Lee County Math Teachers

The Ten Root Causes of Educational Frustration Information brought to you by Lee Jenkins, Ph. D

Focus of Presentation Identifying the ten root causes for educational frustration.Identifying the ten root causes for educational frustration. Presenting effective strategies for increased learning.Presenting effective strategies for increased learning. Setting high standards while maintaining high success rates.Setting high standards while maintaining high success rates.

Examples of Failed Strategies! FearFear Embarrassment Embarrassment Ranking Ranking I ncentives I ncentives

Hope comes from… Understanding the root causes of educational frustration andUnderstanding the root causes of educational frustration and Having solutionsHaving solutions to these to these frustrations. frustrations.

Root Causes and The Jefferson Memorial Ask “why” at least 5 times to search out the root causes.

Beginning with first grade spelling, students know they have permission to forget – sometimes after the quiz, but almost always at the end of the year. 1. Permission to Forget™

The Cost of Giving Permission to Forget™ Teachers spend 1/3 of the school year or 60 days reviewing.Teachers spend 1/3 of the school year or 60 days reviewing. 4 years of K-12 education is spent in review.4 years of K-12 education is spent in review. Ten years of a teacher’s career is spent in review.Ten years of a teacher’s career is spent in review. 60 days of review each year costs over $100 billion a year.60 days of review each year costs over $100 billion a year.

2. The Wrong Statistics Education patterned its statistics after athletics, whose aim is to have one, and only one winner. Ranking keeps education from creating as many winners as possible.Ranking keeps education from creating as many winners as possible.

The Right Statistics Histograms should progress from an “L” to a Bell and finally to a “J.”

The “L” Curve

The Bell Curve

The “J” Curve

L to J From L to J® is used to measure: 1. Learning of Information 2. The Performance Expectations 3. Student Enthusiasm 4. All Monitoring (attendance, behavior, etc.) behavior, etc.) 5. Special Education requirements

3. The Pendulum 3. The Pendulum Basic Skills Understanding

4. More Pressure vs. Removing Barriers resistance pressure Status quo

5. Change, but No Improvement

Plan Do Study Act Dr. Deming’s learning cycle has four parts: planplan dodo studystudy actact

Why Are Some Schools So Successful? “New instructional strategies, … are first piloted in a handful of schools or classrooms, and then refined to make sure they really work.” p. 1 Education Week, May 4, 2005 “Sleuths Seek Secrets of High-Flying Schools”

6. Experience is the Best Teacher “If experience were our best teacher, we’d have no more problems.” problems.” W. Edwards Deming W. Edwards Deming

7. No Clear Aim What is the primary purpose of mathematics instruction?What is the primary purpose of mathematics instruction? Set clear expectations and goals for student learning.Set clear expectations and goals for student learning.

A clear aim unifies people and practices.A clear aim unifies people and practices. The primary aim of a school system is to increase success and decrease failure.The primary aim of a school system is to increase success and decrease failure.

8. Poor Psychology Educators are Educators are responsible responsible for motivating students Fallacy :

Motivation  Children are Born Motivated  Adults De-motivate  Most People, Once Discouraged, Stay That Way  Identify and stop practices that cause students to lose their motivation.

Invidious Compliments

Wrong Definition of “Fair” Fair is not everyone using the same method.Fair is not everyone using the same method. Fair is everyone meeting the same standards.Fair is everyone meeting the same standards.

9.Always the Referee; Rarely Time to be the Coach. Coaches Teach, Referees GradeCoaches Teach, Referees Grade Ideally:Ideally: 70% Coaching 70% Coaching 30% Grading 30% Grading

Dr. Deming taught us that … 96% of the problems come from the system.96% of the problems come from the system. 4% of the problems come from the people.4% of the problems come from the people.

Improving System Processes 4% of time: Who did this?4% of time: Who did this? 96% of time: Why is this happening to us over and over?96% of time: Why is this happening to us over and over? To improve system results, work on system processes.

Learning Sequence 1.Gather Data 2.Graph the data 3.Gain Insight 4.Generate Hypotheses 5.Gain Knowledge by Testing the Hypotheses

10. Learning not the Constant We say “you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make him drink,” which means I teach but have little impact upon learning. We say “you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make him drink,” which means I teach but have little impact upon learning.

Teaching is the constant in classrooms; learning is the variable. Teaching is the constant in classrooms; learning is the variable. Learning should be the constant; teaching the variable. Learning should be the constant; teaching the variable.

Using Data to Improve Student Learning