Category: Character

Student-Led Conferences: Fostering Students’ Ownership of Their Academic Character

6/12/2015

By: Bill Day, Math Teacher; Mary Gornick, Business Manager; Bethany Jenkins, Third Grade Teacher; and Treena Wynter, Assistant Teacher

As teachers, we have the peculiar task of making ourselves unnecessary. When students enter our classrooms, they need our help to meet grade-level goals. When students ultimately leave our classrooms, they will have achieved independence on these goals and can reliably meet the expectation without teacher assistance. Some of these goals are content related, such as creating mathematical representations or writing effectively. These goals may be assessed through written quizzes or problem-based assessments. Other goals pertain to the academic character of our student, such as working hard or cooperating with others. These goals are tremendously important to the growth of students into compassionate, responsible adults, yet they are tricky to assess.

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Using Data with Students to Foster a Growth Mindset

5/27/2015

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By: Edline Blot, 1st Grade Teacher; Kirstyn Fletcher, Assistant Teacher; Rossana Mahvi, Assistant Principal; and Erica Marcus, English Teacher

“...typically we limit our vision of who can productively use data: school leaders, coaches, and teachers. Students are left out. When students are equipped to analyze data for their own learning...the power of data as an engine for growth is centered where it has the greatest potential to improve learning- with students” (Berger, 2014, 95-96).
Using data with students is crucial for building a growth mindset in students and ultimately enhancing their growth as learners. Growth mindset is the belief that intelligence can be developed through effort, practice, and hard work. It puts the emphasis on working hard and teaches students to value effort and embrace challenges. This stands in stark contrast to a “fixed mindset,” in which students believe their traits are set in stone and they have no control over their performance. In this framework, it’s born intelligence and out of their hands (Dweck, 2009). Developing a growth mindset isn’t just about feel-good fluffy stuff. Ultimately, the kind of mindset students have directly translates into classroom and academic success. Carol Dweck, a professor of Psychology at Stanford University (2013) found that seventh grade students with a fixed mindset saw their math scores fall over two years, while those with a growth mindset rose during that same period. It is critical that students are supported in developing this belief system, both for their personal and academic growth.

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Embracing the Challenge: Cultivating a Growth Mindset at Home and at School

5/8/2015

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By: Jesse Martindale, Assistant Teacher; Maggie Bello, Chief Academic Officer; Lesley Riddick, Special Education Teacher; and Erika Delgado, Spanish Teacher

In 167 AD the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius drafted a now notorious text on what could easily be described as a promotional piece for the growth mindset. Among this piece entitled, The Meditations, he wrote, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Aurelius believed that when one accepts an obstacle instead of avoiding it then they position themselves to benefit in a far more meaningful way. This seemingly simple concept is increasingly relevant in modern times. It’s known as the growth mindset and many are adopting it in schools and educational communities across the world, and with good reason. The psychological research supporting the growth mindset is advancing, but even more exciting are the results in classrooms when it is put into action. At Two Rivers Public Charter school we act intentionally in order to cultivate a growth mindset in our students.

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Creating a Culture of Grappling: Building Perseverance and Emotional Stamina in All Students

3/12/2015

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By: Caroline Mwendwa-Baker, Elementary School Principal; Penny Perrott, Physical Education Teacher; and Anya Rosenberg, Assistant Teacher

It’s Wednesday morning on a crisp day in early November and students in the Fourth Grade are getting ready for their weekly problem-based task in morning math. The students begin in a whole group lesson to go over the complex math problem together. Ms. Jessica, the class’ lead teacher, begins by reading the problem out-loud as students follow along and underline words and phrases that stand out to them. Once a basic level of understanding of the problem is reached, students spend five minutes of independent think time to fill out a Know/Wonder/Ideas (KWI) graphic organizer to share what they know about the problem, what they wonder about the problem, and any ideas they have for how to solve it. Students then come together as a class and share their ideas to reach a deeper collective understanding. When students share their ideas, Ms. Jessica, the class’ lead teacher, gives value to every students’ observations and summarizes their ideas to fit in the know/wonder/idea structure, physically filling out a large scale KWI on a chart paper at the front of the class. This whole group lesson establishes clear and explicit structures and expectations for how to approach the problem, such as the expectation that every student create a clear model of their thinking. By making the expectations and guidelines clear, students are set-up to grapple at a level that challenges their current understanding but won’t leave them frustrated. The whole class KWI is created within the first 10 minutes of the lesson, and it remains at the front of the class for students to reference as they delve into their independent work. Minimal guidance about how to solve the problem is given, but many ideas are proposed and discussed. Once in partnerships, the students begin to work through the problem together. Using powerful language to express their thinking, students own their opinions and defend their approaches, but are malleable with their thinking so that they can grapple and engage in the challenging work together.

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2, 4, 6, 8: Social Learning by the Numbers

10/18/2013

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By: Jeff Heyck-Williams

At Two Rivers, we often say that social learning is just as important as academic learning. This isn't just talk. We believe that time spent teaching our students about how they can effectively interact and the personal skills needed to persevere and thrive in their work is just as important as the time we spend teaching them academic content. In the world of high stakes academic testing and accountability, focusing on social learning can seem counterintuitive. After all, you only have so much time to cover all of the things that kids need to know. However, we have seen over and over again that an investment in a child's social skills has payoffs far wider than a single test score. Students who have developed habits of perseverance, commitment, responsibility, and productive collaboration are more successful in and outside of the classroom.

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Welcome to our blog

Student-Led Conferences: Fostering Students’ Ownership of Their Academic Character

Using Data with Students to Foster a Growth Mindset

Embracing the Challenge: Cultivating a Growth Mindset at Home and at School

Creating a Culture of Grappling: Building Perseverance and Emotional Stamina in All Students

2, 4, 6, 8: Social Learning by the Numbers

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Main Contributors

Categories

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Welcome to our blog

Student-Led Conferences: Fostering Students’ Ownership of Their Academic Character

Using Data with Students to Foster a Growth Mindset

Embracing the Challenge: Cultivating a Growth Mindset at Home and at School

Creating a Culture of Grappling: Building Perseverance and Emotional Stamina in All Students

2, 4, 6, 8: Social Learning by the Numbers

Archives

Main Contributors

Categories

Welcome to our blog