Sound Ideas Lead to Sound Reflection

The Sound Ideas Conference at Seattle Pacific University allowed the graduate students in both the M.A.T. and A.R.C. programs to hear from professionals of different careers reflect on how education impacted their lives. Hearing from such a variety of people really provided a unique opportunity for me to reflect on how I provide positive impact for my students. That is the ultimate goal – positively impact the young people I teach every day.

I grabbed a piece of every person’s advice for education during the conference that resonated with me. First, Dr. Anita Deneyka spoke about teaching being a calling. This proves to be true in my case as I realized after years of working in non-profits that what I really wanted was to teach. I agree that I will last much longer in this profession by viewing teaching as a calling, rather than a job. Reverend Stan Jacobson commented on how teachers that find the talents, rather than flaws, in students can encourage life long learning. I liked how he said this because it can be easy to go from class to class teaching, even teaching well, and still not make a connection with some students. By finding their talents, and more importantly letting students know what we see, the impact can grow tenfold.

Dr. Mark Johnson struck a chord with me in that he spoke to Dr. Richard Scheuerman as a teacher having high expectations and “treating us like scholars”. What a great way to verbalize the feeling of that classroom. This resonated with me as a teacher at Seattle Prep due to the academic culture and expectations of our college prep environment. Students at our school thrive on that same feeling and I enjoyed hearing the joy Dr. Johnson had as a student of working toward high expectations. Meanwhile both Zoe and Mack Strong spoke about teachers who found a talent or other talent (like academics in Mack’s case) that other people didn’t see. This provided motivation for them to continue and is a good reminder for me to ensure that I develop relationships with my students to foster lifelong learning.

Lastly, Ralph Munro stole the show in my opinion with his two words of advice – care and love. By focusing my whole teaching career around care and love, I can be a better person and educator every day. The more I love what I do and the more I care for my students, the more ethical, professional, and effective I will be as a teacher.

Capping a Four Year Experience (May 24-30)

The senior seminar class that originated last summer and came to fruition for the first time this year proved to have its challenges. In creating a curriculum essentially from scratch and working with four other teachers, I felt frustrated, tired, and fed up at times. Yet the benefits of this course by far outweigh the negatives.

The idea for the course began with the concept of a capstone for seniors after four years at Seattle Prep. As a Jesuit high school we emphasize creating “men and women for others”, as well as highlighting the five elements of a Profile of a Graduate at Graduation. These elements are: intellectually competent, committed to justice, loving, open to growth and spiritually alive. When a senior graduates, he or she ideally lives out these five elements in their day to day interaction with others. This is our ultimate goal. So how do we create a class that helps students achieve this?

We began with the idea of a class that challenged students to think outside a traditional curriculum. Through much consideration and discussion we decided on the Global Water Crisis as a vehicle to help students determine how they can become agents of change in our world and how they can advocate for something they believe in. While water was the main topic, the class really served as a template for how students could become leaders of tomorrow. We wanted them to see this opportunity, try advocating, and working toward a common goal to help the community. Yet as the class moved toward its end and the students toward graduation, I wondered….do they get it? Will they truly be “men and women for others”?

As I started reading their final seminar projects in which they had present a problem related to the water crisis and essentially find a solution, I had great hope. They did get it! The groups outlined the social injustice related to the issue and advocated on behalf of the poor and disadvantaged. Groups came up with creative solutions to local problems dealing with water pollution and disruption. It inspired me to see students, both in their writing and in their presentations, demonstrate how they consciously changed their awareness and engagement with the issue at hand. I feel motivated to begin anew next year, knowing how to improve this course for its’ second year.

Professional Development Plan

A professional development plan allows teachers to continue reflecting and considering the same issues that we tackled in our certification and Master’s programs at Seattle Pacific. While many teachers get certified and then move on (and maybe take a deep breath and a needed summer break), this plan will allow me to consider how I can improve as I work toward a professional certificate in a few years.

Here is my current professional development plan:

Professional Standard / Criteria		Professional Development Activity	Observable Evidence of Positively Impacting Student Learning
Effective TeachingDemonstrate the knowledge and skills which ensure student learning.
1a	Use instructional strategies that make learning meaningful and show positive impact on student learning.	I will continue to utilize Robert Marzano’s instructional strategies in my classroom. I will ask students to complete anonymous surveys for the effectiveness of these strategies and evaluate their work in groups or partners versus individual work for evidence as well. Lastly, I will research other instructional strategies as they become relevant (either in new books or on credible web sites).	By reviewing the students answers to surveys, I will get a good idea of the positive impact on their learning. Also, as I assess their work from different groups or partners, I can find ways to adapt these strategies to ensure positive impact.
1b	Use a variety of assessment strategies and data to monitor and improve instruction.	I will continue to assess my students through a wide variety of ways including tests, quizzes, written work, presentations, papers, discussion boards and digital narratives. I will search for new, innovative ways to assess students. I will compare old assessments to new assessments to see if there is a common trait for the class and individual students in ways that they may struggle.	Through the data I collect from assessments, I will be able to tell the aspects of my lessons that need work. I will continue to push students to answer higher level thinking questions and provide timely feedback on these assessments so students can apply the learning.
1c	Use appropriate classroom management principles, processes and practices to foster a safe, positive, student-focused learning environment.
1d	Design and/or adapt challenging curriculum that is based on the diverse needs of each student.	I will review all 504 plans for students with learning differences and make appropriate accommodations. I will choose instructional strategies that vary each week so as to help students of all abilities and learning styles. Lastly, I will survey students on questions like computer access, preferred type of assessment and more throughout the year to see how best to help students engage with content.	Based upon the results of the surveys, I will change instruction as to help students improve. By reviewing the results of assessments of students with different preferences or abilities, I can ensure all students are improving.
1e	Demonstrate cultural sensitivity in teaching and in relationships with students, families, and community members.
1f	Integrate technology into instruction and assessment.	I will continue to search for new 2.0 technology that will enhance the learning process. In particular, I will use digital narratives next year and the Moodle discussion board once every other unit. I will also have students practice blogging during a unit next year.	By assessing the quality of their work on each assignment, I will see students get engaged with the material. Additionally I will ask them formally and informally how each 2.0 technology helped them learn in the unit.
1g	Inform, involve, and collaborate with families and community members as partners in each student’s educational process, including using information about student achievement and performance.
Professional DevelopmentDemonstrate the knowledge and skills which ensure professional development.
2a	Evaluate the effects of your teaching through feedback and reflection.	I will ask the principal and my department head to observe me before official observations next year. I will also meet with my teaching partners to ensure my teaching practices are effective. Lastly, I will ask students to provide feedback three times next year through formal surveys.	I will make adjustments in my teaching style and technique based upon feedback. I will then review results of assessments after the changes to ensure positive impact is taking place.
2b	Use professional standards and district criteria to assess professional performance, and plan and implement appropriate growth activities.
2c	Remain current in subject area(s), theories, practice, research and ethical practice.	I will be attending a professional conference of Jesuit educators called JSEA Colloquium this June. I will be reviewing Gilder Lehrman for continuing resources in the area of history and take future summer conferences specific to history topics. I will also be working on a Diversity team for our school’s diversity plan.	I will take specific ideas for lessons and/or classroom ideas back to Seattle Prep. Through my using these, I will have data from student work on their effectiveness.
Professional ContributionsDemonstrate professional contributions to the improvement of the school, community, and the profession.
3a	Advocate for curriculum, instruction, and learning environments that meet the diverse needs of each student.
3b	Participate collaboratively in school improvement activities and contribute to collegial decision-making.	I will continue to serve on the Diversity committee and the Technology committee. I will not only serve on these committees, but be an active member. I will continue to serve as the National History Day coordinator and as the Freshman Class Moderator.	Through these various roles, I get to interact with students outside of the classroom. This allows me to build positive teacher-student relationships which will lead to students working harder in the classroom. Also, by working with teachers on committees I contribute to the students positive learning in other classes as well as mine.

The essential part of any plan or any proof of effective teaching is the positive impact I have on student learning. It isn’t just enough to say, “hey, I know I have an impact” even if I feel that way and receive great feedback from students. I need to have the proof. This professional development plan makes me consider how to do this. I think that the work students produce show the positive impact, but it can also be somewhat limiting. When I show how students engage the content through their writing or answers to a test or digital narrative, it does show a positive impact. Yet I also need to remember to view their results over the course of the year on similar assessments, assignments, and lessons so that I can ensure they are improving. This plan made me remember that and will make me a more effective teacher.

Draft Professional Development Plan – Elsner

New Assignments (May 17-23)

Juniors and seniors at Seattle Prep just completed their second to last week of school. While most schools have seniors finish early for graduation and other ceremonies, we also include our juniors due to a unique program called Matteo Ricci. Years ago Seattle Prep forged a partnership with Seattle University to create a program where juniors at Seattle Prep could start their college experience at Seattle U in a hybrid senior year/freshmen year of college. This program continues and this year twelve students will be commencing. Thus the juniors finish at the same time. While seniors are mentally out the door and quite a challenge to teach due to feelings of senioritis, the juniors are still quite engaged. This allowed me to try a couple new assignments that I really enjoy.

The first is an interview of a family member about the Vietnam War. As part of the Vietnam unit, we incorporate a number of different media and instructional strategies to make the unit as engaging as possible. After watching the film Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, as well as listening to a veteran speak to the entire junior class, my students felt like they had a better grasp of the content and the era in general. The last part of the unit required students to pick a member of their family who lived during the Vietnam War. They do not have to be a veteran or have served, simply alive during the time and have some memories. Students really enjoy this assignment and end up telling me how much they learned about their family. This year I even had a student interview her father who was a South Vietnamese soldier fighting with the U.S. during the war.

In addition to this assignment, I asked my students to complete a digital narrative on any history topic of interest to them from the Cold War, Vietnam era, or Civil Rights Movement (our last three units in American History). This assignment originated from my Education Technology class I participated in over the winter. I introduced it to them as part of a lesson on the origins of the Cold War and gave them an example that I completed. I am excited to view all of them. Here is an example of the digital narrative.

http://voicethread.com/share/1164765/

I think that assignments like these two that ask students to do things they don’t normally do all year allow them to remain engaged as they are getting close to the end of the year. It also allows for great creativity to come out in students who may not succeed in typical academic ways.

Time to Adjust (May 9-16)

After spending the last week at home with my newborn son and my wife, the adjustment to the teaching world again proved to be interesting to say the least. My first challenge was my desire to be at school again. I absolutely love my job and feel that I will do it for the rest of my life without question, but things changed a bit when my son was born. People told me about it, but it is never quite the same as my own experience. After arriving on campus, the reality of my workload hit me immediately as I was greeted with assessments collected while gone and impending deadlines at SPU.

I wrote blog posts earlier in the year describing the difficulty of balancing it all between SPU, family, coaching basketball, and teaching. Now add in being a parent! Not an easy task. The biggest challenge in the first week is the time at home when I used to complete SPU assignments or grading. All of a sudden I have a wife who has been home all day with my son. Regardless of whether she needs help, I want to spend time with him! This proves to be quite a challenge.

After speaking with some fellow teachers who went through the “new parent/teacher” routine, I learned that I essentially will simply become more efficient and direct with the time I have. I am not sure how I will make it happen, but I am confident I will adjust. In fact, I need to go get some grading done right now.

Lincoln Beaudry Elsner (May 1 – 8)

This past week has been crazy! My wife Dana gave birth to our son Lincoln Beaudry Elsner on May 2nd at 2:04 p.m.

Lincoln Beaudry Elsner

 While I took a week off from school to be home with my wife and new son, it did not mean that school stopped. I know, weird? With teaching partners covering classes and fellow history teachers filling in, I kept in touch with what happened at Prep. I didn’t intentionally check email too much, but turns out having a baby does involve some down time. (They actually sleep!). I find it easier in many ways to stay in touch with my classes and provide some guidance with lessons while I am gone rather than just letting my co-teachers fill the time, even if they offer. This way when I return the transition will be that much easier.

Educator: Not a Classroom Job (April 24 – May 1)

As I prepare for life with a new child and all the fun/chaos that brings, I find myself trying to prepare for not being at school for a week. While this can be both challenging and puzzling in many ways – how do I prepare for a date I don’t know? – I find myself getting ready for one of my non-classroom responsibilities. As the coordinator for the National History Day paper at Seattle Prep, I get the privilege of working with those students who advance past our internal competition. Despite not knowing whether I will make it to the day (Saturday, May 1^st) and trying to find back up teachers to cover if my wife goes into labor, I am excited for the students competing.

After students complete their own History Day paper in January, Seattle Prep holds a competition for the top 32 papers in the junior class. These papers, as well as their classmates, went through topic selection, thesis creation, outlines, drafts, revisions, and more revisions to create a fantastic end product. These 32 students who advanced were placed in groups where teachers from different disciplines got together and judged them anonymously based on the state criteria (historical accuracy, writing style, and use of sources). From there, 12 advanced to the regional competition where they competed against other area high school students.

The regional competition is out of our hands, but we still have great success at Seattle Prep. This year the regional judges chose five of our papers to finish in the six total that advance to state! It was a great job by our students.

The five students and I met up at the state competition on the morning of Saturday, May 1^st as they prepared for their interviews. Each student met with three judges (mostly college professors) and answered questions pertaining to their papers. The students enjoyed their experience and gained valuable skills for the future in the process. As we reached the judging round, the students were excited. One student earned 6^th in state and another earned 4^th. Unlike last year, no students advanced to the national competition but it was a great result for Seattle Prep.

The event showed me again that my role as an educator is not to sit in a classroom. My first and foremost role is to build relationships and challenge students to become better people and to love learning. These five juniors showed me they are on their way to both.

Link to Washington’s National History Day site:
http://www.wshs.org/historyday/default.aspx