Concluding Thoughts

outcomes. If you care most about middle grades classrooms, you might be interested in the work being done by Paul Cancellieri, who uses exemplars and single-point rubrics (chapter 2) to help students better understand the expectations for important assignments and to better evaluate their own final products. And if you care most about high school classrooms, you might be interested in the work being done by the teachers at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, who guide their students through “six-week grade checkins” (chapter 4) that are carefully designed to turn grades earned into information that students can act on to improve their own performance. You Can Learn! is filled with examples that highlight the strategies teachers across the K–12 spectrum are using to integrate student self-efficacy into their instruction.

Concluding Thoughts

Since the early 2000s, researchers (Bandura, 2009; Hattie & Clarke, 2019; Hattie, 2009; Wolf, 2007) have proven that self-efficacy “can be measured, can be influenced, and most importantly, correlates with the actual probability of success in tasks that require motivation and persistence” (Wolf, 2007). Our hope is that this book will help teams to positively influence the key factors that impact a student’s efficacy judgements—and by doing so, increase the probability of success of every student in their care.

1

Building a Commitment to Learning in Students

Tim Brown, coauthor of this book, once served as the principal of Campbell Elementary School in Springfield, Missouri. As principal, Tim started every school year with what he called a “challenge assembly.” Challenge assemblies, built around the theme the faculty set for the year, were designed to reinforce the school’s mission, vision, values, and goals. Tim’s favorite challenge assembly theme was “Let’s Build a Brighter Tomorrow Together, One Brick at a Time.” On the first day of the school year, Tim showed up to the challenge assembly dressed in a hard hat and wearing a tool belt. He went on to introduce the yearly theme to both the staff and students using a modified version of the opening music to the Bob the Builder children’s television show that included both the name and mascot of the school. Some of the lyrics follow.

Campbell Cougars, can we build it? Campbell Cougars, yes we can! We are the Cougars, and we are the best. We are the Cougars, and we won’t rest. Working together we get learning done. Working together we make learning fun. Campbell Cougars, can we build it? Campbell Cougars, YES WE CAN!

When they finished singing, Tim asked the student body to think about the things that a builder would need to create a solid structure. After taking several answers from students, such as tools, wood, windows, and workers, Tim shared that one of the first things a builder needs is a vision of what the project will look like when it is finished. “If you aren’t sure of what your final structure is going to look like before you start building,” he reminded the students, “you won’t be able to make the right plans or take the right steps to make your vision become a reality.”

Tim then shared his vision of what Campbell Elementary would look like by the end of the year. He wanted everyone in the community—parents, visitors, substitute teachers—to see Campbell Elementary as a school with high expectations that provides a respectful environment for all students. That was a commitment that both he and his teachers were willing to make to their students.

Tim went on to explain that he also wanted Campbell Elementary to be known as a school that changed lives. In a school that changes lives, he explained, teachers design lessons that help students master essential outcomes and work to ensure that every student feels recognized and appreciated. In a school that changes lives, students lean into every lesson, giving their best effort no matter how challenging new tasks and content seem. They also go out of their way to show empathy and support to their peers. Finally, in a school that changes lives, parents, principals, and paraprofessionals do all they can to support student learning. They keep everyone safe, make sure everyone has the supplies needed to learn at the highest levels, and solve all the little problems that come up daily in the building. Each of these actions, Tim explained, are like the bricks in their building—providing structure for their efforts to change lives—and everyone in the school’s community could contribute to their school’s goal by following through on their promises to one another each and every day.