Merit Pay

Just read Jay Matthews recent article about merit pay.

It is possible that promoting individual superstars will continue to create division - especially the concept of professionalism seems strangely foreign to some teachers. In my schools we use flexible instrucitonal groups as part of our instruction model. Students are assessed and several times throughout the year and grouped according to need for Reading and/or Math. This greatly narrows the range of needs in an individual classroom and allows the classroom teacher to focus on the specific needs of the students. A single student may work with all 3 grade level teachers by then end of the school year. This is particularly the case with ELL students during Reading, but also occurs with many students that come to us with weaknesses in math.

Since this model already has teachers looking at data and working with all students in a grade level we can easily implement a system of merit pay based on the growth of a grade level cohort of students.Flexible grouping and the movement of a student through different classrooms makes it nearly impossible to attribute their year end growth to one particular teacher, we should be rewarding the team for the growth. Rewarding the group efforts promotes meaningful conversation among grade level teams as opposed to creating situations where resentment or bitterness can arise. It creates a team that is in it together, that draws on the strengths of every member and seeks to support the weaknesses of each individual. We still need to look at data, we need to set high expectations and richly reward those that meet and exceed our expectations, we just need to structure this so that it is a team working together toward these goals and not separate superstar individuals.

Given the traditional teacher turnover the focus on collaborative rewards also makes sense. It is difficult to replace an individual superstar. A void will be left behind. The knowledge, charisma, and expertise will have left the school and be replaced by whatever the new teacher can bring. A strong team can more easily take on a new team member and continue to move forward with strength. The group will retain much of the knowledge and expertise that was absorbed during their time with a superstar making each individual stronger, and giving the new team member support and guidance. The grade level culture endures and does not hinge on the presence of the superstar. It may be slightly diminished but it does not vanish.

What does a rabbit have to do with classroom management?

A few months ago about I wrote about using Pixar's short film Lifted as a launching point for discussions about feedback to students. I'll continue this thread with Pixar's most recent short, Presto.

The first time I watched it, I laughed. It's got all the attributes of a classic comedy cartoon. The third time I watched I was reminded of many middle school classrooms that I've been in. If you've taught in middle school you've had that rabbit in your classroom. It's that students that will do anything to derail your lesson. What really got me thinking about this was that we see from the beginning that all the rabbit wants is a carrot. It's something so simple, so effortless, and yet so necessary. However, since Presto is so caught up in doing his lesson show, he can't take the time to give the rabbit a carrot. If you've seen this short you know what the consequences are.

After showing this short we discuss the root, no pun intended, of the conflict. Everyone agrees that it's all about the carrot. I then ask teachers to think of a student in their classroom right now that's as disruptive as that rabbit. After a few chuckles and whispers of names under their breath, many will agree that they currently have or have had a student in the past like that. Then I ask - what did you do to give them their carrot?

What if schools were as efficient as FedEx or UPS?

On the surface it's an easy laugh, but beneath that lies a much larger question. Is a package more valuable than a child? Do schools make student attendance as much a priority as FedEx or UPS do for on-time delivery? Should they? Do businesses have models for efficiency that schools don't replicate?

Something to think about.

Teachers as Professionals

I picked up a copy of Clay Shirky's book "Here Comes Everybody" from the library this weekend.
During the past year I have been running across references and excerpts from this book in articles and blogs. I saw it mentioned again in the most recent copy of Educational Leadership.

I'm only a little way into the book, but there was one thing that I had to throw out there for contemplation. On page 58 Shirky paraphrases a definition of professional UCLA sociologist James Q. Wilson presented in his book Bureaucracy. Shirky's paraphrase is: "a professional learns things in a way that differentiates her from most of the populace, and she pays as much or more attention to the judgment of her peers as to the judgment of her customers when figuring out how to do her job."

Journalists value the Pulitzer Prize, and actors the Oscar and Screen Actor's Guild awards because they are selected by their peers. The opinions of their peers are greatly valued. How do we create this same culture of professionalism among teachers? What would need to change about how teachers interact with each other to create mutual respect and admiration for each other's craft?

Pixar and Pedagogy Part 1

Before their domination of the box office with their feature films, Pixar made a name for themselves with their short films. Fortunately they have continued their tradition of making top-notch animated shorts. Due to their short duration these films make great openers for discussions at staff meetings or grade level meetings.

If you saw Ratatouille in the theater or own it on DVD you most likely have seen the short film Lifted. Of all the Pixar shorts this is the easiest to set as the center of discussion about instruction and assessment. The tagline for the short tells you everything you need to know: Failure is an option.

Before viewing the short I usually set the stage with a brief introduction to the short. I state that we are about to view an assessment of student performance, and that we should take notes on the types of feedback the student receives.

As soon as it starts you can tell who has already seen it. There are chuckles and titters since they know what's coming. However, this is soon replaced by silent scrutiny as they begin to look at this not as something lighthearted and entertaining, but as a comment on instructional practice and student assessment.

After viewing Lifted, we discuss the types of feedback the student received, whether or not it will help him develop mastery, and what we would have done differently if it were our student.

If you already own Ratatouille on DVD you're all set. If not, Lifted is also available for purchase as a short film from for $1.99.

Next up: what does a rabbit have to do with classroom management?