The Strategic Instruction Model:
Karen Robinson, SIM PDer in Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routines:
I started learning about the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) through the Mashburn Center for Learning in 2007. My school was searching for mid-level interventions for struggling students. After our first meeting, I immediately called my principal and told him I thought we had found what we needed. I told him, “All I need you to do is provide me with the time in the schedule and teachers to implement.” He said he would! It takes that kind of commitment from administration and staff to make any intervention implementation succeed in a school. In every group I have worked with or that our staff has worked with, the students gained confidence and strategies to help them read on top of increased assessment scores. The Learning Strategies curriculum is explicit, research-validated instruction, and there is a wide variety of strategies to address students’ learning issues. If the teacher and students commit to learning and applying the strategy, students grow!
I started working with SIM Content Enhancement Routines shortly after starting SIM Learning Strategies. These are routines that teachers use to plan and lead instruction. When CERs are used as a school-wide approach, ALL students benefit. These routines can be differentiated and used with all levels of learners. The routines help students break down difficult content to be able to master concepts in a much more strategic way. Teachers find the routines helpful because they determine what is most important for students to learn. Our school chose 3-4 school-wide routines that all teachers would use regularly. We saw growth in all of our students’ state assessments, and then teachers could also teach more content because they were organized and planned and knew what they wanted students to know and be able to do by the end of the year.
Over the years since helping other schools implement SIM, implementation always goes back to the commitment of the staff and administration to student learning. With Inclusive Practices now being aligned to the Learning Strategies Curriculum and Content Enhancement Routines, the plan for intervention is even more far reaching than ever before. Teachers’ ultimate goal should be student growth and independence and that is exactly the goal of SIM; to have self-regulated learners in charge of their learning! I am forever grateful for the growth I have seen in myself, in other educators and in our students thanks to SIM!
Dee Davis, SIM Professional Developer:
Through UCA MCL and SIM, Dr. Renee Calhoon and Dr. Patty Kohler-Evans truly embody Dr. Mark Cooper’s statement years ago, that went something like this, “Don’t wait for someone to come and make a difference. Be the difference maker.” The training I have experienced with them has positively changed not only my life and my work, but the lives of many teachers and the children they touch each year. SIM gives Teachers methods to think through and organize their work, so that high-quality instructional strategies become high-quality, lifelong learning strategies for EVERYONE. THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Collaborative Teaming:
Dr. Lisa Watson, Principal, Mills Middle School (Pulaski County Special School District):
“The collaborative process being implemented within our building has created healthy peer relationships among our teachers, and it has provided the emotional support needed to excel in the school environment of meeting the needs of all our scholars. The implementation has created a true shared vision and mission goals, a sense of developing a community of learning, and it has specifically led to open minds that allow for open discussions and dialogues to work through conflicts and remove barriers that hinder us from moving this school forward. We are extremely appreciative of the guidance and support of our facilitators through the collaborative teaming process led by Dr. Renee Calhoon and Dr. Patricia Kohler-Evans. The Best is Yet to Come!”
Co-Teaching:
Natalie Gosdin, Special Education Supervisor, Searcy Public Schools:
“Dr. Calhoon and Dr. Kohler’s professional development on co-teaching was exceptionally valuable. Our teachers were enthusiastic about the practical suggestions, modeling, and resources provided. The workshop left them feeling inspired and equipped to implement co-teaching strategies in their classrooms as early as the following day. We are excited about their follow-up coaching and support for our teams. Our staff stated it was one of the best days they had attended and asked if we could send more teachers through this training.”
Social and Emotional Learning:
Jakhari Clegg-Fleming, UCA Graduate:
As a soon-to-be first-year 2nd-grade teacher, I plan to incorporate inclusivity into my classroom by allowing a community to form. Constructing a safe space where students feel loved, valued, and appreciated is my focus for setting up my classroom. This welcoming environment will allow for open communication and conversation to fluctuate between my students and me. While beginning to form a community, I let my students know that everyone is different and that having those differences is okay. My favorite way of making my students feel welcomed and included would be incorporating morning meetings into my daily routine. I follow the CASEL frameworks while focusing on the five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. By acknowledging these different competencies, I am improving the needs of my students’ social-emotional skills. In addition, this is a chance for my students to focus on being a child and getting to know themselves better and their classmates. Finally, by acknowledging and celebrating differences, I hope to allow my students to feel seen, heard, and appreciated, which will help foster a more inclusive learning environment.
Mentoring:
Lindsey Davis, UCA Graduate:
The support I received from my UCA mentors were my lifeline throughout my student teaching experience. They went above and beyond to help me excel in the classroom by providing resources and their time. They also were there as emotional support throughout the whole process. I have them to thank for making me the teacher I am today.
Mallorey Jones, MSE – Assistant Principal – Cabot Junior High North:
I have been in education for 8 years and have received consistent support and mentorship from the Mashburn Center for Learning at UCA. As a novice teacher, I was able to participate in learning opportunities that allowed me to increase student engagement, participation, and growth in my classroom. The leaders from Mashburn Center for Learning have always been eager to share best practices with me, which helped me build a true culture for student-centered learning in my classroom. Now that I am in administration, I can still utilize the support given by the Mashburn Center for Learning. In fact, their advice has been critical in my support of novice teachers, teacher coaching opportunities, and my overall leadership style. The Mashburn Center for Learning is a true asset to educators in Arkansas.