Developing Professional Learning Communities-Dr. Juliann Sergi McBrayerInterpreting Readings from “The Will to Lead, the Skill to Teach” by Anthony Muhammad and Holly Sharroky using Double Entry JournalsTotal Points=50 points/2-3 entries per chapter for a total of 25 entries

Double-Entry Journal

One of the best ways to engage with a literary text (story, novel, poem, play) is to have a conversation with it or its author. The DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL allows you to do just that, and it can be used for many purposes, from getting more deeply into the text or passages from it for class discussion or short assignments all the way to generating ideas for analytical papers.

Below are several, but by no means all, ways to use a DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL. Get creative and diversify meaning do not do all of the same as per the suggestions below…

*Your Double Entry Journals will be aligned with TLE 1 and can be utilized as one piece of your evidence needed for your Portfolio. So after you receive final assessments, upload in your Portfolio.

Left-Hand Side Right-Hand Side

Quote from the text Visual commentary (drawings, visual analogies, doodles)

Quote from the text Reactions (“This bugs, annoys, moves  . . . me because . . .”), reflections (”I wonder if. . .”), musings (“Hmmm…”), questions (“I wonder why…”) with possible answers (“Maybe because . . .”)

Quote from the text Connections

▪ Text to other text(s)—print, visual, aural

▪ Text to self

▪ Text to world

Quote from text Significance in relation to piece as a whole; relating part to whole.

Quote from text Social Questions (Race, class, gender  issues)

Quote from text Naming Literary Techniques

Quote from text Imitations or parodies of text’s content or style.

Quotes from text In generating ideas for a paper, relating passages to your thesis.

Double Entry Journal Template

Name: Marla Middleton

A Phrase or Quotation of Importance and Meaning

Chapter & Page

Interpretations of Readings from The Will to Lead, the Skill to

Teach

1. “There is a direct link between the belief system of a staff and its behaviors and actions”

Chapter 1, Page 10

Aligning your intentions with the main vision of the school and of the district is one of the first things that must be done. If you really want to change the actions of individual people in an organization, you must focus on beliefs. These beliefs are the primary predictors of their actions. Beliefs sometimes enable the organization's ability to achieve results. Focusing on student need is first and foremost on the list of boosting school culture and student performance. The importance of celebrating success and commitment to solving problems will strongly enhance a positive learning environment and school culture.

2. “A positive learning environment is marked by the proper blend of will and skill”

Chapter 1, Page 12

After reading this chapter, I started to place not only myself but my school into a category of high skill or high will or a great combination of the two. Where did I fall in this versus where my school fell?

After reading the different categories and characteristics, I would place the school and myself as a mixture of “medium will and high skill”. I felt like if I said “low skill” it would seem like I nor the school cares about student success but that is not the case.

Often times teachers get so bogged down with all of the behavior and continuous juggling of all jobs, we forget our main focus. We have the skill, we are refined and have a complex curriculum and have so many personal achievements that we fail to focus on the emotional personal needs of all students.

It was definitely eye opening to know that it almost has to be a perfect combination of high skill and high will for the school to succeed in almost every aspect, but when you have an administration that is trying so hard to protect and support a status quo environment the vision and mission gets lost.

3. “A high will/high skill school is where staff members believe that learning for all is the only acceptable outcome”

Chapter 1, Page 15

In a perfect world would all schools be like this high skill and high will, but with the complexity of a staff it is very difficult to drive every desire of every staff member. So with constant valiant efforts, one must put aside all thoughts of possible negative outcomes and focus on high academic expectations whilst respecting the need of all cultures of the students to ensure learning for ALL.

You have got to get buy in from the kids before they are willing to pursue a learning environment

4. “Toxic school cultures have a dominant belief system that places success or failure solely on the shoulders of outside forces”

Chapter 2, Page 23

It sounds so harsh, and it’s so easy to blame everyone else. The parents are never home, the kids don’t care about school, the kids can’t read, who taught them this way to do math. Why are we blaming kids for not having pre-existing knowledge of specific academic or behavioral characteristics? In a positive school culture, let’s focus on a solution rather than a blame.

The meme below is harsh. It doesn’t mean to blame yourself, but are the teachers taking accurate self- reflection on how they can help the student achieve at high levels at the standpoint that they are currently at?

Or is it just beneficial to consistently blame others without providing remedies to problems? Every organization has problems, but the way the school fixes the issue at hand.

5. “If unhealthy predetermination are present in a school, creating a system of equitable achievement is nearly impossible.”

Chapter 2, Page 24

I find it very interesting to watch teachers come in and want to not be judge based off personal experience in the field, yet they have students come in and instantly judge them based off the students previous experience at another school or another grade level or based off race, sex, ethnicity. We all want a judgement free life when it comes to you, yet we cannot give the same courtesy to others. To have any presumptions on a child is not aligned with any vision I have seen in education. It is a joint effort of encouragement and the assumption that all can succeed no matter of previous experience or factors that have contributed to your life thus this far/ #judgementfreezone

6. “Instead of spending their time complaining about the issues, healthy cultures seek to understand the barriers and address them.

Chapter 2, Page 28

Toxicity runs deep and is a combination of self-centered attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the organization, and mission performance.

Leaders need to move in the direction of solving them, instead of adding fuel to the fire.

7. “ This means that a staff has to be willing to become “students of its students” and embrace professional scholarship”

Chapter 3Page 34

It is a common misconception that the solution to the “race issue” in staffing is to just hire more staff of the same race to better benefit these children. However, this statement was very powerful when it said, “staff needs to be willing to become a student of the student. Teachers should try to dig a little deeper beyond the superficial surface to better understand the child’s needs. Our efforts need to be focused on how we can better support the teachers who are of difference race that the students who are predominantly a difference race through better professional developments focused on cultural competence. The policy is ALL students can succeed, and the premise that they learn better from someone of their own race is a misconception.

8. “When a person is highly frustrated often his or her first inclination is to seek others who share similar frustrations. The old proverb is true: misery loves company.”

Chapter 3 Page 38

You have to decide which team do you want to be on. The complainers or the solvers. Doesn’t is always benefit the person to be on the positive side? How as an administrator can I change teachers wanting to complain to wanting to solve the problem?

1. Identify teacher strengths. strengths.Focusing on teacher skills to develop great lessons

2. Increasing self esteem 3. Spotlight teacher among

peersOnce the teacher feels value, then the teacher will continue her continue to focus her efforts on doing more things rather than complaining.

9. “Feeling overwhelmed is not a productive is not a productive mindset for an individual, and it is even worse when that feeling is shared by large numbers of professionals within the same organization.”

Chapter 3Page 35

I am always looking for a solution when it comes to how my teachers feel, and how I can better solve these senses of overwhelming.

There is no one solution to all these problems. It is going to be a problem for the rest of any teacher’s career, however, it is the administrator's responsibility to form teams of leaders in each department to help these specific teachers overcome the “burnout” feeling. It does not mean for the leaders to take on their responsibility, but to formulate ideas to minimize stress and better distribute work as a team or find an accountability partner to help the teacher keep up with the paperwork.

10. “A believer is a true team player; a “we first” rather than a “me first” professional.”

Chapter 4Page 46

The importance of being a team player is vital to a growing organizational system. We have many “believers” in our school that are doing the right thing. The hard part is getting the believers to transform the ideas of the fundamentalists because they are on two seperate pages pedagogically and personally. Each group has its own specific strengths, however,

once the fundamentalists persuade the believers to actively lobby and advocate their thoughts and opinions can the organization be truly successful. Being calm and analytical of each problem will build the capacity to handle the pressing issues at hand.

11. “Dysfunctional interactions sentence some schools to imprisonment within an atmosphere of fighting over petty issues instead of working together to achieve success for all students.”

Chapter 4 Page 55

I have heard from many teachers that they feel like they are in a jail cell everyday when they come to work instead of being free to make the best decision for their students to succeed. If you start to feel like you are in jail at work, they it is time for a self reflection. Success will always start individually. It is the will to succeed that will enable change.

12. “Fundamentalists are educators who are comfortable with the status quo and organize and work against any viable form of change.”

Chapter 4 Page 44

Fundamentalists are in excess at school that are low performing and have low will/low skill from the students and the teachers.

If we could pull on the strengths of these teachers of their willingness to advocate for change instead of

complain, then they would be part of the positive change rather than a negative one.

13. “Theory Y assumes that workers want to be a productive part of their work environment and, when properly cultivated, they will align their behavior with the goals and intention of the organization”

Chapter 5Page 59

In a perfect world, every school consists of all workers who want to be productive and their behavior aligns with all the goals of the school. After reading the difference between Theory X or Theory Y, I think that must of our school is composed of Theory Y staff. Fortunately, we have leaders in the building that advocate and support our frustrations and provide solutions when we are at a standstill. They value our autonomy as teachers, but still expect teachers to be cohesive in thoughts and expectations about the vision and mission of the school. How do we get the Theory X people to change their mentality to Theory Y perspective? Administrators should consult with teachers on matters regarding curriculum development or instructional planning whichdirectly impacts their classrooms. The administrators should provide adequate resources and facilities to

support teachers. Communication, Support, and Relationships should be in place before Accountability supersedes everything. If Theory X teacher is disliking work, there is ALWAYS a reason, figuring out that reason and providing a solution should be priority in unifying efforts.

14. “What is more important- the proper cultivation of a child or being validated by my colleagues?”

“Students’ interest before their own personal need to belong”

Chapter 5Page 63

After reading this, I think it all about pride. Innately, we all want our opinions to be validated, but this is very detrimental in constantly seeking approval in the workplace, as it can seriously derail your professional development in the long run. We should be wanting to grow as professionals and realizing the ultimate goal of success for each and every child. I think a lot of the time, teachers get stuck on the outcome rather than the process. If the teacher focuses too narrowly on one singular result, you start to attach your self-worth to external standards which may be outside of the teacher’s control. However, if the teacher concentrates on a process that one can control, you can reduce the power that approval has over you. You can control the students success.

15. “Responsive pedagogy is differentiated instruction”

Chapter 6Page 79

I have never heard the term responsive pedagogy before, so after doing some research it came to term as more or less being culturally responsive and competent when it comes to teaching practice. I think the term cultural competency is misperceived and practiced incorrectly. Most teachers think that responsive pedagogy refers to, “If there are Latino students in my classroom, let me relate my lesson back to Mexico or the city they are from”. This is incorrect, responsive pedagogy means getting in depth to the roots of how best the student learns. Culturally responsive pedagogy means, “ How am I going to get that child to succeed? “ It acknowledges cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, that affect students' attitudes towards learning and builds the bridge of home and school experiences. This pedagogy uses a variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles. That is the true meaning of skill. Knowing is not always doing.

16. “The mindset of the deficit- oriented educator is quite simply, “If we had betters students, then we would have better schools or “Our scores were good until those students started coming here.”

Chapter 6Page 84

What is better? Every student no matter how well they perform doesn’t come without fault or challenge. It is always “grass is always greener”.... But then when you have these “better students”, there would be another issue that would come about. This all comes back to

developing a healthy school culture. That kind of talk is toxic and not beneficial to the student nor the culture of the school YOU teach at. Be part of a school that transforms students perspective on education than diminish their success. It is much more rewarding to teach a student that struggles and watch that light bulb come on, then teach something once and have everyone get it and be bored out of their minds. In my opinion, I think it is racist. The idea that children from minority or immigrant groups don’t have the “right culture” to succeed in school is pretentious and detrimental to school success and personal student success.

17. “This example from sports provides another way of look at the difference between having a general skill set as a teacher and being a responsive educator”

Chapter 7Page 87

What does it mean to me to be a responsive educator? Being a responsive teacher is being student-focused. You are constantly identifying the differences between students but the distinctive strengths of each child to inspire their academic success and sense of belonging in the classroom. Am I including activities in my classroom that benefit all students? What types of activities can engage all students and get them participating in a responsive learning environment? How do I get the best reaction out of my students? Am I constantly modifying my current teaching practices and instruction and curriculum by considering all students’ backgrounds and readiness levels? The better the classroom learning environment is to learning such as interactive activities and educational games will send strong messages that encourage kids to want to participate in the academic classroom environment.

18. “We believe that teachers must implement responsible in order to have success overall and particularly with underserved students: (1) using effective discussing and responding techniques (2) using effective attention getting signals, and (3)

Chapter 7Page 89

As an administrator, when we are in the classrooms looking for a well managed classroom where all participants are involved and it is not an authoritarian environment. All participants should be involved in making sure the classroom is well- managed. By following these 3 suggested requirements, the

integrating movement activities into instruction”.

classroom can function cohesively. I have seen so many different types of great attention getting signals that really change the environment at a second. By the teacher letting the students be involved in classroom rule making is very important at the beginning of the year to establish a team working environment.

19. “Classroom management should be positive, proactive, and preventative.”

Chapter 8Page 99

Be ready! Each teacher should have a routine in place for EVERYTHING and practice procedures, not punishment which is key to being positive. It is important to always start off strong, and get a little more laid back as the year goes on , however, keep in mind each teacher might have his/her set of expectations which might get confusing to let’s say middle school students. These students have to start all over again.

By being positive, and having a set

SIMPLE reinforcement system, that you can use for all kids and students with constant behavioral issues and will be enough to motivate the majority of children in your class and creates a much more supportive learning environment. It is very important to show kids that they have the power to influence how the classroom is run and make a clear connection between the way the students behave and the way the teacher might act.

20. “By having students move frequently and with purpose, teachers can actually decrease classroom management issues, such as off-task behavior, excessive talking, and boredom.”

Chapter 8Page 109

I have seen teachers that think the more activities that are standing up and interactive, the students will like me more and have more fun. This is all great, however, the teacher has to know how to manage a classroom environment that is conducive to learning while performing these types of activities. How can a teacher keep control and calm while students are moving during the activity? It is important to communicate clearly when activities will begin and when they will end and give specific instructions about how students are to switch from one activity to the next. This will happen best when the teacher clearly models and practices all procedures before starting the activity. There also needs to be an establish end signal to communicate to the students that the activity is coming to a close. After the teacher does this, it is ALWAYS important to reinforce the good behavior with a reward to

continue the behavior and desired outcomes.

21. “The quality of a student’s academic vocabulary is directly related to his or her success in reading, writing, and speaking.”

Chapter 9Page 123

After reviewing the three strategies that Hollie presents in Chapter 9. I feel like the most useful is the personal dictionary method, where they take the academic term, draw a picture (usage of imaginative skills), the actual technical definition, and a personal connection to help them remember the word. It is taking the student to think outside of the box to relate to the word and personally remember it. I think all the strategies presented are valuable, I have just personally seen the success in the personal dictionary method, so that they can go back to the notebook and reference and use these words in reading, writing, and speaking.

22. “Educators cannot expect textbooks mandated by the state to be culturally responsive.”

Chapter 10Page 126

I think that a lot of teachers think the district mandated books are the Word of God, that you can’t deviate from the provided system. As a teacher, you have to know what is best for your children, and what is going to get them to produce specific outcomes. If the books provided are not connecting with half of your students, then it might be a good idea to step outside of the districts books, get approval from your principal with “reasonable rationale” and get books that match the same standards as the books

provided but that reach the vast majority of students.

23. “Responsive literary techniques and activities offer a source of motivation and interest to students, this increasing engagement, particularly for those underserved students.”

Chapter 10Page 131

Teachers a lot of time do not take into account the cultural aspect of responsive literary techniques. They just do what is best for their classroom management. Some teachers would not even consider “popcorn reading” because they think it gets the students off task and would not even consider the empowerment and engagement it might give some kids when reading a novel in class. They might be more interested if they got the opportunity to pass or read out loud, instead of the teacher telling them. I believe the teacher really needs to consider the personalities of each student before choosing a literary technique for their classroom, not just what is best for them. Although popcorn reading can be considered damaging for some students who can’t read as well, the option to not read needs to always be an option.

24. Moos (1979) said that “for children of color and families of immigration, their initial assessment of their acceptance into the school environment depends on whether or not they perceive pictures, symbols, and other visual representations that remind them of their homes, communities, and values.

Chapter 11Page 139

I am a huge advocate for aesthetically pleasing rooms, buildings, and professional dress. Not only does the classroom environment need to look nice, it needs to be culturally responsive and conducive to learning. A lot of people are shocked and have a negative responsive when administrators say that their rooms

need to be spruced up some. They say, “I don’t have the money” or “Are you going to give me some money” or “They just need to come here and learn the material”.

This is toxic. The teacher should do everything in his/her power to make sure the child feels welcomed in the classroom and feels at home. I mean the kids are in school more than they are at home…. If they feel comfortable, that is one less thing that stands in the way of them learning and providing the desired outcome of SUCCESS.

25. “Promoting student work is part of responsive instruction”.

Chapter 11Page 147

We as teachers, value what students do. Our classroom needs to be theirs as much as ours,This is their classroom as much as ours. By students sharing their work, it will be easier to learn from each other. By displaying student work, it sends the message that you value the process of learning, not just the products and an inclusive environments showing that all students can be highlighted even if it is not the BEST in the classroom. However, it is important to ask and show respect to the student and ask them if it is ok to place it on the board for all to see. I think it is very encouraging, boosts confidence, and gives them a sense of belonging in the classroom by highlighting their talents for all to see.

Marla, Overall excellent job! What I take away is that teachers can do all sorts of great activities in class, but if they cannot manage a classroom conducive to learning, the activities will not have a meaningful outcome! You can go ahead an upload this as a piece of evidence in your portfolio!

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