Choices Matter

I do not like snakes! Jim and I went to see 17 Miracles yesterday. In one part of the story two little pioneer girls in the Willey Handcart Company had skipped off from the group to spread and gather blossoms when they came upon a nest of rattlers. The snakes were paused, ready to strike. After a prayer the girls skipped and hopped through the venonmous obstacle course, unharmed in the end. One whispered to the other. Her friend asked why she was whispering. "I don't want the snakes to hear our plan!"



It reminded me of the old tale of an Indian brave who passed a rattlesnake sunning on a rock at the base of a tall mountain. The reptile hissed to the young man and asked to be taken to the top of the mountain. The brave resisted, saying that he knew about the venom in the snake's fangs. He knew the danger that was foretold in the rattle clicking its warning. The snake persisted, promising that he would not hurt the boy if he would just get him to the top of the mountain. Upon insistance the snake prevailed. The young brave slipped the diamondback into his bag and climbed to the summit. Reaching into the leather pouch, he pulled his passenger into the sunshine atop the peak. The sharp fangs sunk into his brown arm and the boy recoiled in shock and pain. "How could you?" he cried. "You promised you would not harm me!" "Oh," said the crafty rattler, "but you knew what I was when you picked me up."



If you do not like snakes, do not pick them up! We cannot expect good results when we already know by experience what one practice or another leads to, what the probable results will be. We can do hard things. Our kids are worth it!

Competency Matters

It was one of those stormy days early this spring when the Midwest was hunkering down during devastating tornadoes, and Salt Lake was watching storm warnings. Dark clouds and threatening winds thundered in. Leslie and her family had returned from initiating their new camp trailer and parked it along the street when a ruckus came charging down the road. A horse was dragging a trampoline! Someone thought it would be smart to hitch up their horse to their children’s trampoline. The horse thought differently. Leslie watched as neighbors somehow calmed the horse when it veered into their yard and got the mangled trampoline unhitched. Tragedy averted! Trailer unharmed! Horse survived! Trampoline unusable!

Sometimes we hitch up our hopes to a program or an idea that looks sturdy and strong. When the storms roll in, everything gets wild, and our hopes for success are drug through the dust and mud. I guess the lesson is: be careful what you are hitching up and what you are hitching up to. We cannot take a great new Common Core, for example, and hitch it to shoddy practice or weak knowledge of the subject. Make sure that we are competent and ready and stable before we add a new core. Let’s not let the Core drag us. We can do hard things! We do whatever it takes because our kids are worth it!

Learning Matters 6.11.11

My husband and I just had a conversation about motivating our learners. At school we are just finishing up our year-end core testing (No Child Left Behind). I received this note from one of my fantastic teachers who had 100% of her students pass the science test, 93% pass language arts, and 96% pass mathematics:
"The Value of T-Time
It is often difficult to inspire unmotivated students. Many have low ability and don't believe that they have the ability to master various concepts. Just getting some students' full attention and participation for short periods can be a challenge.
However, our new T-Time has proven to be the boon for which I've been searching.
Halfway through the year, our principal asked that we institute "T-Time" to help inspire the unmotivated learner.
I implemented daily T-Time using YPP Custom Tests. Each day after morning recess my students took a YPP Custom Test.
Instruction, practice and review of the particular concept being tested was given some time beforehand.
Each student strived to do his/her best on the daily concept quiz because each knew that a good score meant s/he would get to participate in a fun learning activity during the last 30 minutes of the day.
At 2:40 each afternoon, those who had mastered the morning quiz got to work on various learning activities while I worked with those who needed extra instruction and practice.
It was surprising for me to see how motivated all students became when this "reward" activity was offered to them. Engagement went way up during instruction time since students knew they had to master the test in order to receive the reward.
Thanks for T-Time. I believe it is largely responsible for some in my class scoring so high on the core test. I will implement this activity again this coming year."
T Time got its name because our school mascot is the Thunderbird. It has reference to flying high, time to step up and hit the ball, time for our little thunderbirds to learn, etc. We are focused on student learning and data-driven instruction! One thing that the great teachers "get" is that we have the power to motivate learners who are not really motivated at home. Finding the key to that motivation is what T Time is all about. It is a time for re-teaching, remediation, enrichment, and fun learning. It is about making kids WANT to learn! Some call it Power Hour, Flex time, or Intervention Interval. We call it T Time, and our teachers are using it to make the most out of learning. Whatever it takes; our kids are worth it!

Learning Matters

My grandchildren helped at my house on Saturday afternoon. Cassie owed me for paying for her haircut, and Bryce wanted to earn $5. Because I am old and cannot do everything I used to, I am willing to pay. I am not sure it was worth all the whining and complaining, but we did get some flowers planted and the whole house vacuumed. The children also learned a few things. One lesson: Grandmother does not pay for a job that you decide on yourself. You must clear the desired assignment with her first and do a job that is good enough that she can tell the difference between the beginning and ending. Lesson two: Grandmother will only pay or count against your bill that which is done to her expectations.

This morning on "Music and the Spoken Word" I was reminded of the story behind "Amazing Grace." We are watching the movie again tonight! Newton also wrote that "We think we know so much only because we don't know all that we haven't yet learned (paraphrased)." Sometimes as I read or learn, I lose track of whether it is something new I've learned or something that is merely coming back to mind in a different light. We have so much to learn!