MEMO MINUTES
Volume Four. November 04, 2008
RIGOR can be defined as raising expectations for student achievement. It is a new term revisiting an old theory called TESA (Teacher Expectation Student Achievement). The theory behind TESA was one of RIGOR. In other words, students will achieve more when teachers expect more of them.
However, to truly understand how to implement rigor we must first challenge our own paradigm of thinking because it is our paradigm of thinking which defines the culture (shared meaning) of our school. What do we really believe about the children we teach? Do we really believe all of the children we teach can learn? Do we really believe all of the children we teach want to learn? Or do we think only some want this? Do we really believe all the children we teach are capable of learning “hard stuff”--new and challenging material or do we feel that only a small percentage is capable. What do we really, truly believe about the children we teach?
In order to approach teaching with rigor true efficacy, intensity and intentionality, we must first believe that all our children can and want to learn. We must believe that all our children are capable of learning new, innovative, different and progressive material. We must believe foremost of all that all our children want to be challenged with learning beyond the mediocrity (adequacy) because when we don’t positively challenge them, they will challenge us with their behavior. When we make learning rigorous, we entice our children’s appetite for learning. We give them something to “think about” “look for” and “ask about”. We cause them to stretch their minds and thus they become thirsty and thirsty for more learning. Our students are easily bored with mediocrity (“the same old, same old”) and they “act out” because they are starving for the challenge of learning.
Rigor then can extend beyond just presenting standard based content which is aligned with the high pace performance of where our children should be academically. Rigor also becomes the “way” the material is presented. Therefore, the material itself (CONTENT) is not only rigorous but the way it is implemented (PROCESS) is also rigorous.
According to an old saying, one shoe doesn’t fit everyone the same way. Well, one type of teaching doesn’t fit every child the same way. We cannot expect children to learn the way we teach, we must teach the way each individual child learns. This means that we must become rigorous in our differentiation of instruction. We must find out the interests, needs and modalities or learning styles of our children and teach the way they learn.
UNPACKING THE STANDARDS OR TAMING THE STANDARDS:
We must know the language of the standards we are teaching and use the Blooms Taxonomy key words to unpack each standard. Is this a knowledge standard? Is this a comprehension standard?...application, analysis, synthesis or evaluation standard? We must raise the level of each child’s understanding of the standards through the vocabulary and essential questions we ask as well as through direct instruction. We must train our students to think at higher rigorous levels through the use of the Marzano’s dimensions of thinking --knowledge, organizing, applying, analyzing, generating , integrating and evaluating. Finally, we must raise the rigor in the (PRODUCT) or work we expect students to perform by reinforcing effort, setting objectives and providing feedback. We must help students set individual goals. The use of rubrics will help students see the outcome they are aiming for. We must differentiate with homework and find creative and rigorous ways to reinforce learning at home where students may have to work independently. Homework must be made meaningful by connecting it with the student’s goals and with the rigor of the class work.
Rigor truly begins first and foremost in what we believe about our students.
Do we believe our students can do the same kind of work as students at schools where our own family/friends go? If any of us have trouble believing this, we just might be teaching at the wrong place because the paradigm of thinking of Petree teachers should be that our children can learn anything, if they put their minds to it. Therefore, it is our responsibility to teach with the intentionality and intensity of rigor in content, process and product in order to help our children learn how to put their minds to it. They can truly become great in their performance and excel when they have teachers who believe and challenge them to put their minds to it.
However, to truly understand how to implement rigor we must first challenge our own paradigm of thinking because it is our paradigm of thinking which defines the culture (shared meaning) of our school. What do we really believe about the children we teach? Do we really believe all of the children we teach can learn? Do we really believe all of the children we teach want to learn? Or do we think only some want this? Do we really believe all the children we teach are capable of learning “hard stuff”--new and challenging material or do we feel that only a small percentage is capable. What do we really, truly believe about the children we teach?
In order to approach teaching with rigor true efficacy, intensity and intentionality, we must first believe that all our children can and want to learn. We must believe that all our children are capable of learning new, innovative, different and progressive material. We must believe foremost of all that all our children want to be challenged with learning beyond the mediocrity (adequacy) because when we don’t positively challenge them, they will challenge us with their behavior. When we make learning rigorous, we entice our children’s appetite for learning. We give them something to “think about” “look for” and “ask about”. We cause them to stretch their minds and thus they become thirsty and thirsty for more learning. Our students are easily bored with mediocrity (“the same old, same old”) and they “act out” because they are starving for the challenge of learning.
Rigor then can extend beyond just presenting standard based content which is aligned with the high pace performance of where our children should be academically. Rigor also becomes the “way” the material is presented. Therefore, the material itself (CONTENT) is not only rigorous but the way it is implemented (PROCESS) is also rigorous.
According to an old saying, one shoe doesn’t fit everyone the same way. Well, one type of teaching doesn’t fit every child the same way. We cannot expect children to learn the way we teach, we must teach the way each individual child learns. This means that we must become rigorous in our differentiation of instruction. We must find out the interests, needs and modalities or learning styles of our children and teach the way they learn.
UNPACKING THE STANDARDS OR TAMING THE STANDARDS:
We must know the language of the standards we are teaching and use the Blooms Taxonomy key words to unpack each standard. Is this a knowledge standard? Is this a comprehension standard?...application, analysis, synthesis or evaluation standard? We must raise the level of each child’s understanding of the standards through the vocabulary and essential questions we ask as well as through direct instruction. We must train our students to think at higher rigorous levels through the use of the Marzano’s dimensions of thinking --knowledge, organizing, applying, analyzing, generating , integrating and evaluating. Finally, we must raise the rigor in the (PRODUCT) or work we expect students to perform by reinforcing effort, setting objectives and providing feedback. We must help students set individual goals. The use of rubrics will help students see the outcome they are aiming for. We must differentiate with homework and find creative and rigorous ways to reinforce learning at home where students may have to work independently. Homework must be made meaningful by connecting it with the student’s goals and with the rigor of the class work.
Rigor truly begins first and foremost in what we believe about our students.
Do we believe our students can do the same kind of work as students at schools where our own family/friends go? If any of us have trouble believing this, we just might be teaching at the wrong place because the paradigm of thinking of Petree teachers should be that our children can learn anything, if they put their minds to it. Therefore, it is our responsibility to teach with the intentionality and intensity of rigor in content, process and product in order to help our children learn how to put their minds to it. They can truly become great in their performance and excel when they have teachers who believe and challenge them to put their minds to it.
Shelia Burlock, Principal
Quote for the minute: "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge but rather a lack of will.” (Taken from Dare to Soar plaque given to Ethel Lee Harris on 11-23-03)
