Brandon's Brainwork

New Series

During the Fall we spent 12 weeks looking at the 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching by Bryan Goodwin and Elizabeth Ross Hubbell.  For the rest of the Winter we will have a series called Brandon's Brainwork.

The goal of this series is to get you to reflect and think about your teaching practice.  Each week will end with a variety of questions for you to consider and think about.  Feel free to interact in the comments section.

Week 1

Mindset, Mindset, Mindset

If I only could give one book recommendation for educators, Mindset would be the book I would choose!  Why Mindset?  Because, in my opinion, the difference between a good and great teacher is their mindset.  What is a mindset?  Watch the short video below to explain the difference between a growth and fixed mindset.

Brandon's Brainwork Questions
1. Which mindset do you have?
2. If you answered a growth mindset, do you really have a growth mindset?
3. Watch the video again, which areas can you get better at?  How will you get better at these areas?
4. How does having a growth mindset make you a better educator?
5. How do you instill the growth mindset into your students?

Ending Quote

"It's for you to decide whether change is right for you now.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  But either way, keep the growth mindset in our thoughts.  Then, when you bump up against obstacles, you can turn to it.  It will always be there for you, showing you a path into the future." (Dweck, p. 246, Mindset)

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

12. Help students do something with their learning

What it looks like: "Teachers use structured classroom discussions and writing assignments to help students extend their learning.  They use project-based learning and complex or heuristic problem-solving assignments to help students integrate and apply new knowledge in novel situations.  Such assignments do not replace but, rather, build on content knowledge."

Why it is important: "When students do not have opportunities to extend and apply what they have learned, their new knowledge tends to fade from memory.  The ability to solve complex problems or heuristic tasks is prized in the work world and by students, who are more engaged when given opportunities to learn through real-world application."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 198)

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

11. Coach students to mastery

What it looks like: "Teachers use frequent checks for understanding to know which concepts or skills students are struggling to master and reteach as needed to help students develop mastery.  They also provide students with opportunities for deliberate practice, focusing on developing the skills and knowledge they are struggling to master."

Why it is important: "Research shows one key to elite performance is having a coach pressing performers to concentrate their practice on areas where they're needed most.  Research has also found a much stronger effect for practice than homework, which suggests that homework assignments should be constructed as opportunities for deliberate practice."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 198)

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

Reminder: This series of posts comes from the book The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching by Bryan Goodwin & Elizabeth Ross Hubbell.

10. Help students develop deep knowledge

What it looks like: "Teachers introduce new knowledge by helping students connect it to prior knowledge.  They help students make meaningful patterns, assembling disparate bits of information into coherent patterns.  They consider what students will think about with each assignment and aim to focus thinking on deep knowledge"

Why it is important:  "The goal of learning is deep knowledge- the ability to connect ideas, see patterns, and apply learning in novel situations- which in turn, is key to memory.  Effective teaching strategies do not always work; they must be applied with intentionality according to the knowledge teachers are helping students develop."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 198)

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

9. Make the most of every minute

What it looks like: "Teachers plan lessons to ensure bell-to-bell learning for students.  Routines are established to ensure efficient transitions and classroom logistics."

Why it is important: "A few wasted minutes per class period can add up to weeks of lost learning time.  Time on instruction has a greater effect on student achievement than socioeconomic status.  Even more important is academic learning time- the actual time students are on task and learning."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 198)

The Well-Managed Classroom by Harry Wong

Recap of 1-8

1. Standards should be the guide

2. Student set personal learning objectives for each lesson

3. Performance expectations are clear

4. Measure understanding against high expectations

5. Engage student interest with every lesson

6. Interact meaningful with every student

7. Use feedback to encourage effort

8. Create an oasis of safety and respect

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

8. Create an Oasis of Safety and Respect in Your Classroom

What it looks like: "Teachers establish clear rules for behavior and consequences for misconduct, ensuring that all students feel safe to learn and contribute to classroom discussions."

Why it is important: "Until more basic needs of safety and respect are met, students will find it difficult to learn.  The most effective behavior management techniques balance punishments for misconduct with rewards for good behavior and also enlist the entire school community in enforcing clear expectations for behavior throughout the school."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports website

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

7. Use Feedback to Encourage Effort

What it looks like: "Teachers provide students with frequent and timely feedback that links to learning objectives.  Teachers also keep feedback non controlling and growth oriented, helping students see how their efforts are the key to success and giving students opportunities to self and peer assess."

Why it is important: "Effective feedback has among the strongest influences on student success of any instructional practice.  Feedback is most effective when it is linked to learning objectives..."

(Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

See the power of effective feedback in the story about Austin's Butterfly.

Austin's Butterfly can be used in a variety of ways.  Use it with your students to show the importance of effective peer feedback.  Use it with other teachers to show the importance of providing specific feedback to students.  You can see other examples by going to the Expeditionary Learning website.

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

6. Interact meaningfully with every student

What it looks like: "Teachers interact with students, getting to know them and demonstrating interest in them as individuals and as learners.  They also bring a positive personality to the classroom, displaying enthusiasm for learning and modeling for students how their particular subject areas can be worth of lifelong pursuit." (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

Why it is important: "Research shows that students with weak relationships with teachers are more likely to disengage from school.  Conversely, strong positive links have been found between student performance and teacher-student relationship variables, such as empathy, warmth, nondirectivity, and sensitivity to students' social and emotional needs." (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

5. Engagement and Motivation

What it looks like: Teachers hook students at the beginning of each lesson using a variety of activities.  Teachers should provide student choice in learning activities, use mysteries and puzzles, as well as novelty and variety in the classroom to engage and motivate students. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

Why it is important: "Student motivation accounts for more variance in student success than ability.  Studies have found that student interest in core subjects declines as they progress through school".  Using choice can motivate students, and puzzles and mystery can help engage students. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 197)

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf


For something to think about on motivation, see Daniel Pink's TED talk.  He offers research based ideas on how to increase student motivation in your classroom.

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

4. Measure Understanding

What it looks like: Course grades should reflect what a student knows, not what a student does or how he/she acts. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Why it is important: Grade inflation gives students a false impression they have learned something.  Students learn how to play school, rather than learn material.  Grading nonacademic factors also lowers expectations for students. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

3. Use Performance Rubrics

What it looks like: "Teachers use rubrics to guide student improvement and shift the role of the teacher away from a "giver outer" of grades to a coach who is helping them accomplish their learning goals" (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Why it's important: Research shows that using rubrics in the classroom improves student achievement.  If a student has a clear expectation of what is expected of them, it will guide their learning.  Rubrics can also be an intrinsic motivator. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf

Resources
RubiStar
Rubric Machine
Rubric Generator

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching Series

Touchstone 2: Ensure Students Set Personal Learning Objectives for Each Lesson

Why it is important: "By setting and achieving small goals, students develop fate control, learned optimism, and willingness to take on new challenges. Research suggests teacher effectiveness largely boils down to deliberate teaching of learning objectives" (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

What it looks like: Teachers help students create learning goals and short-term learning objectives.  Students then have a clear picture of what the end looks like and can develop a plan to meet their goals.

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf

The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching Series

For the next 12 weeks, we will share a "touchstone of good teaching" as defined by Bryan Goodwin and Elizabeth Ross Hubbell in their book The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching.  In their book Goodwin and Hubbell present 12 daily touchstones—simple and specific things any teacher can do every day—to keep classroom practice focused on the hallmarks of effective instruction and in line with three essential imperatives for teaching:

• Be demanding
• Be supportive
• Be intentional

Touchstone 1: Use Standards to Guide Every Learning Opportunity

Why is it important: "Aligning lessons and units to standards ensures students are challenged and no gaps or redundancies exist in their learning experiences" (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

What it looks like: Teachers unpack and align the standards so they know what the big ideas are and guide lesson planning.  "They view standards not as a one-size-fits-all approach but as a platform for creative lesson planning and self-directed student learning." (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf