Hello Everyone!
Welcome to our very first virtual anchor and teacher leader meeting. In order to recieve full create for your particpation, you will need to complete the following action items.
1. View the Practice Perfect video from Doug, Erica, and Katie. Post a comment in the comment section of this blog responding to this question: What is one thing that caught your attention from the clip that you can't wait to read more about? Be sure to include your name and campus in your comment in order to recieve credit.
2. Upload a picture from your latest practice session and respond to reflection questions. Read posts from at least 5 other teacher leaders. http://padlet.com/wall/t2o0h8imj0
The idea that automating daily tasks frees one's mind to be creative is one that resonates with me, because I have seen aspects of it in action. I think of great lesson activities ideas while I am driving, watching TV, or doing routine tasks around the house. So, I can see how this can apply to classroom tasks as well.
ReplyDeleteJawad Tahiri
Clifton Middle School
I wish I could have a note pad around my neck because ideas comes when I least expect them to and I never have anything to write with.....it only takes a second for that thought to be gone.
DeleteI agree totally that the idea of having "a little time" during the day to implement a concept to be retaught would be awesome! Doug surely gives you something to think about!
DeleteNedra Williams-Quary
HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
What caught my attention from the clip, was that being perfect doesn't mean you stop practicing. I enjoyed hearing the analogies of soccer routines to illustrate this point. I believe too many teachers believe they do not need to practice because they already know what to do and how to do it. Doug explains why it is more important to practice - even for those highly effective and/or veteran teachers.
ReplyDeleteYes, the soccer analogy definitely brings it home. I grew up playing soccer and I saw that guys who kept practicing year around and stayed late drilling after practice was over were more likely to make it to the professional league whereas much more talented guys who slacked off in training or did not come to practice regularly, did not make it to the big league. the point I am making is that practice makes talented people better, but neither talent nor experience alone can make good teachers great. It takes continued practice and reflection for a good teacher to become an outstanding one.
DeleteJawad Tahiri
Clifton Middle School
I agree that the soccer analogy make sense. It reminds me of my daily words to my students." If you practice your writing everyday eventually you will understand the rigor of writing and reading. Many are feeling great about their growth! "
DeleteI agree that the soccer analogy makes sense. It reminds me of my daily words to my students. "If you practice writing everyday eventually you will understand the rigor of the writing and reading process. Many are feeling great about their growth!"
DeleteNedra Williams-Quary
HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Yes, this video reminds me of being a life-long learner!
DeleteNedra Williams-Quary
HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
I appreciated the reminder that once a concept has been mastered, practicing the concept does not end. I think too often as teachers we think to ourselves . . . concept mastered . . check . . . move on to next concept and never revisit the mastered concept. This to me would be like a suregeon never polishing his techniques:(
DeleteOdera Agbim
Deady Middle School
The overarching theme of the video - practice making perfect truly resonated with me. I love the aspect that said, continue to practice even when you are good at something. I think so often in the field of education once we reach that 'good level' we stop and don't continue to push ourselves. If for example, we want to work on checks for understanding, it is imperative that we practice, practice,practice until it becomes automated and then continue to practice to push that good teaching to great. With our teachers in the TLAC pilot, it is imperative that we continue to practice and reiterate the importance of that practice. - Ariana Sherman, Patrick Henry Middle School
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Mrs. Sherman! Practicing in groups with other peers can seem daunting to the participants, but I've noticed once we begin practicing - the teachers then lighten up, laugh, engage, support another and give great feedback to possible solutions to possible problems. Practicing with peers is worth the effort and the occasional initial grunt of practice time.
DeleteKarina Lopez - Revere Middle School
ReplyDeleteWhat really sticks with me is "Practice something that you are good at and you will become GREAT at it". My strength is cold calling and I have noticed that I now do it automatically without thinking about it. My weaknesses (plenty) however, I still need to practice repeatedly because I find myself still "thinking about it" while I do it. LOL
I love the quote " Practice something that you are good at and you will become GREAT at it, " as well. I wonder how many times great inventors had to practice, practice, practice with theri invention before it became great? As a teacher I want to make sure I set my students up to be great . . . not merely good.
DeleteDulcie David
Deady Middle School
Sara Tomlinson - Pin Oak Middle School
ReplyDeleteWhat stuck out to me is something that I heard a lot in my time in band when I was in high school: "Practice makes permanent." I not only try to remind myself and my collegues of this, but also my students. I remind them that while practicing French everyday is important (becuase just like with football or soccer you don't only practice one time all year) you need to also take your time and practice it correctly!
To me the one idea that really stood out was that we need to practice until we are great. We often stop practicing when we get good at something. I can definitely see how this relates to not only us as teachers, but also to our students. We need to instill in them the idea that they need to continue practicing at being better students and better thinkers in order to achieve in college and in today's society. We as educators can model this in the classroom with our lessons and our ideas.
ReplyDeleteRhonda Livingston- Fonville Middle School
I grew up playing the piano and I always was told, "Practice makes perfect." I have always believed in this phrase but I had an A-ha moment when I heard, "Practice makes permanent." This is so true because even though I no longer play the piano on a daily basis I can sit down at a piano and play my scales and play certain pieces that I learned as a child. I played them and practiced them so often they have become permanet. Now if I could just get this to flow over into my classroom for myself and for my students...what a way of learning. That would be so awesome.
ReplyDeleteSherry Caesar - Clifton Middle School
What caught my attention from the video clip was the quote, "Practice makes permanent." Many times we hear, "Practice makes perfect", however I defintiely agree with Doug, Erica and Katie, practice gets more valuable after you master a skill. Allowing students to practice the skill sets the stage for the skill to become permanent and reinforces the skill. I am certatinly looking forward to reading more about Practice Perfect!
DeleteBathsheba Nash
Shadydale Elementary
I agree with you Sherry when you say that you were always told, "Practice makes perfect." I too grew up hearing the same statement and as a parent have used the same statement with my sons. Like you my A-ha moment came when I heard "Practice makes permanent." I will definetely practice this in my classroom with my teaching and at home with my sons.
DeleteZulema Reyna
"Practice makes permanent" is a great slogan to have guide your teaching. Too often as teachers we are in a rush to get the curriculum taught and don't take the time to PRACTICE until the concept is permanent.
DeleteMaisa Lebbie
Deady Middle School
Charlotte Wallace January 15, 2014 at 5:10 PM
ReplyDeleteThe comment that stood out for me was that we should continue to practice even after we have mastered the skill. As an educator I often channel my focus and review the skills my students haven't mastered and spend less time on the skills they've mastered. The video helped me to reflected on my own teaching style. I will share my thoughts with my colleagues, it will definitely impact student success.
Charlotte Wallace - Shadydale Elementary
What caught my attention from the video clip was the quote,"Practice makes permanent." Many time we hear "Practice makes perfect", however I'm definitely agree with Doug, Erica and Katie, "Practice gets more valuable after you master a skill." Allowing the students to practice a skill, reinforces the skill and the skill becomes permanent. I'm certainly changing my thoughts to "Practice makes permanent!" I can't wait to read more about Practice Perfect!
ReplyDeleteDoug's mention of the soccer drill that the students kept practicing over time caught my eye. I think it's important for us, TLAC teachers to remember that we should practice to make things permamanent in our classrooms. I will make sure to try this in my classroom tomorrow, making sure to sweat the details.
ReplyDeleteThis quick video truly expresses the importance of practice and the meaning behind it. Some people are naturals at what they do, however the video does hone in on the notion that practice perfect allows for greatness to reign through. As in the video, even great athletes practices everyday on basic skill in order to achieve greatness. One of the items mentioned in the video is so true, the way you practice do make permanence whether good or bad. Hopefully we all work for the good of our classes.
ReplyDeleteMark Pichon Elmore Elementary
Mr. Pichon I like how you took out the fact that the athletes do it every day. If we don't practice this and put these great techniques into our daily routines and into our students daily routines how are we supposed to get better and how are they supposed to get better. I notice the things that I have not practiced the right way with my students are still issues in my class and the ones that we practiced doing over and over the right way are good solid set routines that they know. This is still a lesson I am learning.
DeleteMegan Kelly, Elmore Elementray
In the clip they talked about practicing something because you’re good at it in order to make you great. That is something that I want to read more about so that I can apply that to the classroom with my students. Even if they are good at something, continuing to practice will make them great, and that’s what our goal should be.
ReplyDeleteMeaghan Mengler
Marshall Elementary School
I agree with you that we should continue to practice things we are already good at. I will utilize this in my classroom, because I tend to go away from what the kids are good at while focusing on the items they struggle with. Focusing more on what they are good at will increase their confidence also.
DeleteEdrina Baker - Shadydale Elementary
What caught my attention from the video clip was the quote, "Practice makes permanent." Practice is the key to getting better at anything, but not just any practice. Intelligent practice is the key. Practicing the right best way of doing things and practicing, per se, the best way. When I received the book I was catching by the tile (I was curious). I started reading read I found so many great thoughts and interdisciplinary techniques in "Perfect Practice" - some which I've used in my own teaching without being aware of using them, but other new thoughts which I will now strive to incorporate. I'm inspired to continue applying what I learned from this book, and I encourage anyone who is eager to learn more about how to get better at getting better to check it out.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Bastias
Shadydale Elementary School
What jumped out to me was the "Practice the 20%" section of the clip. I'm interested to know what the 20% actually is and what the is other 80%. Looking forward to learning more.
ReplyDeleteNathan Merz
Pin Oak Middle School
Shelly Hulbirt @ Pin Oak Middle school - I found it interesting that it is important to keep practicing something that you are good at so that you can become GREAT! I had not thought of it that way before.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I would like to read more about is how practice does not necessarily translate to brillance. I tend to agree with the idea that mediocre practice lends itself to inadequate outcomes. In order to achieve brillance, we must approach a task or project with high fidelity in order to recieve its greatest benefits. Therefore, I am interesting in learning additional strategies to encourage students to practice their learning with great enthusiasm.
ReplyDelete-Kimberly Nesbit, Shadydale ES
Like so many other teachers, two things that stuck out for me were "practice makes permanent" and the soccer analogy. I have been playing the clarinet for over 10 years, and every time I practice I begin with long tones and scales. Just like Sherry Caesar, these exercises are pretty much automatic for me at this point; I have developed muscle memory and no longer have to think about the keys that I need to hit or how to hold my ombachure (the muscles around my mouth.)
ReplyDeleteThe soccer analogy was a fun refresher (remember the picture of Messi at our initial training?) My position in rugby is requires a few specialized skills, and I definitely need to continue to practice skills like lineout throws to make sure that I am consistently effective.
(Ortiz Middle School)
DeleteThe repetition process especially stood out to me because that's basically what Spanish class is all about. We've been doing verb conjugations and in order to do so, the student must know all of the Spanish subject pronouns along with their correct endings. At first the students were so confused with what we were doing. But with all of the repetition, they've memorized how how to conjugate with little or no help.
ReplyDeleteDaniel De La Pena (Thomas Middle School)
Blaine Simmons (Edison Middle School). I love this ideology because it applies to so many areas other than the classroom. It's not just about practicing, but practicing correctly. If the basic skill becomes second nature, mental energy can be used to foster so many other greater things other than routine.
ReplyDeleteMical Roy (Edison Middle School) I'm a quote fiend. I love hearing things that invite my brain immediately. "10,000 hours of sub-par practice will NOT lead to brilliance. I will never forget this and what it really means. If we are not giving it our all, and exhausted at the end of each day, what the hell are we doing? This profession expects the most out of us. We are charged with cultivating children, careers, character, et al. It is a hefty charge, but the rewards far outweigh anything worth discussing. "When skills are automatic, your mind is free'd up"! HOW TRUE IS THIS? There are plenty of things I struggle with as an educator, and spending time trying to remember to stay on top of those things takes up valuable space on my brain, which could be used to take my scholars to the next level. This is something I toil over constantly. I've gotta make better use of my mental space by making the things which I over-think about more of a normalcy than a strange occurrence.
ReplyDeletePracticing every day is part of every musican's life; however I like the comment that if the practice was not perfect then the knowledge learned will not be permanent. I also liked the reference to practicing even the simple elements that we use every day. I need to make sure that I am listening to everything that my students do and make the corrections in the moment.
ReplyDeleteI started making myself aware of the things that I had let slip. I
talked with my students and let them know that I would work harder to make them better.
Peggy Moritz
Pin Oak Middle School
I really love the thought that often times your most creative thinking takes place when you are doing seemingly automatic tasks such as brushing your teeth. I find this to be very true in my life. I want to harness this idea to establish an atmosphere in my classroom that allows my students to truly create in my class, while accomplishing with excellence all of the fundamental skills that it requires to perform correctly.
ReplyDeleteChris Pratt
Clifton Middle School, Band Director
Yes, I am with you on this because each child is different and allowing them to be creative will accomplish the excellence in each of them.
DeleteSherian Scott, thomas Middle School
I'm looking forward to reading more about how repetition leads to success. As a math teacher, I get my students to practice as much as possible. Every single day we practice "basic math skills" for the same reason the professional soccer team practices "the Rondo" drill. If students know, for example, the times tables like the back of their hand, their mind is free to focus on other parts of a math problem.
ReplyDeleteZach Huie
Albert Thomas Middle School
7th Grade Math
The opinion of I’m already good at this is no longer an acceptable excuse to not practice. Many teachers find it hard to see the need to practice if they believe they are already good at the technique, but as Doug said that’s what we should practice more of. Practice the 20 percent; because we are good, with practice we can become great. From good to great to automatic, when it becomes automatic it frees your mind and allows it to be creative.
ReplyDeleteVanessa Saldana
McReynolds Middle School
I am in agreement with you all the way because we do want to go from good to great to automatic.Outstanding!
DeleteSherian Scott, Thomas Middle School
I had a "wow" moment when Doug stated that our most creative moments are when we are doing tasks that have become automatic. It made me think about some of the activities and ideas that I have come up with for my classroom. Just the other day as I was driving in I began to think about the ideas of a new project for my students for this unit of study.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Massoud
Revere Middle School
The whole basic principal is mind opening to me, that practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. So often students get frustrated because they have done the same thing over and over and still get it wrong. We need to remind them that practicing isn't the whole piece- they need to make sure they are practicing well. We as teachers need to more closely monitor students to make sure they are practicing well, or we are doing a disservice to them in helping them create bad habits that will need to be corrected in the future.
ReplyDeleteErin Krafft
Revere Middle School
After watching the video, practice at anything makes you better, just like I tell my students...you practice at athletics and fine arts to improve, you also have to practice your academics to improve. We have practiced the threshold and cold call in class to were it is common for us all.
ReplyDeleteLuther Allen
Pin Oak Middle School
As a high school soccer coach, I appreciated the comments regarding the Rondo drill. It is interesting to note that the best players in the world don't often find themselves " in the middle" during this drill. As teachers we want to practice until we aren't in the middle anymore, nor are our students. I think this is a key to remember as teachers . . . practice echoes classroom; classroom echoes practice. These world class soccer players practice the fundamentals over and over and over and it SHOWS in matches. If we can assist our students in gaining fluency in each lesson before progressing to something else, rather than being in a hurry to constantly learn new things, we will see our students achieve more successes. The best way to improve any skill, whether it is athletic or academic, is through deliberate, structured, intentional practice. As the video confirms practice makes a skill permanent, not perfect, so to improve we must identify the keys to success and practice them.
ReplyDeleteTracy Duck
Deady Middle School
I really enjoyed this video and the meanings they shared behind practice. Practice doesnt make perfect but makes Permanent. Also how some are naturally gifted at what they do and are content with that even when they know if they practiced more and more they would become better so we remind them to keep practicing the proper way and not in a sluggish style.. We have to push the students in the direction to keep practicing even when they feel theres nothing left.. The more you do, the more you get.
ReplyDeleteTristan Meyer, Elmore Elementary
The one thing that caught my attention was that "Continue to practice something your good at and you'll become great". Just because we become good at something we should not stop there. We should continue with the practice so that we wont become passive and just see this as another routine of the day but become passionate about what we are striving for. With passion the students become more engaged with what ever it is they are working on.
ReplyDeleteZulema Reyna, Marshall Elementary
You are so correct Zulema because some people think that because they know it already, they don't need the powerful tool to keep the great coming, and that is practice.
DeleteYou are so correct Zulema because some people think that because they know it already, they don't need the powerful tool to keep the great coming, and that is practice.
DeleteSherian Scott, Thomas Middle School
I really enjoyed the video! I like the stement made about "What you do in practice you will do in the game". As educators striving to become better and learn new things, if we practice so that our skills will be enhanced, then we will come into the classroom to execute our skills. Those skills that may be uncomfortable to us may be enhance through practice. Once we feel comfortable, we will implement and plan to be consistent through parctice so we can master the game.
ReplyDeleteKaren Dixon, Elmore Elementary
I totally agree with you Karen. Mastering the game once we are comfortable with the practicing is so powerful.
DeleteSherian Scott Thomas Md. Sch.
This was a very brief, but powerful video. The video made me reflect on when I practice with a cohort of teachers. Many times, teachers who have been teaching for a long time are reluctant to practice the basic techniques because they feel they are already good. However, now, for the next practice session we have here at Edison I will play this video. After watching the video I will ask the teachers to reflect on how they can practice to be better and eventually become “great” and potentially “automatic” on task of their choice.
ReplyDeleteVeronica Georgandis
DeleteEdison Middle School
This was a very brief, but powerful video. The video made me reflect on when I practice with a cohort of teachers. Many times, teachers who have been teaching for a long time are reluctant to practice the basic techniques because they feel they are already good. However, now, for the next practice session we have here at Edison I will play this video. After watching the video I will ask the teachers to reflect on how they can practice to be better and eventually become “great” and potentially “automatic” on a task of their choice.
ReplyDeleteVeronica Georgandis
Edison Middle School
I disagree with you Ms. Georgandis because I am one of those teachers who have been teaching a very long time, and I have NOT been reluctant to anything as far as learning new ways of teaching and learning effective lessons that will enhance the betterment of my students. I never think I don't need professional development sessions or other valuable information that will increase the level of my students as well as my presenting information to my classes.I have been extremely open to new ways of educating my students. So be careful with unfair statements like that because many of us who have taught a long time have been very successful because we are flexible to learning and eager to see the success in our end product, the students.
DeleteSherian Scott, Albert Thomas Middle School
I would like to read more about the concept of how practicing a skill to a level of automaticity fosters higher level thinking. As a college football player we use to practice snap counts until we no longer had to even think about going offsides. This enabled the team to focus on their blocking assignments and make in game adjustments because we did not have to think about this lower level skill. I would be interested to read more about how this applies to teaching. I feel that similarly if we do not have to actively think about concepts such as "behavior narration" it enables us focus on the flow of the lesson and adapt to novel challenges.
ReplyDeleteHenry Middle School
Christopher Russell
Hello Everyone:
ReplyDeleteAs a veteran teacher for many many great years, the video was extremely helpful to me.It opened up so much light of positivity that I wanted to hear more and share more with the teacher that I am mentoring.I wanted to learn so much more as I have listened greatly from this video. What captivated my attention from the video was the statement that practice gets more valuable after you master the drill, and that you should practice until you are great because that is the key to success.For example, to be able to ride a bike when you are very young, you had to fall down, get some cuts and stratches, bleed a little bit, brush the dirt off, and continue the bike riding practice drill untill the training wheels were deleted, and sometimes riding with no hands was the best thing ever. So how could one accomplish the bike riding skill in a successful manner? PRACTICE. This part of the video was awesome because practice is what gets us to the next level of success where that success is evident and practice is permanent.
Sherian Scott, Albert Thomas Middle School
So what you are saying is that there is always room for improvement! I too believe in that, but not everybody does! And when you accomplish "great things" in the classroom one day or even one period, it's not guaranteed that you will have that same success the next time. That's why continuing to practice is important. Respect!
DeleteThe two things that stuck out to me is that "practice makes permanent" and " practice isn't best achieved until you have mastered the skill". These things stuck out to me because with practice there is a certain permanency that happens and it becomes routine after you have practice something some more. Also,it is my belief, that practice is makes you master a skill once you've done it so many times I like the idea of ;why practice something if it isn't mastered?
ReplyDeleteAlexis Berryman
Elmore Elementary
What caught my attention during the video was the saying, "Practice at something even though your good at it, to make sure your are perfect." Often times I believe that once we achieve the feeling that we have perfected something, we do not continue to work at perfecting that craft. We become contenct at the level we have reached. Instead, we need to make sure that we continue to give 100% during our practice session in order to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteTeleia Magee - Shadydale Elementary School
I really liked his stance on how practicie is really more valuable after you master the skill. We often here practice makes perfect...but she hit the nail on the head when she said what if you are practicing it the wrong way over and over...then its not perfect. Mastery of a concept and then practicing it over and over makes the skill permanent. The video provoked an interesting thought. I think from now on I will say master...then practice!
ReplyDeleteSonja Hunter
Mcreynolds Middle School
I like the soccer team example because it focused on one element of practice that the coach wanted to be perfect. Often times we as educators, feel that we may have failed our students because of our instructional delivery or maybe failed to provide more student-centered activities, Naturally we try to fix multiple errors instead of focusing on one error that we want to master.
ReplyDeleteTaRhonda Harper
Dowling Middle School
Ricardo Caraballo- Pin Oak Middle School
ReplyDeleteThe main thing that stuck out to me was "unlocking creativity with repitition. As a science teacher, having creativity is almost a necessity to explain things and conceptualize new facts. It's only recently that all my routines are finally 100% and there are more responsive students. I would like to take things to the next level with seeing more students with different points of view during my routines. I would like to hear more on increasing student participation and student creativity with repitition.
I agree with creative, this allows one to think outside of the box. Igniting teachers and students to chanlleng their own thought process (building knowledge).
DeleteYonsuetta Johnson - Hartman Middle School
Christyn McCloskey - Ortiz Middle School
ReplyDeleteThere were two things that resonnated with me as reasons why practicing our craft is so important.
1) We have our best and most creative thoughts when our body is doing something automatic becuase our mind is freed up from focusing on "where we're stnading" or "1+1." This is a GREAT reason to practice! Some of my best days with my students have come from "on the spot" alterations to the lesson or extensions. That didn't start happening until a few years into my teaching career after I had enough practice to allow myself to be more creative in the classroom.
2) Practice doesn't always make perfect, but it does make permanent. I took this to mean it is easy to pratice bad habbits when no one is watching or maybe you don't realize you're doing anything wrong. Practicing can help instill "best practices" in rooky teachers and maybe remind veteran teachers who have been doing the same thing for a very long time.
I am excited to hear more about HOW to best practice with other teachers (drills? role play? discussion?)
I liked the "practice makes permanent" not perfect comment. Never thought about when people practice the wrong thing or the wrong way, it will stick no matter what. So practicing with a purpose, the right way is essential. I am interested to read about different techniques on practicing skills and getting learning to stick.
ReplyDeleteLaKeysha Boleware
McReynolds Middle School
I am also a veteran teacher. I totally agree with you Sherian. In the 21st century it is essential to drill and reteach if we want our students to excel. The more we practice the drill the more we perfect it and the more our students comprehend. We learn from our mistakes over the years. We are consistently searching for innovative and creative ways to motivate our students. The key is as Doug stated in the video is to practice our drills well and intentionally. This will lead to greatness for us and overall academic success for our students. I am eagar to hear the practice success stories.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Byrd
Revere Middle School
As a beginning teacher, I have picked up on a lot of things. As Brenda Byrd stated the more we practice the closer we come to perfection. I have learned this and continue to learn as I grow with my students It assist the students with becoming better students and me as well. I have seen myself grow as a teacher over my first few years.
ReplyDeleteAdaun Udechukwu
Paul Revere Middle School
The one thing I got fromn watching the clip that I can't wait to read more about is the information on "Practice Makes Permanent". I find that very interesting because I always hear about and use the slogan, "Practice Makes Perfect". It is so true that you may not become perfect and it maybe because you are practicing half heartedly in the first place. That phrase is very thoughtr provoking.
ReplyDeleteEdrina Baker - Shadydale Elementary
Yes, that phase totally changes my thoughts on practicing. It made me realize, what if we are practicing incorrectly, that defeats the pupose.
DeleteAnjanette Abbs-Hartman Middle School
I agree. I like the phrase 'Practice makes Permanent" also. Many commented on the soccer analogy but I have told my students about an interview I saw with Michael Phelps after he came in second in one of his races at the summer Olympics. He basically said in his practices he had gotten in the habit of not finishing strong to the wall. So, he performed the way he practiced and it cost him the gold medal. Just something else to think about.....
DeleteNikki Arterburn-Revere Middle School
Perfection is unattainable but with practice there is always something that helps us get better in our practices and I think this is what struck me the most. As we grow as professionals adapting new ideas and suggestions will help us grow and strive in this ever changing profession.
ReplyDeleteVenessa Arruti
Clifton Middle School
The one statement that caught my attention from the clip was that “Practice makes permanent”. We are accustom to hearing the phase “Practice makes perfect” which is rarely true. Take for example cooking, I can keep practicing until I believe it is perfect, until someone other than family tries the food, however, when I hear the phrase practice makes permanent it means to me that the more I practice my craft or skill, the more I will create the permanent habit of being effective. I am looking forward into reading more about the rules in the book encode success and unlocking creativity with repetition.
ReplyDeleteMelvia Dillard
North Forest High School
“Practice something because you are good at it, to make you great at it” A lot of times we catch ourselves as teachers stating or thinking “why do I have to do this again, I already know how to do it”, but yet we want our students to practice something they already know how to do to make them better at it. There should be no double standard. We also need to practice what we know to make us better and stronger at it so that we become more effective teachers.
ReplyDeleteSharlene Miller
Hartman Middle School
Yes, we have to lead by example to our students. If our students see us practicing with them, they become motivated. Especially, when you sit along side of them, they like that.
DeleteI am reminded of the game "Simon Says." I ttok this game I had not played since elementary age. I used it to motivate my students to reinforce the Be, Have and Do verbs.By the the third time of using the game as a warm-up, I allowed a student from each class to teach it. It was overwhelming how great the students performed. The key was the students prior knowlege of the game; having fun and allowing them to show and tell.
DeleteViewing the video clip, " Unlock creatively with repetition" stood out to me the most for my students and athletes. In the classroom, students tend to struggle and desire to give up when practicing a new skill if it seems "difficult". The more the students practice correctly, they tend to become comfortable with the skill and want to add on to the skill to become better. I can agree with the co-author who said people start to encode success by practicing well. At the same time, I think the amount of effort students put forth when practicing plays an important part in their success and deeper learning.
ReplyDeleteAshley Glenn
McReynolds Middle School
Yes, I agree once our students see that practice will lead to success, they become open to practicing consistently.
Deleteam reminded of the game "Simon Says." I took this game I had not played since elementary age. I used it to motivate my students to reinforce the Be, Have and Do verbs.By the the third time of using the game as a warm-up, I allowed a student from each class to teach it. It was overwhelming how great the students performed. The key was the students prior knowlege of the game; having fun and allowing them to show and tell.
DeleteNedra Williams-Quary
HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
I think seeing the RONDO team practicing a 'defense' on a daily basis caught my attention. It enforces the 'routine, habit or method' and makes it automatically permenant. Students become comfortable with this and automatically respond instilling good habits for them. I agree with the mentallity that 1000 subpar practices does not equal brilliance.
ReplyDeleteHerlinda Segundo
Mc Reynolds Middle School
I AGREE....the subpar practices does not equal briallance and if you practice subpar you have dedicated a lot of time to nothing and it will be really hard to retrain!
DeleteDonna White
Hartman MS
There were several things that caught my attention in the video. However, the thing that I can not wait to read more about was the comment regarding, "Practice makes Permanent!" Putting practice in that perspective really changes my thought process. I have always told my students that "Practice makes Perfect," but from now on I am going to have to tell them that "Practice makes Permanent." Like the video stated, whether you practice it correctly or incorrectly, it will become permanent! That is deep food for thought!
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Anjanette Abbs, Hartman Middle School
I agree with "Pratice make Permanent" not only in the classroom but in athetics. Catchong the attention in an area the students love and they will unknowingly apply it to their everyday lives. Which can also be labled "never give up" motto.
DeleteThank you for sparking another teachable moment.
Yonsuetta Johnson - Hartman Middle School
I like that I idea as well, I also will use the quote "practice makes permanent". To help my student understand why I insist that they write down the math steps and not skip over items.
DeleteThe video gives several valid points on the need for one to practice from athletes to educators; which is a wide spectrum. I do like the phrase “Practice something because you are good at it, to make you great at it”! My mom had a phrase that she reiterated to me often “Poor performance can be prevented with practice” so I did and I thought I was good with the practice, however, one can go from good to great with consistent practice (this what I think the authors are talking about). Most of us fall short; we are good but everyone wants to be great (my personal belief), therefore, we should practice and practice correctly. If this is done we all can become a better and more effective educator, which is the goal of all. I want all my student to excel and I have them practice, however, I need to work on how they practice and ensure that it is not subpar practice which I think will be hard for them to rebound from.
ReplyDeleteDonna Dickson White
Hartman MS
Yes, this also made me think about check for understanding because while we are pushing our students to practice correctly, we are also checking for understanding!
DeleteAnjanette Abbs-Hartman Middle
What stood out for me the most about this video is that "practice makes permanent” and to "practice not just to be good at it but to be great". This goes along the line “good, better, best…never let me rest, until my good is better and my better is best”. We must encourage our students to strive for greatness through practice and practicing it right. This also goes for us educators as we strive to become great at what we do.
ReplyDelete- Angielene Unica---Hartman Middle School
The idea of becoming automatic with our task resonated with me. In a perfect world we all would be great at the things we do, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. But if we chose to practice our tasks, in turn it translates into doing something fluidly and without thought. Repetition is essential in us becoming better all around. These two-short minutes not only put our professions into perspective but life itself. I plan on using the phrase "practice makes permanent" in my classroom so my students are aware that we are building habits to in order to become automatic and effective in our daily doings.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Martinez - Hartman Middle School
Yonsuetta Johnson - Hartman MIddle School
ReplyDeletePractice make perfect caught my atttention. Repetition allows one to correct errors, build on teaching, redirect, and learn from mistakes as well. By reading indepth this will allow one to gain other strategies for building knowledge for students. For students this step can allow them to gain necessary tool(s) that can be utilzed on a long term bais and across a variety of lifes lessons. This could also spark creativity.
I totally agree that repetition is a "must" to success; however, practicing a skill everyday also lends itself to allowing individuals to recognize his or her greatest potential. In other words, what I thought I could not do, I find myself becoming better and better at this skill each day!
DeleteNedra Williams-Quary
ReplyDeleteHARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
The one thing that caught my attention from the clip was the idea that the quote, "Practice Makes Perfect" Does it really mean the more you practice the better you become at the skill? While viewing the video, I heard that to become more creative at one's craft, (keep in mind) that practice makes "Permanent!" This idea lends itself to the Master teacher, who is thought of as an individual who makes teaching look easy, fun and have taught for over twenty years. When in fact a master teacher can immerge in less than five years. Ofcourse, the key word is consistency with classroom routines and class procedure etc. Just thinking about what Doug said and others in the video makes sense.
Many of the presenters' comments resonated with me, and as a former soccer player I loved the soccer analogies. However, Mr. Lemov's comment that "Practice makes perfect only after you have mastered the skill" warrants commitment to memory because of how it extends the ancient adage and the undeniable truth it embodies.
ReplyDelete"Practivce makes permanent! That sticks in my head because I am also a coach and its TRUE! Often, as teachers we forget that some of the skills we use in the classroom can be used for coaching or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Doug's comment about getting his best ideas when he's driving or brushing his teeth, that stuck with me. I want to read more about this because times when the techniques or lessons aren't working, I often can't stop thinking about how to fix it. However, this is one the reasons why I enoy TLAC because his methods often give me a solution without having to create it myself.
Several of the ideas from the video resonated with me. The first was the idea that once skills become automatic, the mind is free to be more creative, and the second was the notion that practice is even more valuable after you master what you are practicing. Once you have mastered something, your mind is free to think creatively, to be present in the moment, and to create the kind of brilliant moments that inspire others. I look forward to reading more about these ideas in "Practice Perfect."
ReplyDeleteSharon Crumbling
Pin Oak M.S.
I like the idea of skills becoming automatic and freeing the mind to be more creative... He mentioned driving is when he thinks, likewise, I can best come up with solutions while drive my daily route home.
DeleteI was thinking of incorporating the Fonville Student Pledge in my Threshold. It goes like this:
ReplyDeleteAt Fonville Middle School students will be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready
because Excellence is our standard! Instead of saying the entire quote I would say the first seven words and have them respond with either of the three R's depending on their place in line.
My alternate Threshold greeting could be "You're a star!" and have them respond with "I'm shining!"
I really like your alternate. It would tie in well to STAAR testing.
DeleteA new way of using threshold is greeting the students as you collect their homework and ask them questions about there day or how was there game or something that is important to them. Don't know if I use the correct (there or their)...I am a math teacher, not an English teacher.
ReplyDeleteKecia Mitchell, Dowling Middle School
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of keep practicing even after you master a skill, and practice makes permanent, I need to apply this idea to all aspects of my life.
Deborah Torry, Dowling Middle School
ReplyDeleteThe idea of practicing well and intentionally is definitely a skill that can be applied in the classroom daily as well as learning from our mistakes as teachers!
Margaret Irvin, Hilliard Elementary School
ReplyDeletePractice something you are already good it increases the potential to make you better...great at it. This is a notion that I personally believe and practice and to incorporate this into my classroom and introduce this concept with my students is one that I cant wait to see manifest.
The one thing that caught my attention from the video clip was the understanding that practice is what makes us great. This is a powerful statement. Also maintaining greatness requires continuous practice. The information in the video is something I look forward to reading more about.
DeleteLatrecia Glasper, Fonville Middle School
Jeremy Johnson, Fonville Middle School
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Doug encourages practicing a skill that your're good at over and over again. As teachers I believe that we have a tendency to do well in certain areas and become satisfied with preconceived levels of accomplishment. In the long run however, we eventually slip into old habits and that skill level we were once happy with deteriorates into something else.
That's really good insight. I agree that if we aren't careful we will slip into bad habits.
DeleteAs implied by the video, it is the things we do habitually rather good or bad that we continue to do. So I have intentionally been working on tight transitions in my BSC class I have found it decrease off-task and disruptive behavior if I the students know they only have a set amount of time to complete a task and then we are on to the next activity, they are trying to keep up and focused on skills, instead of power struggles or "having fun" in a negative way. Practice Perfect ~ I find when I revert backward to gaps in transtition from one activity to the next that behaviors increase. One note, is not to go too fast as it causes furstration.
ReplyDeletePractice does make permanent. A majority of my students really don’t grasp that concept. They believe that class work is just work, especially if it comes from a pre-made activity sheet. They do not see the connection between the practice and the test. I believe that is the reason that interest based learning is essential. Finding material that is relevant to the students is key to their buy-in. Additionally, I find it impractical to practice a 4 hour exam and the stamina required to endure them routinely. Many become exhausted and frustrated despite the practice they had pre-game, finding themselves ill equipped for a double-header when they practiced for a couple of innings and then batted a few from the cage with great accuracy.
ReplyDeleteJodi Garrett
Fonville Middle School
I believe that practicing everyday will help students do it correctly all of the time; whether you are writing a proper essay, or in my case, proper keyboarding techniques. What I noticed from the video was that that students practicing correctly will enable students to avoid mistakes and help them get on the correct track.
ReplyDeleteTroy Gonzales
Clifton Middle School
Yes I also agree with statement. Creativeity is important in gauging the direction that we want students to go and ensuring that their techniques are versatile, genrating higher levels of thinking. We talk about practcie amkes perfect but how often do we truly challenge our stduenst t think outside of the box. This directly connects to adequate planning of lessons that accomodate all learners and challenge stduenst to mvoe beyond their comfort zones. Enjoyed your post!!!
DeleteI believe that practicing is very valuable . Practicing things does allow that action to become permanent, and it allows the action to be a habit. That means you can use that brain power to think or be creative with things that you may need to improve. My students have benefitted very much from practicing certain skills or procedures. It allows class to flow smoothly. LaRaunda Carter McReynolds M.S.
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