Listening to Students

Excellence in Education: Listening to Students 
 

In July 2002, I took over for a varsity girls basketball team that had finished the previous season with 3 victories. My first order of business was to call the student-athletes. I soon realized the situation was dire. Girl after girl after girl expressed doubt, "I'm not sure I want to play basketball anymore." "I'm not going to play this year. Good luck though." 

Only three varsity players returned. 

X's and O's took a backseat to building a culture of trust. At the first practice--obviously, no cuts were needed--I established my first rule. Whenever you see anybody--it doesn't matter if she's the JV manager or the best varsity player--associated with this team, you must give each other five. It doesn't matter if it's in the hallways, at lunch or at the mall. If I see or hear about this not occurring, we--including me--will all run. We're ONE team. 

I planted a couple of teacher spies throughout the building to help me enforce this rule. Of course, it didn't take long for me to get word of a violation. We began the next practice on the baseline, running several sprints. But soon it became obvious, the team was buying into the rule. 

My second adjustment wasn't as much a rule as a procedure. At the beginning of every practice, I pulled one student-athlete to have a one-to-one conversation with her. We would talk for five minutes about anything BUT basketball. Surprisingly, the girls looked forward to this, "Coach it's my turn today!" 

We finished the season in second place in the district and advanced to regionals where we fell to RE Lee coached by Dan Bonner(1). The program was turning around. 

For the next couple of seasons, our program flourished. But, then we were bumped up into AAA (there were only three divisions then) and to make matters worse, it was a talent-rich district. While keeping the high-five rule, which had morphed into fist bumps, I eventually disbanded the 5-minute chat. I reasoned: first, I know these girls really well anyway, and secondly, we don't have time to waste; we need to step it up. 

What a mistake! One that I didn't realize until after I left the coaching. 

Everything we do in education starts with relationships. Relationships start with trust. Students need to feel affirmed. We need to build rapport. At the expense of a couple of extra practice minutes, I moved away from acknowledging each student-athlete and validating who they were. To them, I'm sure it seemed as if I was no longer listening or interested. 
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These little chats built camaraderie, a deeper connection and empathetic understanding between the student-athlete and me. After years of success, I don't know how I failed to understand this. As a coach, winning was never my top priority, yet I sacrificed one of the most valuable tools with the logic that those five minutes on the basketball floor were more important. 

Thinking back upon this, I wondered how often I put "learning" ahead of relationships in my classroom?  

How can we build relationships and foster trust with our students? 

Some ideas:

1. Greet students at the door with personalized questions. 
2. When you wander around the room as students work individually, get down to their level and ask, "How are you doing?" "What's good in your life?" 
3. For a challenging student try Mendler's 2x10 approach 
4. Share personal stories and anecdotes with students when it's germane and proper. Let students into your world.
5. Individually or as a class, celebrate student accomplishments (both academic and non-academic).
6. Find time for cooperative work in your class. 
7. Find time for fun. Instead of grouping by counting off, challenge students to group themselves by something they have in common associated with pizza, for example. Or when assigning roles, have students answer a question on a scale to determine who should take what role. For example, on a scale of 1-10 how scared are you of the dark? The person with the lowest score, takes role 1.    

What are some ways you listen to your students? How do you build rapport, trust and relationships with your students? 

(1): Dan Bonner played at UVa, coached the women's team for a couple of years, and is now a broadcaster and it was hearing his voice on a recent broadcast that triggered my memory and eventually this post. 

Need to Knows 

March 14: Student Walk Out to End Gun Violence (more details coming)
  
❗❗ March 15: Faculty Focus Group ❗❗


March 16: Because of SOLs, this will be an A-Day (or because of snow)

March 2 was intended to be used for completion of the school climate survey, but because of school being canceled, this will now be completed on March 27. Because of the middle school visits occurring on this day, we will not have Mustang Morning. 

This is the 2nd part of a brief climate survey. Also students who did not complete the state climate survey (were absent) will be required to complete it. The climate survey consists of 4 questions plus some demographic questions. More information regarding the state survey redo will be forthcoming. 

For the climate survey (all students)

Students, today we are asking you to complete a school climate survey. The data from the survey will be used as part of our school improvement plan to measure how we are meeting the needs of our students and to help us improve. Your voice is important. 

To take the survey, please visit http://bit.ly/StangStudentSurvey  

For students who missed the Virginia Climate Survey: 

This is a statewide survey intended to provide the school, the district and the state with valuable information. Your participation is voluntary. The link for the survey is located on the Monticello website and linked here  The password for the Student Survey is:  WIN428

March 28-29: Midterm Exams for Semester Classes 

March 30: 1/2 Day, this will be a B-Day 

Field Trips and SOLs
March 12: Stallings/English 10 MC Writing
March 13: Stallings/English 10 Writing Prompt
March 15: Warren/English 10 MC Writing
March 16 Warren/English 10 Writing Prompt 
March 19: Yachim/English 10 MC Writing
March 20: Yachim/English 10 Writing Prompt 

March 20: English Field Trip-Shakespeare (seniors)
 
March 21: Streit/English 10 Multiple Choice
March 22: Streit/English 10 Writing Prompt 
 

Birthdays

March 12: Jenn Meade  
March 16: Dean Eliason 

Useful Information

Nominations for student and teacher recognition: Due March 14, 2pm

LEAD February Newsletter Link Digital Learning Day

Activity Period Calendar : No activity period this Friday

Technology / Website Permission Request Form Please use this form to request use of a website or any resource that requires student log-in if the site is not already on the approved list. DART approved list

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm Please be sure to have announcements cued and ready to go at 8:55 every morning.

Announcement Request: http://tinyurl.com/requestannouncement

Teacher Handbook 

Link to Athletic calendar, schedules and rosters

Worth Your Time

After Decades of Pushing Bachelor's Degrees, US Needs More Tradespeople 

Why Finland is Breaking Down Barriers, Literally

Making the Most of a 90-Minute Block

 

 

Bell Schedules

March 27, 2018 Extended 1st block for survey completion

“0” Period (7:40 – 8:40)

1st Period (8:55-10:25) 10:25-11:05 Survey Completion To take the survey, please visit http://bit.ly/StangStudentSurvey    For students and staff who did not complete the Virginia School Climate Survey, we are asking for you to complete it today. The link for the survey is located on the Monticello website and linked here  The password for the Student Survey is:  WIN428

2nd Period 11:10-1:00 Lunch Class 1st: 11:05-11:35 11:40-1:00 2nd: 11:50-12:15 11:10-11:50 and 12:20-1:00 3rd: 12:30-1:00 11:10-12:30

3rd Period 1:05-2:25

4th Period 2:30-3:50

 

Friday Schedule with Long Lunch A-Day January 12, January 26, February 16, March 16

“0” Period (7:40 – 8:40)

1st Period 8:55-10:15

Mustang Morning 10:20-10:55

2nd Period 11:00-1:00 Lunch Class 1st: 10:55-11:35 11:40-1:00 2nd: 12:20-1:00 11:00-12:20

3rd Period 1:05-2:25

4th Period 2:30-3:50

March 30 ½ Day Bell Schedule

8:55-9:45	1B
9:50-10:35	2B
10:40-11:25	3B
11:30-12:50	4B Lunch Class Lunch 1 11:25-11:55 12:00-12:50 English, Social Studies, Fine Arts Lunch 2 11:55-12:25 11:30-11:55 and 12:25-12:50 Math, CTE, World Language Lunch 3 12:25-12:50 11:30-12:25 Health/PE, Special Education, Science

Lunches

1st	2nd	3rd
Baber Deegan Demitry Eliason Mound Shephard Smith Stallings Streit Warren Yachim Ayres Huneycutt Rocco Garland Stott	Allen Boyce Flaherty Harveycutter Lantz Parsons Remchuk Robbins Brown, D Easton McClung Meade Trent Frazier Kai Keith Morales Thomas	Brown, R Price-Thomas Sabo Miller Stillerman Clark Irving Parks Rowanhill Stanek Strickland Waters Ye