This week’s pillar to developing a culture of achievement is to support students who have fallen behind.  We need to work to keep them from getting farther behind, becoming frustrated or losing motivation.  We need to teach like it’s never too late to learn.  We should not be telling our students that it’s too late for them to make up any of their work or that failure is the only option for them.  If students do not have a chance to pass their classes, what motivation will they have to continue learning?  Schools need to create a plan to help students be successful and support them when they fail.  
       At my school, failure is real and a regular option.  We must assess students throughout the year on their proficiency in learning the grade level content.  We can use a rubric when grading or simple points to percentages, but it doesn’t make too much of a difference.  They can receive a 1 out of 4 on a rubric or they can receive below a 70% on a test, but they know when they have failed.  We have to have a set grading system within our classes because report cards are mandatory.  With our new report cards, students are labeled with either “expected growth” or “needs improvement” two times throughout the year.  These phrases are better than the typical A, B, C, or D grades students used to receive.  However, they do receive these grades at the end of the year and within their classrooms on assessments.  I believe these phrases are an attempt to lift the negativity that can be associated with a letter grade, but most parents interpret the “needs improvement” grades as failing.  
       I am very careful when discussing grades with students.  I never associate good grades with being smart.  I always tell students they can do better on tests if they try a little harder or ask for help.  I tell them I am available to support them if they need it.  However, students come into my class already having an understanding that if they receive a D or F on a test that they are not doing well.  I ask students to get all their tests signed by their parents so parents know how their children are doing, and students can be embarrassed to show their parents their tests.  I’ve noticed it is the parents, not the students, who are more upset about the failing grades.  The blame then ends up on teachers.  With the new common core standards, parents get even more upset because they don’t understand the new ways of teaching and become frustrated that they cannot help.  These are the problems my school faces with failing grades.  It’s not that the students necessarily give up or don’t care, but the parents get upset at the grading and in turn the students see that they are not doing well.  
       With the pressure to get through all the content in a school year, teachers feel pressured to continue moving through the curriculum even when students are not doing well.  This makes it difficult for students to reach competency and it can establish the mentality of “it’s too late to learn” in some classrooms.  For example, if ten students fail the first math test, I fear that teachers write down the students’ grades, and begin teaching the second chapter because they think those students are too far behind and won’t catch up.  I remember my first year of teaching and grading the first math tests.  I went to my colleagues and told them how poorly some of my students did and asked how I could help them.  I remember being told that if those students don’t get it now, they won’t get it, so we just have to move on to the next topic.  I believe this comes mainly from the pressure to get through the content, but something should be done for students who are not reaching competency in certain areas.  
       As a school leader, I would establish either before or after school programs to help support students in the areas where they are struggling.  The problem is, at our school, we have a large majority of students who are not reaching competency.  I would make sure that all teachers are including interventions in their daily lessons to help support students.  Students need to have an opportunity to reach competency and discussing the pillar “It’s Not Too Late to Learn” with my staff would be the first step to moving away from a negative mentality.  I would also love to establish a competency based system, but with the expectations coming down from the district and state level with report cards, I’m not sure that is a plausible goal.  
       Within my classroom I do everything I can to create a recovery plan for students who are failing.  I teach my classes using a rotation model.  I assess the students prior to beginning a new chapter to see what students know about the upcoming chapter.  I then split my class into three groups depending on what they need.  One group of students who need extra support receive two days of intervention and support on background knowledge needed for the upcoming lessons of the new chapter.  This is a recovery plan for these students for the previously learned material that was not mastered.  Another group of students who need extra support, but not as much as the first group, get one day of intervention and support.  The last group of students are the students who are ready for the new chapter because they have mastered the previous content.  I then teach each group their individualize lesson once a day at their current levels.  The students that do not need extra support get to begin the new chapter and are challenged.  The students who need extra support get the specific support they need before beginning the chapter so they are better prepared to learn the new material.  This provides individualized instruction for all students and is a recovery plan for students who did not understand the content the first time we went through it.  I also always make sure I have good relationships with my students and never give up on them.  This is my way of establishing a mentality of “It’s Never Too Late to Learn.”

Here are 5 things I am willing to do this semester that will make my school increase learning opportunities:

1. I will give students the opportunity to retake tests to do better.
   
2. I will continue my rotation model within my classroom to provide a recovery plan for students who did not reach mastery the first time we learned certain topics.
   
3. I will discuss the “It’s Never Too Late to Learn” pillar with my colleagues to help them understand the effects it has on students who fail.
   
4. I will find more collaborative tasks for my students to complete together to allow all students to share their ideas and collectively reach a goal and feel successful.
   
5. I will continue to have good relationships with my students and never give up on a student.
   

       The power of words is incredible.  You can say something once and if it affects the person who you said it to, it can remain in the forefront of their mind for a long time.  This week’s pillar has to do with choosing your words carefully when speaking to others, especially students, and fostering a growth mindset in students.  Teachers have an incredible impact in student’s lives.  No matter how a child acts, they hear everything teachers say about them and internalize it.  Choosing your words when speaking to children, and even adults, needs to be positive and supportive, even when dealing with a negative situation.  You should never make comments towards or about students inferring they cannot change.  It is possible for everyone to change and we need to instill this mindset in students.  Unfortunately, I see teachers not choosing their words wisely quite often.  Sarcasm, negativity, and mean-spirited remarks are directed at students and it is wrong.  I am extremely careful with how I speak to my students and I do not feed into conversations that involve negative comments about students.  
       I’ve always been sensitive.  I take how others act towards me and what they say very seriously and know how hurtful it can be when someone says something that is negative, even if it is said in a joking manner.  Having this disposition makes me more aware of how I act and what I say to my students.  I know it is extremely important to choose my words carefully when speaking to them.  I could be having a bad day, but it does not excuse being sarcastic or mean to a child.  I work to stay positive, upbeat, supportive, and calm in all my interactions.  I am not perfect, and sometimes my frustrations show, but I am quick to correct myself and not take any negative feelings I have out on my students.  
       I have one student this year that requires a lot of support.  She is often talking, making sounds, and being disruptive during class.  She does not respond well to firm confrontation, so I have taken the tactic of calmly and quietly redirecting her behavior.  Sometimes she cannot redirect her behavior on her own, so I ask her to come outside and talk about how I can help.  This small break from the classroom seems to help and when she re-enters she is able to focus on her tasks.  I’m sure she has had many teachers who have yelled, argued, and given her consequences for her behavior.  I decided I was going to be different.  She still has rough days and is not always compliant, but I am very careful to always stay calm and supportive.  I know this is what she needs.  In turn, the students in our class are calm and supportive as well.  
       I strongly believe that students model how their teachers act and if I am calm and respectful to all students, they will act the same way towards each other.  I have seen many teachers use words that are not supportive.  It is extremely difficult to watch.  I’ve seen teachers shame students who aren’t listening, or doing their work.  I’ve seen teachers give out referrals for chewing gum.  I’ve also heard teachers discuss students with a fixed mindset and made negative comments about students within earshot of other students.  I cannot and will not participate in any of these behaviors.  If I were a school leader, I would take time to create a school culture that places importance on choice words. At the beginning of the year I would spend part of a staff meeting discussing the concept of choice words.  I would then ask teachers to be conscious of how they talk to students and each week try to alter one thing they say to be more supportive and positive than what they wanted to say.  I would then ask teachers to share a time they used choice words with students at future staff meetings and the outcomes.  I think the largest factor that needs to be addressed is the teacher’s mindsets.  If teachers are aware of the impact their words have on students, I think it will make a difference in the words they choose to use.  
       I believe I can start using choice words even more than I already do by consciously altering what I am saying to be more supportive.  In order to help my colleagues embrace the same type of mindset, I can share how I talk to my students with them.  This will be informal and I will tell my colleagues just as if I am sharing a story about something that happened that day.  All teachers share stories at lunch about how their day is going.  I am going to make a conscious effort to share my choice words with students and our interactions with my colleagues to help them embrace the concept as well.  If I have a positive, growth mindset when it comes to my students and share my interactions with my colleagues, I will hope that it will make them more aware of their own interactions.  I’ve seen school leaders give a training on growth mindset and give teachers a list of statements they can say to students to be supportive.  This won’t be enough.  As Fisher, et al. states, “it’s not enough to copy a series of statements from a book and say them to students.  It’s really about the beliefs each of us holds and how those beliefs are expressed through our interactions with others.” (Fisher, 2012, p.74).  I want to inspire teachers to believe students are capable of change and doing better than they already do.

Here are 5 things I am willing to do this semester that will make my school choose words wisely:

1. I will always speak in a calm voice when talking to students to set an example of positive teacher-student interactions.
   
2. I will keep my body language open and relaxed when talking to others.
   
3. I will give compliments to students to establish positive relationships and foster growth mindset in my students.
   
4. I will not use sarcasm when giving feedback to students.
   
5. I will not participate in any conversations in which teachers talk negatively about students in a demeaning manner. 
   

Resources
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian. I. (2012). How to Create a Culture of Achievement In

        Your Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.