requiring control and compliance. Perhaps if we called it and thought of it as “classroom engagement,” or even “classroom ignition,” we’d all be happier and more productive.

A final aspect of persistence that’s important to note is resilience—the ability to roll with the punches, change course, and adjust to the unexpected. It doesn’t mean that students should never get frustrated. That’s a little unreasonable. But students (just like the rest of us) need to learn how to manage frustration—how to step back, take a deep breath, and try something different. Blogger and author Seth Godin writes of the importance of resilience for adults facing uncertain economic times, and it is just as important for students. If we only teach students one way to do something, and spend all of our practice time drilling that one method, are we really preparing them for the unpredictable and ambiguous world beyond the classroom? What happens when the One Way doesn’t work for a particular problem or in a particular situation? Some students will get angry at the material. Some will get angry at school in general. And some will blame themselves. How helpful are any of those responses, really?

Persistence means taking a “never say die” attitude towards a problem, but it shouldn’t have to mean bashing your head against a brick wall…especially if there’s a doorway a few feet away. Sometimes, going around can be more effective than trying to going through. But you can’t go around if you don’t take a step back, calm yourself down, and reassess both the situation and your approach to it. As the old saying reminds us, the little reed persists in the wind storm while the mighty oak cracks and falls, because the mighty oak can’t bend. Do we simply expect our students to know how to bend…and how to snap back and try again?

It again raises the interesting question about what we see as our mission. Are we teachers of math or teachers of children? Are we preparing students to be poets and mathematicians…or well-rounded adults who can enjoy poetry and fill out a tax return? If we take a whole-child approach to education, we can’t help but see these performance character values as a real and vital part of our curriculum. After all, the ultimate goal of an education isn’t simply knowing stuff. The ultimate goal is a rich and rewarding life.

Of course our students need to know their fractions. Of course they need to know how to write a good paragraph. But if they don’t know how to keep going in their learning—how to Not Give Up when challenges rise up—the fractions and paragraphs won’t matter.

The post Building Student Character in the Classroom (Part 2) appeared first on Catapult Learning.

SIOP is a research driven, teacher supported methodology that has been proven to increase engagement and achievement.   Have you had a chance to practice and apply some of the methodology from Part 1 of this blog post?   I hope you have found it successful.  What follows is part two of the introduction to the SIOP methodology!

SIOP teachers are instructing children to communicate effectively in a new language; therefore, it is not surprising that Interaction is the next component.  ELLs should be encouraged to interact with other students a minimum of two times during any class period.  I love using the  Think Ink Pair Share (TIPS) strategy.  It is one quick way to get ELLs talking and when it becomes a routine it is highly successful as a building background technique or formative assessment.   There are hundreds of cooperative learning strategies that teachers can include in their instruction;  four corners and concentric circles are two of my favorites.

After students have been exposed to the new content and skills it is time for the sixth component Practice and Application.  In this component the SIOP experts recommend that children integrate all four language domains (listening, speaking, reading and writing) into practicing and applying new information.  I find that manipulatives help ELLs make abstract concepts concrete.  Online manipulatives are a good alternative when tangible tools aren’t available.  Additionally, teachers can try to illicit a total physical response to increase engagement and learning.  For example, instead of students completing a matching worksheet.  Have them wear cards with words and definitions and walk around to find their match!  My students, even those who are college age seem to really enjoy this activity!  They tell me that they remember their friend who had the answer and it helps them remember the vocabulary word and definition!  This strategy comes with a built-in mnemonic device!

Lesson Delivery is the seventh component of SIOP.  Teachers should ideally aim for student engagement throughout 90-100% of the lesson.  You can follow this link to a list of instructional strategies aimed at increasing student engagement.  The last component is Review and Assessment.  ELLs need extra review of key vocabulary and concepts.  I use formative assessment strategies to determine how much review is necessary.  When developing summative assessments authentic assessments increase engagement and achievement.  For example, instead of asking students to take a quiz or writing a report after reading a novel, have the student pretend to be a New York Times book reviewer and write a review to be published in the New York Times.  I recently worked with a biology teacher who wanted students to complete a template on genetic disorders; instead she had them write pages for a book to be published by the local children’s hospital.

Free Webinar: Join us for a free webinar on May 15th, Supporting Your ELL’s, presented by Heather Bickley. Click here for more information!

Encourage your students to be reflective about their learning and I encourage teachers to do the same about their teaching.   Try some of the suggestions and take notes about what worked and what didn’t, what strategies kept students engaged, which did not.  You can continue to implement the strategies and techniques that are successful to create lasting engagement, increase overall achievement and hopefully have fun teaching and learning!

The post The English Language Learner in Your Classroom (Part 2) appeared first on Catapult Learning.

The last time Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001.  There have been several ESEA reauthorization attempts over the last couple of years, but none of these have had a serious chance of becoming law. Can congress get it done now?

Like that famous little engine, the education committees in the House and Senate think that they can make this happen.  The leadership of the committees—Congressman Kline (R-MN) and Senator Harkin (D-IA)—along with the ranking members of the committees have been in initial discussions.   Congressman Kline is nearing the end of his term limit as Chairman without accomplishing the ESEA reauthorization.  Senator Harkin has announced his retirement and has not accomplished the ESEA reauthorization.

Congressman Kline’s staff is working hard on a draft bill that can be considered by the Committee; the same is true of Senator Harkin’s staff.  Committee staff members are talking about a “conferenceable” bill—a bill that contains enough for everyone that it can be considered by both parties, make its way to the floor of each chamber, and be melded into a single bill for passage into law.

Of course, many issues remain to be resolved: what to do about waivers, including the work that the states have put in and the changes they have put in place for this new flexibility; the issue of teacher accountability and whether or not test results are part of that determination; common core standards or equivalent substitutes for the common core; and assessments by the states and the definition of what’s at stake with those assessments.

The other “wild card” is the politics beyond the committee members.  What will Congressional leadership and other factions in the Congress allow their members to accept?  Is compromise still possible on Capitol Hill?  Can there be a resolution to these hot button issues or are the sides simply too far apart?

In addition to the issue of passage is the issue of funding.  A little civics 101: one group of members authorize legislation, another group funds those programs.  Therefore, even if a bill passes, we have to be concerned that it will have sufficient funding for effective implementation.  Currently, the President has proposed “even” funding (the same as the 2013-14 funding with the sequestration cut) for Title I, Title IIA, and Title III, a diversion of 25% of Title IIA for a national program to fund research and development for teacher assessment instruments, an increase in funding for 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, additional discretionary grant programs (which only go to select LEAs), an increase in Race to the Top Funds, and even funding for IDEA.  There has been pushback from Democratic Senators on even funding for programs such as Title I and IDEA, but there is also pushback from House Republicans on any increase in federal spending.

One thing is certain for the spring and summer, however.  The education committees have the mindset of that little engine—they think they can get a bill crafted that can be voted on by the entire Congress.  Let’s hope they make it up that hill!

The post ESEA Reauthorization: Can Congress Get It Done? appeared first on Catapult Learning.

Anyone who has spent time in a classroom knows that schooling involves far more than academic lessons. Many things contribute to a student’s learning and success—and just as many things can detract from it.  One can argue to what extent teachers and school districts should hold themselves responsible for factors such as adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, and safe places to sleep at night. But other elements that affect student performance are closely tied to the academic work of the classroom and can be cultivated and developed by the teacher. In fact, studies have shown that attention to certain character traits can greatly affect a student’s ability to succeed in school and in life.

When we speak of character development in education, we often think of traditional moral values—issues of ethics and interpersonal behavior. But the high-yield character traits that researchers are beginning to focus on in school settings speak more to academic behavior than interpersonal issues. The focus is less on how a student interacts with other students, and more on how a student interacts with the work.

Often called “habits of mind,” and defined and categorized variously by authors and researchers over the years, these academic performance character values, as author Paul Tough calls them in How Children Succeed, can be transmitted and learned implicitly and almost thoughtlessly as part of family culture or economic class; in many families and communities they are modeled and extolled by adults and expected of children from very early ages. Some students, however, grow up without these kinds of expectations, outside of communities or families that embody and demand performance-oriented values, or in homes where over-stressed and over-worked parents have trouble providing sufficient attention to these values.  As research is beginning to show us, teachers can make a profound difference here. Schools that serve low-income or struggling students are finding that the explicit teaching and cultivation of these habits of mind can prove to be important keys to student success.

Catapult Learning’s Performance Character Values

There are many ways to define and categorize the skills and habits of mind that help students learn and succeed in school and life, and many different skills and habits that contribute to success. At Catapult Learning, we have selected six performance-related character values to focus upon and support as we develop new programs and revise our current offerings. They are:

• Persisting towards solutions
• Working with precision
• Asking questions
• Working with others
• Making connections
• Monitoring progress and embracing learning

Some of these values will look familiar to those of you who have been working to learn and implement the Common Core State Standards; several come straight from the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Others are values highlighted by organizations such as the Partnership for 21^st Century Learning. Values like “making connections” speak to the need to help students transfer their discrete learning into a variety of new and unpredictable contexts both in and beyond school. And others, like “monitoring progress” and “asking questions,” are things that we’ve always tried to focus on and encourage in our classrooms.

Over the next few months, as we work our way towards the new school year, we’ll spend some time talking about each of these performance character values and how we think teachers can use them to help students engage more successfully in their academic work.

The post Building Student Character in the Classroom appeared first on Catapult Learning.

We are extremely excited to announce our honorees for April 2013!

The Educator Spotlight is a monthly feature on our Catapult Corner Blog. The educators that are highlighted are nominated by their Catapult colleagues in recognition of the positive impact they have on children and schools throughout the country. They are our very own shining stars!

• Jack Gesalman – Teacher – Westmoreland County, PA

• Cambra Koczkur – Teacher – Denver, CO
  

• Yehudit Plopper – Teacher – Lakewood, NJ
  

Jack Gesalman – Teacher

• Westmoreland County, PA
• Shippensburg State University, Secondary Ed. Mathematics

Why did you first become a teacher?

I became a teacher because through my work in scouting I found that I enjoyed teaching children of middle and high school age and was good at it.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I enjoy the one-on-one (or one-on-small group) opportunities to work with particularly high school-age young people.  I particularly enjoy doing SAT and ACT prep as well as homework support in algebra, trig and calculus.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

Since I have been teaching with Catapult Learning since it’s founding and before that with its previous companies for twenty years now, there have been lots of successes.  One of the most recent successes was a third quarter seventh grade transfer student whose previous teachers had given him a calculator and told him he would not be able to do math.  I have worked with him for over three years.  He is in now in the 10^th grade passing geometry and can do fractions, decimals, multiplication and division, find LCM and GCF, etc., faster than other students in his group.  He has math confidence now.

What have you learned from your students?

Patience! 

Cambra Koczkur – Teacher

• Denver, CO
• Lubbock Christian University, BS Social Work

Why did you first become a teacher?

I became a teacher because it is one of the most influential roles a person can play in the development of a better society.  I open up life options for every child I teach, and I give them the power to choose a life that is different from the often dysfunctional models they have seen before. I go to work with a sense of purpose everyday, and I leave with the feeling that I have made a difference.  To me, nothing is better than that.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love working with students individually and in small groups. It gives me the opportunity to specifically target a student’s needs in ways that were difficult as a classroom teacher.  I receive a daily thrill from watching high school students begin to understand concepts they have struggled with since elementary school.

What is your greatest Catapult Learning teaching success story?

Several of my students have achieved growth of two to four grade levels in their testing this year, but my greatest successes were in helping kids gain confidence in their ability to learn.  When a student learns a concept they were convinced they could never understand and then continues to move beyond that concept to increasingly complex skills, they begin to gain a sense of control over themselves and their education.  That sense of control, of power, is a lesson they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

What have you learned from your students?

I have learned the importance of unmitigated honesty from my students.  My high school students respond better to instruction when they know that I will tell them the truth without trying to soften or skirt it.  If an eighteen-year-old comes to me with a third grade math level, as happened more than once this year, I tell them what the tests say.  Later, when I tell them they have made great growth or that they should be proud of themselves or that they will understand a concept with a little more work, they are willing to believe me.  These kids have taught me to be brave about truth telling, and that is a lesson I try to carry into the other areas of my life. 

Yehudit Plopper – Teacher

• Lakewood, NJ
• Adelphi University
• Reading Specialist

Why did you become a teacher?

I like working with children.  I wanted to be able to make a difference in a child’s world. I wanted to help give them the keys that would help them succeed in life.  As a remedial teacher I can give students skills that they are missing and won’t get from sitting through school.

What do you love most about teaching for Catapult Learning?

I love the camaraderie of working with other teachers and being able to share ideas and learn from them.  I feel one of the greatest parts of working for Catapult is having the privilege of working under my supervisor, Mrs. Faige Verschleiser.  She has taught me so much and gives me that guidance and support that I need to help me succeed with my students.

What is your greatest Catapult teaching success story?

One year I worked with a student who could not master her ABCs.  She was resistant to help, and was difficult to work with.  Throughout the year, I worked hard to find the means to get through to her.  Thank G-d, slowly but surely I succeeded and by the end of the summer she was reading.  We also developed a great relationship and I was able to help strengthen her confidence along with her academic skills.  She told me that when she grows up, she wants to teach “in a trailer” too.

What have you learned from your students?

I have learned to persevere even when situations are tough.  My students are all struggling in the classroom.  Yet, they still work hard and try to do well.  They don’t give up, and I feel empowered by them, to try different teaching methods until together we find ways to succeed.

Catapult Learning has long recognized that our teachers, coaches, specialized services professionals, and consultants are the foundation upon which our company stands. We literally wouldn’t be here without their tireless efforts to help struggling students succeed!

Thanks again to all of this month’s honorees! You can thank them too, please leave your comments for our educators below!

The post Catapult Learning Educator Spotlight: April 2013 appeared first on Catapult Learning.

Teachers today are responsible for differentiating their instruction to meet the needs of all learners, which includes being prepared to meet the explicitly unique and critical needs of English language learners.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), all teachers will likely have at least one ELL in their classroom each year regardless of where they live. Current research reflects the unprecedented growth of this linguistically and culturally diverse group over the last 30 years.  The total population of school-age students who speak a language other than English in the home has nearly tripled, from 3.8 million in 1979 to 10.8 million in 2006, and currently comprises over 20% of the entire student population in U.S. public schools.

Although we are responsible for teaching the same content to ELLs as we are to Native speakers, it is not effective to use the same methods between populations. We must train carefully in order to provide effective instruction for ELLs. Enter sheltered instruction.

Don’t miss Part 2 of this blog post! Click Here!

Sheltered Instruction is a methodology that allows content area teachers make their content comprehensible for English Language Learners – making it possible to teach Language and Content at the same time.

The nationally funded Institute of Education Sciences (formerly Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence) conducted a seven-year research project to study the impact of Sheltered Instruction on ELL achievement.  As a result of this overwhelmingly successful study, the SIOP model was developed. Content area teachers now have a research-proven, highly effective methodology to follow when working with ELL’s.

The SIOP model is organized by eight main components. I will be covering the first four in this blog post today; I’ll cover the remaining four in a my next post two weeks from now. Both of these blog posts are in advance our of upcoming webinar on May 15th, Supporting Your ELL’s.

First is Lesson Preparation. When writing lesson plans for ELLs, I first write both content and language objectives.  For example, if planning to teach a math concept I would write a the content objective to reflect the math concept, but I would also write an additional objective for learning vocabulary or perhaps reading the math problem out loud to a partner.

The second component is Building Background.  When introducing new content to ELLs it is critical that we teach vocabulary as a distinct lesson.  I prefer letting children choose some of their own vocabulary words from the text or reading assignment.  In my experience, this method increases both engagement and content learning.  In addition, I make an effort to connect students’ backgrounds, past experience, and prior learning to the new learning.  One of my favorite ways to make connections is with a simple KWL Chart.   The students create a three-column table and complete the K (what they already know) and W (what they want to know) columns prior to the start of the lesson.  When the lesson is over the students complete the L (what they’ve learned).  This strategy includes a built-in formative assessment!

The third component is Comprehensible Input.  Teachers can create comprehensible lessons by adapting texts, using vocabulary the students understand, giving directions out loud and in writing, and providing samples and demonstrations.

Strategies is the fourth component.  When working with ELLs, SIOP suggests using explicit instructional strategies.  I try to incorporate diverse questioning techniques, activities that encourage higher order thinking, involving the students in scaffolding techniques and using graphic organizers to assist my students with visually organizing their learning.

I hope that you have found this introduction to the first half of the SIOP useful.  Try some of the active links in the blog, and practice some of the strategies in your classroom to figure out which engage your students and increase the overall achievement of your classroom.

If you are interested in learning more about increasing achievement and engagement for your English Language Learners, register for the webinar Supporting Your ELLs scheduled for Wednesday, May 15^th at 2:00 PM EDT  Additionally, the second half of the methodology will be introduced in a follow up blog over the next few weeks.  Hope to “see” you on the 15^th!

The post The English Language Learner in Your Classroom appeared first on Catapult Learning.

See what you’ve missed! Check out out all the content our Common Core Expert team produced during the month of March.  We’ve listed everything here for your reading and viewing pleasure: the blog posts, the webinar, the workshops, and the new products. Enjoy!

The Blogs

• Sequestration: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb? by Michelle Doyle
• A Perfect Storm: Leading for Academic Excellence by Dr. Susan Abelein
• Student Creativity and the Common Core by Diane Rymer
• March Educator Spotlight by Our Educators
• Teaching as Storytelling: Why Episode IV Comes First by Dr. Andrew Ordover

The Monthly Webinar

• Best of the Web: Support for Common Core presented by Dr. Andrew Ordover

Over 130 people joined us for this exciting webinar. Dr. Ordover highlighted the best the internet has to offer in the way of teacher support for the Common Core State Standards. This recording and the presentation slides are now available for download!

The Workshops

Coming to a City Near You: Common Core Leaders Workshop Series

The New Products

Disciplinary Literacy
Training and Resources for Science and Social Studies Teachers

Our Disciplinary Literacy for the Common Core program was developed to support your middle and high school science and social studies teachers as they make this important transition.

Discover The Core
Professional Development, Curriculum Planning, and Instructional Tools

Catapult Learning is here to support your instructional teams with custom curriculum planning, instructional tools, and job-embedded professional development as you make this important transition.

The post Content Roundup: Common Core and Teacher Resources appeared first on Catapult Learning.

Sequestration cuts were the “poison pill” written into the Budget Control Act: a consequence so dire that Congress would surely act to cut trillions from the federal budget in a thoughtful and reasoned way.  Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.  Congress could not reach an agreement on spending cuts, tax reform, or entitlement reform.  On January 1st, when an across-the-board cut of 8% was scheduled to go into effect, Congress gave itself another two months to work out this grand bargain, made some cuts to spending, and raised some taxes to increase revenue.  But when March 1st came around, Congress once again could not come to an agreement and sequestration took place.

For education, sequestration cuts mean that federal education programs are being reduced by 5.1% for the 2013-14 school year.  The sequestering of funds is done by the federal government; local education agencies do not need to do further cuts once they receive their allocation from the state.  Another 2.6% will be cut in the 2014-15 school year if history repeats itself and Congress cannot work out a reasonable way to decrease the deficit.

One reason sequestration is such a difficult way to cut spending is because it is across the board–Title I is cut in the same way that an obscure, ineffective program is cut.  But, that’s the reality for next year.

While the federal cut is 5.1%  of total Title I and Title II-A funds (and of course all the other programs), the effective cut on the local level may be different.  That’s because these programs are funded through a formula.  In the case of Title I, the census count of low-income children determines funding.  For Title II-A, it is a weighted count of the previous year’s Title I participants and an attendance count.

If for example, you are in a district that experienced an increase in poverty, the census count would drive more Title I dollars to that district for the next school year, making the district allocation by formula higher.  It is from this formula amount that the sequestration cut is taken.  As a result, the effective cut could be less than 5.1% when comparing 2012-13 allocation to the 2013-14 allocation.  On the other hand, if poverty decreased in the district, the funds for 2013-14 might be less than they were in 2012-13.  When the 5.1% cut is taken, the difference between the current year and next year could be more than 5.1%.

Congress seems headed in the right direction for this session: the Senate is considering a Budget Resolution for the first time in four years.  But there are a lot of steps before they can resolve the issues that led to sequestration.  The Budget Resolution has to be passed in the Senate, the House has to pass allocation levels for each appropriations subcommittee so that the subcommittees can then allocate to specific programs under their jurisdiction, appropriations bills need to be passed by each chamber, and these final bills need to be signed into law.

Additionally, the Democrats remain convinced that the solution to the country’s fiscal issues can only be found through a combination of spending cuts and revenue raisers (tax increases).  The Republicans are unwilling to consider anything that raises any taxes.  Then there is the hard work of entitlement reform.  Entitlements account for most of the non-defense spending in our country, meaning that all cuts must come only from discretionary spending.  A comprehensive review of entitlement programs and thoughtful reform are needed if the quality of discretionary programs such as Title I and Title II-A is going to be preserved.

There is a long road ahead. If Congress is not successful, we’ll face sequestration cuts one more time.

The post Sequestration Cuts to Education: No Pardon Given appeared first on Catapult Learning.

I shared the picture on Facebook. Within an hour, I had a ton of “likes” and comments. One friend shared a link to a blog post explaining precisely how to order the six Star Wars movies for maximum enjoyment and minimum second-trilogy annoyance. It was an exercise in hardcore geekdom, but it took the Star Wars story—and the whole idea of story—more seriously than many English teachers I have known. When you’re a fan, you care that the true identity of Darth Vader is a surprise and a shock. You care that watching the movies in George Lucas’ approved order destroys that shock and surprise. Sometimes fans understand a story better than its creator.

Stories matter. We spend millions of dollars and millions of hours on stories—stories in books, stories in movies, stories on television shows. We dissect them. We analyze them. We take sides. (Team Edward? No: Team Jacob!) We get angry when someone messes with them. Our dreams, our folk tales, our mythologies, our history—all of these things take the form of stories. Stories are how our brains make sense of life.

What is it that makes some stories work, while others leave us untouched?

I think there are two very basic, essential pieces to the puzzle:

1)      We don’t know what is going to happen next, but

2)      We care what is going to happen next.

It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that. Think about this scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark:

It’s very early in the movie. We don’t know who this man is. We don’t really know what he’s up to, or why he needs the thing in his hand. There have been very few words–we have to watch closely and pay attention to follow the action. But somehow, even though we don’t know the character, we’re completely connected to what he is doing, and we’re worried about what will happen to him. There is a sense of danger; the stakes are life-and-death, even though we may not understand them yet. Three minutes into the movie, we are hooked. We are engaged. We are invested.

The fact is, we are storytelling animals—story-making animals. We can’t help ourselves. Put any series of events or situations in a line and we will turn them into a story and ask what happens next. We will force a pattern, even where none exists.

If you doubt me, take a look at this series of pictures and see if you can avoid making connections that create a story:

Now, just for fun, see what happens if you rearrange the pictures:

And, of course, when you remove certain elements, it affects the story we imagine:

The title of this blog post is “Teaching as Storytelling,” so obviously I’m trying to make a connection. Am I saying that our classes must be engaging and suspenseful, that our students have to dodge giant, rolling boulders in order to get a good grade? No…though it’s tempting, sometimes.

What we say in class, how we say it, the order we in which we say it, and what we leave out…all of these things are enormously important because students are not simply receiving information from us. They are engaged in a story with us, whether we intend them to be or not.

Now, obviously, not all subjects lend themselves to storytelling in a literal way. There are very few characters you can forge an emotional connection with in math classes (unless you happen to be teaching Flatland).

However, there is intellectual engagement to be had, and there is always at least one character who has something at stake in the outcome. We say that learning should be an adventure for our students, but do we really believe it? We say that learning should be a journey, but do we talk to students in the language of travel? Do we make sure they’ve packed properly, that they have a map, and that they’re ready for the challenges that lie ahead? Do we spend time to get them excited about where they’re going?

If we want our students to be personally and emotionally connected to what we’re teaching, if we want them to feel like characters engaged in an important story or journey, we should be able to answer at least some of the following questions for ourselves, even if students never think to ask them:

• In what ways will this course connect me to the larger world?
• What do I need to understand about that world?
• How might that understanding change the way I think about things?
• How might that understanding change the way I think about myself?
• What’s the Big Payoff if I hang in till the end?
• What is at stake if I do not hang on till the end?

Every class has an arc to it, a shape. We start somewhere. We end somewhere else. Students don’t always know where they are going—it has to be revealed, moment by moment. That is what creates suspense.

Yes, I know, we’ve all been told to post our learning objectives and talk about our learning objectives and write syllabi and lay everything out for our students. We’ve been told to reveal everything and make everything super-clear. But there is a benefit to withholding some information and being purposeful about what you reveal and when you reveal it. There’s a benefit to having students wonder what’s going to happen next.

Think about the classic model of storytelling we all learned in school: the movement from exposition to rising action to climax and denouement. Then think about the elements of good instructional technique and curriculum writing. They’re not so very different. A great class has some of the elements of a good mystery story. A question or mystery is posed. Clues are discovered and analyzed. Pieces are put together. Conclusions are reached.

Thinking of curriculum as a mystery that gradually unfolds and needs to be solved should lead us to think differently about what we say in class and how we say it. If we want our students to be actively engaged in identifying and solving problems, we have to stop spoon-feeding them information. We have to stop putting all the pieces together and tying them up with a bow.

As the author of the Star Wars blog said, it matters that you gasped in shock when you first discovered that Darth Vader was Luke’s father. That shock—that emotional resonance—is a major part of people’s love for the original movies. Why would you ever want to deny new viewers that pleasure—that emotional engagement?

As teachers, we are people who love our subject matter. Something engaged us, way back when we first encountered it. Something connected with us, intrigued us, made us ask questions and want to know more.  Our job now, as teachers, is to give students what was once given to us—those moments of engagement and excitement that made us want to set off on our journey of learning. Our job is to be great storytellers—to put students in the cave with Indy, leaning forward in their chairs, pencils in hand, asking, “What happens next?”

Now, perhaps you’re snickering or rolling your eyes. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Doing long division is not exactly as suspenseful as stealing idols from a dark and dangerous cave.” And you’re right. It’s not. But the stakes are just as high for our students…and the pathway is strewn with booby-traps.

It’s not easy, what we’re asking students to do every day. It’s not simple. Not everyone completes the journey. In some of our neighborhoods, barely half of the kids make it to the end of their schooling story. Not everyone comes out with an armload of treasure, either. That’s a fact. So don’t tell me it’s not an adventure, or that the stakes aren’t life and death. Every moment we have with our students matters. Every moment is a chance to hand them the sword and say, “Go slay the dragon.”

Maybe we should stop plastering our walls with signs that say things like, “All students will learn,” and start putting up signs that say, “Heroes required.”

The post Teaching as Storytelling: Why Episode IV Comes First appeared first on Catapult Learning.