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The chapter on resiliency really stuck with me. During my grad school program I read numerous articles and books on grit. Which is truly the same as resiliency. By helping foster grit and resiliency in our students we can not only help teach them valuable life lessons. We can also show them new ways to learn. We often are so focused on right or wrong and fail to pickup on the learning that occurs from making mistakes. We learn how not to do something sure, but in that we can often learn techniques to get us close to our result or strategies that can be applied later in life in other situations. These are ideas and facts that I try hard to help the students I work with see and understand. You did not fail, but instead learned what does not work for the current desired outcome. Now take that knowledge and apply it to a new strategy to complete the task with the desired outcome.

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I watched the Sydney Jensen TED Talk about teachers, students, and relationships.  It made me reflect on the relationships I have with my students and team members.

I feel completely supported by my First Grade Team. We have a wonderful working relationship and friendship too.  This has been especially important over these past two school years.  We have been through a lot both personally and professionally.  Knowing you have a support system at work has been so helpful.

Erieview has been focusing on SEL this year. Growing and maintaining relationships with my students has always been a priority. Really getting to know my students and what they are interested in is easier to do as I am with my students the entire day. I also try to get to know the parents too. Due to COVID, this has been more challenging. Taking time to let the students know you care about them can only help the students be more successful in the classroom. The challenge arises when teachers feel overwhelmed with the constant demands being put on educators to do more, teach more, test more, and push more. Reminding ourselves to breathe, tackle one task at a time, and to be there for the students is what will hopefully allow us to become better educators and not get burnt out and disheartened.

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It's interesting to me that my own reflections on lessons often leave me feeling guilty that I could have done more with the lesson, but I also am a rule follower and would feel guilty if I didn't follow the curriculum as well. As we've traveled through the topics in this book together, I have been more willing to "toss" parts of the curriculum and have felt a bit guilty doing to. That has lessened as I have watched students become more engaged and make progress. Knowing that our Math curriculum will be changed next year, I have found that I am more willing to discard confusing and unproductive concepts in exchange for others. Although there is some value to following a daily scripted lesson, I think it has been beneficial to adapt and modify the material to meet the needs of my current class.

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Many times a year, I am asked the infamous "When are we going to use this in real life?" question when it come to some of the content we cover in high school math. In the past, I have felt guilty when I have actually asked myself the same question. I know that a good chunk of the content I am required to teach will NOT be used by certain groups of students, and yet I have to convince them that they need to know it, and know it well. Don't get me wrong, many times the students just don't see the value because they can't look that far ahead. Many times I do know that it is important content and that they really will benefit from it even if that can't currently see the value in it. I'm speaking to some of my lower level students who could benefit way more from math skills that contribute to a skilled job, rather than proofs and tedious graphing by hand skills that I know they will not use. I do believe that even if they won't use these specific math skills, they will benefit from the higher level problem solving skills and organization skills. However, convincing some students of this is hard when sometimes I don't believe in some of the required standards content myself....Guilty.

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After watching Sydney Jensen in this TED talk about teachers and their relationships with students, it helped me reflect upon how connected I am with my students. I often feel guilty if I pay more attention to one student and not another. We are all trying our best and sometimes stretched thin with happenings in our our lives, however, we are still there for our students and do the best we can. I liked the mascot of Sydney's high school, "The Links," as she explains as the only high school around with that mascot! Although our mascot is not "The Links," I still feel connected to other educators that can support me as I support my students.

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Sydney Jensen: How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers?

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Teachers emotionally support our kids -- but who's supporting our teachers? In this eye-opening talk, educator Sydney Jensen explores how teachers are at risk of "secondary trauma" -- the idea that they absorb the emotional weight of their students' experiences -- and shows how schools can get creative in supporting everyone's mental health and wellness.

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I have allowed students to revise tests and quizzes for some time now. They seem to like the extra chance to understand what they got wrong. I don't agree with George that they should get the new grade completely. My goal is to get them to understand what they missed and to want to learn more. I use a phased out version of added grading. Once all of the corrections are made, I check them with the student and then I take half the difference of a perfect score and the original score that they got and divide that by 2. Then a I add that to their score. Most students are thrilled that their score goes up. I am tricking them into correcting their work and reflecting on what they did wrong though because I increase the amount I divide by to 3 for the second quarter and 4 for the third quarter. The last quarter, grades are not adjusted at all. Surprisingly almost all of the students continue to correct and self reflect even after there are no points given in the fourth quarter. The time spent reviewing it with them helps them to change their way of thinking and language is important. Instead of making "stupid mistakes", I refer to them as "careless errors." and insist they call them that too. The word stupid has no place in a math classroom.

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Guilt- Linda Gebhardt                                 

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Guilt- Linda Gebhardt                                 

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As a rule follower, I feel guilty about not always using the curriculum lessons. A few weeks ago, however, I tossed the boring introductory math lesson on data. I had the children construct their own bar graph of the number of letters in each student's name. Providing large sheets of colorful construction paper and a pre-printed sheet (with the graph title and list of names) took more prep time than ripping out workbook pages. BUT the students were far more engaged while being immersed in representing and interpreting data.

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I really liked the idea of highlighting mistakes on assessments. I want to see if I can implement this in my class, perhaps by 'grading' student's study guides prior to tests so they can see where their mistakes are, then having them go back and correct them. Then we can re-convene as a class to break down what they'll have to know going into the test, along with what questions need to be reviewed. I'd like to continue grading their summative assessments as I normally would, but this technique can be used prior to their final test in helping them to prepare, and would give them immediate feedback in their preparations.

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Reflection- Joe Smith            Looking back, as I reflect...I realize that reflection time for me has typically been after the day in the car ride on the way home from work.  It was usually preceded by a less than satisfactory day of instruction.  I think I tend to analyze the bad days far more than I do the good ones, which is not necessarily good. I realize that   reflection is a process that does need to be learned.  It is not automatic.  As I read, I realized that my reflection could be more beneficial if I was to ask myself the 3 simple questions(what went well?, where is growth needed?, and how to move forward to build on my strengths and weaknesses?)  This is where the idea of benefitting from our failings(rather than failures) can really help, but even more so if we are making a conscious decision to actively implement reflection in a way that provides ample energy to it.  I like the idea of consumption, reflection and creation in any order.  Like anything with practice comes improvement and this applies to implementing this reflection piece. This includes reflecting on the reflecting one does, as it is a process that needs to be learned. The hope is that eventually, reflection can be what links our performance to our potential, per Col. Eric Kail's insight.

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Reflection- Joe Smith            Looking back, as I reflect...I realize that reflection time for me has typically been after the day in the car ride on the way home from work.  It was usually preceded by a less than satisfactory day of instruction.  I think I tend to analyze the bad days far more than I do the good ones, which is not necessarily good. I realize that   reflection is a process that does need to be learned.  It is not automatic.  As I read, I realized that my reflection could be more beneficial if I was to ask myself the 3 simple questions(what went well?, where is growth needed?, and how to move forward to build on my strengths and weaknesses?)  This is where the idea of benefitting from our failings(rather than failures) can really help, but even more so if we are making a conscious decision to actively implement reflection in a way that provides ample energy to it.  I like the idea of consumption, reflection and creation in any order.  Like anything with practice comes improvement and this applies to implementing this reflection piece. This includes reflecting on the reflecting one does, as it is a process that needs to be learned. The hope is that eventually, reflection can be what links our performance to our potential, per Col. Eric Kail's insight.

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While reading this book, I haven't quite connected as I did while reading about what George has to say about failing and building resilience. There are only a couple things guaranteed in life, failing being one of them. Something that I see day in and day out within my students is the desire to be perfect at everything they do. With teaching math, I see this desire crushed on the daily. I think as a society, we have glorified the thought of being perfect and making the idea of failure the ultimate fault in someone. Something that I make sure I reiterate on the daily is what we do is not difficult, it is different. The important thing that students take away from something that may be hard for them, is that they can do hard things. If students can't be successful at the moment, then they learn how to get through that. Resilience is one of the most important skills students can gain within school. It's not about how many times you get knocked down, but instead, how many times you can get up, learning from that failure to succeed. Teaching content is important, but teaching our students how to be a successful human in anything they do is so much more important. One way that I reiterate resilience in my classroom is offering revisions on anything they turn in (within reason). I was very pleased while reading George's opinion on revisions. I was previously in a district where a students grade was not final till the last day of school. Grade cards were just guidance for how they were doing. I loved this belief system and I have brought that into my teaching philosophy. Overall, reading this book has brought be a lot of comfort in what I am doing is right. The kids are at the center of what we do as educators. We need to remember they are not data points, or a grade on a grade sheet, but instead human beings who depend on us for guidance throughout their day.

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I often talk about how important failure is to learning with my students - but we also discuss how they need to look at their failures - see what worked and what didn't work - in order for that failure to lead to eventual success. I love that idea that resilience means " learning from our struggles and finding a path to deeper meaning and purpose". We must teach students how to work through challenges. Embracing mistakes is crucial in learning - I talk with my students about how many times they failed when learning to walk - but because they were not afraid of failure at that point, they got back up and eventually learned to walk. We imagine what it would look like if our school had a bunch of students who were crawling around the hallway:) I have often heard the drivers test analogy about retakes on tests and 100% agree. Will you have students who may take advantage of retakes? Maybe - but for those who are willing to do the extra work and demonstrate their learning - Let them - and celebrate the fact that they did it. On a side note..I loved the example of a student "getting on her grit" by listening to music as she was working. It reminded me of my son who uses music to get himself "pumped up" for a workout. He plays his music as loud as he can and jumps around until he is ready to work out. This music puts him in the mood and mindset to work out. Why are we so afraid to let students listen to their own music while working? I need to get better at giving students a sense of ownership in the way they learn and the way they provide evidence of learning.

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"Provide multiple means of action and expression...allow retakes and revisions" This particular section connected with me because this year I have been allowing my students to do more revisions to their original test scores. It can be difficult because I am not the only teacher that teaches science to freshmen and we try to collaborate with each other and do similar things. Another teacher is very much opposed to revisions and retakes and always has comments such as "They should have studied the first time" which is exactly in this section of the book. I try to do my own thing but worry I will get "caught" by other teachers allowing my students another chance and as I type this I realize how ridiculous that sounds. I spent three different periods with a student recently having him do revisions. He didn't come to the first opportunity and I found him in study hall, I said "why didn't you come to do revisions?" His response was "I won't do any better, I have no idea what I am doing." Guess what, it took time, but working with him I was able to get him to understand the concept! So I could have let him fail and just given him the grade he got initially, but instead, working with him he was able to gain some confidence and learn that he CAN do it.

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The chapter on reflection was good for me to consider both for myself as well as the students in my classroom. I am guilty of the hamster wheel for sure, not taking time to reflect. Setting aside time each day to reflect on the three questions George Couros mentioned would be beneficial for myself, "What went well today?, Where do I need to grow?, and What will I do to move forward to build on my strengths and weaknesses?" Slowing down and not feeling the pressure to be driven by  teaching the standards day in and day out, and reflecting will model the importance of reflection I desire for my students.
Usually after a project in class, I set aside time for personal reflection and peer reviews. After reading the chapter though is was clear that "to reflect is crucial for understanding and processing. It is also essential to our ability to move forward and create something from what we have learned." This quote reminds me that reflection needs to also be incorporated prior to the creation step to make it more meaningful for the students.

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What is active self-reflection?
Self-reflection is the process of examining, linking, and developing meaning from our experiences to gain understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This occurs naturally, like when we look back on an experience and consider what we would have done differently or what we learned from it. Active self-reflection is when we make a concerted effort to cultivate self-reflection as a skill through regular application and practice.
Why is this important in the classroom?
Visualize a student, at any age, as they go about their daily school routine. Moving from classroom to classroom, engaging in lessons, completing assignments and working with peers. What if, for the last 5-10 minutes of each class, they were instructed to reflect on the lesson they participated in or the graded assignment that was just returned to them? Instead of accepting the B they received on their project and going about the rest of their day, they would be asked to consider what they could have done differently, or what part of the project they would like to explore more deeply.

This practice encourages critical thinking and cultivates a strong sense of awareness about oneself and what they have learned. In just 5-10 minutes, participants gain insight into their strengths, challenges and interests. Studies show that practices like this also increase knowledge retention.[1] Active self-reflection stimulates creativity - a new way of looking at things, and that leads to growth. It builds stronger problem-solving skills which in turn, lead to greater confidence.

When a student reflects on their accomplishments and the opportunities for improvement, they are seeing a path to take on future challenges. Each learning experience becomes more meaningful and more productive.

Over time, the more actively one practices self-reflection, the more automatic it becomes. The active self-reflection practice that happens in school, starts to happen in social situations, at home, on the field and other extracurricular activities, and beyond.

[1] http://www.theemotionmachine.com/reflection-improves-learning/

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Active self-reflection promotes meaningful learning - ReachingHigherNH

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What is active self-reflection? Self-reflection is the process of examining, linking, and developing meaning from our experiences to gain understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This occurs naturally, like when we look back on an experience and consider what we would have done differently or what we learned from it.

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The chapter on being resilient really connected with me because I find that students really struggle with this skill. Being resilient is a skill that needs to be taught with a purpose in school because it is something that doesn't seem to be taught very much anymore at home. I guess that I will attempt to model some resilience in class by admitting that I don't know everything and letting them know it is o.k. to not to always be an expert. Being open to admitting mistakes in front of the class as a teacher can leave one feeling vulnerable but it is a valuable lesson from which the kids can learn and grow. Modeling that small little bit of vulnerability and resilience could go a long way in showing the students the right path.

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Refection is a part of the job as an educator and it quite often leads to guilty feelings of, "am I doing enough for my students?" One area in particular that causes me guilt is knowing that I can do a better when differentiating learning for my students. A one-size-fits-all curriculum misses the mark. But in reality it is difficult to provide work that is just right for each child. Technology has made differentiation somewhat easier but this leads to more feelings of guilt of giving kids too much screen time. it is a goal to improve in the are of differentiation.

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I connected to this part of the text in Ch. 12, "Provide students with tools, so they can reflect on their learning through rubrics, checklists, and the results of diagnostic and formative assessments. Ultimately, the goal would be for students to use these resources as well as their teachers and peers to consistently reflect on their performance, ask for feedback, change their strategies, and revise their work to promote and highlight growth." I prefer to use these scaffolds as a preemptive strike, to be proactive, instead of reactive. When my students are working on a writing assignment, I strongly encourage that they check in with me during certain stages so I can tell them if they're on the right track. If they set off on the wrong track they end up wasting a ton of time chugging down the wrong path. If I can give them feedback early on, they can either proceed confident in knowing they are on the right track. Or, conversely, I can give them more chances to try again to get back on track, regroup, and then change up their strategy, so, they too will eventually go on knowing they're on the right path. No one likes to be told after they've put in all the work to start all over. Kids who choose not to check in with me many times feel disappointed when they see their grade on the rubric. I reiterate throughout the time in class writing that those who check in with me for feedback score better, and are not miserable throughout the process. More and more kids are seeing the light, and taking advantage of these opportunities for feedback during the process. Also, I only have to score a rubric once.

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Being a bit less predictable in instruction is something I want to improve on within my classroom. Taking gambles on implementing new types of lessons, allowing more "student centered" activities, using new types of technology within the classroom at appropriate times, and overall being more innovative in instruction. Although, I think having a routine in instruction for middle schoolers has major benefits, but going "outside" the lines once in awhile can be beneficial as well. Finding that balance of what works for you as a teacher and what will work best for students. It's a delicate balance, but one I have yet to master or let alone try too hard on.

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Something I continually feel guilty about is wondering if I am doing enough for my students. And by enough I mean am I teaching enough (I know I'm not because it is literally impossible for me to tackle all the ELA standards in 50ish minutes per day) and I constantly try to ask myself HOW I can do better/more.
Work/personal life balance is something I can't seem to master even after 20 years of this profession. Hoping I can try to achieve that balance soon.

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What do you feel guilty about as a teacher? 

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What do you feel guilty about as a teacher? 

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When I first read this question I immediately recalled a recurring sentiment I had often during my first few years of teaching. I remember thinking, "I'm ripping the district off every time I get my paycheck." I know that sounds like a horrible thing for an educator to think and perhaps and even worse thing to admit in an educational setting such as this!  But I promise that my guilt of "ripping off the district" was far from dishonorable. In fact, I'm sure many young teachers can relate. Coming out of college, where all I knew was working dirty, physically laborious jobs for minimum wage and then all of a sudden getting paid much more for doing a job I actually really enjoyed doing was amazing. So yes, I felt like I would have done the same teaching job for much less pay. Of course at that point I was single with no kids and no major bills. And I suppose this is where my current guilt come in for this question. In my 17th year of teaching, I no longer feel like I'm ripping the district off. Why? I still love my job, and you'll never hear me complain about my salary. So the fact that something about me has changed when it comes to feeling like I've earned my paycheck makes me feel bad in a sense. I'd still happily do my job for less pay, but I think the difference now is that I think I'm worth my salary. And again, I feel guilty for not feeling guilty about what I make if that makes sense. Teachers work hard and we earn our paychecks. But I feel bad that I don't have that same feeling of gratitude and amazing each time I get a pay stub 17 years later. I would like to get back in the mindset of the young, motivated, excited teacher who is shocked that I actually get paid for doing this amazing job.

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On page 202, Couros states that you should allow revisions and retakes. This part of the chapter made me reflect on what I am currently doing in the classroom. Last year, I allowed retakes. In order for students to take a retake, they had to schedule a meeting to me to review their mistakes and then retake the test. After doing this, I found that many students decided not to study for the test the first time around and then wanted to retake it to see if they could get a better score without having to study. This entire process was very time consuming which is why I decided not to do it this year. I also thought that the way I was doing it was not benefitting my students. I am a big advocate that students grades should be a reflection of their understanding of the content. Next year, I think I can be more successful if I have more requirements to meet in order to complete the retake such as- homework assignments should all be turned in, study guide must be completed to its entirety with all work shown and correct answers, students will be required to meet with me to review test before retaking, etc. I want students to practice resilience but I also want to make sure they are putting in the effort to do it. I also think if I make a form b of the tests in advance it will be less work on my end. I have always thought that when students take a retake that the test scores should be averaged so I was surprised to see that he thinks that the new score should be counted but I agree with his reasoning. Students take the ACT, SAT, driving test, final examination tests for licensures, etc. where they are able to retake their score. I recognize that by not allowing students to retake the test they are moving away from the content and are never being retaught the material leaving them with a knowledge gap in the content that we covered.

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How To Get Kids to take the Stairs - Not the Elevator

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How To Get Kids to take the Stairs - Not the Elevator

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With curriculum driven instruction it feels like the class is always driving forward but never given the chance to appreciate the scenery nor glance in the rearview mirror to reflect over learning. Usually this is due to the pressure of time, trying to get through all of the standards by the end of the year or date of the state test.  Curtis Chandler shares one possible solution in his article, How To Get Kids to take the Stairs - Not the Elevator. To embed reflection into classroom activities by creating questions that are challenging, open-ended with more than one solution. Ultimately students learn to put in the effort and persevere, to take the stairs, rather than the fastest solution, taking the elevator. Further, attached are 40 reflection questions in four categories: backward looking (that rearview mirror), inward looking, outward looking and forward looking. I like this list for reflection over a product (like a writing piece). I need help finding a list of reflection questions while learning new content. Anyone have resources to share?

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I really liked the idea of the self reported grading for report card comments.  I often spend so much time drafting the comments I leave for report cards to make sure I am being positive but also addressing any concerns in the classroom. I wonder each time how many parents/students are even reading these comments? This idea gives students the chance to reflect on their learning as well as their behavior. It gives them a chance to really be honest with themselves. I want to try this in the future and then have an open dialogue with the students on what they wrote and why.

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I agree with the statement that "our students will fail and feel like they can't go on" without our supports to keep them moving in the right direction. We utilize graphic organizers, peer collaboration opportunities, as well as any kind of checklist or word bank that may lift up and support the learning of students as needed. I liked the example of scaffolds can be viewed as utilizing eye glasses! It was an interesting comparison as the author compared how important these glasses are for so many of us everyday. He had us think in his book about what it would have been like trying to pass a driver's ed test with your needed support of glasses!!! Scaffolding is a necessary strategy in the classroom. :)

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My beautiful comment is.... How ironic is it that the first person in my building to have a computer in my classroom was me?! I fought to have a computer in my classroom back in 1995 where kids could play Oregon Trail or play Proficiency test prep games to help improve proficiency tests scores. I have fought technology ever since! My guilt lies with my reluctance to utilize the use of chromebooks in my class. I do use them, but in a limited capacity. Moving forward I will contact higher level grade teachers and inquire how I can best get my kids on their computers to aid in their future endeavors and make them the most successful pupils I can create.

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204. 2.
The importance of failing and bouncing forward.
This goes to many levels, on our first homework assignment of the year I tell my Physics class. " I give you permission to be wrong" I emphasize how, while it's great to be right, we actually learn more from making mistakes and fixing them. As we go over things I make sure to tell them that they need to be adjusting their work. We don't go over this for me to hear myself.
Along the same lines I am a big fan of test corrections, not for fixing their score but for fixing their understanding of the concepts.
When we do projects, we have lots of small conversations about how thing work and why an idea is a good idea or a bad one, then once we have done the project I always make them reflect upon the project and plan what they would do better next time.
Teaching them that it is ok to mess up, learn from it and move forward is a huge life skill regardless of where they go in life.

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One thing I feel guilty about is not using technology more in my first grade classroom. I am not comfortable with it and so I resist it. I am sure my students would appreciate doing more with it. Technology allows for more student-lead content. I am hoping to incorporate more during the second half of the school year.

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Betsy Cantleberry ~ Chapters 11&12

Two points that I strongly agree with is the need to build resilience and ask our students ‘why’ should we learn this?

1. “Learning to deal with an grow from difficult experiences equips us to be better able to handle tough situations so we can thrive regardless of what life throws our way”. p. 195

I think this is an essential life skill for our students and a skill that we have to carefully weave into our everyday school routine; take the time to talk about it; help students to handle situations on the spot; help them to IDENTIFY their feelings and find the WORDS to express their frustrations!  “Being able to sustain effort, persistence,and self-regulation despite those feelings is the key to resilience”> p.197

1. “Too often our students don’t feel motivated because the lessons and assessments are not grounded in their /why/”. p.199   I believe that once we start modeling “why should we learn this?” in school on a daily basis, then the students will begin to ask themselves that question as they take on new challenges such as

~why should I join the track team?

~why do I need to have my assignments turned in?

~why do I need to come to school even when I don’t feel like it?

And these students will grow into adults who will question “why”/ which will bring stronger decision making skills down the road as they encounter mature situations.

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I love this simple example of "highlighting mistakes" as a way to build resilience and reflection.

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One part in Chapter 11  talked briefly about grading practices. This is a topic that seems to elicit such strong emotions from teachers.  I'm always interested in reading more about how some teachers view grading and how we can adequately communicate what grades truly mean.  When I was in the classroom my gradebook often would become a list of points and at times there was no rhyme or reason as to why I took certain grades other than I needed a grade to show the parents that their child was doing work. Upon more reflection and reading about grading practices I would have a different view if I were to go back to the classroom.

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How Teachers Are Changing Grading Practices With an Eye on Equity | KQED

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Joe Feldman contends many of the earnest practices teachers continue to use are hold-overs from how they were graded and may actually be doing harm to student learning.

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Jennifer Dalgleish Reflection Time is Learning Time

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Jennifer Dalgleish Reflection Time is Learning Time

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The quote from the book, "We talk about consumption and creation," but it should be "consumption, reflection, and creation" -and not always in that order" really resonated with me. I am guilty of moving from one concept to the next without giving the students the adequate time they need to reflect on what they have learned and to try to make connections with their other experiences. I feel that there is so much stress put upon teachers to cover a certain amount of material in a given timeframe, that we don't take the time to allow students to reflect on what they have learned. I am fairly certain that students feel the stress to learn a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time as well.
I could totally relate to the story Couros shared about going to a professional learning conference where you run from one session to the next and you get home exhausted and feeling like you learned nothing. There is so much information to process and so little time to reflect, that you get overwhelmed. And yet, this is essentially what our middle school and high school students experience on a daily basis.