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The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, chapters 7-17

So here are the other essential qualities:
• 7. Relational. If you can get along with others, they will get along with you. A simple, yet effective motto. In order to get along with others you have get and give respect, share experiences, and develop trust. It's important to be reciprocal. One sided relationships don't work for long.
• 8. Self-improving. To me this is a lot like enlarging. You can make the team better by making yourself a better person. To do this you can become a highly teachable person then plan and chart your progress. It's also important to value self-improvement over self-promotion. There is a big difference.
• 9. Be selfless. There is no I in the word team. If you want to be part of a successful team, you have to put others ahead of yourself. Avoid the politics of the group because it can be destructive to the group. Giving secretly to others is a way to be a selfless person.
• 10. Solution oriented. Everyone has heard the old saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." This is soooo true. Pointing fingers, laying blame, and accusing others does nothing to solve the problem. Analyze the situation, try to fix it, and move on. This is can be very hard, though, for children and adults. Remember that problems that seem big now often are nothing as time passes so keep things in perspective.
• 11. Be tenacious. This quality is my favorite one because it reminds me of my father-in-law, an ex-football player turned coach who believed in a positive mental attitude and a never-give-in attitude. He and my husband would get into these pep rally type screaming matching where they would yell, "Never, ever give up." Sounds crazy, but they it would get them motivated.
• 12. Prepared. Isn't this the Boy Scout motto? Or is it the Marines? Anyway, I really liked the quote, "Better to prepare than repair." In order to be effective, though, you have to know what to prepare for, know how you should be preparing, and have a good attitude about preparing.
• 13. Relational. If you can get along with others, they will get along with you. A simple, yet effective motto. In order to get along with others you have get and give respect, share experiences, and develop trust. It's important to be reciprocal. One sided relationships don't work for long.
• 14. Self-improving. To me this is a lot like enlarging. You can make the team better by making yourself a better person. To do this you can become a highly teachable person then plan and chart your progress. It's also important to value self-improvement over self-promotion. There is a big difference.
• 15. Be selfless. There is no I in the word team. If you want to be part of a successful team, you have to put others ahead of yourself. Avoid the politics of the group because it can be destructive to the group. Giving secretly to others is a way to be a selfless person.
• 16. Solution oriented. Everyone has heard the old saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." This is soooo true. Pointing fingers, laying blame, and accusing others does nothing to solve the problem. Analyze the situation, try to fix it, and move on. This is can be very hard, though, for children and adults. Remember that problems that seem big now often are nothing as time passes so keep things in perspective.
• 17. Be tenacious. This quality is my favorite one because it reminds me of my father-in-law, an ex-football player turned coach who believed in a positive mental attitude and a never-give-in attitude. He and my husband would get into these pep rally type screaming matching where they would yell, "Never, ever give up." Sounds crazy, but they it would get them motivated.

YEAH - This is the end of my blogging for this year!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, Chapters 1-6

The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is written under the premise that team players possess certain characteristics that make them successful. This self-help book is presented in easy-to-read short chapters that highlight one quality per chapter. Each chapter has a similar format, containing such sections as "fleshing it out," "reflecting on it," and  "bringing it home."  The "daily take-away" section provides a website for the reader to use and each chapter starts with helpful quotes. So, what are the essential qualities of a team player and how do they affect us as educators:

• 1. Adaptability: The idea is that "teamwork and rigidity don't mix." You must be adaptable to fit in with the group and if you can't change, you might get traded to another group. The book says that adaptable people are teachable, emotionally secure, creative, and service-minded (focused on others). Musician Quincy Jones is used as an example and a highly adaptive and successful person.
• 2. Collaborative: "Working together precedes winning together" is a perfect quote for this section. The book explains that collaboration is not just cooperation. Collaboration involves working together aggressively, with everyone bringing a different skill to the table.
• 3. Committed: This has to do not with emotion, but with the character quality that helps us reach our goals. Emotions come and go, but commitment stays strong. It is usually discovered during adversity and does not necessarily depend on gifts and talents. Your commitment is tied to your sense of value.
• 4. Communicate: Without communication, you don't have a team. It is a collection of individuals. The book gives the example of the football team on which the movie, "Remember the Titans," is based. African Americans and whites came together on that team and united the school and community during integration. The coach of the team, Herman Boone, attributed their success to communication. He made the players talk to each other and learn more about each other. Some tips for being a good communicator is to not isolate yourself, make it easy for people to talk to you, and give attention to potentially difficult relationships.
• 5. Competent: The book says other will never remember how fast you do your job, only how well. Competent people are committed to excellence, not average performance. They are consistent and they pay attention to details. It is important to focus so that you can be competent in your field.
• 6. Dependability: Being someone that others can depend upon is an important quality for a team player. Because being part of a team means letting go of some power and promoting a collaborative effort, people have to depend of you to do what your job or what you say you're going to do. You have to have pure motives, be responsible, use sound thinking and be consistent in order to be dependable.

As I read this book I thought a lot about my role as a team player -- as a teacher to students and as a teacher within the East Central community of teachers. We must all possess these qualities in order to be effective for our students. It is especially important for teachers to be adaptable, with our students, parents, and peers. Competency and dependability are equally important.

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms, Chap. 11-14

These chapters deal with how to differentiate in terms of content, process, and products. Differentiating content means two things -- adapting what we teach and how we give students access to that material. Content can be differentiated by a student's readiness, interest or learning profile or any combination thereof. Ways to differentiate this way included focusing on concept-based teaching, compacting the curriculum, using many different kinds of text and materials, having learning contracts for students, and conducting mini-lessons for students who need help with certain skills or topics.

Differentiated by process means focusing how a student makes sense of what he/she is learning. Because students learn in different ways, they need a variety of ways to make new learning a part of their particular understanding. I really liked the example used called "cubing." It is sort of like the tic-tac-toe model of differentiation where students pick various activities based on their level of understanding.

Differentiation by product basically is focusing on outcomes. However, these products should be thought of as long-term projects -- a culminating activity if you will -- that encompasses everything that has been learned withint a unit. Such products should be high quality and should allow tiers for all levels of learning.

The las chapter deals with grading in the differentiated classroom. which is oftentimes a stumbling block for many teachers, students and parents. Teachers must move from a traditional type of grading and put in such assessments as portfolios, anecdotal records, rubrics, and student evaluation. Education of students and parents about how these types of grading systems work is crucial to their success.

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, chapters 6-10

Chapter 6 talks about the strategies for managing a differentiated classroom. Something I found comforting was the advice to begin differentiation at a pace that suits you. When we talk about teaching kids, we often talk about breaking things down into manageable bits. Its the same for adults. If we try to take on all of the implementation at once, we get overworked and overwhelmed. I know that we have all felt that way. I especially liked the chart of page 34 that gives low-prep as well as high-prep ways to begin differentiation in your classroom. "Begin Slow -- Just Begin!" This chapter also talks about the importance of teaching kids the routines and requirements, which I have found to be extremely helpful when doing Writer's Workshop. Make the students responsible for doing certain tasks. Even second graders can pass out materials, file the work in folders, move chairs around for different seating, etc.

Chapter 7 talks about preparing students and parents for the differentiated classroom. This is sooooo important, especially for parents because you the teacher are introducing a whole new way of approaching instruction. Students are more open to change than parents. Parents are particularly scared of change and may not understand what is so different from their own educational experience.

Chapters 8, 9 and 10 deal with planning differentiated lessons -- either by readiness, interest or learning profile. Planning based on readiness means basing instruction to move from such ideas as concrete to abstract, simple to complex, dependent to indepedent, or small leap to great leap. Planning based on interest makes a lot of sense to me because you draw on the existing interests of students. How often have you had a student who had a particular interest or asked a particular question and you didn't have time or resources to follow that lead. You missed that teachable moment! Planning by interest means you can create interest centers or groups. Planning by learning profiles means adapting lessons to suit learning styles, gender preferences, cultural influences, intelligence preferences, etc.

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms, Chap 1-5

Chapter 1 talks about what differentiation is and what is isn't. One of the most insightful ways the book explains differentiation is "giving students multiple options for taking in, making sense and expressing knowledge and ideas." I liked the way that it told what differentiation is and what is wasn't. I felt like this was a good way to fully explain the concept of differentiation. The book says differentiation isn't:  individualized instruction, chaotic classrooms, and grouping students by ability grouping (which is the way many people approach differentiation). Differentiation is proactive, qualitative and not quantitative, rooted in assessment, offers multiple approaches to knowledge, student centered, and a blend of whole group, small group and individualized instruction.

Chapter 2 deals with the rationale for differentiated instruction. I particularly found the part about understanding the needs of advanced learners and struggling learners informative. The book states that advanced learners often becme perfectionists or "hooked" by the trappings of success rather that learning for the joy of it. They sometimes don't develop certain coping skills because they "coast" through school. I think this is so true and I know we've all had students like this.

Chapter 3 talks about the teacher's role in a differentiated classroom. It says the teacher should be the organizer of learning opportunities and not the dispenser of knowledge. Teachers are coaches and mentors. They describe them as the "directors of the orchestra," which I found to be a good analogy since every student plays a different part in the classroom and we come together to make a group. Even though I have read a lot about differentiation, I think this is the part I find most difficult to wrap my head around. The teacher's role is drastically different in a differentiated classroom as opposed to a traditional one.

Chapters 4 and 5 provided a look inside learned environments and classrooms that support differentiated learning. These two chapters were somewhat informative, but I did not find them to be extremely helpful in helping me to understand the differentiated classroom. I think you can read all the books you can get you hands on, but until you see it in practice and try it yourself, you don't fully understand it. That's what we as educators have to remember when we teach. Kids can learn all sorts of things from books, but until we can make connections to real life that learning may only be superficial.

How Full Is Your Bucket?, Chapters 5-16

 

This portion of the book was my favorite because this is the part that tells you how to go about "filling up buckets." It is set up in a workbook type of format and gives clear and concise steps for helping you change to a more positive person.

One important part of these chapters is the idea that an individual approach is needed when trying to fill up other people's buckets. One size does not fit all; we are all motivated and inspired by different things and we like to receive our praise and recognition differently. There are five strategies that you should use to become more positive:

1. Prevent bucket dipping -- This is crucial. To become more positive, you have to stop dipping from other people's buckets. The book mentions the habit of "group dipping," which is an easy trap to get into especially among teachers who start talking about the negative aspects of our job, certain students, etc. 
2. Shine a Light on What is Right -- Accentuate the postive rather than point out the negative.
3. Make Best Friends -- People are happiest when they cultivate good friendships around you and your workplace. It makes a difference.
4. Give Unexpectedly -- People are most pleased when given praise and recognition when they are not expecting it.
5. Reverse the Golden Rule -- Do unto others  as they would have you do unto them.

The book gives a website www.bucketbook.com to guide you and also has places of note taking.

I really enjoyed this book and it really made me think about how I interact with students, other teachers, my peers, and my family. I would like to try the strategies mentioned, but I know that I am going to have to work hard to remind myself to "not dip from people's buckets." Being positive is a habit as is being negative and we all know how difficult it is to break bad habits and generate good ones. I am glad I read this book and would encourage everyone to read it. 

How Full Is Your Bucket?, Chapters 3-4

The book cited a very intriguing research project about positive and negative feedback involving students in a classroom. Student were put into three groups for instruction-- one received praise, one received criticism and one was ignored. The study showed that the children who received praise academically out performed the students who received criticism or those who were ignored. Interestingly, the students who were ignored scored the poorest.

This research supports something a college professor once told me. He said children who "act out" or exhibit so-called bad behavior often do so because negative attention is better than no attention. When teachers get onto kids and discipline bad behavior, children might rate that a 2 on a scale from 1-10. However, being ignored would rate about a negative 7. This teacher said these kids will "demand" your attention one way or another. You will either spend your time reprimanding or disciplining them or you can try a more positive approach. Makes you think twice about how to handle the Jaspers of the world, doesn't it?

Chapters 1 and 2, How Full is Your Bucket?

 

This is a great book for anyone to read -- teachers, administrators, managers or anyone who is interested in examining the human spirit. It is quick and easy to read, yet it carries a big message. "How Full Is Your Bucket" deals with the premise that everyone has an invisible bucket and dipper. Your bucket must be full for you to be at your best. You can use your dipper to fill up other people's buckets, thus filling up your own bucket. Or, you can use your dipper to take away from other people's buckets, ultimately causing your own bucket to be drained. It's the whole idea of positive and negative energy, interaction and feedback. Positive people are more successful and happier than negative people. They give several concrete examples of how negative impacts can result in not only emotional dysfunction, but physical health problems as well.

I choose this book for several reasons. First, I have always been a person who sort of focuses on the negative rather than the positive. You know, "the glass half empty rather than full" syndrome. Secondly, I value the effects of a positive mental attitude and I know how important that can be in your success.

SOOOOOO, how will this impact my teaching??? As teachers it is important for us to foster a safe, positive learning environment for all our students. I imagine that many of our students hear more negative than positive at home. We need to make sure that they can come to school and they can be built up into confident, positive learners. Even the smallest thing that we say or do during the day can make a difference. We need to teach students to react to each other and situations in a positive way. Mrs. Clarke does this through our Character Education Program and other scheduled activities, but the classroom teacher needs to support these ideas. This book also makes me think about how I treat my own family at home. Am I raising my children in a positive environment so they can grow up to be the best people they can be?

Chapters 10-13; Teaching What Matters Most

This portion of the book deals with authenticity in learning, ways to implement authentic learning in the classroom and various ways to assess that learning. Authentic learning means that students are participating in activities that have "real world" connections -- learning situations that allow students to develop and fine-tune those skills they will need to be successful in the world outside of formal education. Authentic learning activities promote communication and problem-solving. They also teach students to gather knowledge from a variety of sources and emerge themselves in the world directly instead of just getting their knowledge and learning from a textbook. When students are involved in authentic learning, they are believed to by more motivated and learn things at a deeper level than traditional learning.

I found this part of the book especially interesting because it supports what I have always learned about teaching in the early grades. Students MUST have as many rich experiences as possible in order to build schema and connections to other materials. It goes back to what we know about how a child's brain developes and how they must be stimulated from birth on so that the neurotransmittors (sp?) in the brain form connections. Any kindergarten teacher can support this. Children who have been read to, talked to, taken on trips, learned to print, etc. come to school much better prepared than those who have not received proper stimulation at home.

 

So what does this mean for education? This means that we should be embracing those difficult to implement activities rather avoiding them. Such activities as field trips, science experiements, problem-solving math activities, and other special projects should be more prevalent in the classroom especially for those students who lack these experiences -- ESOL, special ed, and low-income students. And who gets to do more of those types of activities? Our Challenge students who are most likely in that position because they have had lives rich with experiences.

Week 2, Teaching What Matters Most

This portion of the book talks a lot about diversity and the value of diversity in learning. When they speak of diversity, they mean diversity in its entire sense -- ethnic, cultural, learning styles and intelligences. It particularly focuses on diversity in learning styles because students need a variety of modes of intruction and learning in order to be successful. Accommodating diversity means helping all children reach their fullest potential.

 There are also many strategies given on how to accommodate diversity, including such methods as the jigsawe model, shared interest groups, and the Spear model. The last chapter deals with ways to assess these activities.

 

One activity that I found particularly adaptable to second grade was the Task Rotation because it reminded to somewhat of learning centers. The teacher sets up four tasks -- one invovling spatial intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, logic/mathematical intelligence, and linguistic intelligence. Students obviously rotate around until they have completed each task. This would be something easy to implement in my classroom in a variety of ways.

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