Book Review

Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student Achievement in Schools. by Mary Cay Ricci

Mindsets in the Classroom is a well written book for school leadership and teachers alike.  It address Carol Dweck's (click here for book review) notions of fixed and growth mindsets.  Mary works from many angles, student/parent/teacher/administrator.  She presents a school wide systematic approach to embedding a growth mindset.  

In all honesty I have been working under the fixed mindset for the majority of my career.  With teaching of Mathematics I would regularly see the differences in students skill in my subject.  As I've aged I can see more that 'skill' is often exposure.  Those best at arithmetic most likely have had more exposure.  Reading more about growth mindset the more benefit I see it in for a school community.  

At it's heart growth mindset is about grit and determination.  Seeing the challenge of learning and not shying away.  I prefer a world where attitude takes you further than talent.

Mindsets in the Classroom begins by establishing the research on malleability of intelligence, quickly challenging educators to consider their own beliefs around IQ; “The first stop along the path to building a growth mindset culture is to begin to build a school culture that values intellectual growth with a staff who has internalized the belief that intelligence can be cultivated.” (p. 13)

Ricci uses real life examples to illustrate her points.  A significant section of Mindsets in the Classroom is written for parents.  Having three young ones I found this to be riveting reading and picked up some good tips.  “When adults praise what a child ‘is’ such as tall or smart, the child attributes their accomplishment to a fixed trait they were born with.  When adults praise actions or tasks that children ‘do’, the children attribute accomplishment with their own effort.” (p. 20)

There is a strong emphasis on quality pedagogy to complement growth mindsets.  Specifically Ricci is critical of teaching that doesn't offer differentiation.  That one of the core responsibilities of teachers it the ability to recognise the learning needs of the students and provide appropriate learning to those individuals.  Tying in well with this was a comprehensive section on formative assessment, how to best use it, manage the data and react to what it says.  

I enjoyed this book.  I found that Ricci's ideas are well considered and easily communicated.  I will use this and Dweck's material as key source for some staff professional development.  I would recommend this book to any teacher or parent.  

This post relates to RTC#8. "Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn." and RTC#7. "Promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment." 

Book Review

Mindset : The new psychology of success - How we can learn to fulfill our potential by Carol S. Dweck

Mindset is a book that I have heard constantly being referred to.  Written originally in 2006 by Colombia professor Carol Dweck it has since reached to top of many best seller lists.  

Mindset is an unusual book because it is at it's heart a psychology book, but it's core message is so clear and logical that it is quite at home in the self help section of a bookstore.  

Dweck presents a very simple idea that there are two dominant mindsets that exist in people; fixed and growth.  These mindsets boil down to the notion of whether you believe in inherent talent (e.g. fixed I.Q.) or developed skill.  

Dweck's team of researchers were investigating the effects of praise on students when it came to challenge.  Namely the type of praise (where it be of a talent or of a disposition).  They found that children when praised for intelligence or brains would be more likely to quit than children praised for tenacity or determination.  

Mindset is an important book for all educators.  Schools by there inherent nature are about feedback and praise.  Teachers are in a uniquely powerful position to empower (or hinder) the progress of students with our words.  Dweck puts it "The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.  It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value." (p. 6)  

Mindsets can form from the smallest of things.  There are ample well presented stories (many involving teachers) which Dweck uses well to illustrate the importance of cultivating mindsets.  I found chapters on sports stars mindsets to be a powerful section - I recognised the sports stars better than the business illustrations.  Mindset is written extremely well for a University Professor, at only 246 pages I finished it of in a day.  

I felt before reading this book that I had a very good handle on the psychology of learning.  But there were some basic errors I have been making - especially around praising students.  For example "telling students they're smart, in the end made them feel dumber and act dumber, but claim they were smarter." (p. 74).

I would definitely recommend Mindset to all teachers from any curriculum area.  For senior leaders Mindset has an excellent section illustrating the dangers of having a fixed mindset in management.   A very good read indeed.  

This post relates to RTC#8. "Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn." and RTC#7. "Promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment." 

Curriculum Progression

Aroha Heaslip from Evaluation Associates.

Vicki Spiers and Verna Littlejohn returned from an 'OTJ' workshop in Tauranga speaking very highly of a strong message presented by a quality presenter.  This is how I was introduced to Aroha.  

Aroha Heaslip

Evaluation Associates are a independent educational consultancy which is based in Auckland (Aroha heads the Tauranga branch).  Their main current contracts are focused on...

1. Modern Learning Environments
2. Assessment For Learning
3. Maori Medium 

Aroha educational background is very wide, working in mainly in Secondary, with a little of Intermediate, Co-curricular and establishment of a full immersion Kura Kaupapa.  

The main message of today's presentation was around - having the learning as the 'captain' of their own education.  That being questioning how we can empower our students to be active navigators of their learning.  

What are the things that act as a barrier for students to operate with self efficacy in their learning?  Typically this will be specific limitations around the individual students level of literacy.  

What is our awareness as a community of students about the progression of akonga from our feeder schools?  What are the implications exist for those students if they arrive at Waihi College and 'start from square one'?  

The reflection of the presentation is found in 'front end' of the NZC where 'Effective Pedagogy' is outlined; 

Aroha based much of her foundation of her discussion about what Waihi College presents in our prospectus and website about what is important in education here at school.  

A core part of Aroha's workshops activities 'Coherence at Our School' - where staff divided into smaller groups and work through the shared understanding of how things are done here at Waihi College.  

• How do we make available the information about our tamariki?  Can we sharpen up our lines of communication?
• The use of exemplar materials - spelling out the steps through the curriculum.  Our teachers know what "level four" looks like - but do our students? 
• How can we get the staff to act consistently in a student centered manner?  
• How do we make explicit use of learning intentions and success criteria?  
• What are the core learning that needs to be the basis of education here at Waihi College (example of the use of being able to write coherent paragraphs)?  

The latter part of the presentation we were presented with an open ended invitation - "What are the next steps that can be targeted for our community to move towards in the immediate future?"

• More access to the information (say with a rotated option class) knowing a little bit more about the group before we have them. (Bob's group)  
• How can we extend success some teachers are having with certain students to be shared success with all teachers? (Aroha's observation)  
• How can we increase the parental/whanau buy-in to education? (Levonne's group)
• Exemplars on the walls - students who say "why didn't I get a merit?" after the assessment - this should/could have been presented earlier to empower that student.  (Peter's group) 
• We could be talking more between groups. (Bridget's group) 
• Use of the APP's task being a more deliberate method of presenting shared understanding.  (Norm's group).
• If we can't see it how can the kids?  (Jo's group)
• How can we improve the collaboration with the feeder primary schools - can this proactively be acted upon? (Sean's group)
• What about the 'uncontrollable' (e.g. truancy)... can our systems be improved?  How can we make our flagging of issues more ready actionable?  (Carlene's group)
• Developing of Ako meetings - especially in the start of the year.  (Jay's group).
• Shared rubrics/exemplars across the learning areas.  (Jay's group).
   

Archway of Teaching Capacity

n.b Aroha's presentation was through an online program called 'Sway' this is a free product available from Office 365. 

This post relates to RTC #7. "Promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment."  And ERO's School Evaluation Indicators Domain 4 "Responsive Curriculum, Effective Teaching and Opportunity to Learn - students develop learning to learn capabilities."

What Is A Good Learner

Shared Understanding of Learning

We've all been there - sitting in the first week of a new school year looking over the class list/photo's thinking about those 30 odd students we've just met.

The honeymoon is a nice stage pretty much students are working on those first impressions.  Teachers are working on the 'don't smile until Easter'.  The students will be weighing up what sort of teacher they've got and teachers are thinking what kind of learners they've been timetabled.  What specifically is it that students are trying to project?  What characteristics are the teachers looking/hoping for?  

An interesting exercise has been to see if there is a shared understanding of whether students and teachers have the same ideas about what makes a good learner. 

An early staff meeting this term I presented the following presentation.

What does it mean to be a good learner? from WaihiCollege

Part of this professional development programme was to survey staff on the characteristics of good learners.  I've also interviewed fifty students and asked them the same question.  

What was very interesting was that although there was much middle ground between what teachers and students viewed as good teaching there was very significant differences. 

Perhaps the most obvious difference was that the students view 'good learning' as physical actions; like 'listening' and 'neat books' or 'good test results'.  For teachers the most common view was the dispositions of mind 'collaborative' or 'determination'.  

I think that this is a valuable observation.  That our young people haven't yet thought deeper about education and their larger role in the learning.  I think that there are good messages that can move our students to a more empowered space as learners.  

This post relates to RTC #8. "Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn - iii. encourage ākonga to take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour 
iv. assist ākonga to think critically about information and ideas and to reflect on their learning." 

And ERO's School Evaluation Indicators Domain 4 "Responsive Curriculum, Effective Teaching and Opportunity to Learn - students develop learning to learn capabilities."

Prime Minister Visit

John Key Comes to Waihi College

Today we had the surprise of hosting the Right Honorable John Key to Waihi College.  It is not often that a school gets to play host to the sitting Prime Minister.  After the recent weather the region turned on an excellent sunny day.

Mr Key was welcomed officially in a Year 7 - 10 assembly (and unofficially by anti-TPPA protesters) with a strong rendition of the national anthem.  Mr Cochrane introduced the Prime Minister to the junior school.  Mr Key presented information about life in political office, challenges of running a country and finished with engaging around the flag referendum.  He demonstrated his skills of persuasion by getting a significant number of students to change their minds about not changing the flag.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by local Member of Parliament for Coromandel Scott Simpson.

There were four students selected to ask Mr Key questions.  They were Khan Stevenson (Yr 10), Luke Barakat (Yr 9), Penny Croker (Yr 8) and Bess Humphreys (Yr 7).  The students displaying credible political nous for young students.

Mr Key with the student leaders.  

The official party moved through to the staffroom where Mr Key spent time with some student leaders, offering advice, answering questions, taking 'selfies' and even taking up the challenge of an arm wrestle from the head girl Kate Dunstall.

Mr Key, Mr Simpson and Mr Cochrane
presented the school calves unit by Mr Redwood.  

From there the final part of the visit was twenty minutes up at the College farm unit.  Mr Key spent time with seniors from the Urban Farming unit and juniors from the school calf club.  Needless to say that all of the delegation were suitably impressed with the quality of the education and what we get from our facilities here in Waihi.


This post relates to ERO's School Evaluation Indicators Domain 2 Leadership Condition for Equity and Excellence : "Leadership communicates and models clear and consistent social expectations to support teaching and learning."