Cooper on Curriculum - thoughts from an elementary principal / curriculum nerd

I’m a New Principal, Here’s How I Followed up on My Entry Plan…

In a previous post – I’m a New Principal, Here’s My Entry Plan… – I outlined my entry plan for when I became the Elementary Principal of T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School (TBD) in the Old Tappan School District, about five months ago on January 15.

For easy reference, here’s a very brief rundown of the entry plan’s components:

One-On-One Voluntary Interviews with Teachers and Staff
Meetings to Learn About Core Subject Areas
Student Meeting(s)
Parent Meetings
Questions for Superintendent
Digital Communication

Now, here’s a look at how I formally followed up on my entry plan at a Faculty Meeting on May 21.

Prior to the meeting, teachers were sent a Google doc, divided into three sections: Entry Plan Overview, Entry Plan Results Summary, Entry Plan Activity.

Entry Plan Overview

To remind teachers what the entry plan involved, this section outlined the plan in very much the same way as the previously mentioned blog post. Everyone was encouraged to look at this on their own time.

Entry Plan Results Summary

Here I included the results from the student meeting and parent meetings. More or less, the teachers received a cleaned up version of my notes. To preserve confidentiality, I didn’t include what I learned from the teacher and staff interviews (more on this in the next section). Once again, everyone was encouraged to look at this on their own time.

Entry Plan Activity

This activity encompassed the entire Faculty Meeting. Here are the activity’s directions, verbatim:

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It’s the Learning, Not the Lessons!

By Ross Cooper Leave a Comment

Not too long ago I tweeted the following:

“It’s powerful when we shift the conversation from ‘What lesson are you on?’ to ‘What are your students learning?’”

It's powerful when we shift the conversation from “What lesson are you on?” to “What are your students learning?”

— Ross Cooper (@RossCoops31) April 1, 2018

This tweet was motivated by a conversation I witnessed, during which a principal from another district said something to the effect of, “I’m working with my teachers to understand that it’s ok for students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways, but we’re struggling.”

Although I still don’t know the entire context of this particular issue, I can say with confidence that a similar problem exists across countless schools and districts.

So let’s unpack it.

One of the Many Problems with How Textbooks Are Used

From what I have experienced, the majority of teachers still rely on a textbook when determining what to teach. And, if the principal’s problem is present, there’s an even greater likelihood the textbook is being used as a crutch, with teachers spending the year going through the textbook from cover to cover (more or less). This isn’t to say there is anything wrong with the actual book itself; the problem lies in how it is used.

The first warning sign is when the textbook is referred to as the curriculum, when in reality it’s a tool or resource that can help us to meet the needs of our students. And, if we’re treating the textbook as the curriculum, I’m more inclined to point the finger at the administrator (curriculum supervisor, principal, etc.) who is allowing for such abuse to take place.

So, if I’m a teacher heavily relying on my textbook, without the proper professional development to “move away from it,” I too would be baffled by someone telling me, “Teach Chapter 2 in a different way!” or, “Let your students show they understand Unit 7 however they want!”

At least three major steps are required for a paradigm shift to take place.

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What Is Our Default Reaction to Disagreement?

By Ross Cooper 3 Comments

Not too long ago, Tony Sinanis (Hastings-on-Hudson Superintendent) and I presented on 5 Ways to Support a Culture of Learning. One of the main points we discussed is how feedback must be a normalized and welcome part of the learning process. While conversations about feedback generally focus on what feedback is and isn’t, why it’s valuable, and how to give it, during our presentation Tony went out of his way to emphasize the idea of being mindful of how we respond to feedback. For instance, as an administrator, if I’m not accepting of feedback, I shouldn’t expect my teachers to listen to what I (and possibly, their peers) have to say. In other words, I need to model the behavior I want to see in others.

Confirmation Bias

The Oxford Dictionary defines confirmation bias as “The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.”

Confirmation bias (along with other factors, such as insecurity and ego) can prevent us from being accepting of feedback, and to a greater degree, disagreement.

In Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull (author and President of Pixar) explains how confirmation bias can hinder an organization:

Most of us walk around thinking that our view is best – probably because it is the only one we really know. You’d think the fact that we all have major misunderstandings with people at times – squabbles over what was said or what was meant – would clue us in to the reality that so incredibly much is hidden from us. But, no. We have to learn, over and over again, that the perceptions and experiences of others are vastly different than our own. In a creative environment, those differences can be assets. But when we don’t acknowledge and honor them, they can erode, rather than enrich, our creative work.

5 Stages of Disagreement

Since our presentation, I’ve tried to be more cognizant of how I respond to any type of disagreement. And, based on my experiences (and my mistakes), I’ve mapped out five stages of disagreement. All of the stages, with the exception of the fifth (the “highest”), involve some form of confirmation bias.

When looking at these stages, if you’re self-evaluating, ask yourself, “What is my default reaction to disagreement?” (And then maybe think about whether or not your colleagues would agree with your self-evaluation.)

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5 Ways to Support a Culture of Learning

By Ross Cooper 8 Comments

Last weekend at the Long Island Connected Educator’s Summit, Tony Sinanis and I facilitated a session, 5 Ways to Support a Culture of Learning. A few days prior to the conference he shot me over a bunch of ideas and then we worked together to refine them for our presentation. So, as a disclaimer, these “5 ways” are more his than mine, although I do agree with them.

That being said, here are the five ways to support a culture of learning. And, after each one are three points to consider.

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Flexible Learning Spaces: The Start of Our Journey

By Ross Cooper Leave a Comment

Over the past few weeks, my teachers and I have been exploring flexible learning spaces. And our goal is to hit the ground running with implementation at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. (Of course, we can experiment when our supplies arrive before then.)

Here’s the email (slightly modified) that officially began this movement. It was sent out about three weeks ago.

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I’m a New Principal, Here’s My Entry Plan…

By Ross Cooper 13 Comments

On January 15 I began my first job as a principal, as the Elementary Principal of T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School (TBD) in the Old Tappan School District. About a month prior, as I was wrapping up my job as a curriculum supervisor, I started to prepare for my new job, mostly by (1) picking the brains of my educator friends and (2) reading The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. The best of these thoughts and ideas made their way into an entry plan, which I started to execute soon after I became a principal.

In reading The First 90 Days, one of the quotes that stuck out to me the most was, “For leaders joining new organizations…it helps to think of yourself as an anthropologist sent to study a newly discovered civilization.” And it is this quote that sums up the overarching goal of the entry plan. Two more specific goals:

Establish relationships
Learn about the school’s history, where we are now, and where our stakeholders think we should go

That being said, here’s the majority of my entry plan.

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15 Concise Thoughts on #Leadership

By Ross Cooper 1 Comment

Before I move on to discussing my new job as an Elementary School Principal, one more time (for now) I want to look back upon my previous experiences as an administrator – more particularly, my last 2.5 years as a curriculum supervisor. Reflection is a crucial part of student learning, so as educators we should be modeling the way by leveraging previous experiences to better ourselves on both a professional and personal level.

That being said, soon after I completed my stint as a curriculum supervisor on December 22, I jotted down 15 thoughts on leadership (some of which directly relate to ways I know I can improve). Here they are. Enjoy!

What matters more than anything else is how we treat others.
It’s one thing to say relationships are important; it’s another thing to live it and breathe it and experience it.
Always seek to understand. We cannot begin to comprehend what others have experienced.
If we don’t have trust, we have nothing.
One of the worst messages we can send to others is that we don’t value their opinions.
I’ve heard many educators claim that the worst bullies in schools/districts are usually the adults; I don’t disagree.
Friction promotes growth. Conflict tears down culture.
When we’re insecure in our actions, we criticize others. When we’re confident, we can let our actions speak for themselves.
Identical accomplishments can be applauded in one context and ridiculed in another, all depending on the lens through which others choose to view the work.
When we start to justify our actions with a job title, we’re on a slippery slope.
There’s a difference between focusing on what we want to do and focusing on what needs to be done.
When we consistently harp on what could/should be, we’re possibly insulting the hard work of others without even knowing it.
Theory tends to generate anxiety, while practicality promotes progress.
Day in, day out consistency is not easy.
Intentionally surrounding yourself with the right people can change your life.

What can you add to the list?

Connect with Ross on Twitter.

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What Joe DiMaggio Taught Me About Leadership

By Ross Cooper 8 Comments

Yes, this is the longest I’ve gone without blogging in about four years. But, I have an excuse…

Since my last post I’ve made the transition from K-12 curriculum supervisor in Pennsylvania to Bergen County, New Jersey, where (as of January 15) I am now the proud Elementary Principal of T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School (TBD) in the Old Tappan School District. And, while I undoubtedly look forward to my work being the main focus of my writings, I do think it’s important to spend a post or two reflecting upon previous experiences.

That being said…

December 22 was my final day with the Salisbury Township School District. On this day, when I got home from work, I started to make the mental transition from curriculum supervisor to principal. As part of this process (aside from taking a much needed power nap), I hopped on the phone with someone I consider a mentor and one of my best friends, Tony Sinanis. As part of our conversation, we talked about a handful of Elementary Principals (current and former) from whom I could learn. Looking back, what stands out to me the most aren’t necessarily the names themselves, but the fact that these were educators who I was already following and learning from via social media, but I hadn’t had many one-on-one interactions with them that did much more than scratch the surface. In other words, I was learning from them and they didn’t even know it.

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Hacking Project Based Learning – Free Online Course! #HackingPBL

By Ross Cooper 4 Comments

This post was written by Erin Murphy and was originally published on her blog.

Ross: What do you think about writing a book on PBL?

Me: I think you’re crazy.

Ross: Just think about it.

If I’m being honest, I tried not to think about it. Unfortunately, the idea got stuck in my head. At first I fixated mostly on my failures: terrible rubrics, lengthy directions, displays of content rather than displays of learning, and the list could go on. Eventually, my stream of consciousness turned to the solutions I created (often times through a conversation with Ross), and then my wheels really started spinning. The true tipping point, however, came later in the week, when I bumped into a former student. She approached my family and me, while we were waiting to be seated at a restaurant, and said, “I was JUST telling my parents about the time you let us save those plants in the school garden from that fungus!”

Nine years.

This learner was in my class nine years prior.

Well, that really got me thinking. If experiences in my classroom held up to the test of time, maybe I did have something to write about after all.

Writing Hacking Project Based Learning: 10 Easy Steps to PBL and Inquiry in the Classroom was just as much about the failures as it was the triumphs (in fact, the failures probably had a greater impact). Mostly, though, it was about the kids. For us, this book is about sharing a clear framework for implementing PBL, with the ultimate goal of creating more educational experiences worthy of conversation after nine years.

This last year has been a whirlwind. Ross and I could not have predicted the positive acclaim that has surrounded our first book. Our work has connected us with opportunities, adventures, and people for which we are endlessly grateful. We continue to learn and grow with each moment, each interaction, and to show our appreciation, we want to offer you a Hacking PBL Birthday Gift!

We have compiled our favorite resources into an interactive online course, and we are giving it to you FOR FREE.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and for adding to the PBL conversation around the world!

We appreciate you.

Here's what's included…

Over 65 additional resources, organized by hack/chapter, to help you take off with project based learning – plus an introductory video for each hack
eBook Add-On – Contains 10 blog posts, each an extension of one of the 10 hacks/chapters from Hacking Project Based Learning
eBook: Sweet Spot Directions – Tips and authentic examples for how to deliver your project based learning directions in style
Project Planning Template – The easiest way to make project based learning a reality for you and your students
Hacking PBL 101 Slide Deck – An outline of the book, in slide format, that is ideal for project based learning professional development
Theory to Practice Book Study Guide – 3 professional learning options for facilitating a Hacking Project Based Learning book study
Question Cards – 36 questions to get you started with your discussions – 3 per hack/chapter, plus the introduction & conclusion
Posters – 8 posters featuring some of our favorite quotes from Hacking Project Based Learning
And more!

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Professional Development: Focusing on Student Choice

By Ross Cooper 1 Comment

Under the leadership of our Middle School Principal, Ken Parliman, we’re in the process of rethinking some of our middle level electives to provide students with more personalized learning experiences.

In preparation for these shifts, not too long ago I led the facilitation of an all-day professional learning session for our middle level specialists (those who teach the electives). I planned for this day alongside Ken and my Assistant Superintendent, Lynn Fuini-Hetten.

The theme for the day was student choice, and everything was encompassed by the essential question:

What decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves?

What decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves? via @spencerideas & @ajjuliani #EmpowerBook Click To Tweet

This question is from Empower, by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani. This a book I can highly recommend, and Spencer’s work served as the basis for what we accomplished.

The Agenda

Here’s the agenda for the professional learning:

The essential question was revealed and briefly discussed.
We watched and then discussed the YouTube video, 10 Ways to Empower Students With Choice, by John Spencer.

Each participating teacher chose a project he or she had already facilitated. With their projects in mind, each teacher filled out a T-Chart (in Google docs). The left-side contained the teacher choices that took place during the project, and the right-side contained the student choices.
With the following prompts in mind, participants analyzed and discussed each other’s T-Charts and projects:
- Looking at everyone’s examples of student choice, are there any possible ways you could group them into categories? What commonalities exist?
- How could you provide more student choice within your project?
- What are your reservations for providing more student choice?
With the following prompts in mind, participants read and then discussed the eBook, Getting Started with Student Choice, by John Spencer:
- Where is the author full of crap? (if at all)
- Where does the author hit the nail on the head?
- What practical tips are provided?

The Culminating Activity

Directions

Think of a project/activity you already use. Create ways to embed more student choice into it, based on “moving up” the diagram (p. 32 in the eBook, above) on your journey to the FroYo model. As you’re designing your project/activity, consider the following questions:
- Will students be designing a product? Solving a problem? Open-ended? Something else?
- As a result of the project/activity, what do you want students to understand?
- How will students be assessed and possibly, graded?
- For the lessons that take place within the context of your project/activity, (1) what content will need to be addressed, and (2) how will it be addressed?
After, share out the following:
- What was your “before” project? What is your “after” project? How do they contrast?
- What new opportunities are there for student choice? How do you think these opportunities will benefit your students?
Peer feedback.

In the End

Shortly after the session, I posted the following on Facebook:

Today I worked with my Middle School Principal to facilitate an all-day session on student choice during project design. Great stuff! Feeling inspired! (Sometimes if we remove the buzzwords and drill down to what matters, moving forward is that much easier.)

Through professional learning, there are countless ways to tackle such practices/topics as: inquiry-based learning, project based learning, personalized learning, learner agency, etc. However, often times, when we lead with these terms, we can easily intimidate and possibly “turn off” participants (especially when a district doesn’t have a common definition/understanding of what these terms involve). So, in this particular instance, we chose student choice as our entry point. By the end of the day we ended up exploring all of the above and a whole lot more. And, in the process, I do believe we comfortably “met participants where they were” without being disrespectful of the work they had already done.

Finally, as usual, I look forward to improving upon this professional learning for when we decide to roll it out again!

How do you encourage student choice?

Connect with Ross on Twitter.

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