World Cafe

The Different Meanings of "All Children Can Succeed"

Corbett, H. Dickson, Bruce Wilson and Belinda Williams. Effort and Excellence in Urban Classrooms. Teachers College Press: New York. 2002. pp.12-28

Having Hard Conversations Resources

Website for Jennifer Abrams: http://jenniferabrams.com/index.cfm
There are a lot of resources on the website.

If you want to download or buy the cd/mp3 we listened to (it isn't too expensive), you can go to: http://www.iplayback.com/product/2061/147

Notes from Having Hard Conversations audio piece:

1. Begin play at Track 2 (min 9:50 – 20:34)

Think about a hard conversation you haven’t had yet with somebody. What are the circumstances surrounding the concern? What is bothering you? What are some of the reasons why you haven’t said anything yet? (3 min. writing)

The tensions. Why we hesitate? Think about - which is the reason for you hesitating in your case study?

1. Don’t want to look mean. Want people to like you.
2. Safety – afraid of reaction/consequence/security.
3. Comfort - effort it will take to deal with the problem/culture
4. No sense of urgency
5. I don’t have the right words to be ‘perfect’
6. Distrust – I don’t have the repoire or right judgement/understanding
7. I don’t have enough role authority
8. I don’t trust person can take it
9. Too big of a shift in role expectations – didn’t think that was my job
10.  I know the person too well/will negatively effect the relationship
11. I thought the person already knew how to do this – why should I have to say something
12. I don’t even believe in the work I have to implement
13. Don’t have the energy/too tired
14. The person is a nice person
15. They didn’t mean it (intent vs. impact)

(end of track 2)

2. Listen to track 2 up to 1:30 then do writing.

3. Think about the reasons why we hesitate and what wins out. What connections are you making between your case study and the concepts we just shared? (2 min  to write) total to this section = 17 minutes

4. Track 2 1:40 – 7 :00 Ask group to think about the question below as they listen (6 min)

Imagine you are having the conversation. What questions do you ask yourself as you figure out whether or not you should even have the conversation? (metacognitive ‘ready’, ‘aim’) Track 3, min 3)

-       What will reaction be? What will impact be if you don’t?

-       Will it help or hurt?

-       How does it effect whole school? What is direct effect on children?

-       What needs to happen vs. what do I want to happen? What happens if it doesn’t happen?

-       Do I have enough data?

-       What will union say?

Categories from “Tempered Radicals” – How do you make effective change from within a system? Things people think before the conversation:

-       Timing

-       Stakes

-       What is likelihood of success?

-       Are there other options?

-       What are the consequences if it fails?

-       How personally associated with this – will I walk the talk?

-       Doability

5. Play Track 3 (min 8:55-15.54) (7 min) – Track 4 to min 10. Think about your case study/outcome map as she describes. As people listen, point to the outcome map steps article and states of mind article and draft thoughts about your case study. – we could then decide to talk through 1 persons or share thinking around each others (15 minutes)

6 questions in 6 columns

1. What is the presenting problem? What do you want to talk to the person about? What is imperative and doable vs. somewhat important? Be precise/use standards.
2. What is the 180 of that? What do you want to see? What is the complete opposite of the problem? Move from the existing state to the desired state. Envision the change.
3. What does (column 2) that look like and sound lik (? What specific measurable things would you like to see and hear if the problem was gone?
4. What internal barrier is stopping that person from executing the behaviors you want to see? What skills or knowledge (internal resources/state of mind) does that person need? Does what you are asking them to do play to a strength? Is it cognitive, emotional? What might I need to enforce, value or give permission to?
5. What external barriers are stopping the person? Is there a social force?
6. Action plan: What strategies will you use? What supports can you put in place?
7. What do you need to implement Hard Conversations strategies?

Shares Models

Gym teacher – ‘get with program’ Track 4 (min. 5 - 7)

Math teacher – ‘kids failing math’ – ‘in charge of own learning’ Track 4 (min 7:15 – 10)

6. Work through map on own (5 min) Share with somebody. (10 min) (15 min)

Using the outcome map (min.12-16 stop – hard to hear) What have you learned?     

-       making invisible visible

-       sense of control

-       releases worry/have a plan

-       reciprocal ownership – collaborating on creating plan/internal resources – not assuming you know

-        

7. Track 5 (min 4:45-7:30) (3min) How does the conversation end? Suggestion or expectation? You need to discern, be very clear. How much time to you set aside for dialogue? How do you prepare/get energy/confidence? (mantras, music)

8. Quote Track 5 (10:00 – 11:00) (1min)

The Tragic Gap

Visit Parker Palmer's podcast:
http://www.couragerenewal.org/images/stories/audio/Standing_in_the_Tragic_Gap.mp3

Discourse I and II Discussion Notes

Discourse I and II Chart

Proactive vs Reactive Language

Realms of Influence and Concern

School Successes - Procedures/Policies

Below are the equity-promoting successes around procedures/policies that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Opening day packet (policies included, require signature)
• Current website with policies included
• Serving on district level team to develop consistent policies, timelines, forms to support the RtI process
• Participation of team to develop a process for ELL students entering the RtI process to assist with preventing disproportionality
• PBIS
• Parent, student, teacher handbooks
• School-wide assemblies
• Parent information nights (curriculum and procedures)
• Volunteer handbook (signature of agreement)

School Successes - School Environment

Below are the equity-promoting successes around school environment that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Knowing students well
• Learning from student work
• Interest inventories
• Student/staff survey once a year
• Advisories meet once in two weeks, we loop with advisory all four years
• Always make time for teachers
• Respect guides community
• Answer every phone call to parents before end of day
• Commitment ot yearlong theme (literature based) regarding positive behavior that is reinforced by all - daily announcements, bulletin boards, awards
• School community service day - extreme makeover
• Heterogeneous classess/teaming/looping
• PBIS program in place
• Advisory
• Bi-weekly deparment meetigs/daily CPT
• Full inclusion of special ed students into regular classrooms
• Prank by the principal (staff recognition)
• Invested in PBIS practices
• RtI team collaborative problem solving
• Looping
• Learning centers
• Responsive classrooms
• Created parent volunteer handbook to communicate clearly expectations and ensure confidentiality and professionalism
• CPT weekly
• District team level meetings every 6 weeks, quarterly for every grade level
• Re-define a positive culture

School Successes - Home school relations

Below are the equity-promoting successes around home-school relations that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• After school enrichment
• HS has PTO
• School has web-site and individual teacher emails
• School improvment plan contains a parent involvement goal, and the goal is to incresae the percentage of 'link to learning' activities and monitor
• Team newsletter/mid-quarter progress reports/websites
• Student led conferencing
• Team family events
• Breakfast with principal by grade monthly
• Development of family engagement committee - teacher led which stimulates teacher buy-in
• Calendar developed beginning of year with various volunteers to 'chair'
• Parent liaison working closely
• Home literacy/math baskets developed to at-risk
• Video of 'day in the life'
• Volunteer workshops
• Parenting classes
• Student museum nights
• Monthly parent cafe - topics include homework help, what to expect in grade 1, bfast with principal
• Bilingual story hour

School Success - Support Services

Below are the equity-promoting successes around support services that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

•  Inclusion - co-teaching classrooms
• Developing a framework for RtI
• Worked with RIDE technical support
• Received training in PBIS for 2 years establishing clear expectations for all and fostering a positive environment
• Initiated a pilot reverse-inclusion program
• Multi-cultural appropriate reading level books for classroom libraries
• Math specialist
• RtI process to identify students and design interventions
• Grant program that targets at-risk students including after school programs and a home-school liaison
• Peer support/social skills group open to all
• Math labs to support students who need intervention
• Have support staff share mini lessons at faculty meetings to make their strategies 'visible' to general ed teachers

School Successes - Professional Development

Below are the equity-promoting successes around professional development that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Differentiated instruction
• Advisory course/committee
• Disciplinary literacy model
• Collaborative scoring
• System wide PD for paraprofessionals
• Grade level benchmark scoring of written work
• Classroom walk throughs
• GLE tower building
• Looking at data by teams to inform instruction
• Coaches working with teachers to support core curriculum and interventions
• Showed all teachers how to use new NECAP web-based tools to examine and sort student data
• Sharing practice
• URI Diane Kern Literacy writing and Understanding by Design
• Facilitation
• Dana Center work
• Daily CPTs
• In school bi-monthly department meetings
• RtI
• Focus groups on job embedded PD specific to student learning
• Common planning with student work
• Faculty vertical articulation on essential outcomes
• Special ed/general ed collaboration regarding learning differences

School Successes - Instruction

Below are the equity-promoting successes around instruction that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Adopted collaborative model with special educators
• Heterogeneous classes
• Promoted differentiated instruction, methods and strategies
• Promoted student success by allowing for flexible student groups between grade level classrooms
• Use of a classroom model via videotape to share best instructional strategies
• Dedicated targeted instructional time (RtI) within each day for all grade levels
• Departmental common planning time
• SMART goals focused on greatest are of need across grade levels
• Teacher learning center (interdisciplinary) of shared practices
• Co-teaching
• Consultation teams - PD
• Facilitated PD for using ELMOS every classroom to teach 'response to reading' writing tasks
• Teachers encouraged to challenge students' depth of knowledge; for example, using more primary sources for investigation and questioning vs. text-based learning
• Look at student work to help guide and reflect on instruction during teaming
• Developing common formative assessments
• Fostering a culture within teachers that values commitment to learning and improving content knowledge and critical thinking: Journaling, Reflecting, Study Groups, and Focus Groups

School Successes - Curriculum

Below are the equity-promoting successes around curriculum that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Curriculum maps
• Scope and sequence for writing/math
• Using common planning time to create 9-12 curriculum aligned to standards
• Aligning department assessments to national subject area assessments
• Embedding common summative assessments into curriculum
• Review of MMAPP testing scores - individuals and grade levels
• Development of power standards by grade level
• Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS)
• Defining essential outcomes
• Learning walks
• Grade level NECAP analysis and reflection on where in the curriculum the GLEs are found

School Successes - Vision

Below are the equity-promoting successes around vision that were shared  during our Gallery Walk at Alton Jones:

• Explicitly stated values and expectation, reviewed and reinforced
• Weekly bulletins to staff articulating vision and supports to school improvement
• Focus groups/PLC to support teachers implementing vision and learning from student work
• A focus on student strengths especially for those who are underperforming
• Learning walks and feedback
• Guided outline of professional development
• Strong leadership (IFL)
• Merged two school improvement plans
• Continual reminders via memos and periodically through faculty meeting activities - created a binder of current initiatives to celebrate evidence of best practice
• Transparent leadership
• Daily 'quotes' or 'reflective thoughts'