Unit I - Chapter 1.2

SLO 1.2 - Establish classroom values that support a positive learning environment.  

• Wong, p. 37-58, 68-76 (Unit B, Positive Expectations)

Vocabulary Disclaimer - By this point, you should know that there are no tests or quizzes in this class. The following is a series of words and phrases that are commonly used in this course, specifically, and more generally in education and learning and by teachers. Becoming familiar with vocabulary and concepts used by teachers and experts in the field is an important part of the learning and professional maturation process.  Ultimately, these ideas and words will become part of your register, lexicon, or part of the language you use to express yourself as an educator. While they may be somewhat unfamiliar at this stage, as you learn them, some will stick and help to form a strong conceptual understanding of teaching and learning. 

Each school is a little bit different.  This survey (also below) is an (*optional enrichment) opportunity for you to think about and learn from your experiences and what they meant to you then and now. It should make you think about what your school was valuing and what you think you learned from your previous academic experiences. 

Now, think about these experiences in relation to the structure and culture that was created at your school. As a teacher, you will be responsible for playing a role in the development and communication of your school culture. There are many other people working there and there is a long history of students.  Hopefully, the community of learners and professionals are working towards developing positive community members, great thinkers, prepared learners, and individuals who are striving for positive successes. 

Part of understanding teaching and your role in that process comes from examining the environment and organizational culture (values) that surrounds the teacher’s professional life. An effective and successful teacher will make the best of his/her environment and make sure that they contribute to the mission of the school and community (The TEAM). In order to make the best of your environment and contribute to it in a positive way, you must understand how it is structured and the roles that various people play in schools. There are certain foundations of all schools. And, what is the point?  

In the following video, Do Schools Kill Creativity? (*optional enrichment) you will see the most-watched TED talk of all time (Over 50 million views). 

Schools often have a number of things (culture and structure) that allow them to operate in a smooth and functional way (which means that they can effectively provide education and learning for students):

• history, mission, and philosophy,

• buildings,

• schedules, 

• teachers,

• staff,

• rules and procedures,

• events and extracurricular activities, and

• assessments.  

Not to mention, there are large social structures that surround schools. 

Pay particular attention to the fact that the Board of Education, an elected governing body, rules the top layer of school politics, though this may change to an appointed board. The board consists of members from Hawaii and the mainland. Some of these people are former educators, but many of them come from the business community. This board sets a majority of general school policies and is the foundation of the school philosophy. The BOE appoints the DOE superintendent. Notice that there is a large structure before you even get to the school level. You can find out enormous amounts of information about the DOE from their website (*optional enrichment).

The School Level

Once you arrive at the school level you should note who the boss is...PRINCIPAL AND VICE PRINCIPAL, RIGHT?

BUT STAFF AND SUPPORT STAFF WILL BE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY TEAM!

MEMBER OF STAFF MAY INCLUDE:  

• Grade Level Chair (GLC)

• Teachers 

• Administrative Assistant 

• Paraprofessional (PPT) 

• Student Services Coordinator (SSC) Clerk 

• Custodian 

• Special Education Teachers

• Inclusion teachers

• Part-Time Teacher (PTT) 

• Educational aides (EA) 

• Part-Time Teacher (PTT) 

MEMBERS OF SUPPORT STAFF MAY INCLUDE:

• Social worker                                              

• School counselor                                    

• Nurse 

• Coaches                                                        

• School psychologist                                

• Speech pathologist

• Occupational therapist                          

• Behavior specialist                                

• Literacy specialist

• Assessment liaison officer             

• after-school program coordinator      

• Parent Community Network Coordinator (PCNC)

• The SASA (School Administrative Services Assistant)!!!! The Administrative Assistant is the boss!!!!! 

No matter what they are called— "secretary," or "clerk," or any other name— they run the show!!!! 

Just kidding... the reality is they are a very important and influential person. They are involved in almost every day-to-day operation of the school. They know just about everyone, and in Hawai’i, you know how important this is. They see students, parents, teachers, administrators, special guests, all staff, and visitors. Also, remember that the custodians are very important people as well. I still send flowers and gifts to these staff people at the school that I taught.

The other position to pay close attention to is the Educational Assistant (EA). These staff members can make or break a classroom. If a meaningful relationship is built between teachers and EAs, they will be a great asset. They are important professionals, just like the teacher. The more training they receive, the better equipped they will be to deal with all varieties of educational issues, from management to discipline to curriculum development and lesson implementation.

When we move past organizational structure, we start looking at organizational culture, and our role in that! 

The culture of the organization will have a direct impact on your opportunity to build a successful culture of learning in your classroom. If you think about values in the classroom...

You want to be thinking about how your values and your organization's values directly work to create expectations for students in the learning environment. When these values are explicit and "owned" by the students, they develop responsibilities within the classroom.  The explicitness helps students to become familiar with the language and "use" it to talk to one another and the teacher in order to develop culture as opposed to it being enacted on them. 

Do yourself a favor and check out the first 5 minutes or so from this local school from the video "One Voice". 

After watching that video...

• WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES?  

• DID YOU HAVE A STRONG TEAM?  

• DID YOU WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS EXCELLENCE? 

• WAS THE CULTURE OF YOUR SCHOOL STRONG?  

• WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF THIS INSTITUTION? 

Here is a public school in Jennings, Missouri who are making a change! 

Also, check out how YES Prep (*optional enrichment) and KIPP schools (*optional enrichment) do things.  These schools on the mainland are CHOOSING to create a culture in very specific ways with specific actions. Think to yourself, do you agree? Are there things that are missing? 

General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) Rubrics

Each school will have its own culture.  You will be responsible for finding out what YOUR SCHOOL does and how they do things….. 

But in Hawaii, one thing can be certain, THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (HIDOE) HAS SIX OVERARCHING LEARNING GOALS THAT DRIVE EDUCATION IN OUR CLASSROOMS, THE GLOs.

This is the one thing that is supposed to give meaning and purpose to the school and hopefully get all of the administration and staff into the same mindset. These are the ideas that support the mission of a school. As far as the state of Hawai’i is concerned, the schools are developed for the purpose. See the DOE GLO Rubric.  

General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) are the overarching goals of standards-based learning for all students in all grade levels. Observable behaviors, which are demonstrated in daily classroom activities, are evidence of GLOs. Student effort, work habits, and behavior are important and they must be evaluated separately from academic performance in the content areas (in accordance with Board of Education Policy 4501: Assessing/Grading Student Performance).

The GLOs should be an integral part of the school culture as the GLOs do not exist in isolation. The six GLOs are 

1. Self-directed Learner (The ability to be responsible for one's own learning)

2. Community Contributor (The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together)

3. Complex Thinker (The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving)

4. Quality Producer (The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products)

5. Effective Communicator (The ability to communicate effectively)

6. Effective and Ethical User of Technology (The ability to use a variety of technology effectively and ethically)

GLO 1: Self‐Directed Learner - The ability to be responsible for one’s own learning

1.1 – Sets priorities and establishes achievable goals and personal plans for learning

1.2 – Plans and manages time and resources to achieve goals

1.3 – Monitors progress and evaluates learning experiences

GLO 2: Community Contributor - The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together

2.1 – Respects people’s feelings, ideas, abilities and cultural diversity

2.2 – Cooperates with and helps and encourages others in group situations

2.3 – Understands and follows rules of conduct

2.4 – Analyzes conflict and applies methods of cooperative resolution

2.5 – Demonstrates responsible and ethical behavior in decision making

2.6 – Reasonably implements a solution

GLO 3: Complex Thinker - The ability to perform complex thinking and problem solving

3.1 – Applies prior learning experiences to new situations

3.2 – Considers multiple perspectives in analyzing a variety of problems

3.3 – Generates creative ideas and approaches to developing solutions

3.4 – Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions and make adjustments as needed

GLO 4: Quality Producer - The ability to produce quality performance and quality products

4.1 – Recognizes quality performances and products

4.2 – Sets criteria to meet or exceed general expectations and standards

4.3 – Produces evidence that meets or exceed general expectations and standards

GLO 5: Effective Communicator - The ability to communicate effectively

5.1 – Listens to, interprets, and uses information effectively

5.2 – Communicates effectively and clearly for a variety of audiences and purposes

5.3 – Reads various types of written materials and literature

5.4 – Communicates effectively through writing for a variety of audiences and purposes

5.5 – Observes and makes sense of visual information

GLO 6: Effective and Ethical User of Technology - The ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically

6.1 – Uses a variety of technologies in producing an idea or a product

6.2 – Uses a variety of technologies to access and generate information

6.3 – Understands the impact of technologies

6.4 – Uses the appropriate technologies

6.5 – Understands and respects the legal and ethical issues of technology

Over the last couple of years, and in collaboration with Native Hawaiian Education entities, HIDOE is also integrating a more culturally relevant framework to guide student's thinking and social and emotional behavior. It is called Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ). The introduction to the Framework known as HĀ is located here (*optional enrichment).  

The HĀ philosophy - HĀ is a set of six outcomes that are firmly rooted in Hawaiʻi. These six-outcomes contain values that are universal to all cultures. Educating students in an environment of HĀ will add value to and strengthen each and every person who engages over the course a learning journey. Department faculty and staff should also be models of behaviors that direct students to what these outcomes might look like in practice. Those who are moved by the goals and intentions of HĀ are encouraged to use it in their everyday practice. OHE would welcome any moʻolelo (stories) of best practices and successes that you would like to share as we plan forward.

Nā Hopena A‘o (“HĀ”) focuses on the following:

“Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to produce uncommon results.” -Unknown

This is a big module!  We are beginning with the very essence of what it means to be a part of a system, a culture, and a society. Foundations of schools are organized in particular ways to achieve specific goals. Let's think about what goals we want for our students and community, and eventually our classroom. There are all kinds of perspectives on education and some of the values that are inherent. You have to decide how you view the world and see how that matched with the larger values of society. 

Just Playing

By Anita Wadley

When I’m building in the block room, please don’t say I’m “just playing”

For you see, I’m learning as I play, about balance and shapes.

Who knows? I may be an architect someday.

When I am getting dressed up, setting the table, caring for the babies.

Don’t get the idea I’m “just playing”. For you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a mother or a father someday.

When you see me up to my elbows in paint or standing at an easel, or moulding

and shaping clay, please don’t let me hear you say “He is just playing”

For you see, I’m learning as I play, I’m expressing myself and being creative.

I may be an artist or an inventor someday.

When you see me sitting in a chair “reading” to an imaginary audience.

Please do not laugh and think I’m “just playing”.

For you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a teacher someday.

When you see me combing the bushes for bugs, or packing my pockets with choice

things I find, don’t pass it off as “just playing”. For you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a scientist someday.

When you see me engrossed in a puzzle or some “plaything” at school.

Please don’t feel the time is wasted in “play”.  For you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to solve problems and to concentrate.

I may be in business someday.

When you see me cooking or tasting foods, please don’t think that because I enjoy it, it is

“just playing”. I’m learning to follow directions and see differences.

I may be a chef someday.

When you see me learning to skip, hop, run and move my body, please don’t say I’m “just

playing”. For you see, I’m learning as I play. I’m learning how my body works.

I may be a doctor, nurse or athlete someday.

When you ask me what I’ve done at school today, and I say, “I just played”

Please don’t misunderstand me. For you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to enjoy and be successful in my work. I’m preparing for tomorrow.

Today, I am a child and my work is play.

All videos below are for *optional enrichment. 

• Supplemental video - Do Schools Kill Creativity?, Sir Ken Robinson

• Supplemental article - Wildflowers in the Classroom, Jonathan Kozol

• Supplemental site - KIPP Academy Critical Thinking Video 

Please return to Lamakū and complete the following: 

1. Discussion - Wildflowers (response required when stated in directions)

2. Assignment - Opening Day Project #2 - GLOs

Approximate Time Commitment - 2-3 hour

Chapter 1.3 - Managing Classroom Resources (Link to Google Sites)