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Ms. Laura Byington Teaches ELA7 @ Roberts K-8.

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I have been teaching 23 years, mostly in middle school settings.  I love adolescents, have a passion for English, and firmly believe that exceptional reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills are the keys to a successful future.

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Cycle 1:  MVP Directions & Positive Narration

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Cycle 1:  MVP Directions & Positive Narration

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My goal for this mission/cycle was to increase student participation by using MVP Directions and Positive Narration, and according to the data I did accomplish my goal. This aligns with goal of Differentiation/Personalized Learning by making sure the students know what I expect of them before I give the time to work on something. I expected students to learn which Movements, Voice Levels, and Participation I would be looking for, as well as what the time limit of the activity would be, and I stuck to it consistently. I know students learned it because as I was positively narrating student behaviors, they were following the movement, voice, and participation directions. If students didn't learn it by the 3rd narration nearby, then I would correct the behavior with the phrase, "The expectation is..._____ ." When the students had already learned it I responded with praise. My next steps are to continue prepping myself to say directions in this manner, as it is evident the kids are responding.

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My goal for this cycle was for 70% of students in day 2/4 block 3 will be on task per the MM on task tracker by utilizing MVP directions, Positive Narration, Incentives, and Consequences by the end of November by using the full program of Management Masters to increase student participation, building on my last goal of MVP directions and positive narration. This cycle I added the rest of the program, which is this: If I get to the point that after giving MVP directions and 3 positive narrations the student needs redirection, I let them know the expectation AND then tell them they are on step 1 of the hierarchy. If after 3 narrations everyone is following the MVP directions, the class earns a point toward an incentive or reward. If they are not following the MVP directions, I redirect them by letting them know "The expectation is ___ , you are now on step 2 of the hierarchy." After polling the students, we decided that there would be daily opportunities, such as a 5-minute brain break with a lollipop, or 10 minutes on computer games at the end of class, as well as a long-term goal of getting to watch a movie with popcorn. According to the data I did not fully accomplish my goal. 68% was my final number, but because the feel of the room and the minor errors the kids were making did not change that the room felt happier, more inviting, and like a family.

This aligns with my goal of Differentiation/Personalized Learning because each student/class is unique in what it wants most, thus providing the motivation the students need to focus on the work at hand. If they are not even compliant, there is no point in even trying to teach.

I expected the students to go from purposely doing the opposite of my directions and/or ignoring me completely to compliance and hoped we would head toward engagement.

I expected the students to learn how to work together as a class to earn an incentive. If not every student was participating in the attention-getting signal, the class could not earn a point. If after 3 positive narrations, students needed to be reminded of the expectation, they did not earn a point, and for every 5-10 minute portion of class they were able to keep on task, they'd earn a point.

I know students learned to work as a cohesive team because I watched carefully to see that every student clapped the rhythm back, which earned them their first reward. Then a 10-minute timer was set to remind me to give the class a point if I've had no redirections. When students didn't earn it I dropped the point level needed to earn a reward from 5 points to 3 points to 1 point, so that the very first time they earned a point for working together to get their incentive, we celebrated with an immediate 5-minute brain break and lollipop. Thankfully our 3rd try was a success.

It wasn't all smooth sailing. Sometimes I'd get working with a group and they'd be paying attention so well that I was afraid to stop their momentum with a positive narration sequence. Other times I'd have a longer-term assignment that kids would be working on and want to give incentives for them to persevere throughout, so I'd chunk the time and pause every 10 minutes to give the kids a point if they earned it. These were things I asked my coach about along the way. Embedding MVP directions in my PowerPoint really helped me remember to give the directions properly, it gave me and the students a visual reminder of the task at hand, and how to do it, and embedding a timer in my slides also kept the kids on track.

Now that the kids are working together to accomplish our learning targets, my next steps will be working on the differentiation of work or perhaps accountable talk to increase student participation.

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My goal for this cycle was for 50% of students in my 1st period block ELA class (Days 1 & 3) will use an Accountable Talk Move showing accountability to the learning community at least once during the class as evidenced by the coach's observation.

My goal aligns with the SCSD/Fuse goals of improving student discourse.

I expected students to learn the most basic accountable talk moves of agreeing, disagreeing, adding on, repeating back what they heard, and being able to back up their thinking with evidence.

The room had previously been set up for 3 small groups. Now, during our full-class novel, the seating is a double horseshoe, one part being a small group surrounding my own kid's desk in the front of the room, with a horseshoe around the rest of the class.

I know students learned it because taped onto each desk is a laminated, color copy of the accountable talk moves. (This works better than my worksheet, which the kids kept losing or forgetting). After winter break, students had a DIN prompt about whether it was better to give or to receive and why. Students wanted to jump into the conversation especially when we had a debate about whether the PS5 or the newest XBox was a better gift. It worked so well that students were talking about it in the hallway on the way to their next class, and though it got heated, it remained respectful. More than half (53% of the students) began participating at least once during an 80-minute class, some much more frequently.

The students who were not comfortable responding aloud with their ideas (or who hadn't learned it yet) had also been asked to put them in writing first as a CER using Life Evidence rather than Text Evidence. All students contributed in some way, and those who were extra confident and assertive were taught the following prompt: "What do you think?" (Said to a peer).

While the students learned the norms of accountable talk, they weren't explicitly taught how to "wait with interest", and sometimes would break out into smaller conversations, though they were still on topic.

The questions that I still have are as follows: I wonder how I can get them to get better at a whole group format. I wonder if I should explicitly teach the norms. And until I practiced it, I didn't really understand what was meant by "marking."

My next steps might be to explicitly teach norms, to play around with talk formats from pinky partners to trio and table talks, and back to a whole group discussion again to see if we get any better at keeping to one conversation and "waiting with interest." (Very tough in this day and age!). Because we're talking about the Water Crisis next, I also sought out the protocols for "Peeling an Onion" and "Sending a Problem." To compliment CERs I wouldn't mind trying "It Says, I Say, So" or any kind of "restating practice" talking in complete sentences by re-stating the question.

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Small group instruction with station rotation (see arrows)

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What I did: I put the desks in 3 separate groups of 6 students each. Students identify their group by the color of the folder that is on the desk. They rotate every 15-20 minutes OR the other groups switch halfway through class, and the kids with me stay until we finish the CER outline. I taught the kids about Desk Olympics, which is a fun way to get kids to move from group to group as quickly, quietly, and safely as possible. I used the timer to keep on track with the rotations. I used colored popsicle sticks to determine how the kids were feeling about the work.

What happened: Students were more engaged and felt the scaffolded work was easy. There was a sense of competition in my later classes--students wanted to beat the times set by my other classes for bragging rights. The timer came so fast that I altered the schedule to stay with the CER group twice, so that they have their outline completed before they attempt the final copy, but because of this, I may need to alter the activities for the other students. It turned out that the majority of the class was so into their work that they didn't want to rotate the last time. The popsicle sticks show a healthy mix of green, a bit of yellow, and one red. I know that at least 1 person is lost on the CER, but the rest are progressing nicely.

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My slides help me refer back to the learning targets, objectives, and standards to connect our lesson to the goal(s).

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Cycle 5:  Continuing the Journey:  Station Rotation Tweaks

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Cycle 5:  Continuing the Journey:  Station Rotation Tweaks

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One goal I had for April 2024 was to relate the standards, learning targets, and objectives directly to the activities at hand and also on the slides that explain the activity so that everything connects and makes sense in the minds of the kids. To be sure I do this throughout the lesson, and not just at the beginning or the end, I put the objectives directly into the slides that explain the activity so I can show kids how it all connects.

A second goal I had was to be sure all my DINs relate to my lesson. I try to make the topic relate to not only the unit and lesson that day, but also have some sort of authentic significance in their lives to give them motivation for engagement.

A third goal was to differentiate a teensy bit less. In feedback cycles, I was told there was too much choice and not enough structure. Because of this, I took away some of the freedoms of choice. Students may get a choice between 2 ways of doing things instead of 5 or 6. To create a bit more structure I gave out group roles: a leader, time keeper, materials person, folder clean up, computer person, and an accountable talk starter.

A fourth goal was to help the computer station stay on task. I started by having the kids all in a line instead of a group, so that I could see every computer screen from where I am seated in my teacher-led group. The computers provide too many avenues to struggle with focus...games, music, google...for the rest of this piece ("Status Update") I am going to take computers away for this week to see if it helps the focus in that group.

My next goal is to make sure the kids are getting chances for accountable talk

every other day using the ELA protocols provided by the district.

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Cycle 6:  Learning Walk at Clary Middle School

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Cycle 6:  Learning Walk at Clary Middle School

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My goal: Learn and grown by watching a colleague

What I did: I went on a Learning Walk at Clary Middle School.

What happened: Link to Notes

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The Exit Ticket includes a rubric to determine the success criteria for the week so kids can reflect on and evaluate their own learning.

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Continuing the Journey:  Artifacts/Evidence

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Continuing the Journey:  Artifacts/Evidence

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Personalized Learning with Station Rotation: Speed Dating Style

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Cycle 7:  Syrafuse Showcase:  Personalized Learning

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Cycle 7:  Syrafuse Showcase:  Personalized Learning

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Personalized Learning: Station Rotation Model

Speed dating!  Don’t worry, you’re not dating each other, just the material.  Take a chance and experience the Core 4 [Components] of Personalized Learning in a Station Rotation Model and teacher examples of each component, using various protocols for a brief conversation about text, and providing  transition ideas related to setting up the classroom for station rotations.

Links to handouts

Link to Exit Ticket

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Cycle 4:  Station Rotation & Student Choices (Playlist)

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Cycle 4:  Station Rotation & Student Choices (Playlist)

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My goal for this mission/cycle was: By 2/13 100% of students will actively engage in station rotations as evidenced by playlist completion. According to the data I did accomplish my goal.

This aligns with the goal of Differentiation/Personalized Learning by giving student choice at each station as well as having modified assignments available for students who struggle. These assignments have access to the same content, but different scaffolds such as: bigger line spacing, fewer answer choices, sentence starters, notes, and bold font.

I expected the students to learn how to move from one group to another as quickly, safely, and silently as possible; learn how to independently get their assignments and get working; and how to become self-directed learners.

I know the students learned it by observing student engagement, and grading the playlist assignments. There was also an anonymous assessment of putting a green, yellow, or red popsicle stick in the other side of the cup to let me know if it was easy (green), you still had some questions (yellow) or it was super hard and you're lost and need help (red).

When students didn't learn it I checked in with their groups, referred them back to their playlist or checklist, and asked questions to help them think through whatever they might be struggling with.

When students had already learned it, there were other choices and extra credit assignments available.

My remaining questions are as follows: How do I ensure that kids are on task in the other groups when I am at the one group working with my small group of students?

My next steps might be: Playing around with the timing of the group movement, and how to assess learning to create the next groups.

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The DIN relates directly to the lesson and engages the students by making connections with their own lives and relate it to the curriculum.

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Continuing the Journey:  Artifacts/Evidence

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Continuing the Journey:  Artifacts/Evidence

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Focus Indicators:
1.  Balance meeting students' current needs while helping them work toward grade level mastery.
2.  Reflects on instruction, lesson plans, and feedback to adapt and improve.
3.  Creates learning goals for and with students to reflect and monitor progress.

PEERS Goal:
85% of the class will become independent learners by co-create learning goals with the teacher to reflect on and monitor their own progress.

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What I did: I used precise directions for Movement, Voice Level, Participation and Time and consistently stuck to those directions. I narrated positive behaviors and repeated the expectations as a corrective behavior for those who needed it.

What happened: Kids knew the expectations before beginning a task. When I positively narrated their peers, most kids were likely to get back on track. Of those who weren't, when they were reminded of the expectation, they began to comply more. During my final observation, 82.6% of the kids were demonstrating on task behaviors, which allowed me to meet my goal.

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Class Expectations: 1st Days of School Reflection

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Class Expectations: 1st Days of School Reflection

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My goal was to have the kids come up with their own expectations or rules for the classroom. In this way, I would be empowering the students to create their own learning environment. I expected students to learn how to fill out a Frayer Model in order to explore new vocabulary, and in so doing they would also be able to come up with expectations for what we want to see in the classroom vs. what we don't want to see in the classroom. If the students learned it, they'd have been able to fill out the template, but they struggled, mostly with relating it to specific classroom behaviors. When they didn't learn it, I was disappointed, but we had already spent so much class time on it that I used the summer school expectations and asked the classes if they agreed or disagreed with them, instead. In reflecting, maybe I would have started the kids off with a brainstorm of what classroom behaviors we want to see and have versus what we didn't want to see and have. Then used that as a springboard to help them focus the Frayer Model on specific classroom behaviors, exhausting as many behaviors as possible instead of just focusing on answering one before moving on. It might be fun/engaging for the kids to act out the examples and non-examples of their words for the rest of the class, thus emphasizing the specific classroom behaviors associated with the word they are demonstrating. Then allow their groups to formulate the way the rules should sound, focusing on positivity instead of a list of "don'ts." Then turning those in to consolidate a list to present to the class. One thing I wasn't sure about was that the kids were upset at the expectation that we clean up the room before we go. They are adamant that they don't want to clean up after each other, but it should be every person for themself. I want them to be responsible for their "area" as a group. I felt a little guilty about trumping their opinion and having them sign the contract anyway, but I couldn't seem to get them to see my point of view.

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What I did: Before every class, I reminded the kids of the system, how it worked, and how to use it to their advantage.

What happened: As I strategically narrated near certain kids, they picked up on the cues and corrected their own behaviors before I even had to redirect them.

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Artifacts/Evidence of: Management Master in my PPT

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Artifacts/Evidence of: Management Master in my PPT

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What I did: I placed the MVP directions directly in my slide so that the kids and I would have a visual reminder of what the directions were, how long they'd have to work on each segment of the lesson, what they had to do to earn a point, as well as a timer to keep everyone accountable.

What happened: I was more likely to give directions the correct way, as I wrote them out for myself ahead of time. If the kids came in late, lost track of what they were supposed to do, or just needed a visual as well as an auditory reminder, the smartboard was able to give them the information they needed.

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Artifacts:
1.  Student PEERS Goal Sheet

Evidence: Unfortunately, I didn't think about keeping evidence at the time I trashed my plan 1st Days of School plan. I threw the papers away, which I rarely do, but my frustration was great, and the lesson really tanked.

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Construct, Express, & Reflect:  The 1st Days of School  8/23

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Construct, Express, & Reflect:  The 1st Days of School  8/23

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Perfect Pair Share Reflection:

1.  What is the connection between your activity and your first Fuse goal?

Because my goal involved Personalized Learning, in the first few days of school the students need to come up with their own ideas of what the rules should look like.  This will be based on filling out a Frayer Model in small groups using one of the following words:  Perseverance, Optimism, Kindness, Courage, Responsibility, and Respect.  Then students will move groups to get to the next word.  We will vote as a class on anything that needs tweaking, come up with a document that can become the class’s official expectations, which students will also sign.

1. What most excites you about working on this goal?

I think that the kids can make up amazing expectations on their own, but will need the Frayer Model and each other to help them focus on ONE word at a time, and all the meanings it can encompass.  I believe this scaffolding was missing during our summer school conversation about expectations.

1. What do you think will be challenging for you?

Consistent consequences for all will be the biggest challenge I face.

1. What supports can you access to help?

Syracuse colleagues, my principal, my team, teacher friends and colleagues.

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What I did:
(Process Data: strategies, professional learning, etc.)

What Happened:
(Outcome Data: attendance, proficiency, growth, etc.)

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What I did: Students were asked to write a CER on whether it was better to give or receive after the holiday break. They had to cite evidence from their own lives and provide reasoning as to why receiving or giving was better. Then, using the accountable talk functions on our table, we had a short discussion about that as well as which gifts are better than others and why.

What happened: Students easily wrote their first piece of evidence and reasoning, but struggled with the second set of evidence and reasoning. After having accountable talk conversations, some of them were able to add ideas they heard to their writing to make the writing piece better, but mostly they enjoyed talking about which, out of a list of 3 sets of items, was the better gift. They got so into it, that in the hallway they were quizzing other students and teachers about which was better: XBox or PS5. Now the kids have an idea of how to have a respectful conversation about the book we will be reading, A Long Walk to Water.

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What I did: I included a slide in our lesson presentation to remind the students what we were working toward, and a little bit about the other classes' goals to give them a little sense of healthy competition.

What Happened: Once we saw it up on the smartboard, the kids got a little bit of excitement that certain goals were attainable, and they just had to work together to make that happen. Kids began to encourage each other to pay attention when I used attention-getting signals. Every class has now gotten its first reward. However, some students, no more than 2 in any class, did still make it to the end of the hierarchy and earned a referral.

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Class Expectations:  The 1st Days of School

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Class Expectations:  The 1st Days of School

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What I did: I gave each of my 6 groups a Frayer Model templates with a word in it--respect, responsibility, courage, teamwork, optimism, or kindness. I modeled how to fill out a Frayer Model using the word perseverance. I wrote the definition, the characteristics of a person who perseveres, as well as examples and non-examples of it. Then, using each other, the students were to produce expectations for class behavior. They rotated ideas until every group had every word filled out, then turned them all in for the teacher to consolidate the ideas and present them back to the class for a vote and signature.

What happened: The lesson was a flop. Students struggled with every aspect of the task. The toughest part was coming up with characteristics for a person who demonstrated the word. The kids frequently didn't connect the words to specific school behaviors. Many of them couldn't put their finger on what a term's definition would be, and classroom examples and non-examples were entirely absent. I was frustrated by the disconnect after dedicating so much time and energy to the task, so I used my summer school expectations instead of doing the task again a different way.