Effective Change: LESSONS LEARNED Madeline Brick Former
Principal, J. F. K. Middle School Hudson, Massachusetts
Slide 2
JFK Middle School A National Service-Learning Leader School A
National School of Character A Developmental Designs School An
established anti-bullying and anti-harassment program An
established program in Educational Leadership for Students in a
Non-violent Age (ELNA) An established Student Government for civic
awareness John F. Kennedy Middle School is a public school in the
Hudson Public School District in Hudson, Massachusetts. Hudson is a
small town, situated in the middle of Massachusetts. Hudson has 16,
000 residents and enjoys strong support for its schools. The
student population at JFK Middle School reflects the Hudson
population of which one-third are of Portuguese descent from the
Azores, Portugal or Brazil. In the student population, 12% qualify
for free or reduced lunch.
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Although I am not a new teacher to the profession, I am a new
teacher to JFK. Every school has its differences in routine,
procedures, expectations, levels of interaction, etc. which can be
difficult to navigate and figure out without some guidance and
support. I was given a mentor teacher who could help me with
logistical needs and questions throughout the year and a team to
turn to as needed as well. Monthly, we have new teacher meetings
for more generic less time sensitive questions which offer support,
guidance and of course food!:) We have been encouraged to visit
other classrooms to view the great teaching of our colleagues and
we are able to learn new strategies that even a nine year veteran
like myself never knew or tried or just forgot. Our principal and
assistant principal have open door policies and we are made to feel
that coming to them for help or questions is not going to bring
judgment about our abilities but enlightenment for our problem or
question that helps us do the job that we have been hired to do,
teach and help kids. That remains our focus. Not to compete with
one another to see who is doing something better but to see how we
can all implement or modify strategies that will help us all be
better teachers for the kids. F Jennifer Keck, 7th Grade Science
Teacher, JFK Middle School
Slide 4
Reflection for March The following excerpt is from Moral
Leadership: Getting to the Heart of School Improvement by Thomas
Sergiovanni: In the ideal world of schooling, teachers would be
true colleagues working together; debating about goals and
purposes, coordinating lessons, observing and critiquing each
other's work, sharing successes and offering solace, with the
triumphs of their collective efforts far exceeding the summed
accomplishments of their solitary struggles. I believe that we
strive for the ideal at JFK and it is more of a reality than an
ideal. Would you please reflect on these questions individually?
What are your strengths as a teacher? What do you do really well?
What professional contributions have you made this year? Name three
things you have done for yourself and your students that make you
proud? What coursework or professional development have you taken
that has made a positive difference in your work? Who has helped
you the most in your professional life this year? How? What is one
thing you would like to improve upon for next year? What is one
thing you would like to change about your practice? What is it you
hope your colleagues, your students, and your students' parents say
about you when they share thoughts of you? Are you having fun
teaching middle school students?
Slide 5
2007-2008 parent responses to our annual parent questionnaire:
Hopes and Dreams: What is the most important thing you want your
child to learn in school this year? F I want my child to find
his/her voice, learn self- confidence and obtain social skills F I
want my child to try harder and be the best he or she can be
without being afraid to try and to fail F I want my child to
improve on listening, reading, homework and thinking skills F I
want my child to be better organized and learn time management
skills F I want my child to be comfortable with her peers and have
fun learning F I want my child to practice being kind and
respectful F I want my child to learn to make new friends
Slide 6
Student Voice in the Learning Process FROM: Adults making the
rules and controlling discipline TO : Including students as
decision- makers and conflict resolvers in academic choice, student
presentations and assessments, peer trained and peer taught
anti-bullying and anti- harassment program, peer mediation,
etc.
Slide 7
Student-Centered Classrooms FROM: Instruction designed to place
the teacher at the center dispensing knowledge TO: Instruction
designed to support student inquiry through hands-on learning,
collaboration, student choice, and student voice
Slide 8
Social and Emotional Learning as Part of the Curriculum FROM: A
sole concentration on academics TO: A focus on social, emotional,
and ethical as well as academic development
Slide 9
Covering vs. Uncovering the Curriculum FROM: A concern for
coverage of a large body of material TO: Digging deeper into the
curriculum using essential questions to guide learning
Slide 10
JFKs INSTRUCTIONAL QUESTIONS How does our curriculum support
students in becoming active, thoughtful, knowledgeable,
compassionate, and ethical citizens? How does our teaching practice
support students in becoming active, thoughtful, knowledgeable,
compassionate, and ethical citizens?
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Homogeneous to Heterogeneous: Learning from One Another FROM:
Homogeneous and segregated settings TO: Heterogeneous and inclusive
settings that promote social and intellectual growth for all
learners
Slide 12
Differentiated Instruction FROM: Uniform teaching to all
abilities TO: Utilizing diverse approaches to address differences
in abilities and learning styles
Slide 13
Assessing and Reporting Progress FROM: Evaluation based on a
uniform set of tests TO: Enabling students to demonstrate learning
through multiple forms of authentic assessment (self- reflection,
pre- assessments, formative assessments, etc.
Slide 14
How we Defined a Professional Culture F Promotes life-long
learning F Encourages risk taking, gain trust, and provide support
F Promotes collaboration and professional dialogue F Utilizes a
variety of information and supporting documentation F Promotes
self-reflection F Creates time for effective communication,
implementation, and feedback
Slide 15
What Does a Professional Learning Community Look Like? There is
trust and respect for teaching and learning F There are high
expectations for professionalism F Professionals use the practice
of reflective dialogue F De-privatization of practice F Behavior is
modeled F The focus is on student learning F There is collaboration
based on professionally shared norms and professional values
Slide 16
How Do We Get There? F Build trust and respect for adults in
the learning community by contributing and sharing resources,
information, lesson plans, study topics, websites, materials, etc.
F Build strong collaborative and collegial relationships that focus
on professional norms of collaboration, student learning, and
risk-taking F Build time during the day and in monthly meetings for
teachers to learn together F Understand what our students are
learning from our instruction by discussing student work and asking
for student reflection
Slide 17
Ways to Engage in Professional Collaboration: Earning Graduate
Credit/PDPs and/or stipends F Developing action research F Opening
classrooms for colleagues to observe F Collaborating and setting
the agenda for faculty and curriculum coordination meetings
Participating in professional contributions by sharing lessons,
articles, study guides, organizational guides and resources, good
web sites, materials, rubrics and assessments, etc. F Attending
classes, workshops and graduate study offered outside and within
the district F Setting a personal/professional growth plan (can be
used in the evaluation process as well) F Developing case studies F
Joining a critical friends group, participating in lesson study F
Mentoring/peer coaching F Engaging in study groups on current
educational topics and research (brain-based research, DI, new
books on education and educational research, parent connection,
etc.) F Using /presenting data to study student work F Creating
videos of classroom instruction
Slide 18
ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING F Restructure professional
development with teacher voice and collaboration F Restructure the
middle school schedule: team- based with daily professional and
planning meeting times F Change/integrate the curriculum to include
social and emotional learning for middle school F Create time in
the schedule within the school day for the social and emotional
learning curriculum F Integrate the arts into the core
curriculum
Slide 19
The support systems we have in place for new teachers: F
Mentoring F In-class support from curriculum directors and
administrators F Monthly meetings for new teachers/full week of DD
in summer F In-district professional development workshops F Daily
common preparation and weekly professional/team study time F One
full day a year for all new teachers to observe colleagues F An
open door policy with administration F Monthly faculty meetings
that include faculty presentations and professional contributions F
Faculty members sharing lessons, rubrics, study guides,
organizational guides and resources, materials, and assessments F
Using teacher reflection and voice to promote change
Slide 20
What support systems are in place for teachers with
professional status? F Sufficient resources for professional growth
F Summer curriculum development: teacher driven and teacher led F
Professional and personal growth plan included in evaluation cycle
F Teacher voice and leadership F Assistance in grant writing F A
place for a collaborative and collegial culture F Open door policy
with administration F Using reflective practice to guide
instruction F Daily time to meet in teams F Mentoring
Slide 21
Student Learning: Defining Principles and Actions F We will
focus on depth vs. breadth for both students and teachers F We will
promote inquiry-based learning and constructivist teaching F We
will enhance learning through the integrated use of technology F We
will enable every student to meet a higher set of standards and
expectations F We will intervene early to identify and address
student needs F We will create a caring, collaborative and
professional culture for students, staff, and parents F We will
interconnect social, emotional and ethical development with
intellectual/academic development F We will enhance civic
participation through authentic experiences in the social/political
world
Slide 22
Developmental Designs F An middle school approach and
philosophy that matched our core values and beliefs F Training that
connected to our established professional culture F An integrated
social/emotional curricula that connected easily into the
academics
Slide 23
Developmental Designs outlines four developmental needs for
adolescents Relationship I want to be independent. Autonomy I want
to experience success in what I do and feel like a worthwhile,
significant person. Competence Fun Summarized from the Origins
Online website: http://www.originsonline.org/dd_index.php
Slide 24
Approach and Philosophy: Using Developmental Designs to Guide
Teaching and Learning: The Six Principles Social learning is as
important to success as academic learning. We learn best by
constructing our own understanding through exploration, discovery,
and application. The greatest cognitive growth occurs through
social interactions within a supportive community. Students need a
set of skills to succeed socially and academically: Cooperation,
Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control Knowing the
physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of the students
we teach is as important as knowing the content we teach. Trust
among adults is a fundamental necessity for academic and social
success in a learning community. Summarized from the Origins Online
website: http://www.originsonline.org/dd
Slide 25
What does Developmental Designs look like in a school? What
does a middle school look, feel, and sound like when all of these
adolescent needs are taken into consideration? A school
implementing Developmental Designs makes the creating of
respectful, caring relationships a high priority. Every day begins
with a homeroom or advisory in which students circle up to greet
each other respectfully, share what's happening in their lives, and
sometimes move around a bit in activities that teach important
skills in a lively way. The morning meeting (we call it the Circle
of Power and Respect) helps students make the transition from home
to school and establishes a clear path into the learning day.
Transitions between classes are taught and practiced, as are all
the routines of the school day. Nothing is taken for granted.
Everything is modeled and rehearsed. The goal is the development of
self- control through proactive strategies that put the emphasis on
the prevention of rule-breaking. Consequences for all
rule-breakers, no matter who or how small the infraction, are
carefully introduced and consistently upheld. The consequences
clarify the expectations, provide a chance to restore order,
safety, and relationship, and maintain the dignity of the
rule-breaker. Each class the students attend uses the same language
and routines to preserve a caring community. Each class has an
opportunity for students to get to know each other, to do
meaningful work, and to reflect on work afterwards. There is
respect for the environment and materials. There is closure for
students and teacher at the end of each period, and at the end of
the day. Students ask and respond to open- ended questions. They
have regular opportunities to help design and make choices in
assignments that are meaningful to them. There is a balance in each
class between teacher-directed lessons and independent and group
work on skills and projects. From the Origins website,
http://www.originsonline.org/dd_index.php
Slide 26
What Does CPR Look Like in the Classroom? F Students and
homeroom teachers participate in the Circle of Power and Respect
three times per week for 25 minutes. In this forum, teachers
facilitate conversations about issues and concerns facing teams and
our school. They establish rules and logical consequences for each
class, each team, and our school, and work to create a sense of
community. This is a program that provides the opportunity to
discuss and resolve many of the issues that face adolescents and
the adults who teach them. It helps us to build teamwork, create a
safe school, and set aside a time and place for important
discussions and team-building games.
Slide 27
One Seventh Grade Teams Rules and the Planning of Logical
Consequences F We will model what each of these look like, sound
like and feel like when we are implementing each one of these. We
will revisit them often. We will reflect on them often and discuss
them during different learning situations. F We will establish
logical consequences when we dont do the following: Respect each
other and ourselves Treat others as we would like to be treated Be
caring, friendly, and nice to each other Act safely and responsibly
Use common sense and make good decisions based on using common
sense Include everyone in games, lunch and in groups Solve problems
and talk among ourselves before we turn to an adult for help Be
kind and considerate to people, plants, and animals Respect
property of people and school F Trust your own judgment after you
have thought about it
Slide 28
I firmly believe that my transition to JFK was so smooth
because of the Developmental Designs Training. The content was
extremely helpful, but getting to know the other new teachers
before the craziness began was beyond comforting. We were able to
connect and develop a relationship which would not have been
possible without the week -long seminar. I also feel that having
the emotional support has been a key factor in a successful first
year. I felt confident in my curriculum but I often felt like I
needed validation on certain feelings I was experiencing as a new
teacher. At JFK I feel comfortable approaching my administrators
with my concerns without feeling incompetent or without being
judged. I have had an unbelievable first year. Its been a journey,
but I can't imagine doing anything else anywhere else! Nikki Arena,
Drama/Music Appreciation Teacher, JFK Middle School, 2006
Slide 29
DEEPENING OUR WORK F Reflection on and refinement of our
teaching F Collegial dialogue and exchange F Analysis of student
work and performance data F Continuous professional collaboration F
Modeling behavior F Using reflection and surveys to improve
teaching and learning