TYLER, TX–(Marketwire – Oct 12, 2011) – Teachers have challenges instructing students regardless of grade level, subject matter, native language, socioeconomic background, or learning abilities. Teaching strategies research by Mentoring Minds shows that these and other factors contribute to the success of a classroom’s learning environment and that teachers often have the power to counteract negative effects of different classroom challenges and obstacles to widespread learning among students. Research indicates that teachers are most often the greatest factor influencing student achievement (Wright, Horn, and Sanders 1997).

By utilizing teaching strategies from Mentoring Minds that are backed by research and years of experience in education, teachers have greater chances for success with managing their classroom and teaching to their students. Mentoring Minds aims to empower teachers and other educators in all instructional settings and provide teaching tools that enable them to reach their students and witness great accomplishments.

There are many different tacks to take when approaching a barrier in the classroom, from humor and storytelling to group exercises and visual engagement. Some research by Emmer, Evertson and Anderson (1980) suggests that elementary and secondary teachers who implement behavior management tactics from the very first day of class in a new school year have a greater chance of maintaining that order. Ornstein and Levin (1981) suggest that distracting materials in a classroom can decrease attention and increase disruptions; so removing these superfluous items may increase student attention and decrease the likelihood of disruptions.

All of Mentoring Minds’ products are held up by research that is cited on its website. While using a product like the Math Essentials or Spanish Card Set, teachers can pinpoint the exact studies that led to the creation and implementation of these teaching tools. By providing the research used for development of its teaching strategies, Mentoring Minds both assures its customers of the validity of its product as well as invites them to do further research if the topics are particularly interesting to them. Reading about the studies and papers that back up a product like Writing Round-Up or Critical Thinking Flip Chart may incite further curiosity in the teacher or administrator, and lead to more reading or use of other Mentoring Minds products. This creates an overall well-informed approach to the classroom environment, whether the main issues challenging a teacher are bullying, time management, development of critical thinking skills, manners, or other essential classroom topics.

Mentoring Minds is dedicated to helping educators and parents enhance the educational experience for all children. Please contact us concerning bulk pricing, purchase order processing, RtI Institutes, or any other issue. We are here to help you!

Social networking sites like Google+ present powerful classroom opportunities, but they are also designed to create hierarchies.

“Let’s face it, [The Social Network] presented [Mark Zuckerberg] as a relentless bully with a computer instead of muscles. It also made Facebook’s creation seem like a ploy to get back at a girl, rather than the simple desire to create.” – Mike Eisenberg, ScreenRant

True or not, the portrayal of the intentions behind the creation of Facebook-style social networking will seem logical to those who work among adolescents. The power to “friend” and “unfriend,” to draw groups which include and exclude, is a difficult thing to resist, online or off, for people who have very little power over any other part of their lives.

And so I thought about bullying as I began to use Google+ over the last few weeks. I thought about it every time I dragged a name into one circle or another, or chose not to do that at all. I thought about it when I left a trail of who I’d been “hanging out” with. I thought about it as I watched post after post in the Google+ “stream” discuss how “game-changing” this social network was, as opposed to those used “by others,” Twitter, and especially Facebook. This peaked with a video clip of a menacing Google+ pushing a smaller Twitter to attack Facebook.

We know about bullying, don’t we? And we know about school environments supporting bullying? Or do we? I sometimes show a clip of Lord of the Flies to teachers and administrators. I ask, “Who dressed ‘the choir’? Who told ‘the choir’ they were special?” Of course ‘The Choir” in that book and film is the ultimate “Circle.” It includes and excludes. It conveys status to its members and creates stress for its non-members — an extreme but illustrative case.

We also know, from research around the world, that when asked about bullying, adults in the school give themselves much higher marks for anti-bullying intervention and effectiveness than students give those same adults. And we know that starting from about age 11, or the entrance to secondary education, “that physical bullying declines with age but . . . other forms increase . . . when children experience puberty and change schools (Berger 2007, p. 95).

The Power to Circle

I asked, on Google+, “Who will create your students’ circles? You? Them? Can you foresee any problems?” and I got a quick response from Sam Harrelson, a North Carolina Middle School Teacher:

“No, of course not . . . I don’t create my student’s friends so why would I create their circles? I would create my own set for sharing info, materials with them, parents, colleagues, etc. but it would be up to them to create their own circles (good modeling and respect for human capacities go a long way in my/our classroom). [T]here could be problems but what social system/playground/classroom/space doesn’t have the possibility for problems?”

I am not picking on Mr. Harrelson, nor am I against social networking. I am a true believer in the potential of the fully, and globally networked student, at every age. I have watched students in every grade truly gain from the use of Twitter, TodaysMeet, Skype, shared Google Docs, and more. Yet I worry about how we introduce tools which are designed with the intent to divide.

It isn’t just online social networking. I worry about honor rolls, I worry about the way certain athletes are treated by adults in the school and community. I worry about schools where age offers special statuses. And I worry about our – as educators — too common status as “bystanders” — as people not actively “defending” those excluded.

“If no one sits near a particular child in the school cafeteria, all the classmates are bullies” (Berger 2007, p. 95). What action do you, as an educator, take in that situation? If a student finds him or herself outside the preferred Circles in your classroom Google+, what will you do? With limits on the number of students who can attend the video “hangouts,” how will you handle this? “defending” those excluded.

Why do I ask? Because I’ve already watched teachers feeling offended on Google+. “Why wasn’t I invited to that hangout?” “Why aren’t I in that Circle?” As with our experience with Facebook recently, and before that MySpace, we see the possibility, or really the likelihood, of social stratification.

New Technologies Have Pitfalls

We, who embrace and see the great possibilities in new technologies often overlook the pitfalls which should, by now, be apparent to us. All technologies give and take. Gutenberg spread literacy, but he also spread linear storytelling and destroyed many of Europe’s languages. The telegraph moved news rapidly but condensed speech and no punctuation led to many misunderstandings. Social networking links us together, but the inherent structures can enforce the kinds of barriers we most hope to remove. As danah boyd said in 2007 of the MySpace/Facebook divide, “Who goes where gets kinda sticky . . . probably because it seems to primarily have to do with socio-economic class.”

It seems important that this stratification at least not happen on our watch, as so much else does. A 1993 Toronto study found that twice as many students found themselves bullied in “supervised settings” — classrooms and corridors — as elsewhere (Pepler, Craig, Ziegler, and Charach, 1993). I have argued that school environments — your hallways, time schedules, facilities usage — even the ways in which we “teach” a book like Lord of the Flies, tend to, if not encourage bullying, fail to discourage it.

Now I am arguing that as we bring these new forms of global, digital social networking into our classrooms, that we do so with care and forethought. That we do so with plans in mind to support the kind of academic open networking we desire, rather than let these new places become as unsafe for many children as much of our built school environments have become.

Circles have no sides, except inside and outside. And the students in your classrooms will be on one side or the other.

Source: Edutopia.org/Ira Socol’s blog, August 1, 2011

Ira Socol is a graduate research and teaching assistant at Michigan State University. He also blogs at SpeEd Change.

The Response to Intervention Flip Chart is a resource that offers information and strategies to implement tiered instruction effectively. This flip chart assists teachers in implementing academic, behavioral, and instructional strategies to ensure student success.

“Mentoring Minds’ RtI Flip Chart is the best one [RtI] resource. It has been really helpful in meetings, planning and documentation.”  - S. Mills, Higgins Intermediate School

Mentoring Minds has created a PowerPoint presentation to provide you with more information about our RtI Strategies Flip Chart.

If you have any questions regarding the product or the presentation please feel free to submit them by filling out our “Ask an Educator” form or by calling 800.585.5258.

Click Here to Download the RtI Flip Chart Presentation.

Roger Maris offered this view of planning: “You win not by chance, but by preparation.”  Too often, we believe that planning for the school year only occurs in the days and weeks before school begins. While that is certainly true for many things, planning is more a means to an end than an end in itself. Planning should be a dynamic process for school administrators. Consider using one or more of these effective planning strategies to ensure a successful school year:

Administrative Team Meetings –set aside a regular time each week to meet with your administrative team. This team may include the assistant principal(s), counselor(s), instructional or curriculum specialists, or other campus staff in administrative or quasiadministrative positions. Provide each member of the team with a notebook in which you place copies of a weekly agenda. The agenda might include such items as:

• reviewing each team member’s weekly and/or monthly calendar to determine which staff members will be away from campus, involved in scheduled meetings, working with grade level or subject area teams, etc. This provides the campus administrator with an overview of where each member of your team will be as well as insuring that critical areas have appropriate coverage.
• discussing current student and/or parent concerns. Different team members may have pertinent information to share with the team. This gives the team the opportunity to suggest strategies for dealing with these concerns and to identify appropriate staff to address them.
• reviewing upcoming campus projects such as fund raisers, field trips, PTA meetings, programs, athletic events, etc. This makes each member of the administrative team aware of the projects for which their assistance may be needed.
• discussing upcoming and ongoing staff development and planning for the next staff meeting. Each member of the administrative team may assist you in planning for effective and efficient staff meetings.

Weekly Bulletins and Monthly Calendars –many items, particularly those of a routine nature, can be handled with a regular weekly bulletin or “Monday Morning Memo,” thus saving valuable staff meeting time for scheduled staff development topics. The format need not be elaborate, but be certain to include “pats on the back” for staff members who have gone the extra mile. In addition, a weekly or monthly calendar keeps all staff mindful of important dates and events.

Scheduled Staff Meetings –make staff meetings more productive by planning scheduled topics on a revolving basis. For example, if your campus staff meetings are regularly held on Wednesdays, have a different topic for each Wednesday of the six weeks. The first Wednesday could always provide training on a technology topic; the second Wednesday might be reserved to review data from campus/district assessments; the third Wednesday might be reserved for vertical team meetings; the fourth Wednesday could be reserved for training on special topics; the fifth week’s topic might be a campus-wide book study. The last Wednesday of each six weeks could be a “free day” where no staff meeting is planned, or where teachers receive a special treat. The dates, times, and topics of staff meetings should be posted well in advance.

Teacher Appraisal Instrument –in the weekly bulletin or as a regular part of staff meetings, review with your staff the teacher appraisal instrument and what types of things you expect to see when visiting classrooms. What is the expectation, for example, for an EE in Domain 2, criterion 9?

Ongoing planning by the campus administrator is just one method of insuring that goals are met and staff morale is high. As Alice discovered when she went through the looking glass:

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice.“That depends a good deal on where you want to get,” said the Cat.“I really don’t care where.” replied Alice.“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” said the Cat.~ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

As you welcome back your staff for the new school year, build time into your professional development plan for fellowship activities. These activities allow new staff to get to know their colleagues and returning staff to reconnect with their peers. Activities that build relationships and establish camaraderie provide a foundation upon which staff will work as they plan, instruct, and collaborate toward the common purpose of academic achievement for all students.

Activities might include:

• Human sorts by characteristics, such as years in education, family members, pets, favorite pastimes, vacation destinations, etc.
• Non-skill games or small group competitions
• Surveys or interview activities where participants gather information about colleagues

When possible, include food, music, and time for relaxation. These staff development activities will certainly set the tone for a year of involvement, community, and success.

Being a campus administrator can be a daunting task, yet a rewarding one. When a school year begins with enthusiasm and an accurate vision, half the task is solved. While no one can truly know the twists and turns in a school year, there is one thing that remains constant in education: high standards in performance. Inspiration in an opening message to faculty can be the key to achieving such expectations. Teaching and learning have no limits when inspiration is an integral part of these processes. The most difficult part is knowing how to inspire others.

Beginning the year with the right words to rally a faculty is essential. Sharing a simple message that guides and inspires teachers and staff is a powerful contributing element to a successful year. How is this achieved? One strategy that has shown evidence of success for “rallying the troops” is using carefully chosen quotations. Quotations can provide a focus and a motivation to staff. These simple, yet powerful words can help teachers understand that they are not alone, that shared responsibility is key, and that their daily instruction will change the future.

In an introductory message to staff, quotations can convey that this year is going to be exciting! Use your words to build morale among faculty, create momentum for the tasks ahead, and set a positive tone for the upcoming year. Explain this is a new year, another opportunity, and we will work to make it successful. Instill the belief that we will succeed. Share, “Our world is changing, and so shall we. If one technique doesn’t work, there are others we can try. We must be willing to seek alternatives to improve instruction and learning, so we grow as the resourceful educators that we are.” A few quotations to focus, motivate, and encourage staff at the onset of the year might be:

• We can’t wait for the storm to pass. We must learn to work in the rain. Peter Silas
• Learning from a teacher who has stopped learning is like drinking from a stagnant pond. Indonesian Proverb
• Teachers are the architects of the future. When they teach one child, they touch future generations forever. Unknown
• Dare to help every child excel, for it is only then when you have dared to be the very best educator you can be. Sylvia Hooker

These quotations may be used in an opening message or during small group discussions. Questions to involve teachers in group conversations might include: What does this mean to me? What can I do to make this happen?

Extend the rallying message throughout the year at meetings. Use quotations in weekly memos, newsletters, meetings, school displays, and assemblies. Categorize topics that relate to overall achievement of the campus goal (e.g., success, teamwork, confidence), and search for quotations that have connections. Remember, quotations can stimulate discussions, provide recognition, lift energy levels, promote team-building, engage conversation, or make a point. In conclusion, quotations ignite staff and students, promote a positive culture, and encourage school spirit. When teachers and students are inspired, great things happen!

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We hope you enjoyed the first part of our two piece hand out on Teaching Creative Thinking (Creative Thinking: Fluency/Flexibility) . Today we are sharing the second part of this presentation,Creative Thinking: Originality/Elaboration. To download the presentation please click on the image below.

A framework lends structure to the critical thinking process. Introduce the skyscraper analogy to lead your staff through the process of developing questions and/or activities based on the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

• Knowledge, the lowest level of critical thinking, is represented by the foundation of the skyscraper. At this level, students recall facts.
• At the next level, Comprehension, students could paraphrase the meaning of a word in the text.
• At the Application level, students might be asked to apply the text to their everyday lives.
• At the Analysis or fourth level, students could use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast parts of the text.
• At the fifth level, Synthesis, students could write a poem or song about the text.
• At the top of the skyscraper or the Evaluation level, students might share their opinions about the text.

Divide staff members into groups of four. Provide each group member with a pre-selected text or short story. Ask each group to use the skyscraper analogy to develop critical thinking questions or activities based on the given text. Monitor and provide feedback during the activity. Allow time for group sharing. Encourage all staff members to use the skyscraper analogy in their content areas and to be prepared to reflect on their experiences during future staff meetings.

Paziotopoulos, Ann and Kroll,Marianne (April 1,2004). Hooked on thinking, The Reading Teacher.

“I have used ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ for several years in my classroom.  It is my strategy for challenging my students with critical thinking and academic excellence.  I have thought many times of functional teaching tools for critical thinking and academic excellence to use in the classroom and to share with my colleagues.  When I saw the Critical Thinking wheel and Critical Thinking flip chart at the Mentoring Minds booth at the 2011 ASCD conference, I thought that’s the exact concept I have had in mind to create for my teaching and my fellow teachers.  It already exists and Mentoring Minds is there to help all of us teach better critical thinking in our classrooms.” -

Pam Lindberg, M.Ed.
English Department Chair, North High Polar

If you would like to share a testimonial with Mentoring Minds please email us at testimonials@mentoringminds.com.

“I have used the Mentoring Minds Testing materials for a while now and we have been very happy with the product. It has been a crucial part of our efforts to prepare students for the [State Standard] test.  I have been so happy with the customer service as well.  They always seem to go out of their way to go that extra mile!  This is how a company should be run!”

Robbye Rusek
Reading Coach at South Waco Elementary

North East Texas Sales Representative, Trenda Trevino Sims, had the exciting opportunity to present Robbye Rusek, Reading Coach at South Waco Elementary, with an iPad last week. Robbye was randomly selected from over 500 Customer Service survey participants to win the iPad from Mentoring Minds. We would like to thank all who participate in our surveys. With your feedback, we continue to improve and grow as a company.