The importance of student-teacher relationships: From the mind of a 6th grader...

At our all staff district kick-off event, our superintendent asked a 6th grade student from one of our elementary schools to speak on the critically important topic of student-teacher relationships.

Imagine how nervous this student was to speak in front of 400+ adults on what it means to have positive relationships between students and teachers.

Though scared and nervous... I think he nailed it!


Here are Tanner's top tips for good relationships between students and teachers:

1). Good relationships with students increase their focus because if you like your teacher, you're going to pay attention to her/him.

2). Relationships decide what type of attitude your classroom has. If you have good relationships with your students, you will probably have less 'I don't want to learn attitudes.'

3). Relationships decide a student's attitude toward school and affect their self-esteem. A good relationship between a teacher and a student helps their self-esteem because the student knows you care about them and they want to think good about themselves.

4). Your relationship with your students mostly decides how much respect you get.

What a powerful message from a 6th grade student! Thank you for sharing this important message with our staff Tanner!

Great coaches can make for great school leaders:

At the annual Missouri administrator conference we had the opportunity to hear from Coach Jerry Kill (@CoachKillFBCamp).  Coach Kill is an impressive and inspirational speaker and we were fortunate to hear his story. Having said that, I couldn't help but think there are quite a few similarities between what it takes to be a great coach and what it takes to be a great school leader.

Here are some of the thoughts shared by Coach Kill:

Great success starts with #leadership at the top. There's no debating or arguing that. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great leaders need to be knowledgeable with lots of 'branches' of experience & background. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Young inexperienced leaders become wise experienced leaders by listening more than they speak. Be a sponge... via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

#Leadership starts with a vision... and everyone needs to know about that vision. It can't be a secret... via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

All great people & all great leaders have handled & are able to handle adversity in life. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great #leadership is about holding yourself accountable. You can't tell someone else to do something you aren't willing to do. #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great #leadership is being able to look someone in the eye and having a one-on-one conversation. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great #leadership isn't just about you working hard; it's about getting those around you to work hard. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

When you get a new job, more times than not something is broken, and you've been hired to build something new. #moed15 via @CoachKillFBCamp

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great #leadership is about surrounding yourself with good people & NOT believing you can do it all by yourself. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

You don't invest in programs. You invest in people. #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Throughout my entire career I've never worried about getting fired. I only worried about doing the right thing. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great leaders create a culture where everyone holds everyone accountable. It's not personal, it's how to get results. #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Great leaders treat everyone with the respect & gratitude no matter what role they play in the organization. via @CoachKillFBCamp #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

When people feel appreciated and valued they work harder resulting in work that's deserving of appreciation. #moed15

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

Make tough decisions. Care about the people around you. Think about others first. Be a member of a team. #moed15 @CoachKillFBCamp

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) July 26, 2015

7 proven strategies that WILL help you engage your students...

1.  Don't just care...really care!

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds, but we have got to remember that whatever is going on in our world, is 100 times simpler and less complicated than that of our students.  If a student is having a bad day, or if a student is having a great day, give them the opportunity to tell you about it.  Be interested and actually listen to their stories, because if you can show the students you care, they will trust you, and when they trust you, magical things can happen in an educational setting.  Take an interest in their music, their hobbies, their triumphs and struggles, and use that information to help them.  IF THE STUDENTS DON'T THINK YOU CARE, YOU WILL NEVER MAKE A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION WITH THEM!!

2.  Speak to every student at least once every class period - the more the better!

Try very hard to make sure this is common practice in your classroom.  Even if it is a simple "hello" or "how are you doing?" it can mean a ton to the student.  Additionally, making that early connection in the class period allows that student to feel more comfortable, which as we all know, students must be comfortable for learning to take place.  STUDENTS DON'T LEARN WHEN THEY ARE STRESSED AND UNCOMFORTABLE!!

3.  Meet your students where they are; not where they are supposed to be, or where you want them to be...

This strategy can be really difficult, but if you can master it, it can pay huge dividends in the long run.  Every year you start with new students, with different ability levels, different learning styles, and different attitudes toward education.  We have to meet each student on their level.  Their level means their ability, their learning style, and their attitude toward education.  If we treat every student the same, we CANNOT expect the same results!  Just as a doctor evaluates all of a patient's symptoms and treats the patient accordingly, we must evaluate each student and approach the learning process in a manner which is best suited for that individual student.  FORGET ABOUT USING ONE STRATEGY TO TEACH ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS!!

4.  Have high expectations, and expect the best from every single student every single day!

This is probably one of the toughest in terms of increasing student engagement.  I have found that when you push the students and they know you are pushing them, they engage themselves and respond at a much higher level than if you were giving them review work over and over.  Human nature is to enjoy a challenge and a task that requires more than the minimum.  If your students are disengaged and non-attentive, perhaps they are bored, and they need a challenge to get them going.  Let your students know you have high expectations for yourself, and consequently you expect the best from them too.  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT!! 

5.  Do whatever it takes to get your students out of their desks, and give them every opportunity to be actively moving ! 

Organized chaos is how we should describe our classrooms.  Students need to move, and sitting for 7 hours a day is frankly torture.  Would you want to sit for 7 hours a day and listen to people talk at you...no, I think not.  Try to get your students up and moving every single day.  I am talking about relay races, group work, activities that require building things with their hands, an activity where unused fly swatters are used, and lastly skits and reenactments that make everybody laugh.  THE HUMAN BODY WAS NOT DESIGNED TO SIT ALL DAY!!  

6.  Focus on the three R's - rigor, relationships, and relevance... 

I already talked about rigor (4) and relationships (1), but I wanted to keep all three Rs together.  If the students see no relevance and value in education, then how can we expect them to learn?  We have got to make sure what they are doing in school is practical and relevant, because if we don't we have no shot at engaging them.  Show students the connections to what they are learning and the world in which they live.  Also, use resources to make what they are learning applicable in their current lives, and show them ways to use what they've learned in class.  IF THEY SEE NO VALUE, THEY WILL NEVER BE TRULY ENGAGED!!     

7.  Most importantly...give your students a voice and involve them in the educational process!

Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult things to do in an educational setting, and because it is one of the most difficult, it is one of the most important.  The students know how they learn, they know what they like and dislike, and they hold the key to getting them interested and engaged.  Every day is an opportunity to learn from your students how to do your job more effectively and efficiently.  Students are a free resource that most educators ignore.  Include them in making assignments, teaching lessons, designing rubrics and designing assessments.  What do you have to lose?  They will provide you with a wealth of knowledge, and most importantly, they will be engaged because they are a part of the process.  They now have a voice in how they are educated, as well as how they are assessed...STUDENT INVOLVEMENT = AWESOME!!

Please respond with any additional strategies you use to engage your students.  I would love to add to this list and compile a much larger list to use with new and experienced teachers, as well as teacher growth and development programs.  Thank you in advance for your help!

Tapping into the strengths of others...

If you work within an organization of any type, you most likely work with a wide array and variety of people. The colleagues with whom you work bring a ton of different experiences and unique thoughts to the table. These experiences and thoughts ultimately drive their approach and response to occurrences that happen on a daily basis at the work place.

Along with these different experiences and unique thoughts, each member of an organization has a unique and personalized set of strengths, as well as weaknesses...

Great leaders & great organizations seek out & identify the strengths & weaknesses of their colleagues. Once these strengths and weaknesses have been discovered, members of the organization are put in situations that capitalize on their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. Doing this requires candid and straight forward discussions between colleagues; doing this requires trust and strong relationships. Most importantly, it requires all leaders to not only know their colleagues, but to know them well enough to know where they can do the most good.

In my opinion, the most difficult discussion to have with a colleague involves their placement and role within the organization, especially if this role is not their idea or their first choice. As a leader you have the ability to see a more global picture of the organization, which means you can see how all the pieces fit together rather than a more hyper focused picture of individuals and departments/teams. The proper placement tied to the strengths of those within your organization is absolutely critical when it comes to moving any organization or team forward.

Perhaps the most important message I would like to convey in this post is that of discovering & harnessing the strengths of those within your organization. We are surrounded by individuals with hidden & undiscovered strengths on a daily basis, & it's those leaders who are able to tap into these strengths who will have the most success in helping to position their organizations for greatness.

As a current or aspiring leader, please recognize the importance of taking the time to get to know your colleagues. Get to know them well enough that you can comfortably know where they can do the most good based on their strengths. When people are placed where they can do the most good, all members of the organization end up benefiting...

Challenge yourself to find out more about your colleagues, and don't limit yourself to just professional interests. Learning about the personal interests and hobbies of your colleagues can lead to a more passionate workplace where outside talents can be utilized to enhance the overall environment. Enjoy getting to know your colleagues, because they will enjoy getting to know you and each other...

Strong relationships = strong teams

This year has been a year of growth, failure, and intense transition for me. It would however be difficult to narrow down the exact moments and circumstances that have helped mold and shape who I am as an educator. One thing is for sure, I have grown increasingly certain of the role that strong relationships play in the success and forward moving progress of any team.

As an administrator, I see myself as one of the main contributors & influencers on how well our teams function & operate. Constructing teams in a way that they can be successful, is perhaps one of the most important roles any administrator or team leader can have. I thoroughly enjoyed the "5 monkeys parable" (which I highly recommend you read) shared by @clouducation_. The success & strength of any team is reliant upon a couple factors, but it's one factor that rules them all....

Relationships...

A team with strong relationships among its members, will be a team that has the ability and power to overcome even the most difficult obstacles. Though there may be differences between our professional beliefs and our personal, it has become increasingly difficult to completely separate the two. Additionally, I see the importance of constantly evaluating the effectiveness of our teams. A team that is not achieving what it was established to achieve, must be changed, modified, or completely dissolved. We are all busy, so let's make the best use of everyone's time.

Mindsets that help teams:

- Teams are personal, but there are no hard feelings or grudges after a disagreement
- The proper personnel are involved, and the necessary resources and time are provided
- The focus remains on the big picture and the team does not waste time on the smaller issues
- The team comes with an agenda and is prepared to discuss controversial topics
- Decisions are made based on the best people and the majority
- Great teams are always open and willing to try new ideas for the sake of improving

Mindsets that hurt teams:

- Every discussion or disagreement is taken personally
- Something cannot be improved or changed due to limited personnel / resources / time...etc
- Remaining focused on smaller less important issues that don't affect the big picture
- Spending too much time on a topic that the team is obviously not ready or prepared to discuss
- Making decisions based upon the exceptions or the minority
- Not being transparent and open to other ways of doing things

Teams with strong relationships will be able to overcome any disabling mindsets that would negatively affect the forward moving progress of the team. When teams are built upon trust, open collaboration, and a shared common focus, teams are better able to address the organization's needs. Focus on establishing strong relationships with your team members and members of your organization, and you will be well on your way to achieving strong results among your teams...

Make a kid smile...

We've been doing some pretty cool things this year at PBJHS. Many of these cool things have been shared and archived on our school webpage and our Facebook page. One of the coolest things we have done this year is the resurgence of our positive referral program.

The program is quite simple; teachers and staff members recognize students for a whole host of reasons: academic improvement and/or excellence, going above and beyond both in and out of the classroom, and just being an all-around good school citizen.

Some teachers fill out the positive referrals and present them to the students themselves. Others fill out the positive referrals and send them down to the office for me to present to the students. I really enjoy when the positive referrals are sent to me because it gives me the opportunity to pull a prank on the students.

Depending on the individual student, I have been known to call students down to my office and give them one opportunity to be honest and tell me the truth. Typically the students respond with a bewildered look on their face and a response like, "the truth about what? I haven't done anything." After the failure of the forced confession, I then say "fine, we will call your parents and I will tell them everything."

By this time the students are squirming in the chair and replaying their every action at school from the last two days in their head. Once I get the parent on the phone I then pull the positive referral out and proceed to tell them the good news. As I am speaking to the parent I continue to look at the student as their face transforms from scared and confused to happy and relieved...

Now, I am aware of the discussion around rewards and recognition, but I believe that when students unknowingly get recognized for their positive actions it can be quite powerful. I have seen first-hand what can happen as a result of a positive referral. I have witnessed students have a drastic change in both classroom and overall school behavior; I have seen students start taking an interest in school again, and not only turn work in, but turn it in early; I have seen students smile from ear to ear as a result of simply getting recognized for something positive they have done...

My challenge to you and to anyone who reads this is simple: take the time to recognize a student who might need a little positive boost in their life. Do it a couple times and I know you will be hooked. Once you see the smile on that student's face, you will want to share that smile with as many other students as possible...

How many smiles are you going to help create today...?

We all have voices...

Before school started I took the opportunity to ask some teachers and staff what they were looking forward to in the 2011-2012 school year. Here are 2 videos I made on my iPad using iMovie (which I highly recommend as a great app!)

I also took the opportunity to ask students what they liked about PBJHS so far this school year. Here is what they had to say...

I really enjoyed making both these videos, as well as having the opportunity to speak with so many teachers, staff members, and students about their thoughts on our school. What a fun experience!

This is also a great way to share and open up with our parents and community on our school Facebook page!

How well does your team collaborate...?

My new district is in year 2 of implementing Professional Learning Communities. Fortunately, my principal and I both come from districts where PLCs were further along in the implementation process, so we bring a little experience to the district. Each school in the district has a PLC leadership team made up of around 10 teachers and the building administrators.

http://goo.gl/x4vd2

Over the last two days our leadership team had the opportunity to meet with central office administrators and and other building PLC leadership teams. This was a great experience because we were able to further our PLC understanding, as well as develop relationships among the team members.

Lots of things were discussed, but one of the main factors that will determine how well PLCs operate in your building or district is the ability of your teams to collaborate efficiently and effectively. If your teams are unable to use data in a collaborative approach in an effort to enhance student achievement, then your teams won't have much success with PLCs.

As part of our training:

we had some difficult conversations that made people feel uncomfortable...

we discussed issues that most Educators avoid due to the potential of conflict...

we pushed each other to reflect upon our classroom practices and beliefs...

we were honest and we put ourselves in a state of vulnerability...

We also had the opportunity to watch these two videos exemplifying the stark contrast between good collaboration and bad collaboration. Please enjoy, and think about how you and your teams work collaboratively. The difference it makes is the difference between sustainable growth or simply wasting your time...

Bad collaboration

Good collaboration

My new "10 picture tour"

Cale Birk (@birklearns) wrote a great post titled, "My 10 picture tour." The more I thought about this post, the more I realized what a great idea it was. So often we make connections with members of our PLN, but we really have no idea what their school or work environment looks like. I think this is an excellent way to help Educators really get to know each other, which in turn can only improve our sharing and collaboration.

I couldn't write this post without mentioning Katie Hellerman (@klhellerman). Katie has challenged us to take our "digital" relationships to the next level, and I believe this is definitely a step in the right direction!

Please enjoy my NEW 10 picture tour:

Welcome to Poplar Bluff Junior High School!

Our students of the month display

The newly renovated gym

The district's main football field is adjacent to the junior high

The trophy and award case!

1 of 2 flat screen TVs in the cafeteria :)

The sign for our Jr. Beta Club

My office

Thank you for the "tweet me" sign @cmcgee200

Our 4 eMINTS carts taking a breathier for the summer

Feel free to check out my first "10 picture tour."

Rethinking school discipline...

At the start of next school year I will be embarking on my first assistant principalship. I have observed lots of current assistant principals and I have spoken with even more; a big part of the assistant principal's job is to handle discipline.

As a German teacher for 6 years, I recall only having to write up (give a referral) to 7 students. That's not bad, a little more than 1 per year! I also recognize that I had some really awesome students who ELECTED to take my class. No students were being forced to learn German from the crazy guy with blond hair who used fly swatters in class.

As my role changes next year, I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to handle discipline, as well as what my discipline philosophy is. As a classroom teacher I never wanted to write a student up unless it was absolutely necessary. I felt that if I wrote a student up I was "passing the buck" and ultimately missing out on an opportunity to build a stronger and more positive relationship with that student.

On the other hand, I know some teachers who don't hesitate to write a student up because they feel it is the principal's job to handle discipline issues, not the teacher's job. Then there are those teachers who want the "book" both literally and figuratively thrown at some students, and if the book doesn't work they want the "hammer" dropped with King Leonidas from the movie 300 type force.

Now, I know there are certain circumstances and situations where the book and hammer need to be deployed, but how many times do we see the same students over and over getting the same kind of discipline repeatedly? If the discipline consequences didn't work and were ineffective the first 3 times then it might work the 4th time right, I think not! Treating students and school discipline as "black and white" scenarios just doesn't seem to be working...

If a student skips school we probably shouldn't give the kid out-of-school suspension for 3 days. If a student is late to class or unprepared we probably shouldn't put the kid in in-school-suspension for 3 days. I know these scenarios seem funny, but they are happening ALL THE TIME in our schools.

Too often I think our discipline policies are reactive, rather than putting structures and steps in place to be proactive. Additionally, I find there needs to be a healthy balance of teacher/administrator collaboration on ways to address discipline in an educational setting. I also think we are working in isolation too often, when in fact we need to be working together to help out some of our most needy students. EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME TEAM!

Yesterday I read this great article titled, "More schools rethinking zero-tolerance discipline stand," which led me to writing this post. Perhaps I am being naive and I don't fully understand what it means to be a disciplinarian, but there is a tiny part of me who thinks we might be missing a great opportunity to help those students who really need us the most by "rethinking" the ways we address discipline.

I look forward to your comments! 

Don't be afraid to act!

On Friday I was doing my weekly duty in the main lobby. I have come to really enjoy this duty because it gives me the chance to greet many of my students as soon as they walk through the main doors. The simple act of saying "hello" while using a student's name can go a long way when trying to grow and develop student relationships.

As I stood there on my duty I noticed a young girl standing in the corner. She was standing alone and her head was directed toward the floor. I didn't think much of it...

Several moments passed as I continued my barrage of hellos and good mornings to my students. My eyes once again met the young lady standing alone in the corner. I thought to myself, "perhaps she's waiting for her friends..." I thought about it a little this time...

Another few moments passed and I was able to greet several more of my students. Just as the previous time, my eyes yet again came across the young lady standing alone in the corner. It occurred to me that this young lady might not be waiting for her friends, but rather she may be waiting for the bell to ring so she may go to class, as if the bell was some "freeing" signal that would save her from isolation and loneliness. I thought about it a lot this time... 

I decided I would go talk to her and keep her company. Now, I know I am probably not the coolest person in the world, but just maybe this small conversation with me could help this student get her day started on the right foot.

Our conversation lasted maybe 2 minutes, because almost as soon as our conversation started the bell rang.

I immediately felt disappointed. My opportunity to help and connect with this student who was in need was shortchanged because I failed to act. I failed to respond in a timely manner that could have provided a more in depth conversation. Was this young lady's Friday a much better Friday because of our conversation...? Probably not, but I can't be sure because our conversation was so short.

Please don't make my mistake be being hesitant, and please don't push the responsibility of acting on somebody else. If you notice a situation where you can help or make a difference, I urge you to step up and do what is right. Your actions may not be remembered, they might not be recognized, or they might not even be needed, but I would rather we all error on the side of overacting than failing to act...

My House - 10 Picture Tour

Pernille Ripp (@4thGrdTeach) has challenged us to continue sharing more about our lives in an effort to establish and grow our relationships. Here are 10 pictures of my house. Enjoy!

This is our house. We moved in December 2007, and I think we are the only people in our subdivision without kids :)

Here is the deck behind our house. If you notice, there are two bird feeders hanging from the deck...they have been removed since this photo. The lady of house didn't enjoy the occasional white deposits by the birds...

Here is my butterfly garden of which I am so very proud. Doesn't look like this right now, but I am hoping it will bounce back after a long winter!

Speaking of winter...here is a picture of Maddy on the deck after some snow. She really enjoys playing in the snow!

Here is the family hanging out on the driveway after a BBQ!

Here is a picture of our kitchen.

Here is a picture of our living room.

Here is a picture of our computer room. This is where the serious blogging and tweeting occur!

Here are 4 bird eggs in the wreath on our front door. I can't wait to take pictures of the new baby fledglings!

This is a random picture of Maddy in our living room when she was smaller. Sometimes I wish we could go back to the days when she was not quite so big :)

Thanks to Pernille Ripp for suggesting this great idea. I look forward to seeing your 10 pictures too!