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5 Ways to Cultivate Creative Thinking

An article in the Pacific Standard (Nov 4th, 2013) discussed how standardized testing is killing our youth’s creative potential in the United States. So, let’s counteract national demands and discuss how to harness and cultivate creativity in our children.Creativity is often thought of as original thought. However, it is more likely a composite of ideas, feelings, and thoughts that we encounter during everyday life. If we examine the great thinkers and producers over time, common characteristics become apparent: 1. Value BrainstormingOftentimes in a...

Inspiring Creativity: Think Outside the Bowl

With the resurgence of testing nationwide, many teachers report that they have to “cover the curriculum” rather than “uncover the curriculum.” With the Common Core Curriculum, parents express feeling exhausted from helping their children with increased homework to meet test expectations. Teachers are pushing to cover as much of the content necessary for their students to pass the state-level exams, sometimes given only 70% into the school year.So, it is not surprising that teachers see a change in their...

The Different Hats We Wear: Coaching, Consulting, Collaborating, and Evaluating

When I first began to incorporate coaching into the classroom, I tried to use as many of the coaching strategies as possible. But because true coaching is about meeting the needs of our students, I realized that I would have to wear different hats at different times to help my students progress. Coaching wasn’t the only role. I had to admit that I was also a consultant, a collaborator, and an evaluator; and with each role, my behavior changed.Coaching...

The A-ha Moment: Principals Using Coaching Techniques for Teacher Evaluation

With more and more schools turning to Charlotte Danielson’s framework, districts are requesting that principals train their staff in understanding her rubrics. The difference between the “proficient” and the “distinguished” columns is the presence of teacher-centered versus student-centered instruction. While this concept is clearly not new, her analysis and blueprint are greatly needed.In years past, teachers anxiously awaited the semi-yearly to yearly observations by their assistant principals or principals. Teachers often expressed that it was similar to driving in a...

Certified Coaches Can Help At-Risk or New Teachers

New York State’s teacher evaluation system has finally arrived and we all recognize that this is a time of transition and a time of opportunity. New York, like other states, is beginning to roll out assessments of teachers. Therefore, it is imperative for schools to consider on-going professional development where certified coaches can work individually and in small groups with new and at-risk teachers. Coaches can help your teachers deliver high-quality educational strategies that will increase their ranking.For over...

COACHing Questions for Cooperative Group Work

For a complete guide to coaching, please see Teachers as Classroom Coaches by Andi Stix, Ed.D. and Frank Hrbek, published by ASCD..The objective of a teacher as coach is to elicit responses that reflect how well cooperative groups or a student is progressing. The questions should be open-ended, probing for as much detail and description as possible. This strategy...

3 Ps + C Model of Coaching

Our book, Teachers as Classroom Coaches, describes in detail ways a teacher can coach her students using the 3Ps + C Model. Here, on our blog, we decided to show an example of how an administrator can use the same strategy with a teacher: The 3Ps + C Model: purpose permission positive suggestion compliment Every principal, especially if we believe that the buck stops at the principal’s desk, as well as all of the teachers and staff, need to establish academic goals that...

Creating Rubrics Through Negotiable Contracting and Assessment

What would happen if students were invited to help decide how their work should be evaluated? Would they exploit the opportunity, designing standards so ridiculously low as to guarantee a glut of effortless good grades?Surprisingly, the answer is no. Experience in Mrs. Martha Polin's class at Robert Wagner Middle School in Manhattan shows that students who are given a role in the assessment process of a mural from a historical novel lesson can and do rise to the occasion....

Students and Teachers Alike Can Benefit from Rubrics

Joyce Kasman Valenza from The Philadelphia Inquirer Interviews Dr. Andi StixDid you ever wonder why your school paper got an 85 when Suzie’s got a 94? Did you ever ask your teacher exactly why? Was the answer a little vague? And did that grading process really help you understand how you might improve your work next time around? and benefit from rubrics?Five years ago, if you had asked me what a rubric was, I would have been puzzled. Now...

The Art of Negotiable Contracting

It may have the sound of being more than it really is, but negotiable contracting is indeed an art. While not immediately evident to the casual observer, it is practiced with a deftness and precision comparable to an artist applying a brushstroke to a canvas. We already know that students perform at higher levels if they have ownership of their work. But the finishing touch to this grand design is to create an atmosphere of achievement and accomplishment where...

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5 Ways to Cultivate Creative Thinking

Inspiring Creativity: Think Outside the Bowl

The Different Hats We Wear: Coaching, Consulting, Collaborating, and Evaluating

The A-ha Moment: Principals Using Coaching Techniques for Teacher Evaluation

Certified Coaches Can Help At-Risk or New Teachers

COACHing Questions for Cooperative Group Work

3 Ps + C Model of Coaching

Creating Rubrics Through Negotiable Contracting and Assessment

Students and Teachers Alike Can Benefit from Rubrics

The Art of Negotiable Contracting

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