Page 105 - EdViewptsSpring2019-web

Even if some students were seated class period. This was unacceptable; pods and their teachers an opportu-
and ready to go at the bell, the late calculating this out across a year of nity to incentivize students and staff
arrival by other students, sometimes 180 school days per class, here's how during different stages and transitions
in a grandstanding fashion arriving devastating the numbers looked: of the day. Pods who win are award-
with an announcement of, "I'm here!" Eight 42-minute periods daily = 336 ed PBSIS "tickets" which go into a
disrupted the flow of all learners. I de- minutes total instructional time. 2.5 lottery for a drawing for each student
cided to try something new, something minutes lost per six instructional and faculty issuing the tickets.
competitive called "pod races." passing times =15 minutes per day. 15 How It Changed My School
Impact of Time on Task minutes lost per day= 1 lost class every Students consistently arrive to class
third day. One lost day every 24 days.
We call our halls "pods," because This means on a 180 day calendar, 7.5 on time or within seconds of the final
they are designed in a manner where days of instruction time lost, forever! bell, encouraged by the possibility that
students spend most of their core Something had to be done. there is a pod race occurring, and the
subjects in a pod area. In essence, climate expectation that we do not
our "pods" are our hallways. Teachers There Is a Solution wander halls at this school. Teachers
tried to force kids to comply but there’s After exploring some options, and are able to get classes started sooner,
always more power in persuasion than reviewing previous failed attempts avoid disruptions and have less activ-
force. What better way to persuade (usually negative consequences), I ity in the halls. Everyone has bought
than through competition? Research considered a positive way to get kids in to this win-win situation. The entire
indicates a positive greeting by teach- to class. Here's what I set out to do: culture of the school has changed and
ers motivates students to arrive ready students are in classrooms at or within
and motivated. Here are the strategic I created "pod races." These are posi- seconds of the bell in their classrooms.
steps I took. tively competitive ways to get kids into Nearly 8 school days saved. That's a
classrooms. How they work: way to maximize learning and improve
Getting the Numbers A pod race is part of our positive school climate.

Concerned about the lost time in behavior support incentive program This Can Work for Your
class, I did a baseline study for a at Hammarskjold. It is designed to
week, where I measured the average award students in any given pod School Too
time the halls were cleared. I visited for getting into classrooms before You don't have to call this concept a
various hallways during each time anyone else in the building and "pod race" or have a PBSIS (Positive
of the day to gather this data and particularly, before the bell. We know Behavior Support in Schools) system
didn’t direct students in the classes from prior history that pod races save in place to employ this kind of positive
(a difficult reality but I had to get an average of about 2.5 minutes reinforcement. The point is, make it
real data). Confirming my concern, I per class and this results in nearly 8 about "winning." Students and faculty
found that the average start time was school days! It is a terrific way to get are inspired by the competitive edge,
approximately 2.5 minutes AFTER the students focused and engaged early of a contest. Students and faculty
bell sounded. This was a significant in the class. Pod races are conducted respond. Try it in your school and see
loss of instructional time for students, between classes throughout the day how many days you get back!
who are scheduled for 42 minutes per and vary from day to day. This allows

About the Author
Michael Gaskell, Ed.D. has been Principal of Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ since
2006, following experience as a special educator and assistant principal in Paramus, NJ. Dr. Gaskell
achieved his doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2014, and continues to model the pursuit of lifelong
learning as he serves as a mentor to new principals in other schools and districts through the NJEA
Leaders to Leaders program. Previously published in eSchoolNews, Middleweb, NASSP, and ASCD
Smartbrief, Dr. Gaskell continues in his work as a middle school principal, working tirelessly to support
instructional excellence, his faculty, the district, and most importantly, the children as the benefactors of idea sharing.

Educational Viewpoints -103- Spring 2019