Advancing the Vision Week of 10-1

When I say this week has been an awesome week of professional learning for me, the KASC conference, the visit to Woodlawn, and my Principal Partnership Project (P3) meeting are certainly huge parts, but do not encompass the whole reason why this is true.  Participating in the Kagan coaching with you is also a big reason.

When I get to partner with you in this coaching endeavor, when I get a peek into a Kagan structure and then on-the-spot get to help with something that might make it more effective or better for you or the kids, I learn so much.  One of my big take-aways this week is how efficient Kagan structures are.  Most people I coached use Kagan for some part of spiral review.  When I went to the KASC conference I heard over and over how important this spiral review was from high performing schools. 

I saw 4 different examples of Quiz-Quiz-Trade on Thursday and they all were based on previously taught content.  When part of an intentional plan for spiral review, this is one powerful structure!

What really makes Kagan structures efficient, though, is that they combine an effective academic strategy with brain-friendly and social-emotional benefits, and student engagement.  I never want to micromanage the way someone crafts lessons, but I have yet to find a strategy that is more inclusive in incorporating best-practice than Kagan. 

The movement, talking, and social interaction benefits aside, Kagan structures are ready-made opportunities for students to process content.  We know from brain-research that we can't keep filling a student with information without providing opportunities for students to process that information and make meaning with it.  Kagan structures are perfect for that processing. A simple Rally Robin or Timed-Pair-Share are great for allowing processing of information. 

Fan-n-Pick is a student-favorite that makes students feel like they are playing a card game!  Fan-n-Pick is great when the content you have is something you want them to demonstrate, like place value understanding shown here:

Again, it gives students a chance to process, or review, demonstrate their learning, and use their social skills. 

I have become more and more aware of the need for our students to work on their social skills.  As teachers, we don't have time to work on social skills apart from our lessons and get in all the content we are charged with imparting.  Kagan structures do that for us.  Most of what I coached on was having teachers to remind students to give that initial or parting gambit.  This has little to do with content, curriculum, or test scores, but has everything to do with type of empathetic, respectful students we want to develop. 

So, yes, I have drunk the Kagan Kool-aid.  I love Kagan.  I have never come across a group of strategies that will work with any content and get so much accomplished at once!  Thank you for doing such a great job participating in our coaching.  I look forward to learning from you again next month and can't wait to see what you are teaching your students through these powerhouse strategies.