The 80% Rule

Woody Allen was right, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” I’ve circled back to this quote throughout adulthood. It came to me again, two weeks ago, while I driving home from Huntsville after leading a Vertical Team meeting.

Earlier that day I was taking a lunch break at Monte Sano State Park and running one of their easier trails. I was thinking, “Just keep running, they’ll understand if you don’t show up.” I was worn out, and I was ready for a break. I was also committed, and I was going to show up. After finishing my run, I got back into my work clothes and headed down the mountain to Huntsville High.

It wasn’t my best technology integration session ever, but I gave “my” teachers a chance to learn how Verneir’s LabQuest works. We talked about how this technology can be applied in their science classes. We uncovered some of the cooler data analysis tools on the device.  More importantly, I was able to build relationships with teachers I have not spent enough time with. I set the stage for a productive spring semester.

Woody’s quote bubbled up on my way home, and I found new meaning in these words. Showing up doesn’t equal success. Showing up gives you an opportunity to be successful. By showing up, I was able to learn something new. I was able to improvise. I was able to grow.

As a Content Director for A+ College Ready, I pretty much set my own schedule and my own agenda. I need to continue to put myself in a position to be successful. I need to show up where I can do the most good for the teachers and students I serve. I need to take advantage of every class, every prep session, every Vertical Team meeting and every professional development session I attend.

As AP science teachers we have no choice but to show up for class.  Showing up, however, doesn’t equate to success. We need to show up knowing our students. We need to show up with our learning objectives in mind. We should require the same of our  students (they should know their strengths and weaknesses, and they should know what they’re getting into). My former students at ASFA knew my mantra, “Be Here Now.” It means, don’t just be here…Be Here. Be present mentally. Be in the moment. This idea should permeate every teacher’s classroom culture. Time is precious, and reps are golden. We need to make every minute count, and we need to be present. Then, we have an opportunity to be successful.

293… An ode to the original “Skin Of My Teeth”

Candidate 02702199 temporarily captured at the office

Say it with me…293. That’s the score I received on my National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) portfolio. For those not in the know, that means I passed. I passed. I’m a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescent and Young Adult Science Education specializing in Biology. In short, I’m a NCBT – AYA Science, Biology. This blog was created as a place for me to reflect on the NBCT process. The blog has evolved as my career has evolved.

Speaking of evolution, Homo sapiens, as a group, are not a reflective species (we’re pretty good at pattern recognition and communication — key characteristics of scientists). It’s good, however, to reflect on what works and what doesn’t work. Keep what works, and ditch the rest. The NBCT process worked. I am a better teacher now. I’m better at guiding students. I’m better at leading discussions. I’m way less inclined to “deliver” content. As always, I’ll never “cover” something. I will continue to push students (and teachers) to uncover content and discover something new to them.

Those of you I’ve talked to me about this process know what I consider the two most important points from the NBPTS standards. One, “All students can learn science.” Two, “Classroom management is, to a great extent, a function of student engagement.” Take these statements to heart. Engage your students in the content, and teach them so that they understand science.

Okay, reflection time is over. As my favorite sign says, “Keep Moving”.

Get On Board with Probeware

lead real-time data analysis with your students using probeware

I admit it, I’m a bit of technology nerd. Granted, I don’t wear a watch, I’m not a gamer, and I don’t really get into the latest video recording gadget, but when I find technology that works in the classroom, I use it. I am convinced Probeware is an essential part of the science classroom. Not just the AP classroom either. I would like to see probeware proliferate into middle school and elementary school as well.

A+ College Ready is about to turn the corner on technology integration in the science classroom. I’m a PASCO consultant, and I spent 4.5 hours on Monday working in Madison County training them on their Verneir LabQuests and probes. Within ten minutes participants were making Claims about the Evidence they recorded, and they were discussing Reasons for their evidence. Probeware allows teachers and students to generate data and talk about data. In short, you can get the “why?”.  At the end of the technology integration sessions, Madison County administrators committed to doubling their amount of equipment and put a Vernier Order together!

I am doing more and more of this work lately. In the last eight days, I worked directly with teachers and students in Muscle Shoals, Pell City, Jacksonville, Cleburne County and Hartselle during AP Biology and AP Chemistry lab. Probeware was being used on every occasion. With the exception of Pell City, I was partnering with Alabama Science in Motion specialists or using ASIM equipment. Next month I’m leading a technology integration workshop for Huntsville City Schools, and I’m leading a similar workshop in Hartselle in January 2011.

A+ College Ready just made a significant probeware purchase for our science teachers. We’re buying $22,000 of PASCO and Verneir probeware. Our goal is to augment the probeware of our Alabama Science In Motion specialists and augment the probeware several of our districts have on hand (Huntsville City, Hartselle, Madison County, Jefferson County, Birmingham City). This equipment won’t just be used in classroom, but it will also support our Laying The Foundation (LTF) training, our AP Summer Institutes (APSI) and our CollegeFirst Programs.

The probeware is useless on it’s own. We need to continue to train teachers on how to integrate these devices into their classes. This can happen in a variety of ways. Robert and I can come to your lab and work directly with you and your students. We can train teachers in a Vertical Team Meeting or we can carve out time after school to do some small group training. I will notify everyone when we receive the equipment, and we will list the available equipment on the new A+ College Ready website.

Full Speed Ahead?

I was talking with some science teachers in Madison County earlier this week, and we were discussing pacing in AP Biology. I re-emphasized how important August is. August is the time to build classroom culture and establish a productive pace before the insanity of pep rallies, school-wide testing and Thanksgiving and Christmas break. The most successful teachers in A+ College Ready embrace their pacing early and they know it’s essential to their students’ success in May.

While we talked, someone else brought up the “sprint vs. marathon” analogy. Indeed, if you try and sprint through AP Science, you will “blow up”. AP Science is a marathon. We should be hitting our stride right now, catching a drink at every other water stop and knocking down the miles.

I’ve had the pleasure of working in a variety of schools the past two weeks. I’ve worked in urban schools and quasi-rural schools. I’ve worked with second-year schools, and schools new to the A+CR program. I’ve worked behind the scenes in Vertical Team meetings and taught students at tutoring sessions.  I’ve reflected on what I’ve seen and what I’ve learned, and two things are abundantly clear.

These two things are related; classroom structure is more important than content, and “less is more.”  First, the most successful A+ College Ready classes are built on structure. The pacing is structured. The mode of instruction is balanced between teacher-led and student-centered activities. The course is balanced between lecture and laboratory. The lecture material supports the lab, and the data generated in the lab ties right back to the lecture content. Further, the assessment strategy is very deliberate. Unit tests reflect the material learned; and teachers explicitly debrief tests, using them as an opportunity to engage students in learning. Second, the most effective teachers are not “covering” content. Quite the contrary, they are helping their students uncover, or discover, the essential content. They are working to guide their students toward fundamental understanding of science. This “less is more” approach depends on structure. Again, teachers have to be deliberate. They must choose laboratory activities that generate meaningful data. This allows students to talk about what happened during the investigation.  They must allow time to debrief exams. Debriefing exams allows students to relearn tough content and learn why and how they are being assessed. I realize this sounds like a bunch of education-ese, but it’s true! When teachers make structure a priority and when they focus on the essential content; they will engage their students every day. This will lead to understanding of science over the course of the year.

“I don’t care about touchdowns…”

So, last Monday I slipped into my grey suit, ventured way out of my comfort zone and attended a Governor’s press conference in the Capitol Building in Montgomery. I was  glad I went. I needed a boost. Governor Riley announced some news we have been holding on to at A+ College Ready (A+CR): Alabama leads the nation in year-over-year increases in AP Qualifying Scores. Alabama’s 2010 scores are up 17.7% over 2009. When you look at Math, Science and English (MSE) we’re up 21.8%. A+ College Ready supports MSE with all of our initiatives.

When you look at A+CR schools exclusively, we’re up 131.6% over 2009. That’s what makes me think about touchdowns.

Did you catch what Coach Saban said on ABC last Saturday as the second quarter of the Duke game ended? The interviewer asked Saban how he felt about Duke being the first team to get into the end zone  this season. Saban briskly responded, “I don’t care about touchdowns. We’re not playing to a standard.” I laughed and clapped when I heard that. The standard is excellence. Alabama is #1 in football for a reason. They’ve got resources, they’ve got support and they’re committed to excellence. I needed to hear Saban’s comments as badly as I needed to hear Governor Riley’s comments.

I used to tell my students that to be excellent, they had to be successful in both the laboratory and in lecture. If they were going to be successful in my class they had to keep up with me, work hard and question me when they didn’t understand. The standard I set for my students was, “Understanding Science.” If my students understood science, then the scores took care of themselves.

That same standard of excellence will permeate everything I do with A+CR. I will push the teachers and the students I serve to be better. I will push them to commit to a standard. The standard for newer teachers is getting more Qualifying Scores than they got in 2010. The standard for veteran teachers is getting more Qualifying Scores than they got in 2010. How? By teaching, by coaching and by mentoring students. We will work alongside our students so they can understand science. The scores will take care of themselves.

And they’re off!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that the first four weeks of school are under our belts, and a three-day weekend is looming. My former colleague Vincy used to tell her students to, “Get on the Bus!” She worked her kids bell to bell and they loved her for it. I like to think of AP teachers on a plane. Right now, we’re on the accent, we’re not quite ready to lower our tray tables and release our seats from the fully upright position. In fact, we won’t hit our cruising altitude until November. But, let’s focus on the positive. Our take off was successful. No one has crashed yet.

Those dreaded first exams are done. Hopefully you have debriefed your exams, dried the students’ tears and assured them that everything is gonna be alright. AP Science is a progression after all. Your students will get better at critical thinking and they will become more successful on your exams…if you guide them…if you provide them opportunities to think…if you provide them space to reflect on what they know.  This intentional reflective practice is essential for your students’ development. I’m not advocating slowing down so that everyone “gets it”. You’ve got to press on. However, you need to make sure mistakes and misconceptions are fixed before they become deeply engrained.

I’ll close by going back to my marathon analogy. We’re well past the start. We’ve passed the first water station. The crowd you saw during the first two miles of the race has dwindled. It’s you and the pack you’re with. You should be settling into your rhythm, doing a mental check of where you are and what type of day it’s going to be. You will really hit your stride later.  Right now you know if things are going your way…or not. If they’re not going your way, ask for help. This is one marathon you don’t run alone.

See you out on the road.

Katrina, Five Years Later.

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most formative experiences I had as an AP science teacher. Not because I was caught in the storm or floodwaters, but because I received the gift of 1.5 days off of school as Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. It was my first year to teach AP Biology, and I needed that time to catch up, generate notes, grade papers and prepare presentations. I’m sure some of you feel like you’re caught in a storm right now. You will ride the storm out. If you feel like the water is rising too high, reach out to your peers, to your lead teacher, or to me. We are all in this together.

Four years ago, I opened my AP Environmental Science (APES) class with the image of Katrina shown above. I used it as the focus of our unit on climate and biomes. During my first year as an AP Science teacher I learned how to manage the pace of the curriculum, I figured out how to engage my students early and often, and I learned use events that were relevant to my students.

Over the past five years I continued to use Katrina and the Gulf of Mexico to teach essential science concepts. I showed images of post-Katrina New Orleans when we discussed water issues in my APES class. I showed images of Ocean Springs, Mississippi when we discussed disturbance and succession in AP Biology.  As last year came to a close, I engaged my Environmental Science students in up-to-the-minute research projects on the BP Oil Spill. If I had my own classroom this year, we would have started APES with unit on Energy, and the issues that lead to the Deep Water Horizon/BP disaster. It has never been my intention to exploit the tragedies of others, but I do want to impress upon my students that science is all around them. As this year unfolds, I encourage you to do the same with your students.

First Friday

I hope every one got off to a smooth start this week. I was able to visit a few of you this week, and I’ll get to the rest of you in the next two weeks. Where ever I went, I saw eager students, engaged with their teachers and ready for the challenge ahead. Almost everyone I spoke with is concerned with “being behind” Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Our goal is the finish line in May. We’ve got time to pick up the pace.

Ironically, as I headed into Huntsville High this morning, I drove down the race course for the Rocket City Marathon. I love it when things come full circle.

Our focus should shift a bit as the school year progresses This past week, the goal was establishing classroom culture, and doing some formative assessment. Now that everyone is on the same page, it’s time to get to the content. Get into the laboratory, and start engaging in science.
Keep checking the pacing guides on the appropriate pages. The NMSI guides for AP Chemistry and AP Physics are right on. So is the AP Biology pacing guide. I will be updating mine over the weekend. Robert Summers’ guide is available on his blog as well. There is a link to his blog on the “blogroll.”

Congratulations for a successful start to the 2010-2011 school year. I’ll see you soon.

Keep checking the blog, and hit me with questions and comments

According to my handy blog tracker, you all are using this site. Excellent. That’s the whole point. If you have questions, email me or call me or text me. I am here to help.

BTW…the A+ Calendars are almost ready for public consumption. They will be posted by the end of the week. Also, I will have pacing guides for the Unit 2 (chemistry of life) and Unit 3 (the cell) completed by Monday afternoon (8/16/10)

And so it begins…again

“And so it begins…” That is the first line in my first Power Point slide for my former AP Biology classes. My job has changed, but the sentiment remains the same. This new adventure with A+ College Ready is just about to begin in earnest.

The beginning of every school year is filled with promise. Summer is never long enough, but it does offer a chance at renewal. You and your students are likely to be energized and ready to get to work. Use that energy. Don’t let it dissipate. Own your classroom culture. Be present and engage your students. Don’t focus on  obstacles or  limitations. Focus instead on opportunities for teaching and learning. Remember that teaching is a social endeavor. Our students bring their perceptions and misconceptions about the natural world to our classrooms and laboratories. You need to get to know your kids; and you need to know what they know, what they think they know and what they don’t know. Our job is to find out where our students are, and then push them further. As Lou Reed said,”It’s the beginning of the great adventure.”