Shannon O. Blog #8 Creative Connector and Vocab Visualizer "The importance of feeling important"

In the final two chapters, the authors talk about the idea of having "celebration breakfasts" at schools to celebrate successes for teachers.  It reminds me of middle school. One year, my school sent a letter home to the Honor Roll students and their parents for a breakfast in honor of the students' success.  I was one of those students, but I was too embarrassed to go.  I guess that's just something to think about - ways to acknowledge success that don't involve a big celebration (nothing says, "Job well done" like a pay raise! And maybe a gold star.)
It also  made me think of elementary school when a teacher was chosen to be highlighted in the yearbook for being an "outstanding educator".  I'm pretty sure they were selected by the students (although I don't ever remember voting).  I think, though, that oftentimes students pick the "fun" teacher, not necessarily the most effective teacher.
One of the features of a successful school community is having a visible principal.  I was watching "The Princess Diaries" recently, and I noted the scene in which the principal says, "Hi, Lily."  Then she turns to Mia and says, "Lily's friend".  It made me wonder why she knew Lily and not Mia.  I think it's often the students that stand out - for getting into trouble or for being especially successful at something but probably mostly for getting into trouble - that people really recognize.  I think it's important for the principal to be recognized and to be able to recognize the students in order to create a sense of community.

Some vocabulary I investigated (courtesy of dictionary.com):

Mundane - common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative.


Responsive (as in Responsive Classroom) - responding especially readily and sympathetically to appeals,efforts, influences


Pedagogy - the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.


Ambiguous - open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal


Tenet - any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc.

Aubrie R: Blog 8: Idea Illustrator and Essence Extractor "The Power of Belief"

Idea Illustrator:

On page 123 of Poverty is NOT a Learning Disability, the authors state that "the path to change needs to begin now."  This idea of travelling down a path together reminded me of The Wizard of Oz.  In this beloved children's film, the four characters picured above embark on a journey to the Land of Oz.  These characters, much like an educational staff, all bring different strengths and weaknesses.  Yet, they work together to successfully achieve their goal.  We, as teachers and other educational staff, must also join forces to help our schools and students succeed.

The authors bring up a very good point on page 124 when they state that "[w]e tend to forget that everyone in our buildings, teachers and support staff alike, interact daily with students in meaningful ways."  All educational staff, from the cafeteria ladies to the principals, interact with the children and "teach" them in their own way.  Just as an apple is not a product of one effort or influence, a child is shaped by everyone that touches his/her life.

Just as "Rome wasn't built in a day," the authors effectively note on page 125 that "this kind of collaboration doesn't happen overnight.  In most cases, it took at least two years to be really embedded in the school culture.  It's not a program; it's a process."  When we are dealing with low SES children who have come from backgrounds we may not understand and have been exposed to less educational opportunities than some of their peers, it is important to remember that these children still have unlimited potential potential; we just need to help "build them up."
Essence Extractor:

This book taught me a great deal about misidentification and the impportance of helpin low SES children.  However the thing I learned most from this book can be summed up by the following:
"When children know we believe in them, they are unstoppable."

Derek Romig: Blog #8

Literary Luminator: Chapters 10,11,12

The authors outline some basic assumptions that drive the thought process explained in this chapter on page 114.  One of the assumptions the authors laid out was unequivocally important.  “If your faculty and staff are not meeting your expectations, its because they don’t know what your expectations are.”  The importance of communicating expectations in very valuable in any profession and as the authors explained it is in our nature to falsely assume that others hold the same view that we do.  Its important that education leaders do not leave anything to be left for guessing when verbalizing what needs to be done to achieve the common goals. 

“Managing performance around your expectations simply means having an ongoing series of nonconfrontational conversations about mutually agreed upon goals.”   On page 119 this message is conveyed in order to help potential leaders to understand how feedback should be given.  As this chapter discusses, the importance of negative and positive feedback should not be understated and the fashion in which it is delivered needs to be carefully considered.  This method of providing feedback is effective and is supports the type of relationships that school leaders should be building with their subordinates. 

An idea that is revisited numerous times in chapter 11 is that “staff development isn’t about programs- its about attitude.”  According to this chapter the successful schools that were studied focused on changing the outlooks and perspectives of the teachers, students, parents, and all the other staff members at the school.  Effective staff development can open many doors to schools that are trying to make improvements but only if it is effectively executed.  

Derek Romig: Blog # 8

Rigorous Researcher: Chapters 10,11,12

On Page 119 the author paraphrases a quote I had never heard before and attributes the words to a man I was unfamiliar with.  “To paraphrase Robert Burn’s Famous quote, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”  Robert Burn was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide.  The poem in which Burns wrote that the author was referring to was titled To a Mouse and was written in November of1785.  I have included the poem below along with a picture of Burns so that we could interpret the famous poets words ourselves and see if we derive the same meaning the authors do from it.  

Burns Original			Standard English Translation
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murdering pattle. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request; I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't. Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An' weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch cauld. But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! Still thou are blest, compared wi' me! The present only toucheth thee: But och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!			Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast, O, what a panic is in your breast! You need not start away so hasty With hurrying scamper! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is left, And never miss it. Your small house, too, in ruin! It's feeble walls the winds are scattering! And nothing now, to build a new one, Of coarse grass green! And bleak December's winds coming, Both bitter and keen! You saw the fields laid bare and wasted, And weary winter coming fast, And cozy here, beneath the blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel plough past Out through your cell. That small bit heap of leaves and stubble, Has cost you many a weary nibble! Now you are turned out, for all your trouble, Without house or holding, To endure the winter's sleety dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

Aubrie R.: Blog #7: Literary Luminator and Rigorous Researcher: "The tip of the Iceberg"

Literary Luminator:
The following 3 passages stood out to me in Poverty is NOT a Learning Disability as some of the most important and/or powerful:

• Pg. 103 states "that employment tests focused only on aptitude and knowledge weren't valid predictors of future job success... a combination of types and levels of competencies composed of traits, motives, self-image, skills, and knowledge are more likely to produce superior job performance."  Later in this chapter, an iceberg metaphor is used illustrating this point.  I found this passage to be significant because many individuals in the business world focus only on the "above the waterline" traits of aptitide and knowlede while greatly underestimate the power of the "below the waterline" competencies needed to truly succeed in any job, including education.
• On pg. 104, the authors state that "[t]here are stars and there are superstars, and while we can all recognize the differences between them, we are often pressed to explain the differences."  This passage struck me because it relates to all aspects of life; there are always good, better and best, but it is often hard to determine how the best become superior.  If we, as future educators, could learn how to work together and bring out the best in ourselves and our fellow teachers, we could help to cultivate such growth in the students that we teach.
• Pg. 107 brings up that "[t]he key to making your vision a reality is getting everyone on your staff not only to recognize it but also to strive for it and achieve it... every faculty and staff has its few natural superstars... its couple of 'duds,' and all the others in between, who are willing and able and could be great, if only you knew how to show them the way to greatness."  What an inspiring message!  It is possible for every educational team to succeed as long as we remember just that: we are a TEAM with the common goal of achieving success for ourselves and for our students.

Rigorous Researcher:
The topic that I chose to research was found on pg. 106 of Poverty is NOT a Learning Disability in Table 9.1 which displays "Strategic (Core) Competencies: Areas for Companies to Achieve Competitive Advantage."  The company which stood out to me, and which I thought was most applicable and well-known among young children, was Disney's theme of Magic. 

Although I never went to Disney World as a child, I will always remember the "magical" feeling I got when I watched my first Disney movie.  I longed to grow up to be just like Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" and felt like she truly understand me as I sang along to "Part of Your World."  What little girl doesn't fantasize about her handsome Prince Charming coming to rescue her?  Disney provided dreams for me that still affect my adult life today.  It didn't occur to me until reading this chapter that Disney is specializing in this "Competitive Advantage" by concentrating on the one thing that children and parents alike still need in their lives: Magic.  We, as future teachers and staff of today's schools, can relate this to education as we "have a clear focus for selecting, training, and motivating [the] employees" (Howard, 106).  We, too, can find a focus and help all of our school "characters" work together to make the "magic" happen in our educational system.

Shannon O. Blog #7 Essence Extractor and Idea Illustrator "Seeing 20/20"

The essence of the two chapters can best be summarized as:

Clear expectations and teacher traits creates a good school environment.

Some images I found relevant:

The authors state that it's important to have a clear vision of how you want your school to be.  To achieve this image, you have to be as explicit as possible with your employees.


The authors discuss the importance of the underlying traits that great teachers may have, not just the surface abilities.  The qualities of a good teacher are often more than their capabilities in the classroom but also the motivation and personality they bring.


It's important to let your employees know what they're doing well, and what they can improve on.  Criticism should be focused on the action, not the person, and should begin and end on a positive note.

Derek Romig: Blog # 7

Concept Connector: Chapter 8 and 9

Recruiting Talent:

On page 100 the authors discuss the best way to recruit talent for your school.  “ The most proactive approach to selecting faculty and staff for your school is recruiting talent from with in the system.”  I had experience with this idea in the business world when I worked in retail as a young man.  I managed a department of a retail store that sold TV’s which was the most important department due to the profits we made on the Televisions we sold.  When I needed new people I would have meeting with the manager of the cashiers to see if he thought he had anyone who would be a better fit in my department.  This served a couple of purposes but it was excellent to have a new TV salesman who I knew was a good employee based on the physical evidence from working with that person.

Delivering the Goods:

On page 106 the Author asserts that “we understand that not only are companies able to successfully market their products and services to us through carefully imaged advertizing but also because they have a clear focus for selecting, training, and motivating their employees to deliver the promised and expected goods and services.”  This made me recall a time when a company did not deliver the expected goods and how disappointed I was.  I ordered an item online and Fed-ex (who was by chance discussed in the chapter in a positive light) delivered it three days later than it had promised on the website.  The item was a gift that did not arrive in time for the event that I purchased it for.  I was very disappointed.  If this was applied to a school where a child’s education was involved my feeling would have only been intensified. 

Structuring the Interview process:

“Begin each interview with a well-thought out, but brief, description of your school, its demographics, its educational programs, and your primary goals so the candidates can readily relate their experiences to you school setting.”  This statement on page 97 made me recall an interview that I went to after I finished my undergraduate degree in 2009.  At this interview the interviewer gave me an inappropriately long description of the job and the company.  The length of this description became counter productive and we spent almost an hour (the time I expected the entire interview to take) talking about the job.  The interview became awkward and I lost interest in the position and subsequently turned down the job offer.