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Seeing is believing.
Schools that open their doors so you can see it working: joy in every classroom, and state rankings to match.
Schools certified by Learning That Lasts™ will open their doors to visitors who want to see competency, creativity, celebration and character in daily practice, in every classroom. Their aim is to prove that a school can be a place of great joy, with celebrations, creativity and good character, and keep its state assessment ranking at the same time. They won’t sacrifice childhood wonder for the hope of a better ranking, and they won’t have so much fun that society’s expectations for learning go unmet.
Dr. Deming taught that the number of people needed to transform an organization is about the square root of the whole. In a district of 250 teachers, sixteen teacher-leaders, with administrators beside them, can lead the change.
From schools using the process today
Fourth grade students in our K-4 school come into my classroom every week to look at our graphs. They gather the totals from every classroom and update the graph by the office. When the school has an ATB [All-Time Best], the principal announces it and all students celebrate with a 3-minute dance.
Angela WillnerdGrade 1 teacher, Linden Elementary School, Fremont, NebraskaHe spent several days in classrooms guiding teachers and students to construct practices that reflect the teacher’s style of instruction and address students’ learning needs.
Shelly CraigSuperintendent, Happy Valley School District, California
The process keeps us focused all year. It is so easy to start off the year with the best of intentions and then be overwhelmed with minutiae. With LtoJ [prior name for Learning That Lasts] we keep pushing forward even the last day of the school year.
Chris CreliaPrincipal, Wilson Elementary School, Norman, Oklahoma
Having worked with many initiatives, I know of no other staff development opportunities that add up each student’s contribution to have a team total.
Barb FriesthStaff Developer (retired), Educational Service Unit 7, Columbus, Nebraska
What started in my classroom has now spread to the whole school. We have weekly totals for the classrooms and for the whole school. Joy is multiplied.
Theresa CorcoranGrade 5 teacher (retired), Graber Elementary School, Hutchinson, Kansas
How many people it takes to change a district
Dr. Deming taught that about the square root of an organization can transform it. Set the size of your district to see how many teacher-leaders that is.
16 teacher-leaders, with administrators beside them, can lead the change.
What one district saw
Paducah, Kentucky began with the math fluency quizzes in its elementary schools: the easiest place to start, and a gap in its curriculum. The assistant superintendent listed the results.
Will Black Assistant Superintendent, Paducah Independent School District, Kentucky
0 of 8 turned. Guess first, then turn each card.
Learning on every wall
In a Learning That Lasts school, every classroom’s graphs are up where anyone can read them.
What would a visitor see in your school?
Tick the practices already part of daily life in your school. These are what a visitor sees in a Learning That Lasts™ classroom.
Make your school the one others come to see.
I love how it changes their mindset from how many I got wrong to, I know more than I have ever known before!