OHIO M IDDLE LEVEL A SSOCIATION

Transcription

1 Fal l V OL U M E X L I I N U M B ER 1 I N THE M I DDL E OHIO M IDDLE LEVEL A SSOCIATION Bridges, Page 6 9 M ore Than Just St udent s, Page 9 1

2 Pr esident 's Message Jay Cl ar k OM LA President Principal, Van Buren M iddle School I N THE M I DDL E Fal l Vol um e XLI I N um ber 1 In the Middle is t he official new slet t er of t he Ohio M iddle Level Associat ion and is published t hree t im es per year. Subm issions on t opics relevant t o m iddle level educat ion are encouraged and should be subm it t ed t o new slet t er co-edit or krist en.lavric@gm ail.com. Th an k you t o our Busi n ess Par t n er s f or t h ei r suppor t of m i ddl e l ev el educat i on! For t he first publicat ion of t he new school year, it?s only nat ural t hat our first issue of In the Middle focus on relat ionships. M any of t he art icles on t he pages focus on t he relat ionships t eachers build w it h st udent s, w hich is essent ial as Rit a Pierson rem inds us t hat?kids don?t learn from people t hey don?t like!? Addit ionally, I urge you t o consider building relat ionships w it h your colleagues. Rick Worm eli has been a favorit e present er at OM LA conferences. M uch of w hat Rick shares in bot h his present at ions and w rit ing resonat es w it h m e. At our 2016 annual st at e conference in Cincinnat i, Rick finished a keynot e acknow ledging t hat t he real learning w asn?t going t o happen in t he ballroom s, m eet ing room s, or hallw ays of t hat conference cent er. The real learning happens w hen w e ret urn t o our schools and begin discussing ideas w it h our colleagues. Great t eachers know t hat our st udent s gain a deeper underst anding w hen t hey discuss cont ent - m aking personal connect ions w it h t he ideas and hearing ot hers? perspect ives. You have an am azing opport unit y t o put t his t o t he t est Novem ber 2 and 3 for Ohio M iddle Level Associat ion?s st at e professional conference. # OM LA2017 w ill cert ainly put your?gears in m ot ion? w it h am azing keynot es Eric Sheninger and M anny Scot t. When you couple t hose t w o am azing speakers w it h feat ured present er Jack Berckem eyer and nearly 90 sessions led by Ohio educat ors, w e guarant ee you w ill leave w it h ideas t o discuss w it h your colleagues. Bet t er yet, bring a t eam so t hat you can st art sharing ideas at t he conference! For every four paid regist rat ions from your dist rict or college/ universit y, t he fift h is free! In addit ion t o t he learning at # OM LA2017, w e w ill also recognize am azing educat ors, st udent s, and parent s. Net w orking and socializing w ill cap off your ex perience all at t he Colum bus Hilt on East on. Regist rat ion det ails are available at w w w.ohiom la.org. Finally, please t ake a m om ent t o fill t he bucket of a colleague ( and st udent s, t oo). Thanking a co-t eacher for her perspect ives, encouraging a first -year t eacher, or acknow ledging a st udent?s perseverance oft en m eans m uch m ore t han w e im agine. Wishes for an am azing school year and t hank you for your com m it m ent t o Ohio?s young adolescent learners! 2

3 Ca lm in g Fe a r s by Ca r in g f o r S t ud e n t s by M elissa St ant on Nort hw est Region STRESS...AN XI ETY...N ERVOUS...EXCI TED...SCARED...W i l l I f i t i n? W h o can I si t w i t h at l un ch? W h er e ar e m y cl asses? W h er e i s t h e bat h r oom? H ow m uch h om ew or k w i l l I h av e? W i l l m y t each er s be n i ce? W i l l t h er e be h om ew or k ov er t h e w eek en d? H ow does l un ch w or k? OM G I h av e cl asses w i t h h i m / h er! Oft en t im es t he beginning of 6t h grade signals t he t im e t o m ove buildings, have lockers, change classes and leaving t he com fort able set t ing of elem ent ary school. St udent s w it hout special needs are faced w it h t hese fears, add t o it anx iet y of new rout ines, st ress of addit ional hom ew ork, st ress of not know ing if t hey w ill have support in t heir classes and you have t he recipe for disast er. I love t he st art of t he school year. New clot hes, new beginnings and new st udent s. I have a unique schedule, I loop w it h m y st udent s w it h special needs, w e just add in new 6t h grade st udent s t o t he m ix. As a dist rict w e st art school and t hen are off for fair break aft er only being in school about 10 days. This t im e gives m e an am azing opport unit y t o get t o know m y st udent s on a m ore personal level. This year I t ried som et hing new. There w as no syllabus t o go over, no seat ing chart, no academ ics t o t est on. I focused solely on t eam building and relat ionships. I can already see t his paying off. not e t o sit w here t hey w ere m ost com fort able. PANIC set s in. Once all 32 w ere in t he room I st art ed.?congrat ulat ions, you have found your 2nd period class!? We t alked about t he im port ant t hings??do you know w here t he bat hroom is?... If you are buying lunch t his is w hat t he m eal is?.sit anyw here you w ant, but please don?t bounce on t he yoga balls.? As I w ent t hrough t his, w orry st art ed t o leave t heir faces. We jum ped right int o t he first project. Team s of 3 BUILD THE LARGEST FREE STANDING SPAGHETTI STRUCTURE w it h only t he m at erials you have in front of you. Leaders em erged, plans w ere draw n w it h dry erase m arkers on t he t able, and t he building st art ed. Aft er w e m easured, groups changed and discussions on w hat w orked and w hat didn?t allow t hem t o w ork t hrough t he process of bot h success and failure. As a t eacher, I am able t o see st rengt hs, w eaknesses, how t hey handle t hem selves in sit uat ions w it h peers and overall w ho w ill be t he leaders in t he classroom. It w as scary t o w alk int o m y first class w it h t he 6t h graders, aft er all t here w ere 32 of t hem and only one of m e ( m ore t han half t he class is on an IEP or 504). I can see t he nerves on t heir faces. Aft er all t hey have aw oken from t heir sleepiness and w ere now in 2nd period of t he day t hinking?how did I get here?? I greet ed t hem at t he door, w hen t hey ent ered t he room on m y board w as a 3

4 Rel at ionships F ir st by Lisa Ont rop, Guidance Counselor Parkw ay M iddle School West Region Analyze t est scores, prepare academ ic and behavior int ervent ions, at t end m eet ings, creat e lesson plans??? t here is a lot t o do at t he st art of t he school year. Unfort unat ely, all of t he beginning of year chores oft en t ake precedent over w hat I consider t he m ost im port ant indicat or of a successful classroom -- est ablishing relat ionships. Through m y m any years as a m iddle school counselor, I have found t hat t he m ost successful int ervent ions are w it h t hose st udent s w it h w hom I have est ablished a solid relat ionship. Est ablishing relat ionships w it h m y st udent s doesn?t m ean I just play gam es w it h t hem or t hat w e have pizza t oget her ( alt hough t hat can be a part of it, if you choose). I am t alking about get t ing t o know m y st udent s and st riving t o m eet t heir needs so t hat t hey can be successful bot h in t he classroom and out. When a st udent know s t hat his/ her t eacher is aw are of and cares about m eet ing his/ her needs, t he st udent is m ore likely t o find success in your classroom. But how do w e do t his? Where do w e begin? For m e, t his is basic. I go all t he w ay back t o m y undergrad?. w ay back?.t o M r. Abraham M aslow and his Hierarchy of Needs. Est ablishing a relat ionship w it h your st udent s is going t o begin w it h m eet ing t hem w here t heir needs are. Som e of your st udent s w ill be at t he bot t om of t he pyram id, Need # 1: Physiological Needs. You w ill need t o m ake sure t hey go t o t he cafet eria for breakfast every day or m ake sure t hey have a hat and gloves in t he w int er. Take a w alk t hrough t he cafet eria t o see if your st udent s are eat ing lunch. When a st udent know s you care about his physiological needs, you are form ing a relat ionship w it h t hat st udent. Ot her st udent s w ill be at Need # 2: Safet y Needs. Set t ing up clear rules, rout ines, and ex pect at ions w ill help your st udent s feel safe in your classroom. Allow ing t he st udent t o see t he school nurse or counselor w hen needed w ill also help t o m eet Safet y Needs. Once st udent s w ho are at t he bot t om half of t he hierarchy see t hat you care about t heir basic physiological and safet y needs, a t rust w ill begin t o form. Now t hat your st udent s? basic needs are being m et, and t hey know t hat you care about t hem and t hat t hey can t rust you, you can begin w orking on t he Need # 3: Belonging. This st age in t he hierarchy is w here relat ionships happen. When your st udent s are at t his st age, t hey can m ake friendships, w ork w it h ot hers, and see you as an adult role m odel. At t his level, you w ill be able t o t alk t o t hem about t heir school accom plishm ent s and goals. You m ay choose t o give your class or group a nick nam e, like?room 7 Super St ars?, as a m eans of creat ing a group for t he st udent s t o ident ify t hem selves w it h. You m ay choose t o pick a charit y or service project t o w ork on t oget her as a t eam. You m ay decide t o creat e a buddy 4

5 syst em for st udent s t o help each ot her m eet goals. And, m ost im port ant ly, you w ill w ant t o celebrat e accom plishm ent s. Celebrat ion is one of t he m ost im port ant aspect s of feeling t hat you belong t o a group. Think about it?. you feel a sense of belonging t o a group, w het her it is a fam ily group, friend group, neighborhood group?. any group. What do you do w hen som et hing good happens? You celebrat e! You celebrat e w eddings, christ enings, graduat ions, birt hdays, sum m er, holidays, et c. This needs t o happen in your classroom group, t oo. The celebrat ion doesn?t need t o be a part y w it h hat s, m usic, and food. It could be a quick classroom cheer, or a t w o-m inut e dance, or five ex t ra m inut es at recess, or early lunch dism issal, or no hom ew ork! Celebrat ions are im port ant. They bring t he group t oget her for a com m on good and st rengt hen t he bonds of t he relat ionship. So, as w e st art anot her school year, t ake som e t im e t o t hink about how you are going t o st rengt hen t he relat ionships you have w it h your st udent s. Put a plan int o place for m aking sure t heir physiological and safet y needs are being m et. Then consider how you are going t o w ork on t he need for belonging. This w ill t ake a few m inut es out of your busy day, but once a posit ive relat ionship has been est ablished bet w een t he t eacher and his/ her st udent s, t he am ount of t im e spent on behavior issues w ill decrease and academ ic achievem ent w ill increase. It is t im e w ell spent. Guarant eed. Oh i o M i ddl e Lev el Associ at i on Execut ive Boar d Jay Clark President T ina Norris NE Associate Rep Kristen L avric SE Regional Rep Nicki Bertke President-Elect Rebecca Reese NE Associate Rep Sarah Keen SE Associate Rep Kelli Cogan Vice President L eo Spagnola NE Associate Rep Stephanie Snyder SE Associate Rep Paul Destino Treasurer Katie Weisenbarger W Regional Rep John Paydo Website L isa Nemeth Secretary Maggie Davis W Associate Rep Kiersten L ong CMLA Liaison L orrie Kubaszewski Past-President Brian Woods W Associate Rep Sarah Schulz CMLA Liason Dona Klein Exec Secretary Michael Kauffeld C Regional Rep Karen Jones OMLP Liaison L ee Stockhaus NW Regional Rep Scott Burre C Associate Rep Ken Baker OASSA Liaison Melissa Stanton NW Associate Rep T iffany Shaw E Regional Rep Mark Jones OAESA Liaison Amy Peck NC Associate Rep Jeremy Evans E Associate Rep Stacy L udwig ODE Liaison Brenda Svec NC Associate Rep Tom Burton SW Regional Rep Polly Dexter Connections Michelle Koussa NE Regional Rep Jen Bicknell SW Associate Rep T heda Gibbs Journal Editor Jeffrey Cicerchi NE Associate Rep Andrea Kaercher SW Associate Rep L isa Harrison Journal Editor Nick Discenza NE Associate Rep Dave Slamer SW Associate Rep 5

6 Br idges by Cryst al Ezzo, Teacher Nort h Royalt on M iddle School Nort heast Region Nort h Royalt on M iddle School prides it self on inspiring and em pow ering learners. A key t o inspiring and em pow ering any learner is building a posit ive relat ionship w it h him or her. The m iddle level educat ors of Nort h Royalt on know t hat t here are m any challenges and obst acles t hat face t he em erging adolescent w hile at school, in t he com m unit y, and even at hom e. The challenges t hat m ake t he school day t rying are different for each st udent, w hich is w hy it is im port ant t hat m iddle level schools creat e st ruct ures t hat allow for all st udent s t o be in t heir least rest rict ive environm ent and ex em plify This We Believe. NRM S serves close t o 1,300 st udent s in grades five t hrough eight w it h varying needs and abilit ies. Consequent ly, t hree different resource classroom s have been creat ed t o best m eet t he needs of all st udent s. An inst ruct ional, support ive m odel w as developed t o m eet t he social and em ot ional needs of cert ain st udent s w hile also t eaching t hem appropriat e behaviors. This classroom is called Bridges. It is our belief t hat all st udent s can learn and be t aught appropriat e behavior. Som e st udent s can learn behavior fast er t han ot hers, and som e m ight need m ore help. M any fact ors can im pact a st udent?s em ot ional w ell-being as w ell as displaying appropriat e behavior. In order for st udent s t o be successful in t heir academ ic life, t hey need t o have a healt hy m ent al and em ot ional st at e of m ind. Bridges is able t o provide t hat t o st udent s w it h first hand ex periences. Our room is t he safe place for st udent s t o display t heir em ot ions in raw form w it hout feeling int im idat ed by ot hers. We are one t eam, and w e w ork t oget her t o m ake sure our st udent s are on t he right pat h t o be successful once t hey st ep out of our classroom door[ 1]. Bridges provides specially designed inst ruct ion t hat consist ent ly support s t he em ot ional and m ent al healt h and social learning needs of st udent s. It support s t he skills of self-aw areness, self-m anagem ent, social skills, responsible decision m aking, self-regulat ion, and m ore. Appropriat e behaviors, st rat egies, and skills are t aught in t he classroom environm ent by ut ilizing t he Zones of Regulat ion curriculum for charact er educat ion class as w ell as using aut hent ic and real life opport unit ies and/ or ex am ples as t hey occur. If st udent s are st ruggling w it h behavioral or em ot ional issues, academ ics becom e paused unt il t he st udent is at t he appropriat e level t o learn. The Zones of Regulat ion curriculum helps our st udent s ident ify w hat [ em ot ional] color t hey are in ( red, yellow, green, or blue) and verbalize t o us w hat em ot ion t hey are feeling in t he m idst of t heir problem. Wit h t hat inform at ion, w e 6

7 are able t o assist t hem in choosing appropriat e coping st rat egies so t hat t hey are able t o ret urn back t o t heir norm al school day as soon as possible. Our goal for our st udent s is t o m aint ain and be successful in t heir school life as w ell as t heir everyday life. One of t he m ost effect ive t hings t hat t ake place in our room is t he com m unicat ion piece t hat happens aft er an em ot ional or behavioral episode. Wit hin t hese conversat ions, w e can dig deep and figure out w hat t he real problem is t hat lies w it hin t hat st udent. Being in t he general educat ion set t ing w it h st udent s w ho are in Bridges looks a lit t le different t han w hat it w ould look like in t he Bridges room alone. These st udent s are t rying t o m aint ain t heir em ot ions and keep t heir behaviors in check all w hile t rying t o learn and focus on t he inst ruct ion as w ell as not having at t ent ion draw n t o t hem. The st udent s w ant t o do anyt hing t hey can t o fit in and be like everyone else. Since I know t hese st udent s at a deeper level, I can t ell w hen t heir em ot ions st art get t ing overw helm ing for t hem. If I can, I get dow n at t heir level and w e w ork t hrough coping st rat egies w it hin t hat room. If needed, I pull t he st udent s in t he hall so w e can go t hrough Zones and ident ify w hat is going on in t heir m inds at t hat m om ent and w hat w e can do t o get back t o t hat green level. Let t ing t he st udent s know t hat t hey have support in all school environm ent s, and not just in t he Bridges room, is huge for t hem. It allow s t hem t o feel t hat if t hey st art t o fall som eone w ill alw ays be t here t o cat ch t hem. Bridges provides lessons t hat t he st udent s can t ake w it h t hem for t he rest of t heir lives. I can t est ify from first -hand ex perience how beneficial t he Bridges classroom is t o t he st udent s I serve. M y classroom is t heir rock, t heir safe place t hat t hey know t hey w ill alw ays feel w elcom ed and accept ed no m at t er w hat is t aking place in t heir lives, past or present. The st udent s in Bridges can conquer a school day because of t he em ot ional support t hey receive in t he Bridges classroom.[ 2] They no longer feel alone, but inst ead accept ed for w ho t hey t ruly are: st udent s in m iddle school m aking it t hrough everyday life as best as t hey can. Crystal Ezzo has served both as the Bridges intervention specialist and as an 8th grade team intervention specialist. It is important to note that regardless of role or title, her ability to build relationships with students is one of the many characteristics that have made her successful at NRMS. Jeffrey Cicerchi, Principal [ 1] Please feel free t o cont act Cryst al Ezzo, int ervent ion specialist or David Guciardo, assist ant principal regarding t he Bridges Classroom. [ 2] It is im port ant t o not e t hat all effort s are m ade for t he st udent s t o receive t heir inst ruct ion in t he general educat ion set t ing. The Bridges classroom provides t hat safe place for a st udent, and cert ainly is not view ed as t he prim ary locat ion of learning for t he st udent s focused on learning behavior. 7

8 St ar t in g Of f St r on g by Am y Peck, Principal Nort h Ridgeville Academ ic Cent er M iddle School Nort h Cent ral Region Whenever I am asked w hat m akes m y school w ork, I begin t o rat t le off endless evidence of relat ionships. From t he beginning of t he year t eam building w it h st aff and st udent s, t o em ot ional invest m ent s in our school fam ily, relat ionships are alw ays at t he forefront of all decisions. Em pow ering relat ionships are only successful if t hey are em bedded in your dist rict cult ure. M y adm inist rat ive t eam can finish each ot her?s t hought s and sent ences; w e ant icipat e t he needs of our dist rict, and w e rely on our collect ive st rengt hs for t he bet t erm ent of our school com m unit y. Applying t hat sam e philosophy t o our st aff begins w it h t eam building each and every school year. From challenging ropes courses, t o escape room s and scavenger hunt s, w e gain insight int o t he m inds of our colleagues t hat w e w ould not t hrough business only m eet ings. We laugh t oget her, cry t oget her, and em brace each ot her as t he fam ily w e oft en spend m ore t im e w it h t han t hose t hat live in our hom es. Once t he sense of t eam is est ablished am ong adult s, it quickly filt ers dow n t o our st udent s. As t eachers w ork t irelessly t o plan curriculum, t hey are also dedicat ed t o building a fam ily w it hin t heir t eam s of st udent s. Rout ines and procedures are discussed alongside t he ex pect at ions of posit ive relat ionships. This year, w e have t ied all of t hose ex pect at ions int o our dist rict w ide PBIS program. St art ed as a sm all vision, Ranger STRONG has grow n t o lead all t hat w e do. STRONG is a pow erful acronym m eaning Service, Team w ork, Respect, Ow nership, Necessit y and Goals. In order t o m ake all of t hose com ponent s w ork, relat ionships m ust be a t op priorit y. Each com ponent is em bedded in everyt hing w e do. As sit uat ions arise, w het her academ ic, personal or professional, STRONG can be applied t o provide resolut ion and grow t h. While w e em pow er our yout h w it h t he academ ic skills t hey need t o be successful, w e realize t hat all of t he book sense in t he w orld w ill not lead t o success w it hout t he abilit y t o have posit ive relat ionships. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said,?if civilizat ion is t o survive, w e m ust cult ivat e t he science of hum an relat ionship.? 8

9 Mo r e T ha n J us t S t ud e n t s by Kat hleen Cunningham, Teacher New Lex ingt on M iddle School Sout heast Region As educat ors, it is easy t o view our st udent s as just t hat, only st udent s. We see t hem at school, assign t hem hom ew ork, give t hem not es, and grade t heir t est s. How ever, t he foundat ion of t rue learning and engagem ent in t he classroom lies in relat ionships. In order t o est ablish posit ive and st rong relat ionships w it h our st udent s, w e m ust see t hem as m ore. For m e, t eaching w as a calling. I oft en w onder how different m y life w ould be now if I?d had a t eacher w it h w hom I?d connect ed. I don?t just m ean a t eacher w ho praised m y m at h abilit ies or m y French conversat ional skills; I had plent y of t hose. I m ean a t eacher t o w hom I could confide m y personal fears and st ruggles. Som eone w ho could object ively help m e navigat e m y m iddle school years. M y aim as a t eacher is t o be t hat person t o m y st udent s. If I can connect on any level, if t hey know t hey can com e t o m e w it h t heir t ears, and if t hey share w it h m e t heir heart break, t hen I know t hat I?ve achieved m y goals. I can?t reach every st udent, but I w ork t o reach all t hat I can. A few years ago, I st art ed a first -day-of-school t radit ion t hat rem inds st udent s t hat t hey are young people w it h dream s, goals, and a w hole fut ure ahead of t hem. They st art by w rit ing all t he bad from t he past year: all t he negat ive t hat pulled t hem dow n, t he failure, t he conflict t hey had w it h friends or t eachers, and t he problem s t hey st ruggled t o overcom e. Once t hey?ve been able t o put t hose t hought s on paper, I inst ruct t hem t o dest roy it. They sm ash it, rip it, punch it, st om p it? w hat ever t hey need t o do in order t o see t he year as a clean slat e. Then, t hey creat e bucket list s. They pick a colored bucket and w rit e t hree goals for t he year and t w o goals for t heir lifet im e. I use t his act ivit y t o rem ind t hem t hat t hey are st udent s for seven hours a day, but t hey play so m any ot her roles, t oo. They?re m usicians, readers, art ist s, at hlet es, siblings, and t ravelers. I show t hem m y bucket first so t hey can get ideas and also get t o know m e as m ore t han a t eacher. Then, t hey w ork on t heirs. To learn w hat all t hey w ant t o accom plish in t he com ing year and in life gives m e insight t hat I m ight not ot herw ise gain. It also brings t o light t he fact t hat school can help t hem learn t he skills t hat t hey need t o realize t heir dream s. One of m y favorit e project s is one t hat I?ve been doing for nine years and I call it an?aut obiographical M om ent?. The st udent s choose an object t hat is im port ant and precious t o t hem and w rit e about it. They describe it in great det ail, t ell t he st ory of how t hey got it, and ex plain all t he m om ent s t hat have m ade t hat object so special. To st art t he unit, I share m y personal Aut obiographical M om ent about an old, special st uffed anim al of m ine. It sparks conversat ion w here I can open up and help t he st udent s feel t hat t hey can open up, t oo. M any st udent s choose som et hing t hat a relat ive or 9

10 close friend gave t hem before passing aw ay. Som e of t hem bring blanket s t hat t hey w rap around t hem selves w hile t hey w rit e. Som e bring a st uffed anim al t hat t hey hold or a necklace t hat t hey w ear. I?ve seen everyt hing from w ar m edals t o 100-year old jew elry t o a horse saddle. When t he st udent s com plet e t heir w rit ing, w e have a couple days set aside for present at ions. The light s t urn off, a black curt ain is put behind t he st udent s, and t hey present using a st ool and t he light from a lam p. They hold t heir object s, st ars in t he spot light, and share t heir m om ent s w it h t he class. It is a special w ay for st udent s t o ex press just how unique t hey are and w hat is precious t o t hem. The m ost vit al com ponent of building relat ionship w it h st udent s, in m y opinion, requires us as t eachers t o be vulnerable. M any of our st udent s face horrors at hom e and in t heir past t hat m ake t hem feel ut t erly alone, and know ing t hey are not alone can som et im es m ake all t he difference in t he w orld. Three years ago, I had a set of t w ins w it h an ex cept ionally heart breaking past. They w ere w rit ing t heir Aut obiographical M om ent essays about bracelet s t hat had been given t o t hem by a nurse. When t hey ex plained t he st ory, it cam e out t hat t he nurse w orked in t he hospit al w here t heir m om passed aw ay from a very sudden m edical condit ion. As t hey w ere t elling m e, m y heart nearly st opped. Just a few m ont hs prior, I had lost m y m om in a quick and t ragic accident. I originally had no int ent ion of t elling m y st udent s, but in t hat m om ent, I m ade t he decision t o t ell t hem t hat I, t oo, knew t he pain of m y losing m y m om. That vulnerable m om ent, w hile brief and spont aneous, creat ed a bond t hat has st ayed in place t o t his day. They are very near and dear t o m y heart and I com m unicat e w it h t he girl regularly, even t hough she is no longer in m y building. Every year, st udent s leave our classroom s t o m ove on t o t he nex t phase in t heir lives. We hope t hat t hey?ve learned t o w rit e a lit t le bet t er, analyze an ex perim ent m ore t horoughly, and calculat e t he st at ist ical probabilit y of an event. Above all, how ever, w e should hope t hat t hey?ve connect ed t o an adult and t eacher in a w ay t hat has show n t hem t hey m at t er. For som e st udent s, w e are t he only adult s t hey have. They should leave us know ing t hat t hey?re valuable, cared for, and w ill be rem em bered. Ult im at ely, if w e?ve accom plished t hat, w e?ve done our jobs. Putting Your Gears in M otion OM LA 2017 State Conference N ov em ber 2 & 3 Th e Col um bus H i l t on at East on Regi st r at i on For m & I n f or m at i on at : w w w.oh i om l a.or g 10

11 Gi v e, Serv e, Bui l d, Contri bute by Tiffany Shaw East Region Educat ing and preparing our young people for academ ic, at hlet ic, and fine art s success is only PART of our w ork. Unless st udent s possess t he charact er t rait s of kindness, respect, responsibilit y, hard w ork, and posit ive at t it ude, not hing else m at t ers m uch. Em ployers cont inually em phasize t he im port ance of?soft skills? in t he w orkplace. In m ost cases, t echnical skills can be t aught. At a recent educat or in-service day, M r. M ike Lauber of Tusco Display ex pressed t hree prim ary charact erist ics of desired em ployees: 1. Posit ive Producers- giving, cont ribut ing, adding value? not just?what can I GET?? 2. Resilient Problem Solvers- w illing t o w ork hard, overcom e obst acles, ex plore opt ions??what can I DO?? 3. Great Team m at es- posit ive at t it ude, cooperat ive spirit, abilit y t o com m unicat e??how can I HELP?? At Tusky Valley Local Schools, st udent s are ex pect ed t o w ork hard, show kindness and respect, and dem onst rat e responsibilit y and dependabilit y. Even in an im perfect environm ent w it h im perfect people, school discipline, suspensions, and ex pulsions are dow n. Why? Ex pect at ions are clear, discipline is consist ent, and st andards are high. Ask any Tusky Valley Int erm ediat e St udent, and t hey w ill be able t o ex plain w hat it m eans t o: 1) Be Safe, 2) Be Respect ful, and 3) Be Responsible. M anners are st ressed at all levels and in all environm ent s. St udent s are ex pect ed t o com e t o school?ready t o learn,? and alw ays have t he opport unit y t o becom e?role m odels? or show ex em plary?wow? behavior. At Tusky Valley M iddle School, st udent s go t hrough a 10-w eek?ant i-virus? charact er developm ent course provided t hrough Global Priorit ies Solut ions, LLC. Ant i-virus is designed t o reinforce healt hy living and decision-m aking for all st udent s by t eaching such charact er t rait s as am bit ion, responsibilit y, hard w ork, rest raint, com m on sense, and generosit y. School assem blies are scheduled t o reinforce t hese concept s, including ant i-bullying, int ernet and social m edia safet y, and living a drug-free lifest yle. At TVIS and TVM S, st udent s are given am ple opport unit ies t o learn and grow in t heir leadership abilit ies. St udent s learn and underst and how pot ent ial is developed by giving, serving, building relat ionships and cont ribut ing t o our com m unit y. 11

12 Helping Students Self- Advocate by Joyce Duchak and Allison Sw anger Teays Valley West M iddle School Cent ral Region An advocat e is a person w ho em pow ers t heir st udent s. Daily t eachers are giving advice, being a list ening ear, offering support, and giving encouragem ent. M iddle school is a t im e in w hich w e m ust also be t eaching st udent s t he skills of self-advocacy. Self advocacy is a lifelong skill t hat support s success. It is im port ant t hat w e t each st udent s how t o underst and t heir needs and com m unicat e t hose needs t o ot hers. It is im port ant as adult s t hat w e help guide m iddle school st udent s t o be self-advocat es, m eaning t o recognize and address t he needs specific t o t heir ow n learning abilit ies. We m ust do t his w it hout com prom ising t heir dignit y or t hat of ot hers. It is im port ant because ot hers cannot read t heir m inds nor w it hout such im port ant feedback, do t eachers know w hat w ould m ake a bet t er school environm ent or learning ex perience for each specific st udent. It is equally im port ant t hat bot h educat ors and parent s t each children how t o effect ively com m unicat e, negot iat e, or assert t heir ow n int erest s, desires, needs, and right s. As a m iddle level educat or, daily t here are opport unit ies t o coach our st udent s t ow ard self-advocacy. We m ust help st udent s ident ify his/ her needs and also w hat help or support w ill address t hose needs. Last ly, w e m ust ensure w e provide an environm ent and t he coaching t hat helps a st udent feel com fort able com m unicat ing his/ her needs t o t eachers and ot hers. M arcia Brow n Rubinst ien?s art icle?st rat egies t o Help St udent Acquire t he Skills t o Self-Advocat e? ident ifies t he follow ing st rat egies for int roducing self-advocacy t o m iddle school st udent s: - - St art early. Rem ind st udent s t hat t eachers like act ive learners. Encourage self-aw areness. Help st udent s pract ice asking for help in a posit ive, polit e w ay. Support crit ical t hinking. Encourage st udent s t o begin t o sort out st rengt hs and w eaknesses. This helps t o develop confidence and aw areness t hey need t o speak for t hem selves. Require involvem ent. Ask for st udent input at conferences and IEP m eet ings. M ake sure st udent s are an act ive part icipant in all aspect s of t heir educat ion. Reinforce st udent s w hen t hey advocat e for t hem selves. Recognizing and acknow ledging w hen st udent s self advocat e is em pow ering and also builds self est eem. As st udent s t ransit ion t o m iddle school, t heir role as a st udent is changing. Wit h t heir increased independence com es m ore challenges. Self-advocacy helps st udent s navigat e t hese challenges in a posit ive and assert ive w ay. As w e cont inue t o support st udent s? self-advocacy w e m ust assure t hem t hat w e w ill cont inue t o advocat e for him / her. References: Self-Advocacy: St rat egies for All Ages. ( n.d.). Ret rieved Sept em ber 05, 2017, from ht t p:/ / w w w.sm art kidsw it hld. org/ get t ing-help/ raising-independent -kids-2/ self-advocacy-st rat egies-ages/ Teaching St rat egies t o Build Self-Advocacy. ( n.d.). Ret rieved Sept em ber 05, 2017, from ht t p:/ / w w w.t eachhub.com / t eaching-st rat egies-build-self-advocacy 12

13 Cr eat ing a Cul t ur e of S uppor t f or T eacher Leader s by Rosem ary Gornik, PhD Kent St at e Universit y Teacher Leadership is t rending nat ionally. The Council of Chief St at e School Officers ( CCSSO) believes t hat t eachers and school leaders are key t o im plem ent ing needed changes in public educat ion if st udent s are t o be engaged in learning at high levels. At long last, m any across t he U.S. are recognizing t he need t o support different iat ed and shared roles of aut horit y w it h w hat is arguably t he largest segm ent of hum an resource pot ent ial in any school dist rict : it s t eachers. In t he spring of 2015, CCSSO?s Nat ional and St at e Collaborat ion on Educat or Effect iveness ( NSCEE) Conference w as held in At lant a, GA. The goal of t his nat ional collaborat ive is t o?support t he different iat ed responsibilit ies and aut horit y t hat our educat ion leaders play in t he 21st cent ury learning cont ex t and t o im prove t he syst em t hat support s t his new and collaborat ive t ype of w ork? ( ht t p:/ / ccsso.org/ ) In doing so, CCSSO int ends t hat st at es w ill have t he needed assist ance t o creat e and im plem ent aligned, coherent, and com prehensive syst em s of educat or effect iveness t hat are based on high st andards of perform ance, account able for result s, and support, develop and rew ard educat ors across t he career cont inuum. The Nat ional Educat ion Associat ion has also launched a huge init iat ive t o prepare t he nex t generat ion of t eaching professional leaders. They assert t hat t eachers w ho serve in leadership roles m ay do so form ally or inform ally, rat her t han having posit ional 13

14 aut horit y: Teachers becom e leaders in t heir schools by being respect ed by t heir peers, being cont inuous learners, being approachable, and using group skills and influence t o im prove t he educat ional pract ice of t heir peers. They m odel effect ive pract ices, ex ercise t heir influence in form al and inform al cont ex t s, and support collaborat ive t eam st ruct ures w it hin t heir schools. w w w.nea.org Kent St at e Universit y ( KSU) facult y accom panied t he Ohio Team at t he 2015 conference, and a 3-year, KSU/ ODE part nership w as forged t o em brace educat or effect iveness. Despit e a sust ained effort t o incent ivize t eacher leadership, t he Ohio Depart m ent of Educat ion ( ODE) observed t hat t eacher leadership is not ex panding in schools. Of t he 190,000 licensed t eachers in Ohio?s public schools ( ht t p:/ / educat ion.ohio.gov/ ) a very sm all percent age hold Ohio?s Lead License, a credent ial added t o an educat or?s t eaching license, arguably t he highest level of t eacher educat or professionalism available. In t he past several years, KSU has m ade a concert ed effort t o increase t he num ber of t eachers earning t he Lead License t hrough t he im plem ent at ion of t eacher leader cohort s offered off sit e, and w it hin t he local school dist rict. Bet w een 2013 and 2016, int erest ed t eachers at t ending recruit m ent sessions at local school dist rict s report t hat t he prim ary reasons t hey do not pursue courses t o obt ain Ohio?s highest t eaching/ leading credent ial are t w o-fold: 1.)?This credent ial is not recognized in m y collect ive bargaining agreem ent, and t herefore no financial incent ive ex ist s? 2.)?I w ould not pursue an endorsem ent in t eacher leadership because of a lack of adm inist rat ive support.? From a purely pragm at ic point of view, The ODE seeks t o m ore fully ut ilize t he ot herw ise lat ent leadership pot ent ial unt apped in our t eacher ranks. Addit ionally, according t o t he st at e depart m ent, em pirical and anecdot al evidence indicat es t eacher m orale is at an all-t im e low. Therefore, one im port ant com ponent of Ohio?s im provem ent effort s is t o find effect ive w ays t o grow t eacher leadership in Ohio schools, and support t his change t hrough a collaborat ive school and dist rict cult ure am ong t eachers and adm inist rat ors. To t hat end, t he ODE is part nering w it h a t eam of researchers, led by Rosem ary Gornik and Wendy Sam ford at KSU. Building upon t he KSU, Teacher Leader Endorsem ent Program ( TLEP), a four-course, graduat e level sequence t hat adds t he Lead License t o a t eacher?s credent ials, w e seek t o provide subst ant ial guidance t o t he dedicat ed adm inist rat ive and t eacher leaders w ho are st riving t o reach new levels of professional ex cellence in t heir daily pract ices. The purpose of t he KSU/ ODE/ TLEP research init iat ive is t hree-fold: - To build capacit y for t eacher leadership in t w o Ohio School Dist rict s, M aple Height s Cit y Schools and Aurora Cit y Schools To gain an underst anding and provide a det ailed descript ion of t he process of cult ivat ing teacher leaders for democratic ways of living, and t he cult ure needed t o support it. To part ner w it h t he Ohio Depart m ent of Educat ion and ot her local and st at e-w ide st akeholders on policy developm ent and im plem ent at ion t hat brings t his research t o scale in dist rict s, st at e-w ide, grow ing t his kind of t eacher leadership in Ohio?s schools There are t hree very im port ant research concept s t hat form t he foundat ion of t his w ork: Defining leadership; problem -solving orient at ion; and changing t he cult ure. The KSU definit ion of leadership is organized around t he recursive inquiry logic of how t o enact lead- learning for democratic education ( Henderson, 2017, in press). This lead- learning 14

15 requires a part icular problem -solving orient at ion t hat serves as an organizer for policy, curriculum, and leadership decision m aking; decision m aking t hat is focused on t he cult ivat ion of enduring values t hat st and t he t est of t im e ( Henderson & Gornik, 2007). Finally, research about cult ural-t ransform ing effort s t hat pract ice dem ocrat ic collegialit y, and t he honoring of all st akeholder voices ( Henderson, 2017, in press). Adding t o t his research is t he assert ion by t he NEA t hat t eacher leadership can enhance t he capacit y of t he principal: Teachers in leadership roles w ork in collaborat ion w it h principals and ot her school adm inist rat ors by facilit at ing im provem ent s in inst ruct ion and prom ot ing pract ices am ong t heir peers t hat can lead t o im proved st udent learning out com es. By doing so, t hey support school leaders in encouraging innovat ion and creat ing cult ures of success in school. Teacher leadership can neit her be effect ive nor successful w it hout principal support, but neit her can t he principal m ax im ize his or her effect iveness w it hout harnessing t he t alent s and ex pert ise of t eachers in leadership roles w w w.nea.org Am ong educat ional leaders t here are not agreed upon concept ual and operat ional definit ions of t eacher leadership. The Kent St at e Universit y Teacher Leader Endorsem ent Program ( TLEP) defines t eacher leaders as lead learners and professionals for democratic ways of living. ( Henderson, et al, in press). This definit ion represent s an aspirat ional vision of professional ex cellence, rat her t han a predet erm ined set of crit eria of inst rum ent al com pet ency. Concept ualized w it h som e of t he great est t eachers in hum an hist ory in m ind, t his vision for professional ex cellence is not a fix ed object ive sought aft er m uch less at t ained by all educat ors. This definit ion of t eacher leadership m aps an ongoing process for dedicat ed, t hinking professionals w it h a deep sense of vocat ional calling. The concept ual m ap provides guidance for an ongoing and life-long journey of professional grow t h and learning. To t hat end t he Ohio Depart m ent of Educat ion, in part nership w it h Kent St at e Universit y is st udying t eacher leadership. Am biguit ies regarding w hat t eacher leadership is and w hat t eacher leaders do along w it h t he pressures of high-st akes account abilit y syst em s, frequent ly result s in m ore t echnical form s of professional learning for t eacher developm ent t hat narrow t he view learning and leadership. This oft en result s in short t erm, fragm ent ed changes in daily pract ice focused on st udent success on st andardized assessm ent s alone, prohibit ing opport unit ies for classroom t eachers t o assum e a leadership role as lead learners for democratic ways of living, as a concept ual and operat ional definit ion of t eacher leadership. The KSU TLEP encourages t eachers and adm inist rat ors t o refram e t heir school im provem ent effort s as int erdependent part s of t he sam e w hole, a t eaching-curriculum -leadership gest alt. Stay connected to OM LA! 15