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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 Good morning, leaders, and welcome to another day of Your Morning Boost.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:23 I'm Jess Hansen, and I'm truly delighted to be with you again.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 I hope your journey through the week is unfolding smoothly.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:32 I want to say a quick thank you to AWB for allowing me this opportunity to do these podcasts.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 I'm genuinely enjoying sharing some ideas with you.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:39 If you are interested in doing this, reach out to them like I did.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 I just went to the AWB education webpage and filled out the form.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 It really is as simple as that.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 Adam pretty much took care of the rest. Big thanks again to him and the crew
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 at AWB. I have learned a lot during this adventure.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Speaking of great learning. If you're looking for even more insights,
00:00:56 --> 00:01:01 I highly recommend checking out Control Shift Lead, another fantastic podcast from AWB Education.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:06 Adam and Jim share some incredibly insightful tips and captivating stories.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:10 It's an easy listen with so much to gain for any leader looking to grow.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:16 This morning, our conversation shifts to a really important aspect for every school leader.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:21 How to genuinely gauge if your classes are offering enough intellectual challenge.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:26 This isn't about making learning unnecessarily difficult. It's about making
00:01:26 --> 00:01:30 sure our students are truly provoked to think, stay engaged,
00:01:30 --> 00:01:34 and build the vital problem-solving abilities they'll need for their futures.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:38 We'll be reflecting on some valuable perspectives, echoing some of the themes
00:01:38 --> 00:01:44 found in the May 2025 edition of Principal Leadership, all aimed at helping
00:01:44 --> 00:01:49 you assess and foster a climate of appropriate academic challenge across your entire institution.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:56 Hi, I'm Dr. Lisa Hill, a longtime educator of nearly 40 years as a teacher,
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 counselor, professor, and vice principal, and I've seen just about everything
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 public schools can throw at you.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:07 And now I'm sharing my tales on my comedy podcast, Vice Principal Unofficed.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:11 It's where school leadership meets laugh-out-loud stories, from underwear-required
00:02:11 --> 00:02:16 parent-teacher conferences, yes, really, to staff lounge confessions and more,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:20 you won't believe. I'm telling it all with humor and a whole lot of heart.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:25 I also tackle the serious stuff too, like what schools really need to change
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 and those behind-the-scenes moments no one talks about.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 So if you're ready to laugh, learn, and maybe even cry a little,
00:02:31 --> 00:02:36 but mostly laugh, join me and my 90-year-old mom, my unofficial co-host,
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 on Vice Principal Unofficed.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:44 New episodes drop bi-weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast picks.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:48 Trust me, this is one detention you'll actually look forward to.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:54 All right, let's unpack some practical ways to assess the intellectual depth
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 within your classrooms.
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 First, move beyond just content coverage to truly consider cognitive demand.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 Rigor isn't simply about cramming more information in. It's about the level
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 of deep thinking students are required to do.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:13 Are they truly analyzing, evaluating, creating, and problem-solving,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 or are they primarily just recalling facts?
00:03:16 --> 00:03:21 For example, instead of merely memorizing historical dates, are students analyzing
00:03:21 --> 00:03:26 the causes and effects of historical events and developing their own informed conclusions?
00:03:26 --> 00:03:31 I once observed a lesson where the teacher shifted from a timeline recall to
00:03:31 --> 00:03:35 a debate on historical turning points, and the depth of student engagement and
00:03:35 --> 00:03:40 thinking was remarkable. It truly changed how I viewed cognitive demand.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:45 Next, pay close attention to student engagement and their questions.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:50 Classrooms that offer genuine rigor often have an air of productive struggle
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 and the hum of meaningful inquiry.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:57 Are students actively participating in discussions, posing insightful questions,
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 and wrestling with complex ideas?
00:04:00 --> 00:04:04 Listen for questions that begin with why, or how does this relate to,
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 rather than just, what's the right answer?
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 As renowned educator Dylan William
00:04:09 --> 00:04:13 often emphasizes, learning happens when students have to think hard.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:19 Scrutinize the quality of your assessments. Do your assessments genuinely measure
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 higher-order thinking skills, or are they mainly based on recall?
00:04:22 --> 00:04:27 Rigorous assessments require students to apply knowledge, synthesize information,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 and demonstrate their understanding in various ways.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:35 Your assessments should include open-ended questions, project-based tasks,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 or scenarios that require real-world problem-solving.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 Examine teacher feedback and the scaffolding provided.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 Is the feedback teachers are giving
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 truly pushing students to deepen their thinking and refine their work?
00:04:48 --> 00:04:52 Is scaffolding designed to support all learners in reaching higher levels of
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 complexity without doing the thinking for them.
00:04:55 --> 00:05:00 Look for feedback that encourages reflection and independent problem solving.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:04 Like asking, what other ways could you approach this problem?
00:05:05 --> 00:05:09 I remember a teacher who, through carefully crafted scaffolding,
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 was able to unlock truly rigorous thinking for her struggling students,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 allowing them to tackle problems they initially thought impossible.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:24 Finally, consider student voice and ownership. In a truly rigorous environment,
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 students often have a degree of control over their learning journey.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:32 Do they have opportunities to choose how they demonstrate understanding or explore
00:05:32 --> 00:05:37 areas of interest within the curriculum? This could involve allowing students
00:05:37 --> 00:05:42 to select a research topic within a broader theme or choose the format of a final presentation.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:52 So to summarize, evaluating classroom rigor means closely examining cognitive
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 demand, observing student engagement and their questions,
00:05:56 --> 00:06:00 analyzing the quality of assessments, examining teacher feedback and scaffolding,
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 and considering student voice and ownership.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:08 It's all about ensuring every student is truly stretching their intellectual muscles.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:14 Remember, genuine rigor isn't about setting up obstacles. It's about constructing
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 pathways to deeper understanding and greater achievement.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:22 It's about cultivating a learning environment where every student is challenged
00:06:22 --> 00:06:27 to think critically, collaborate effectively, and evolve into an independent learner.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 Keep championing that intellectual stretch in every classroom.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 Thanks for listening. We will talk with you again tomorrow. You have been listening
00:06:35 --> 00:06:40 to your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:45 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:50 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:55 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.