Chapter 5 Classroom -level Success Factors

Teaching with Poverty in Mind; Chapter 5

 

In chapter 5 my focus, as I was reading the success factors of a classroom, was the COACH program.  Since I am a coach at RHS I frequently use the strategies of coaching skills to my players to my students in the classroom.  Jensen states that successful schools use an intervention plan to attack the issue of low-SES kids called COACH:  Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children. 

Through my years of teaching I have heard this philosophy of Coaching your students in the classroom as if you coach them through the skills and game preparation as your players.  I think this philosophy of COACHING works mostly because you build a relationship with your players and connect with them in a different way than a teacher’s classroom students.  Coaches have an outcome to compete and win and if not back to the drawing board and see what needs to be worked on.  I think it makes sense to approach your classroom the same way.  Assess your students and see what skills that are mastered and what needs to be worked on to perform at the next level.  Jensen Calls this step-Identifies family-centered priorities & Describes additional learning outcomes.  As a coach I would then use my supports to help the athlete set his goals and objectives.  In the classroom Jensen uses the steps of:  Outlines general supports to be provided for the student, translates priorities into the IEP goals and objectives, Summarize the educational program.  The final outcome of the game philosophy as a coach would be compared to Jensen’s steps of:  Planning team for implementation, Coordinate participation classes, evaluate. 

My biggest reflection would be to attack my classroom as a Coach:  Plan for each student, Action steps for implementation, Assess or outcomes, Retool or advance to next step.  Key role as a teacher would be to make that connection to your students and develop a relationship as a team effort. 

Chapter 4 Schoolwide Success Factors

Chapter 4 reflection

As I compare chapter 4’s suggested programs to help low –SES to Rugby’s District policies I feel in general our district is on the right track in developing their programs.  Chapter 4 divides the approaches into schoolwide and classroom focused strategies.   Our district has implemented policies  towards a schoolwide approach and the staff works toward policies in the classroom to help SES students.

 Jensen uses the acronyms SHARE to take an approach toward providing a positive experience in the school atmosphere.  S-Support of the whole child, I feel our district tries to engage the whole child not just academically but knowing the needs of the child.  As a district we collaborate to address issues concerning all needs of the child.  H=Hard data, Rugby’s district compiles data and I know there is a lot of useful data in our resources.  I’m not sure we have a system to use it.  Data is reported to the staff and we gain knowledge of our students but I think we have room to improve implementing data.  A-Accountability, this approach is one of our districts positive traits.  Staff at rugby holds themselves high in accountability toward providing a positive experience to the students.  Teachers work hard to provide a safe and academically sound experience for their students.   R-Relationship Building is the newest approach our district is focusing on.  I feel this new goal has started out in a positive way and will grow to create a more positive situation for the students of RHS.  E-Enrichment Mind-set, currently this policy is in progress too.  The PLC and engagement goals are steering our classrooms to a more productive mind-set to have our students grow in problem solving.  Enrichment in the classroom is challenging.  Trying to balance the classroom for special needs students and then enriching the minds of the high achievers isn’t easy.  Using our Scope and sequence plans and I can statements will help us as a staff to reach this goal.

I feel our district is doing positive policies to address the low –SES students, but I feel there still is a lot of growth needed.  The biggest challenge will be to communicate with the resources of the community to provide special services the student needs.  A teacher cannot be trained to provide these special services a low-SES student may need.  To incorporate a full SHARE approach more resources from social services, doctors, counselors, nurses and psychologists will need to collaborate with schools like rural Rugby.