Don't give up forming routines

I have starting subscribing to a new weekly educational research summary email / blog called Evidence Snacks. It is written by Peps McCrea, a UK based engineer turned teacher. What a swell pathway he took! He boils down educational and cognitive research into nice "snack sized" reads. I have also started reading his book Motivated Teaching, which is also very concise and a great read.

I seem to always think about Snack Packs when I read the title "Evidence Snacks"

One of his posts that I reminded myself of this weekend is titled The valley of potential. He talks about when we implement a new routine or strategy we expect a linear path of growth. We expect it to work right away and slowly get more productive over time. In reality it is more of an exponential curve where we see little, or no, or even backwards progress at first and then the potential explodes once we get things going. 

As we work our way into week 3 of our new semester with our new classes and routines, I think we need to be reminded of that curve right about now. I think this is the point where things might not be paying off yet and we are thinking about giving up. We need to remind ourselves that the routines and new strategies will pay off eventually, don't give up in the "valley of potential". If we persevere through this valley the dividends will pay off greatly, and soon.

Peps also wrote another Evidence Snack about routines in our classrooms titled Routines redeploy attention. He, and research, says that if we build habits / rituals / routines into our teaching that we can reduce the cognitive load on our students and free up their brainpower for thinking about the content instead of the task. This has really gotten me thinking about the first bit of the semester as routine building and classroom culture building instead of diving right into content. I think this links well to the principles of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics book by Peter Liljedahl. Peter talks about a more specific strategies around thinking in a classroom but it is still centred around setting up the routine, making it predictable and then pushing the thinking.

In SNC1W this semester I spent the first week on non-curricular tasks and then the next week or two will be focused on the Earth and Space unit. I really like this structure, at least so far I do. The space unit is not content and information heavy and it allows me to spend time each day building routines along side the content. I also really like space and am hoping it can excite students into a love of science before we get into the weeds of atomic theory, electron transfer and food webs (to name a few).  

Maybe this is the people that I follow and learn from or a good case of confirmation bias, but I like how I am getting a very similar message from many directions. Get students into a routine and comfortable enough so they will think and not be afraid to make a mistake. Then the learning really happens. I am also very excited to see what next snack Peps has in store, they are always a thought provoking and easy to digest read.

Coaching the Destreamers

 Over the last year, I've had the opportunity to not only teach grade 9 destreamed, but also help coach teachers as they navigate through this process. As a result, I've put lots of time and devoted effort into reflecting on what has worked, and what has not. This is a set of lessons I have learned over the last year about helping myself and others in the destreaming process. 

Don't do it alone

First and foremost, don't let anyone do it alone. 

In June 2020 when all the math teachers were freaking out, I had a conversation with a colleague. He told me "in my 20 years as a teacher, this is going to be the biggest shift in education I have ever seen". I think he was right. So why would we let anyone do this alone? If we let people do it alone, there will be burnout. I have seen this and experienced this.

I also believe that some of those who are trying to do this alone are those who do not think this is a monumental shift and have not gotten themselves to the point of realizing the philosophical and pedagogical shift in teaching that needs to be done in order to properly destream. 

Your team matters

Since we aren't letting anyone do it alone, we need a team. How you compile that team matters, for many reasons. In my opinion, forming a team of people who are willing to take risks is the most important characteristic at this point in destreaming. If we aren’t taking risks and trying something new, are we not just doing the same grade 9 courses we've always done? This is not the point.

I think keeping a team of like-minded risk takers will allow your team to move forward and feel like they're making headway. We can and will have lots of discussions about the “right” way to destream, and likely they are all somewhat right, but at this point making progress in one direction is important. If we form a team of people who are pulling in many directions, we will go nowhere and everyone will feel like they are spinning their wheels. That is not good for teacher morale or our destreaming efforts.

Experience is not always best

As I said above, I believe risk taking is the most important characteristic in formulating your initial team. A lot of people's first reaction is to select the most experienced teachers. This MAY be the best option, but experience can also mean inflexibility when it comes to taking risks. Having teachers who are stuck in a “this is how we have always done it” way of thinking can be detrimental. This can have lasting impacts on your school's implementation of a destreamed curriculum, and on generations of learners. It can contribute to a negative vibe within your team. This is not the same grade 9 course. Ensure your teachers do not make it the same grade 9 course.

Not everyone is ready

I have alluded to this above. Not all teachers are mentally prepared or ready for the pedagogical and philosophical shift needed to implement a destreamed course successfully. I am still working on how to address that as a leader and coach. I think realizing that fact, and meeting our teachers where they are (just as we do with our students) is an important conversation to have with teachers before they embark on this journey. 

Team 2.0

At this point in the year as a department head, I am planning for the next school year. Risk taking might be top of my list for my initial team, but as we move forward there are many other things to consider. Here are things I am trying to balance as I form a team for year 2 of destreaming efforts:

• Keeping some consistency in your team to allow for institutional knowledge, transfer and ease of progress

• Allow new players into the team to infuse new ideas and expand the breath of available teachers

• Keep the group small, more hands usually means more ideas which may fracture your team into inefficient groups

• Who has the energy and capacity to do this again?

• Who might be crushed to not have a fresh start or a second kick at the can?

• Get teachers involved who traditionally teacher grade 10 (if we change things in grade 9, the next teachers should be intimately aware of what is going on)

Make a plan

As a leader, it is vital to help your team make a plan. Not a lesson plan or unit plan, but a long-term implementation plan. This plan should be three to five or maybe more years long.

I split my plan into semester goals. Semesters are a nice way to chunk the year, and gives us a finite point to stop and reflect. It might also mean you have a different team from one semester to the next, so a clear plan is key for transfer of duties. The plan should include what are the big overarching things that the team is going to attempt to accomplish in that semester.

The semester 1 plan might simply be to survive. That's okay! The semester 2 plan might be to make sure everything you do is documented so that you can reflect back on what worked and what did not work over the summer, or next year.

Most importantly, make the plan with your team and make sure they are involved. Make each person accountable to that plan and modify it as needed. This is also a great way to celebrate a win when you complete something from the plan!

Take baby steps

Implementation of a destreamed curriculum is a big deal! A big freaking deal! So it's okay if it doesn't all happen at once. Like I said before, make a multiple year plan.

When making your plan, it's okay to take small chunks. You cannot feasibly implement a new curriculum, pedagogy, instructional strategies, assessment techniques, and all that other stuff that comes along with a new course all at once. Pick one thing at a time. It's okay if your focus is different from another school's focus, or that of a teacher you see posting things online.

For those in math and science who have new curriculum pieces to attend to, certain parts of those may deliberately shifted to later in your plan. That is also okay; you have a plan to get there eventually.

Be the coach

We all need a coach or cheerleader in our corner once in a while. That is you! Take time to celebrate the wins. Buy your team coffee or donuts or that silly treat they like. Involve the team in deciding how to celebrate.

Sometimes the coach has to delegate too. I find it hard as I am not anyone’s boss but I am trying to lead the team. This is a fine line to walk. Sometimes I find I just need to specifically “ask” someone to do a certain piece or get something done in order to make things progress. Sometimes people just need that leader to delegate. On the other hand, sometimes the team just needs someone to do the work too. I have also been trying to take on some bigger planning pieces and making any overarching new projects to get things rolling and let each teacher fill in the small pieces to fit their style. 

Get the team together

Teaching can be a very isolating job. As I said at the beginning, formulating a good team is important. But keeping them working as a team is equally important. 

Make meeting on a regular basis a priority for your team. Our science team met once a week at first, but then paired it down to once every two or three weeks once we got going.

Meet as a school wide destreaming team too. We are all doing the same thing in different subject areas, all at the same time. So let's learn from each other, commiserate with each other, and celebrate each other's wins. I have tried to get the bigger school-wide team together a couple of times a semester to keep ideas flowing. 

We can do this

Destreaming is hard and will be hard for a while. We need leaders to keep the progress moving forward. We owe this to our students. All of them. I know that coaching teachers can feel like a thankless job, especially when most of them are just trying to keep their head above water. Know that your role is important, necessary and that forward motion is the win some days!

Destreaming is Hard

 The first semester of destreaming science is coming to a close. If you were someone like me who was involved in math as well, you might be 3 semesters deep at this point. Regardless, semester change is always a great time to reflect on what has happened. If you are destreaming, a lot has likely happened.

This year I've had the privilege of being a leader in my school, working to iron out the kinks in the destreaming process in both math and science. This has given me the opportunity to work with many teachers, and also the time to reflect on what the wins and losses are so far.

For those of you deep in the destreaming weeds right now, I have compiled some of my reflections, lessons learned, and some advice that hopefully can help some of you. 

Focus on Relationships 

This semester I focussed heavily on the relationships in my classroom and building an environment where students are engaged and doing math. This was a big win. I know we hear this all the time in education, but setting that culture is a huge deal. I have read and am embracing the book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. This book has helped my practice immensely and I can't recommend it enough for any math or science teacher. 

One thing I keep reminding myself about is that a Thinking Classroom is not a set of tasks that make students think, it is a culture where students learn to think about tasks. I think we can all mull that over a bit. 

Know that it takes time to form these relationships and create a classroom culture where students are willing to take risks and think. In my class we take about the first week of class to do non-curricular tasks focusing on getting to know the students and set the expectations of risk taking, thinking and group work. If you haven’t done this before there are tonnes of examples of “first week of SNC1W” plans online. 

As we return to school after the 2 week break, I have been reminded that we need to continue to focus on those relationships. We have not been together for 2 weeks so taking some time to reinforce those expectations is important. This reminder is sometimes needed throughout a normal semester. A few times I have taken a couple of minutes out of a class to talk about and remind students of the expectations. We all need a reminder sometimes, especially those 14 year old hormonal brains we work with!

Don't do it alone

I have tried and watched people try to teach alone. It does not work. I think this is true for every day teaching, and very true for destreaming grade 9. 

I realize not all teams work well together and the team you were given might not be the best fit for you. Find your team. It might be in your building, it might be at another school in your board, it might be a friend at another board, or it might be online. Find your team. Personally, I have found lots of great educators through Twitter, but to each their own.

This is a process

When I first jumped into destreaming I thought I could do it all. I think that was true when I started teaching as well! 

In June 2020 when all the math teachers were freaking out, I had a conversation with a colleague. He told me "in my 20 years as a teacher, this is going to be the biggest shift in education I have ever seen". I think he was right. So, how would I be able to do this on the first try and by myself?

Destreaming grade 9 is a monumental philosophical and pedagogical shift that requires lots of time and effort. That cannot all happen in the first try. This leads me to my next reflection and piece of advice, make a plan.

Make a Plan

Since this is a process, and we all think like scientists, then we let’s make a plan. This plan is going to be a three, five, or more year plan. Get your team involved, get everyone on the same page. Plan your work, work your plan. 

I work best with semester goals, it is a natural break and reflection point in our school year. Break it down into small chunks. Maybe the first semester is just writing down what you did. The second semester can be reflecting on what worked and what did not work, so it can be refined over the summer or in semester 3. 

As a team, decide on your bigger goals. Think about instructional practices, assessment practices and integration with grade 10. These are all bigger things that need to be included in your plan, and revisited multiple times.

What do I focus on First?

Do we focus on instruction, assessment, lab skills, or just getting through the day first? This is a complex question, I'm not sure I have the right answer, but I'll attempt to let you know where I have landed on it. 

First and foremost, survival. As I said earlier, this is difficult. If that means, semester 1 is simply focused on getting a lesson planned and executed each day, so be it.

In my opinion, next comes instruction. In my experience with destreaming, we need to meet the learners where they are. We also have a huge range of abilities that we are not used to as high school teachers. Meet them where they're at, and adapt your instructional strategies appropriately. For me personally and other teachers at my school, the thinking classroom has paid dividends as an instructional practice in both math and science.

Although I put assessment second on the list, it does not mean it is more or less important. Coming up with and executing appropriate and equitable assessments is incredibly important. This is where I am at in my practice. Starting in February, I will be digging into and exploring more alternative assessment practices. 

Don't compare journeys

Everyone has a different journey. Everyone has a different set of students and circumstances surrounding their progress. Don't compare what you did to what someone else did.

Be weary of things posted online. Some people have circumstances that allow more time, or have a bigger team, or just give up more of their personal time to advance their practice. Some people just share the wins and not the losses. Some people might just have a different plan. Don't compare yourself, learn what you can from those posts and keep moving.

In my world, if I made a plan and am making progress on that plan then I’m winning!

You're the expert now

Realize that you are one of a few people who have now successfully made it through a semester of destreaming science. You may not feel like it, but you are a leader, an expert, the one who made it through! Share your experiences, positive and negative. Think about yourself in September; would you not have loved to have a fellow teacher be able to at least tell you one thing that was good about destreaming? Be that spark for someone who is just starting that journey.

Keep moving forward

You're almost there! You've got this! One last push!

Whatever motivates you, harness that energy. Keep moving forward, even if it is two steps forward one step back.