As we enter our final week of preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth, I am overcome with a sense of humble gratitude for the privilege of having a hand in introducing your children to the story of salvation and the friendship of Christ. Thank you for entrusting me to partner with you in showing them the way to heaven.
May you, too, be blessed with the deep satisfaction that comes from opening your children's minds and hearts to the Good News...and may your hearts and your homes be made glad at His coming.
Enjoy "a nice, nice Christmas!"
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
No surprises!
Most adults of today experienced report card grades as the averages of all the work we produced for a particular course during a grading period. Along with traditional tests, learning experiences and learner behaviors were all swirled together in a magical grading blender - and out popped an achievement grade that often felt more like something that happened to us rather than something we were empowered to affect. Not so today. The evaluation of performance that you will receive next week is a far more specific snapshot of your child's actual skills and knowledge relative to clearly-defined grade level outcomes. Experiences designed to facilitate learning - like classwork, homework, and formative assessments - are very intentionally not included in the grades. Neither are learner behaviors such as attention, assignment completion, or participation, which are reflected separately.
Today, both teacher and student know what mastery looks like. And every outcome - or standard - is both taught and assessed. Where am I going? Where am I now? and How do I close the gap? are questions students answer in the formative assessment practices designed to facilitate learning. To support this focus, students have increasing opportunities to receive and reflect on feedback that directs their efforts toward mastery.
The report card arranges course standards into clusters or topic strands. Proficiency on the individual standards behind those topics is reflected with a rubric score of 1, 2, 3, or 4. It's important to understand that a score of 3 represents grade-level mastery. This has been a big shift from a culture in which A somehow became the target, leaving no room for teachers to fairly document understanding and application that exceeded grade-level expectations. So these rubric scores, devoid of homework, class participation, and other learner behaviors, tell you precisely what your child knows and is able to do relative to grade level expectations.
In the middle school, you will also see a "blender grade" for each course, simply because grading culture is deeply-embedded. The traditional A-B-C-D-U summary remains an average of many unrelated pieces, but, even so, is different from the grading practices of the past in that it is more a more "pure" grade summarizing performance on the course standards at the completion of units of study without muddying the picture with other factors.
It is not insignificant that today's clearly-articulated standards enable us to give ownership of student progress to the student. A grade is no longer something that "happens" to him or her based on a variety of sometimes arbitrary factors. Standards-based grades highlight both strengths and areas in need of strategic focus. Formative assessments and feedback suggest a way forward. Empowering!
Be sure to take time next week to review your child(ren)'s report card(s) together with them, celebrating successes, reflecting on areas for growth, and developing strategic action steps for continued improvement.
Today, both teacher and student know what mastery looks like. And every outcome - or standard - is both taught and assessed. Where am I going? Where am I now? and How do I close the gap? are questions students answer in the formative assessment practices designed to facilitate learning. To support this focus, students have increasing opportunities to receive and reflect on feedback that directs their efforts toward mastery.
The report card arranges course standards into clusters or topic strands. Proficiency on the individual standards behind those topics is reflected with a rubric score of 1, 2, 3, or 4. It's important to understand that a score of 3 represents grade-level mastery. This has been a big shift from a culture in which A somehow became the target, leaving no room for teachers to fairly document understanding and application that exceeded grade-level expectations. So these rubric scores, devoid of homework, class participation, and other learner behaviors, tell you precisely what your child knows and is able to do relative to grade level expectations.
In the middle school, you will also see a "blender grade" for each course, simply because grading culture is deeply-embedded. The traditional A-B-C-D-U summary remains an average of many unrelated pieces, but, even so, is different from the grading practices of the past in that it is more a more "pure" grade summarizing performance on the course standards at the completion of units of study without muddying the picture with other factors.
It is not insignificant that today's clearly-articulated standards enable us to give ownership of student progress to the student. A grade is no longer something that "happens" to him or her based on a variety of sometimes arbitrary factors. Standards-based grades highlight both strengths and areas in need of strategic focus. Formative assessments and feedback suggest a way forward. Empowering!
Be sure to take time next week to review your child(ren)'s report card(s) together with them, celebrating successes, reflecting on areas for growth, and developing strategic action steps for continued improvement.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Watching, waiting, wondering
While waiting for the bell to ring this morning, the kindergartners shared some lively conversation about the gifts they are expecting for Christmas. As the excitement grew to fever pitch, one little boy said, "I wish Christmas would come tomorrow!" I smiled sympathetically, imagining the frazzled moms and dads who had just dropped them off. They were likely wishing we could have an extra week of preparation instead. It's a lot of work to make the magical memories those little ones are eagerly anticipating!
As we approach the conclusion of our first week of Advent, it's important to take stock not only of where we are in our shopping-baking-decorating for the coming of Christmas, but, more fundamentally, where we are in our preparation for the coming of Christ. This season marks time in a special way that invites us to come to Christmas with an ever-deepening understanding not only of God's coming into human history. It gives us time to prepare our hearts to welcome Him with an ever more intimate love. And, most important of all, Advent reminds us that Christ will be coming again at the end of time. We're asked to prepare; to be watchful...and to wait for this Second Coming. It takes a lot of intentional effort and patience to make ourselves ready to come to each Christmas more spiritually seasoned than we were the year before.
God came to us "with skin on," because He loves us radically. He could have been anything in the world, but he chose to be a vulnerable baby, an awkward boy, a condemned man; to be a little piece of bread and a tiny drop of wine; to be literally consumed by us in order to be fully one with us. This is the most amazing Christmas gift of all time. Don't forget to share it with your children. Add Advent preparation to your planner...and look with wonder and anticipation to the the heavenly outcome!
As we approach the conclusion of our first week of Advent, it's important to take stock not only of where we are in our shopping-baking-decorating for the coming of Christmas, but, more fundamentally, where we are in our preparation for the coming of Christ. This season marks time in a special way that invites us to come to Christmas with an ever-deepening understanding not only of God's coming into human history. It gives us time to prepare our hearts to welcome Him with an ever more intimate love. And, most important of all, Advent reminds us that Christ will be coming again at the end of time. We're asked to prepare; to be watchful...and to wait for this Second Coming. It takes a lot of intentional effort and patience to make ourselves ready to come to each Christmas more spiritually seasoned than we were the year before.
God came to us "with skin on," because He loves us radically. He could have been anything in the world, but he chose to be a vulnerable baby, an awkward boy, a condemned man; to be a little piece of bread and a tiny drop of wine; to be literally consumed by us in order to be fully one with us. This is the most amazing Christmas gift of all time. Don't forget to share it with your children. Add Advent preparation to your planner...and look with wonder and anticipation to the the heavenly outcome!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Pass it on
It seems like just days ago that we were outside without jackets in a gentle breeze that hardly even hinted at the dramatic seasonal changes about to unfold. The transformation in front of us right now is not only about the weather, however. We're about to flip a switch that will move us from fall to the generic season called "holiday" - with barely a passing glance at Thanksgiving along the way.
As merchants gear up to make the most of their year-end sales, it's hard not to get swept up in the red-and-green holly-jolly excitement that has gradually rebranded Thanksgiving more as as a gateway to Christmas than a deep ritual celebration in its own right. Personally, I like to take things a little bit more slowly, savoring the autumn hues until they completely fade away and allowing some dedicated calendar space for a deeper kind of gratitude than we tend to live in our workaday lives.
Whether an everyday habit or a special ritual, gratitude is good for us. Harvard Medical School reports an impressive body of research that draws a strong and consistent parallel between gratitude and measures of health and happiness. "Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships." I would posit, that by extension, gratitude makes the world a better place, too, because grateful people who humbly recognize their gifts instinctively share them with others.
Further, when we acknowledge the goodness in our lives, we usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies outside ourselves. As a result, gratitude also helps us connect to our own identity as spiritual beings.
It takes a certain maturity to understand this, even to feel authentic gratitude, and, therefore, to benefit from it. This is why we need to be especially intentional about forming our children for this healthy - and holy - lifestyle. Beginning in the season of Advent, we will have a rich opportunity to do just that as we expand our Share-a-Meal (SAM) program from a monthly to a weekly collection.
New third grade teacher Jan Ebel has challenged us to prioritize this child-to-child connection to families in need. We agree with her that having sharing on our minds continually will help us to better form disciples that instinctively pass their gratitude forward.
Please help your children to select a food pantry item for your weekly grocery list as a matter of habit. Choosing it themselves will help form a conscious gratitude. Paying for it themselves will help begin a lifetime of responsible stewardship.
As merchants gear up to make the most of their year-end sales, it's hard not to get swept up in the red-and-green holly-jolly excitement that has gradually rebranded Thanksgiving more as as a gateway to Christmas than a deep ritual celebration in its own right. Personally, I like to take things a little bit more slowly, savoring the autumn hues until they completely fade away and allowing some dedicated calendar space for a deeper kind of gratitude than we tend to live in our workaday lives.
Whether an everyday habit or a special ritual, gratitude is good for us. Harvard Medical School reports an impressive body of research that draws a strong and consistent parallel between gratitude and measures of health and happiness. "Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships." I would posit, that by extension, gratitude makes the world a better place, too, because grateful people who humbly recognize their gifts instinctively share them with others.
Further, when we acknowledge the goodness in our lives, we usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies outside ourselves. As a result, gratitude also helps us connect to our own identity as spiritual beings.
New third grade teacher Jan Ebel has challenged us to prioritize this child-to-child connection to families in need. We agree with her that having sharing on our minds continually will help us to better form disciples that instinctively pass their gratitude forward.
Please help your children to select a food pantry item for your weekly grocery list as a matter of habit. Choosing it themselves will help form a conscious gratitude. Paying for it themselves will help begin a lifetime of responsible stewardship.
Gratitude is good for us and good for those around us. Savor it...and pass it on!
Friday, November 13, 2015
Never done
One of the comments we received in our State of the School follow-up survey was related to a lack of clarity around why we change curriculum that was described as cutting edge just a few years ago. The answer depends, first of all, on our understanding of the term "curriculum." As used in a professional context, curriculum refers to a locally-designed plan for alignment of instruction, learning experiences, and assessment to achieve articulated outcomes. It's essentially a plan for where we're going and how we'll get there. Many people - even teachers - sometimes use the word curriculum to refer more narrowly to the resources used to support that plan.
Math is a great example. In 2009 we adopted Pearson's Investigations resources to teach elementary math. The lab-model approach these resources enabled facilitated the development of number sense and quantitative thinking, the ability to defend that thinking with language, and the ability to solve authentic problems in a collaborative process in which knowledge is constructed by testing hypotheses and building shared understanding. This approach gradually transformed the math culture of our school from one where "When will I ever use this?" and "I'm not good at math" were common mantras to one where math class is engaging, understanding is deep, and consecutive years have brought us top placement in the prestigious Thomas More Math Competition.
Then, along came a revised set of national standards, which the Archdiocese embraced for their rigor and relevance. By design, they address math practices and scaffold deep understanding through applied thinking; in other words, precisely what we had already been doing. We were thrilled! Our teachers were ahead of the curve in their proficiency to design instruction for these outcomes. On the down side, however, we also found ourselves with a set of fabulous resources that were, unfortunately, quite misaligned with the new instructional sequence, which essentially covers fewer topics each year, but studies them more deeply. (For example, where we used to teach a little bit about fractions in each grade level, we now teach fractions deeply and completely by the end of grade five.)
For the first two years after the new standards were launched in the Archdiocese, we used our Investigations resources as a component of teacher-designed curriculum. This was labor-intensive work that led us on a search for published resources that would allow our teachers to redirect their energies toward the art of teaching. Along the way, we learned about the work that had been done by the Center for Teaching and Learning in the State of New Jersey. Part of a broader Progressive Teaching Initiative that reimagines education, their Progressive Math Initiative has designed contemporary curriculum complete with resources fully aligned to the new Standards. Moreover, because the Project is designed to utilize technology to foster continuous improvement by capturing the collective wisdom of practitioners in the field, they published the entire curriculum online for anyone to use - at no cost. This represents a savings of over $4,000 annually in consumable Investigations Student Activity Books.
We piloted the New Jersey PMI curriculum in grades one to five last year strictly as designed (much as you follow a recipe as written the first time you make a new dish). This year, we are reintegrating the rich resources from Investigations where they fit to further enhance what the New Jersey teachers have designed.
We are not teaching differently as much as we are teaching in a different sequence with pacing calendars and resources designed and published by different authors. We made this shift to align with the requirements of the new standards, of course, but also to improve; because the interactive Web launched an unstoppable collective intelligence and we are not only paying attention, but contributing to the conversation.
Knowledge evolves and you should expect nothing less than continuous improvement from your children's school. A good school is never done.
For those interested in a more academic treatment of this topic, see this article on the paradigm shift in education brought about by the Progressive Teaching Initiative.
Math is a great example. In 2009 we adopted Pearson's Investigations resources to teach elementary math. The lab-model approach these resources enabled facilitated the development of number sense and quantitative thinking, the ability to defend that thinking with language, and the ability to solve authentic problems in a collaborative process in which knowledge is constructed by testing hypotheses and building shared understanding. This approach gradually transformed the math culture of our school from one where "When will I ever use this?" and "I'm not good at math" were common mantras to one where math class is engaging, understanding is deep, and consecutive years have brought us top placement in the prestigious Thomas More Math Competition.
Then, along came a revised set of national standards, which the Archdiocese embraced for their rigor and relevance. By design, they address math practices and scaffold deep understanding through applied thinking; in other words, precisely what we had already been doing. We were thrilled! Our teachers were ahead of the curve in their proficiency to design instruction for these outcomes. On the down side, however, we also found ourselves with a set of fabulous resources that were, unfortunately, quite misaligned with the new instructional sequence, which essentially covers fewer topics each year, but studies them more deeply. (For example, where we used to teach a little bit about fractions in each grade level, we now teach fractions deeply and completely by the end of grade five.)
For the first two years after the new standards were launched in the Archdiocese, we used our Investigations resources as a component of teacher-designed curriculum. This was labor-intensive work that led us on a search for published resources that would allow our teachers to redirect their energies toward the art of teaching. Along the way, we learned about the work that had been done by the Center for Teaching and Learning in the State of New Jersey. Part of a broader Progressive Teaching Initiative that reimagines education, their Progressive Math Initiative has designed contemporary curriculum complete with resources fully aligned to the new Standards. Moreover, because the Project is designed to utilize technology to foster continuous improvement by capturing the collective wisdom of practitioners in the field, they published the entire curriculum online for anyone to use - at no cost. This represents a savings of over $4,000 annually in consumable Investigations Student Activity Books.
We piloted the New Jersey PMI curriculum in grades one to five last year strictly as designed (much as you follow a recipe as written the first time you make a new dish). This year, we are reintegrating the rich resources from Investigations where they fit to further enhance what the New Jersey teachers have designed.
We are not teaching differently as much as we are teaching in a different sequence with pacing calendars and resources designed and published by different authors. We made this shift to align with the requirements of the new standards, of course, but also to improve; because the interactive Web launched an unstoppable collective intelligence and we are not only paying attention, but contributing to the conversation.
Knowledge evolves and you should expect nothing less than continuous improvement from your children's school. A good school is never done.
For those interested in a more academic treatment of this topic, see this article on the paradigm shift in education brought about by the Progressive Teaching Initiative.
Friday, November 6, 2015
The whole is greater
I've had a couple of opportunities in recent weeks to reflect on the both the joys and challenges of forging a cohesive school community. First, I found myself immersed in another school community that was uniquely, powerfully cohesive. In analyzing the reasons for this identity, I drew some conclusions about the sameness of their members. Then yesterday, a colleague from a small school shared another perspective I had not previously considered; namely, that the size of a school is directly related to the complexity of this accomplishment. In smaller school communities, he proffered, the members are more likely to take on a single group identity, whereas a larger school is more likely to divide into smaller sub-groups. Anecdotally, I would say these factors seem to work in tandem. In reflecting on possible reasons, I have surmised that it is likely because human beings are naturally oriented to forming "tribes." They are also naturally attracted to others like themselves, so will comfortably sub-divide according to identifiers ranging from proximity to values, interests, or backgrounds when the numbers reach a critical mass. If these are theories are valid, they would suggest that the thing we strive for - bigger enrollment - may just also be the thing that we will have to keep strategically on our radar if we value a cohesive sense of identity.
And I do think it's an outcome worth the effort. Just as a painting is enriched by many colors or an orchestra by many instruments, the richness of our school comes not just from the many of us working in one place or even traveling on one journey, but from all of us working in harmony to form one holistic community greater than the simple sum of its individual members.
When we have opportunities like tonight's Annual Fund Kick-off Party to come together around those essentials that unite us, I think deeply about whether everyone feels welcome. I hope you know that each of you is uniquely important to our efforts. And I wonder what kind of leadership will facilitate the oneness that gives us momentum and makes us whole.
From a place deep in my spirit, please know that each of you is valued, loved, and truly welcome. I look forward to any opportunity to come to know each of you more intimately and hope that every single one of us - young, old, rich, poor, black, white, Catholic, agnostic, introvert, extrovert, East-sider, South-sider, of every background and profession - will also make a conscious effort to step beyond the comfortableness of our familiar tribes to enrich ourselves and our community by cross-pollinating a bit. I can almost hear the powerful, beautiful music we will create by "learning, praying, loving, serving, working and playing - as one."
And I do think it's an outcome worth the effort. Just as a painting is enriched by many colors or an orchestra by many instruments, the richness of our school comes not just from the many of us working in one place or even traveling on one journey, but from all of us working in harmony to form one holistic community greater than the simple sum of its individual members.
When we have opportunities like tonight's Annual Fund Kick-off Party to come together around those essentials that unite us, I think deeply about whether everyone feels welcome. I hope you know that each of you is uniquely important to our efforts. And I wonder what kind of leadership will facilitate the oneness that gives us momentum and makes us whole.
From a place deep in my spirit, please know that each of you is valued, loved, and truly welcome. I look forward to any opportunity to come to know each of you more intimately and hope that every single one of us - young, old, rich, poor, black, white, Catholic, agnostic, introvert, extrovert, East-sider, South-sider, of every background and profession - will also make a conscious effort to step beyond the comfortableness of our familiar tribes to enrich ourselves and our community by cross-pollinating a bit. I can almost hear the powerful, beautiful music we will create by "learning, praying, loving, serving, working and playing - as one."
Friday, October 30, 2015
All saints great and small
Sunday marks the Church's Feast of All Saints, but when this holy day falls on a weekend, the St. Robert School community will always celebrate at school as well. This is not to replace our obligation to attend Mass on the weekend, but because it is a long-held tradition for our second graders to teach us what they've studied and learned about the holy men and women who are the heroes and role models for our community of Saints-in-training.
But, wait a minute, aren't we all saints? This morning, we learned the meaning behind our creedal belief in "the communion of saints," beginning with the reminder that, indeed, everyone who believes in God is a member of His kingdom, and all members of the Kingdom are called saints - with a lower case s. We also learned the remarkable mystery of the communion itself, namely, that every time we celebrate the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, our prayer is united with every saint in heaven and on earth. Finally, we learned that the holy men and women known to the entire Church - those Saints with a capital S - are not the only saints in heaven. Those known and loved only by their own families and friends are no lesser citizens of heaven. Rather, the Church has given us the canonization process to verify heavenly citizenship. The lives and works of these saints have been subjected to a rigorous investigative process, including the documentation of miracles attributed to them after their deaths. So, we can look to the canonized saints not only as inspirational models, but can pray with confidence to to them as intercessors who we know to be close to God.
The most remarkable thing about the capital S Saints, though, is that they were ordinary sinners like us. They achieved their greatness by knowing, loving, and serving God above all else - in ways from the simple to the heroic. It is precisely their ordinariness that inspires us to the right-ordering of our faith and to know for certain that we, too, can achieve sainthood, whether great or small; recognized or not.
This would be a great weekend to teach your children about the origins of our Halloween traditions and to help them identify a patron saint as a personal friend and intercessor. The comfort and blessings that will follow will be nothing short of miraculous.
Happy Feast Day!
But, wait a minute, aren't we all saints? This morning, we learned the meaning behind our creedal belief in "the communion of saints," beginning with the reminder that, indeed, everyone who believes in God is a member of His kingdom, and all members of the Kingdom are called saints - with a lower case s. We also learned the remarkable mystery of the communion itself, namely, that every time we celebrate the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, our prayer is united with every saint in heaven and on earth. Finally, we learned that the holy men and women known to the entire Church - those Saints with a capital S - are not the only saints in heaven. Those known and loved only by their own families and friends are no lesser citizens of heaven. Rather, the Church has given us the canonization process to verify heavenly citizenship. The lives and works of these saints have been subjected to a rigorous investigative process, including the documentation of miracles attributed to them after their deaths. So, we can look to the canonized saints not only as inspirational models, but can pray with confidence to to them as intercessors who we know to be close to God.
The most remarkable thing about the capital S Saints, though, is that they were ordinary sinners like us. They achieved their greatness by knowing, loving, and serving God above all else - in ways from the simple to the heroic. It is precisely their ordinariness that inspires us to the right-ordering of our faith and to know for certain that we, too, can achieve sainthood, whether great or small; recognized or not.
This would be a great weekend to teach your children about the origins of our Halloween traditions and to help them identify a patron saint as a personal friend and intercessor. The comfort and blessings that will follow will be nothing short of miraculous.
Happy Feast Day!
Friday, October 16, 2015
So Proud!
In the fast pace of our daily work, we don't often take time to reflect on what we've accomplished. This week was different, though. In preparation for our new format for the State of the School meeting, the faculty and board paused to identify recent accomplishments, and then to capture brief, bite-sized snapshots of each of them in order to give our stakeholders a more comprehensive view of the structures, processes, and resources that come together to create your children's educational experience.
Those of us who created those snapshots gained a gratifying perspective on our work. It was a particularly proud moment for me to listen to a diverse group of teachers and board members collaborating on presentations in the areas of personalized learning, technology integration, curriculum innovations, measuring success, and leadership and service. And, judging by the energy and enthusiasm of the follow-up conversations, I think it was also exciting for our audience of parents to to hear about some of the contemporary best practices in play at our little school and to have the opportunity to participate in the conversation through an online back-channel chat.
We acknowledged the operational challenges ahead of us, but I am hopeful that a well-informed base of parent ambassadors armed with relevant details about the St. Robert School brand will enable us to work together to not only make a great school, but to promote it - because a strong enrollment base is our best assurance of a sustainable future.
To those who joined us last night, thanks for your time. To those who couldn't be with us, watch for a link to presentation notes, handouts and FAQs sometime next week. We look forward to continuing the conversation!
Those of us who created those snapshots gained a gratifying perspective on our work. It was a particularly proud moment for me to listen to a diverse group of teachers and board members collaborating on presentations in the areas of personalized learning, technology integration, curriculum innovations, measuring success, and leadership and service. And, judging by the energy and enthusiasm of the follow-up conversations, I think it was also exciting for our audience of parents to to hear about some of the contemporary best practices in play at our little school and to have the opportunity to participate in the conversation through an online back-channel chat.
We acknowledged the operational challenges ahead of us, but I am hopeful that a well-informed base of parent ambassadors armed with relevant details about the St. Robert School brand will enable us to work together to not only make a great school, but to promote it - because a strong enrollment base is our best assurance of a sustainable future.
To those who joined us last night, thanks for your time. To those who couldn't be with us, watch for a link to presentation notes, handouts and FAQs sometime next week. We look forward to continuing the conversation!
Friday, October 9, 2015
Reaping the harvest
Having raised my children in Catholic education, this particular October weekend has always been associated with teacher in-service. As a family, we often planned a small get-away or special activities to take advantage of the extra days off. Though the experience of these days is very different from the perspective of faculty, this point in the calendar still conjures up warm and happy memories of walks in the woods, visits to the pumpkin farm, and glorious immersion in the vibrant colors, scents, and sounds of the harvest season.
And so it is that I think of you and your families in a a bit of a wistful way on this uniquely beautiful fall weekend. I hope you will find some time to slow down and savor these fleeting moments of seasonal bounty - and of childhood itself. Enjoy the sunshine. Enjoy the harvest. Enjoy making memories with your children.
And so it is that I think of you and your families in a a bit of a wistful way on this uniquely beautiful fall weekend. I hope you will find some time to slow down and savor these fleeting moments of seasonal bounty - and of childhood itself. Enjoy the sunshine. Enjoy the harvest. Enjoy making memories with your children.
Friday, October 2, 2015
The Pause
In preparation for impending motherhood, my daughter, who is a sophisticated consumer of text, has been reading deeply on the subject across a diverse body of print information. One not particularly intellectual book that has nonetheless provided fodder for stimulating conversations is the New York Times Bestseller Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. I'm only halfway through it, but I can say with assurance that whether you read it as a cultural anthropology or as a parenting guide, it will make for interesting conversation and reflection.
The author, Pamela Druckerman, is an American journalist who finds herself raising a family in France. In very short order, she notices a dramatic difference between American children and the native French on almost every measure of behavior and temperament. She calls on her journalism skills to undertake an expansive investigation. Her observation and research reveals fundamental parenting differences so pervasively embedded into French culture that French parents are not even aware that their national manner of interaction with their children is what makes their children so characteristically different from Americans.
Some notable differences the author explores are that French children are apparently largely content and patient. Babies sleep through the night by four months. Toddlers patiently eat four course meals at fancy restaurants while their parents sip coffee or wine. The children are almost uniformly inquisitive, creative, resilient, and wise ("sage"). The author discovers through interviews with French professionals and peers and by studying the key authors who have influenced their parenting culture (think the French equivalent of Dr. Spock), that the French are quite consistent about what they value and so, quite intentional about what - and how - they teach their children. They are also remarkably calm and consistent with their children. They provide a frame of firm immovable boundaries, a cadre, within which children experience a great deal of freedom to explore and make decisions. And they help children understand why they are doing these things. This makes sense to me because as educators we know that children will be more successful in reaching the learning target if they know what it is - and what success looks like.
Aside from French eating habits, which I will have to save for another column, the most fascinating idea I've read so far is the use of a small response delay that Druckerman dubs "The Pause." French parents watch their children intently to understand their needs, waiting a few seconds before responding to a baby's cry or a child's request. They remind their children to wait, rather than to be good or quiet. And they tell their children why they must wait because they believe that babies are rational beings who can learn things, and that their children will be much happier if they learn patience and frustration tolerance.
By modeling, slowing down our response times, and giving kids opportunities to practice delayed gratification, perhaps the French have discovered a formula for giving their children a life skill that will lead to success and contentment in many future endeavors. Pausing. A simple idea with potentially life-changing results. 'Might be worth a try.
The author, Pamela Druckerman, is an American journalist who finds herself raising a family in France. In very short order, she notices a dramatic difference between American children and the native French on almost every measure of behavior and temperament. She calls on her journalism skills to undertake an expansive investigation. Her observation and research reveals fundamental parenting differences so pervasively embedded into French culture that French parents are not even aware that their national manner of interaction with their children is what makes their children so characteristically different from Americans.
Some notable differences the author explores are that French children are apparently largely content and patient. Babies sleep through the night by four months. Toddlers patiently eat four course meals at fancy restaurants while their parents sip coffee or wine. The children are almost uniformly inquisitive, creative, resilient, and wise ("sage"). The author discovers through interviews with French professionals and peers and by studying the key authors who have influenced their parenting culture (think the French equivalent of Dr. Spock), that the French are quite consistent about what they value and so, quite intentional about what - and how - they teach their children. They are also remarkably calm and consistent with their children. They provide a frame of firm immovable boundaries, a cadre, within which children experience a great deal of freedom to explore and make decisions. And they help children understand why they are doing these things. This makes sense to me because as educators we know that children will be more successful in reaching the learning target if they know what it is - and what success looks like.
Aside from French eating habits, which I will have to save for another column, the most fascinating idea I've read so far is the use of a small response delay that Druckerman dubs "The Pause." French parents watch their children intently to understand their needs, waiting a few seconds before responding to a baby's cry or a child's request. They remind their children to wait, rather than to be good or quiet. And they tell their children why they must wait because they believe that babies are rational beings who can learn things, and that their children will be much happier if they learn patience and frustration tolerance.
By modeling, slowing down our response times, and giving kids opportunities to practice delayed gratification, perhaps the French have discovered a formula for giving their children a life skill that will lead to success and contentment in many future endeavors. Pausing. A simple idea with potentially life-changing results. 'Might be worth a try.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Modern-day barn-raising
In light of the Holy Father's visit to a Catholic school in Harlem this week, our superintendent shared an inspiring article with principals that reflects on the resurgence of Catholic schools. In Catholic Schools Are Back, and There's Hope For Their Future, the author, Andy Smarick, reports that less than a decade following massive Catholic school closings in urban areas, Catholic education is once again on the rise.
The turnaround factor that he points to is a recent trend toward innovation in both instruction and financing. The world is changing, the needs of our graduates are changing, cost structures are changing. Catholic schools that are thriving are the ones that are responding to new needs with new ideas - and are doing it within a context that preserves all that is good about Catholic education. I read this as a combination of innovation and tradition. 'Sound familiar?
Though St. Robert is not an urban school in the sense of this report, the story of innovation is our story as well. Furthermore, it's no longer only parents and educators that will write the next chapter. Our authors will necessarily include a village. Smarick points to faith leaders, entrepreneurs, university experts, and philanthropists as critical members of the team.
We are blessed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to have well-established collaborative best practice teams that include diverse members outside our own system. St. Robert has benefitted immensely from our participation on several of those visionary teams. At a higher level, a partnership with Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education and a team of educators, philanthropists and business executives has led to a new design for consolidation of our urban Choice schools. The first cohort of the new Seton Schools is ready to roll out this year. The comprehensive plan is for a system of urban Choice schools with common data-driven curriculum and instruction, a consolidated governance and management structure, and guaranteed standards of excellence.
We are told by our superintendent that although there is no single template for viability, iterations of this conceptual design for strength by consolidation are expected to largely replace our current more vulnerable parish school models within the not-so-distant future. Fond du Lac, Kenosha, and Racine are well on their way. Plans for Milwaukee have been launched. Suburban districts are entering the conversation.
The story of innovation is bigger than us, because Catholic schools are critical to the success of entire communities, not just individual graduates. History has shown that where Catholic schools close, the surrounding community falls into decline.
I extend my most humble gratitude to our faculty and leadership boards for working side-by-side with me on creating innovative and visionary models for a viable future. Know that your work will reach far beyond your own children.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424409/catholic-schools-are-back
The turnaround factor that he points to is a recent trend toward innovation in both instruction and financing. The world is changing, the needs of our graduates are changing, cost structures are changing. Catholic schools that are thriving are the ones that are responding to new needs with new ideas - and are doing it within a context that preserves all that is good about Catholic education. I read this as a combination of innovation and tradition. 'Sound familiar?
Though St. Robert is not an urban school in the sense of this report, the story of innovation is our story as well. Furthermore, it's no longer only parents and educators that will write the next chapter. Our authors will necessarily include a village. Smarick points to faith leaders, entrepreneurs, university experts, and philanthropists as critical members of the team.
We are blessed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to have well-established collaborative best practice teams that include diverse members outside our own system. St. Robert has benefitted immensely from our participation on several of those visionary teams. At a higher level, a partnership with Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education and a team of educators, philanthropists and business executives has led to a new design for consolidation of our urban Choice schools. The first cohort of the new Seton Schools is ready to roll out this year. The comprehensive plan is for a system of urban Choice schools with common data-driven curriculum and instruction, a consolidated governance and management structure, and guaranteed standards of excellence.
We are told by our superintendent that although there is no single template for viability, iterations of this conceptual design for strength by consolidation are expected to largely replace our current more vulnerable parish school models within the not-so-distant future. Fond du Lac, Kenosha, and Racine are well on their way. Plans for Milwaukee have been launched. Suburban districts are entering the conversation.
The story of innovation is bigger than us, because Catholic schools are critical to the success of entire communities, not just individual graduates. History has shown that where Catholic schools close, the surrounding community falls into decline.
I extend my most humble gratitude to our faculty and leadership boards for working side-by-side with me on creating innovative and visionary models for a viable future. Know that your work will reach far beyond your own children.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424409/catholic-schools-are-back
Friday, September 18, 2015
Joyful noise
From our Centennial Mass with the Archbishop to the Pope's first visit to America, our celebration of faith continues next week as we join in the national welcome to Pope Francis.
At precisely 3:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, September 22, when the Holy Father’s plane is due to touch down on American soil, our parish carillon will sound and our students and staff will join people across the land in ringing out a national welcome. You are invited to join us on the Capitol Drive side of the property just before school dismissal to be part of our joyful noise and public witness of faith. Any bells you can add to the cacophony would also be appreciated!
The following information, excerpted from from the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops offers contemporary ways to follow this historic visit and help your children to understand the significance of this "great Catholic moment in our country," which will include an address to the World Meeting of Families, the canonization of America's first Hispanic saint, and an historic address to the United States Congress.
At precisely 3:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, September 22, when the Holy Father’s plane is due to touch down on American soil, our parish carillon will sound and our students and staff will join people across the land in ringing out a national welcome. You are invited to join us on the Capitol Drive side of the property just before school dismissal to be part of our joyful noise and public witness of faith. Any bells you can add to the cacophony would also be appreciated!
The following information, excerpted from from the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops offers contemporary ways to follow this historic visit and help your children to understand the significance of this "great Catholic moment in our country," which will include an address to the World Meeting of Families, the canonization of America's first Hispanic saint, and an historic address to the United States Congress.
Pope Francis’ September 22-27 visit to the United States will be available via a video livestream at www.usccb.org/live, where people from around the world can follow every moment of the visit. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is also launching social media profiles on Twitter and Instagram, “Pope In US” and “Papa En USA.” An animated gif of themes associated with the papal visit accompanied the launch of these channels:
#PopeInUS and #PapaEnUSA are also hashtags being promoted with the visit. USCCB will also post updates to Facebook at: www.facebook.com/usccb and www.facebook.com/USCCBEspanol
Leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States has introduced its first mobile app: USA Catholic Church. Designed to draw Catholics closer to their faith by providing access to Church information on all screens and devices, this is the only app that brings together information from all Catholic sources: parishes, dioceses, the U.S. bishops and even the Vatican. Not only will the app include religious news, daily Scripture readings and local parish content, it will feature exclusive, in-depth coverage of Pope Francis’ September visit to the United States.
More information on the visit of Pope Francis is available at: www.uspapalvisit.org
Friday, September 11, 2015
Happy birthday!
On September 15, 1915, St. Robert School opened its doors for the first time to 43 students in first through fourth grades. In anticipation of this milestone birthday on Tuesday, I have been reviewing our archived histories and am struck by three themes: first is the urgency our founding parishioners placed on starting a school; secondly, the remarkable speed with which they turned their dreams into reality; and, finally, the exponential rise and fall of the student population.
With humble seeds of inspiration from our founding pastor, Monsignor Farrel Reilly, along with the vocational services of the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters and financial resources raised through the then-new School Society endowment, our school opened less than a year and a half after the founding parishioners had moved into their first permanent church building (which you now recognize as the south end of the current school building). Two Dominican Sisters taught the four grades - and one of them, Sr. Aloysius Reilly, also served as principal!
From these modest beginnings, the ranks of students grew to three large class sections at each grade level by 1960, with a peak enrollment of over a thousand students. The building grew right along with them in two separate additions in 1927 and 1958. Over time, the domino effects of fewer religious sisters, a growing lay staff (who had to be paid!), the advent of tuition, and other complex impacts of the modern world led to population reduction in the 1980s. By 1986, most grade levels were once again reduced to a single section. Our last Dominican sister retired in 2003.
Recent years have witnessed a somewhat larger, more stable population along with rapid transformation of education and the world - and our legacy school has not been unaffected. Quite to the contrary, we have often been trailblazers in implementing educational innovations. Inkwells and abacuses have been replaced by mobile technology. Rows of desks bolted to the floor have made way for flexible collaborative furnishings. One-size textbook-and-drill instruction has nearly disappeared while personalized, evidence-based learning takes center stage. Why?
Because Monsignor Reilly charged the original faculty - and by extension all of us today - with "educat[ing] and sanctify[ing] children for Christian leadership in accordance with the teaching of Jesus Christ and the highest standards of knowledge and human ideals." Though the statement of this mission has undergone numerous structural changes throughout the decades, its essence remains remarkably unchanged. St. Robert School still serves as a parish ministry purposed with continuing the legacy of forming competent, ethical leaders who will build the Kingdom of God - and the best way to be sure our graduates will have the hearts and minds to transform the world is to give them a relevant, world-class education.
Since the first class of eleven graduated in 1920, nearly 6,000 saints and leaders have been sent forth from our halls to touch the future. As we prepare to launch our first digital "tech book" and design financially sustainable models for the future, I wonder... how many more blooms will Father Reilly's seeds yield?
With humble seeds of inspiration from our founding pastor, Monsignor Farrel Reilly, along with the vocational services of the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters and financial resources raised through the then-new School Society endowment, our school opened less than a year and a half after the founding parishioners had moved into their first permanent church building (which you now recognize as the south end of the current school building). Two Dominican Sisters taught the four grades - and one of them, Sr. Aloysius Reilly, also served as principal!
From these modest beginnings, the ranks of students grew to three large class sections at each grade level by 1960, with a peak enrollment of over a thousand students. The building grew right along with them in two separate additions in 1927 and 1958. Over time, the domino effects of fewer religious sisters, a growing lay staff (who had to be paid!), the advent of tuition, and other complex impacts of the modern world led to population reduction in the 1980s. By 1986, most grade levels were once again reduced to a single section. Our last Dominican sister retired in 2003.
Recent years have witnessed a somewhat larger, more stable population along with rapid transformation of education and the world - and our legacy school has not been unaffected. Quite to the contrary, we have often been trailblazers in implementing educational innovations. Inkwells and abacuses have been replaced by mobile technology. Rows of desks bolted to the floor have made way for flexible collaborative furnishings. One-size textbook-and-drill instruction has nearly disappeared while personalized, evidence-based learning takes center stage. Why?
Because Monsignor Reilly charged the original faculty - and by extension all of us today - with "educat[ing] and sanctify[ing] children for Christian leadership in accordance with the teaching of Jesus Christ and the highest standards of knowledge and human ideals." Though the statement of this mission has undergone numerous structural changes throughout the decades, its essence remains remarkably unchanged. St. Robert School still serves as a parish ministry purposed with continuing the legacy of forming competent, ethical leaders who will build the Kingdom of God - and the best way to be sure our graduates will have the hearts and minds to transform the world is to give them a relevant, world-class education.
Since the first class of eleven graduated in 1920, nearly 6,000 saints and leaders have been sent forth from our halls to touch the future. As we prepare to launch our first digital "tech book" and design financially sustainable models for the future, I wonder... how many more blooms will Father Reilly's seeds yield?
Friday, September 4, 2015
Recipe for success
Back in my childhood - perhaps even in yours - the intended outcome of an elementary school education was a solid foundation in “the three Rs.” We still give kids that basic foundation for success in academics and in life, but now, in addition to teaching the academic codes of reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic,” we are charged with developing portable skills for a more complex future. So our contemporary curriculum is also marked by “rigor and relevance.” These are the qualities of learning experiences that foster high order thinking, enduring knowledge, and skills that will allow our graduates to solve complex problems across disciplinary boundaries.
Remarkably, ninety percent of brain development occurs before school age, but the elementary school years are a critical period for developing “habits of mind:” those dispositions for thinking, relating, and behaving that are critical for success in any endeavor. Neuroscience has proven that rich experiences provided in a relational fashion are the single most influential determinants of this intellectual development. In other words, DNA is not destiny; experiences are.
Specifically, environment, nutrition, and relational interaction are the most powerful sources of stimulation to a child’s growing brain - pointing to the simple fact that even the most rigorous and relevant schools will never be sufficient for optimal development. It will always be parents who have the most influence in shaping the outcomes of education. I would like to suggest that you can partner most effectively with your children’s school in nurturing intelligence, social competence, and effective habits of mind by providing an intentional diet of four additional “Rs” during these formative elementary school years: rhythm, routine, ritual, and religion.
Children who do best in school enjoy consistent expectations and routines for mealtimes, chores, and homework; for starting the day and for ending it. Moreover, children will develop most optimally with daily routines that are respectful of their natural neurological rhythms. This means they need time for active play and time for quiet dreaming; time indoors and time in fresh air and sunshine (and rain and snow!); time for structure and time for self-directed exploration and problem-solving.
Children who do best in school enjoy consistent expectations and routines for mealtimes, chores, and homework; for starting the day and for ending it. Moreover, children will develop most optimally with daily routines that are respectful of their natural neurological rhythms. This means they need time for active play and time for quiet dreaming; time indoors and time in fresh air and sunshine (and rain and snow!); time for structure and time for self-directed exploration and problem-solving.
Rituals are also critical to healthy development; rituals for coming and going; rituals for blessing and praying and celebrating - not only big occasions, but small accomplishments, too. Despite how chaotic our own days may be, we need to slow for rituals that give meaning to all of it, because simple compliance will never lead to the accomplishments that authentic intrinsic motivation can drive.
And what higher purpose is there than faith in something eternal? For this reason, children who come from homes that practice a lived faith identity come to understand all work in the context of a higher purpose. There is, quite simply, no better way to achieve in school or in life.
There are a lot of Rs in this ingredient list...but no worries! We can stir them all together and serve them up as a one-pot meal called love, for it is only in a loving context that children - or adults for that matter - are free enough to risk, to care, to dream, and to expect great things (Bisell).
I am honored to partner with you in accomplishing great things in the year ahead.
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