Do You Believe in Magic?

Magic? DO YOU BELIEVE IN

Unlocking the magic in the people in your school is the first step to creating real change.

BY JACK HUNTER OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

Magic is defined as influencing the course of events through unusual means. If you followed sports in the 80’s you would remember Earvin “Magic” Johnson doing amazing things on the basketball court. Musical artists have written countless songs depicting the magic in their lives and the lives of others. Magic is everywhere: sports, music, people, and even schools.

What created the “magical growth” in our staff and school community is the change process that follows. This year, we were designated as a School of Momentum by the Ohio Department of Education. It seems like magic that we improved our school from an “F” rated school to a “C” rated school. We are an urban school with a 100% free/reduced lunch population and 76% minority.

Two years ago, I challenged my staff to look at a new math philosophy to change the systematic instruction of students in mathematics. This process was not just one strategy but a plethora of immediate formative assessment practices. We wanted to shift the learning process in mathematics from teacher-directed instruction to the gradual release of teacher control.

Teachers began videotaping their lessons and sharing them with students prior to instruction. This allowed our staff to work at alternative pacing with different learners. It also allowed our educators to be mathematical coaches. Instead of teaching students the teacher’s way of solving the problems, the students were developing their own

strategies with the guidance of an educator. We noticed that through this process, students began to remember more of what they learned and were able to apply it on assessments.

The magic of this model entailed embedding John Hattie’s highest effect size practice into the classroom. We chose to focus on the most applicable practice for immediate student growth, which was the self-reporting of student grades. The Instructional Model of Mastery in Mathematics (IM3) model that was created embedded John Hattie’s self-reporting of grades strategy, organically. This required very little professional development, as we were not looking to change our teachers’ styles. We were changing our mindset and content delivery. Through the creation of IM3, both students and teachers were beginning to experience the magic!

Magic must also come from the administrator. The climate and the culture of a building starts with you, the administrator. You set the tone each and every day. You influence the mood of teachers and students prior to them attending class. You have the magic to improve your culture by your actions. Students will behave and culture will change when they believe you advocate for them. Behavior improves when students know that YOU care. You can improve your school just by focusing on mentorship and advocacy for students. Teachers also need support in behavior management and modification, as it is something that must be done frequently and consistently with your support. Anytime you are asking your staff

“Disruptive innovation must occur in education for the status quo to be challenged.”

to make a systemic change in instruction, you need to be present through the process and support the needs of the staff. This was a critical first step in changing our entire building’s philosophy on student-led learning.

Author Simon Sinek said, “If a movement is to have an impact it must belong to those who join it, not just those who lead it.” I was ready to move the school forward, and I knew that I needed staff support. The climate and culture of the school was ready for the model. Improve your staff culture and morale by celebrating your teachers and their achievements in genuine ways. In my book, Five Phases of Successful Urban Leadership, I discuss numerous ways to celebrate educators and create more buy-in for new initiatives.

One way to improve staff morale is to share leadership. Nothing creates staff cohesion better than having teacher leaders as a part of the process. After ingraining shared leadership in my thought process, I would then share all decisions with my teacher leaders. This empowers teachers to discuss and debate new initiatives to ensure we were doing what was best for all stakeholders. Using shared leadership, I was able to ask staff to implement a new model with fidelity in the middle grades.

When I mentor principals, I emphatically state anything that changes and impacts student achievement or safety is a decision you need to cast quickly. Let your teacher leaders make the decisions that are best for the school. If you allow teacher leaders to make decisions, it builds your staff leadership capacity immensely and creates more advocates for the mission of driving student achievement.

Some of the magic lies in the design I use to support my educators:

1. Reach out to local business communities and solicit volunteers. You want volunteers to come to your school on a weekly basis and work with your students who struggle, as well as with your high achieving students. Every time an adult volunteer comes to your building and works with a child, the child has an advocate and mentor. That is 30-45 minutes of individual attention spent on that child. Imagine if you had 20 volunteers each week! Through hard work and networking, we have over 50 volunteers who come weekly or biweekly to support the magic of learning in the classroom.

2. Parent engagement is a key component of school success. Parent events should occur on a monthly basis and should be educational. One of the key magical moments we had was when we conducted a book study with 4th through 7th grade girls and their parents. We read and discussed the book Girls Without Limits by Dr. Lisa Hinkelman. This created a shared discussion and became a change event for parents and their students.

magic through monthly engineering design projects that impact the community. For example, we conduct recycling, food waste/reduction, paper towel waste, milk waste, senior citizen projects, etc. Make sure to let district personnel, school board members, and local news media know what exciting events are happening at your school.

4. Support your educators! Remove minutia from their plate so they can use their magic in the classroom. Every educator went to school to impact students, not to do meaningless paperwork that could be completed by a volunteer or support personnel. Teaching doesn’t burn teachers out, behavior and non-teaching items do. When you have teachers with that magical touch, support them and ensure they have every tool they need. Walkthroughs, discussions with students, and parent conversations all support the educator and allow more student achievement to occur.

How did I find my why or magic to lead this new initiative? I have always had a passion for helping children, as well as a love of mathematics. As I was reading Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life and John Maxwell’s numerous leadership books, it occurred to me that I had the skill set and hardworking aptitude that would impact students. I knew if I took the same vigor I did in the business world and worked with urban children through collaboration, the status quo could be changed. I would wake up in the morning and think of a powerful John Maxwell

Disruptive innovation must occur in education for the status quo to be challenged. We are striving each minute of every day to improve the lives of all students. The goal has not been reached, but we are moving closer to the goal line, which is magic in and of itself!

Jack Hunter and his amazing staff instruct daily at Chase STEMM Academy in Toledo, Ohio. They have presented around the tristate area and Hunter has been a keynote conference speaker on Urban Leadership and currently mentors numerous Urban Leaders. If you are interested in visiting the school or learning more about the IM3 model, publications are available on his website or Amazon.com. Be sure to look for his books The Five Phases of Successful Urban Leadership and Mastery-Based Learning in Mathematics which was co-authored with one of his amazing educators. Jack can be contacted via email at jackh5057@gmail.com or via Twitter at @principaljack. He will be presenting “Closing Gaps Using the Ohio Improvement Process and Mastery Process” as a clinic topic at the 62nd Annual Professional Conference and Trade Show on Thursday, June 13, from 1:40–2:25pm.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Lisa Hinkelman will serve as a keynote speaker at OAESA’s new event, ELEVATE: Women on the Rise, March 4-5, 2020 in Dublin, Ohio. For more information on this exciting new event, please see page 29.

Open the Pathway to Success for Every Student i-Ready sets each student on an individualized learning path, delivering online lessons that work hand in hand with teacher-led instruction to accelerate student growth.

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