12 Powerful Words
Presented by MHS
Administration
July 24, 2012
You became a teacher
because you wanted
someone to need you.
Guess what?
You got your wish!
~Larry Bell
At-Promise Kids
• Many students in the bottom-quartile come
from homes that cause them to be labeled
“at-risk”.
• How we label someone determines how we
approach them.
• All students have promise.
• It is OUR job as educators to bring out that
promise.
“On your worst day on the job,
you are still somebody’s hero.” ~Larry Bell
Techniques to Transcend Cultural
Barriers
• Tell kids you care. Explain that you have high expectations
because you believe in them.
• If a child gets in trouble, ask to see him or her later. Give calm
down time. Later, have a “start over visit”.
• Consider your tone. Is it the same with every child?
• Connect with EVERY child.
• Surprise and engage students.
• Assess understanding daily.
“Every teacher
• Authentic praise.
can reach and
• Consider that all students learn
and communicate differently.
teach every
child.”
~Larry Bell
Prepare Kids for
Standardized Tests
Prepare kids for long tests
Practice timed tests
Give higher order thinking questions
Know your student’s test data
Teach the language of the test (12 Power Words)
Give some homework/quiz questions in test format
Explain to kids what test day will be like
Discuss test anxiety
Tell students you believe in each one of them
At beginning of the year, tell kids that
“No student will fail!”
• Be a 100%er
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
12 Powerful Words
• Directly teach these words
(Don’t assume they are understood.)
• Put them in words that students can
understand
• Use them on tests & quizzes
• Talk to students about what the question is
asking
• Word of the day
• Share with parents
• Post in the classroom
• Show the 12 Power Words regularly
“If we keep on doing what we’ve always done we’re going to keep on
getting what we’ve always gotten.” ~Dr. John Maxwell
What do we mean by powerful
words?
• Words that stump students when they take
standardized tests.
• Words that intimidate or confuse students
causing them to answer a question
incorrectly when they know the answer.
AllWrite RoundRobin
• Each person will need a piece of paper and
something to write with
• You will get 5 seconds of think time
• When you hear the start you will have 3
minutes each person will say what they
think is a possible answer and write it
down on their own paper. No duplications
Question
• Remember 5 second think time
• Write down what you think is a powerful word
that stumps students on standardized tests.
Team Wrap up
• Get a poster paper and write down the words
that members of your team think are powerful
words and write a student friendly definition
next to each word. (5 minutes)
• Post your paper on the wall
• Share out
12 Powerful Words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Trace
Analyze
Infer
Evaluate
Formulate
Describe
7. Support
8. Explain
9. Summarize
10. Compare
11. Contrast
12. Predict
Four Simple Keys
•
•
•
•
Every day
Six minutes
Every child
Data Driven
How can you do this?
• Introduce the 12 Power Words and use
them with students on a daily basis
• Ask students to use the words in their
written responses to homework
• Have students make up their own
questions utilizing the words
Impact on students
• Help them to better understand what each
question means
• To become familiar with words that
require higher order thinking skills
• To relieve test anxiety
• To achieve better on tests
12 Powerful Words Jingle
http://www.youtube.com/embed/DdsaLduyChw
Ignite Your Passion
Make Montwood a 100% Success School
“Nothing great is ever
achieved without
enthusiasm.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
We educators must show
every day what we want our
students to feel.
Somebody needs you.
Resource
Larry Bell, Multicultural America, Inc
4300 Ridgewood Center Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22192
www.larry-bell.com