Reflecting on the First Half

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Reflecting on the First Half —

I’ve been watching a little football and I always wonder what the coaches say in the locker room at half time. It is half-time for us. Here are a few reflection questions to think about as we move into the next half of the year.

• In what area(s) do I wish I could better reach my students?
• Do I need to recalibrate my perspective on outside forces that I can’t directly control?
• Do I give my students the opportunity for frequent and authentic reflection?
• Is learning confined within the walls of our classroom?
• Am I doing all the “heavy lifting?”

Quote I’m pondering —

“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

–Helen Keller

What I’m Watching —

Chromebook Crashcourse

This video is only up until December 31. There is also a way to win a Chromebook at the end of watching this hour PD session about Chromebooks. I learned that by Clicking CTRL+Shift+T will bring back a closed tab…so when students try to click off a tab they don’t want me to see, I can click that keystrokes and see what the last tab they closed was. I don’t use this often, but there are a few that I have talked with that I will check on. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Rediscovering Your Fulfillment as a Teacher

Sometimes we get into a bit of a funk and need a little pick me up. This is a good article to help get the focus back.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all you do. It is a pleasure working with all of you. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful New Year.

Happy Holidays

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Happy Holidays  —

Have a wonderful couple weeks of time with your family. It has been a busy year so far. The wonderful thing is that I am seeing changes in students and from what many of you are saying, the changes are starting to pay off. I get a snippet from students during lunch about what they are learning and many of the answers they give are positive. Students love you. You are all amazing teachers. Have a wonderful break. You deserve it.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Don't try to be perfect; Just be an excellent example of a human being.”

— Anthony Robbins

What I’m Watching —

Howe to Make Learning a Game

The author of “Ditch that Textbook” is having a free summit for educators. This is one of the online presentations. The Summit goes all this week and is available online until the 31st. Just thought I would offer a little online PD for you, if you want to do a little learning during your break. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Eating an Elephant

One bite at a time. A few words from Dave Burgess about eating an elephant.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all you have done this year. There has been a few changes that have been hard to adjust to and the testing we have done has given us a lot of data to look at. You have taken these changes and made them work. You are amazing teachers. You deserve all the thanks I can give. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful Christmas Break.

Instructional Focus

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Instructional Focus  —

One of the questions we asked at the training was about what our Instructional focus was at Dixie Sun. At our training this last week we learned from Patti Montgomery that this is an important part of our school is to have an Instructional Focus and to remind teachers of it often. What is the focus of our improvement in our school this year that has to do with Instruction. 

As Kim, Alma, and I looked at our needs in the school, and after having discussions with Jennifer, Sara, Patti, and Annette, we came up with three that we think need tightening up on. They are Engagement, Lesson Planning, and Explicit Instruction. At the training on Monday only ½ knew these. That is our fault. We should have been discussing this more with you. These are the three we will be talking about asking about as we come to PLC’s. We will be asking how your planning is and are you making sure you have the Explicit Instruction spelled out in your plans. As we come into your classrooms and see the great things happening, we will be looking at students to see their engagement levels in the activities they are doing. We should be able to ask your students what they are learning and they should know the objective and why they are working on this activity. We understand that there will be 10-20% of your class that might not know because they are learning to learn, but as engagement, and explicit instruction increases, most students should know why they are working on each activity and where they are headed.

I think one of the teachers put it well in a PLC this week, they said that “we are doing most parts of explicit instruction, lesson planning, and we are getting better at engagement, we just needed to be reminded which parts we were missing so we can improve.” I agree. We just need to be reminded of the parts and make sure we have them all included in our classrooms. You are amazing teachers. One of our goals for the rest of the year is to remind you of our objectives (Instructional Focus) to make sure you know what we are concentrating on. It is not subject based, it is Instructional based. We appreciate all you do.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

What I’m Watching —

Teach Teachers How To Create Magic

Don’t get stuck on the music part of the video and listen to the overall message he is saying. Create magic in your classroom. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Why Student Data Should Be Students’ Data

What should we do with all this data we are collecting on students?

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Julie, Jaime, Elena, Diana, and Teryn for helping in our training on Monday. As we talked with the teams throughout the school the one comment was made throughout was that they got to see teachers that used these strategies and skills in their classrooms. They also mentioned there needed to be more time. I appreciate that you were willing to take the time, from short notice, and share one amazing thing you do in your classroom. We have so many strategies and skills that are being used in our building that we can learn from. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for being the amazing teachers you are. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

It’s the Hap, Happiest Time of The Year

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

It’s the Hap, Happiest Time of The Year  —

Seriously? The kids are wired, the air is freezing, and the stores are crammed with crazed shoppers. Yes it is the happiest time of the year. This is the time of year when the students are going crazy because art is close to Christmas, and the change in the weather. Weather has an effect on everyone. With the change in the weather comes children getting sick and that changes a child’s (and adult’s) attitude quickly. Everyone gets out of sorts this time of year. The key is to remember we as adults have the same things happen to us and we need to remember that can change how we act and react to normal situations. Take a step back and remind yourself that they are children. You might have to tell yourself that over and over again. A few more educational activities are great this time of year. They will come back after the break the same child, but more ready to learn. We can do this. It is only a couple of weeks until the break. Hold on. Keep it together so the students know that you still love them. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday in your life, you will have been all of these.”

—George Washington Carver

What I’m Watching —

Don't Eat The Marshmallow!

A quick lesson on how to be successful in life, using a marshmallow.

Favorite Article This Week —

100 Blocks a Day

Nothing like our day laid out into 100 blocks. A little math. A lot of thought. Something to think about, track, or make it an activity for you or your students. Graphing, adding, multiplying, dividing, changing, growing, or do nothing. whatever you want it to be.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Amanda for putting together and coordinating the Warm the Soles night. The happiness as students opened their packages from America First Credit Union was priceless. I saw fist pumping, jumping for joy, smiles, laughter, and parents just happy their kids have shoes this time of year. Some of the shoes they took off have been ready for the garbage for months. Thank you for setting that up. Thank you to the teachers that were there to support and help that night. I know everyone is not able to be there, but I hope you are able to help when these activities come up. The students love to show off to their teachers their new kicks every year. Thank you Amanda and everyone that helped that night. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Progress Reports?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Progress Reports?  —

At Community Council meeting today there was a concern that was brought up and I want you to think about how we can address it. A parent wanted to know how we as a school can communicate with parents better the things we are doing at school and the progress their students are making. The suggestion was brought up to use powerschool and input all the tests and assignments we do. I mentioned that we are looking at progress in skills and not just numbers on a test. My philosophy in elementary school is that when we test we are not just looking at how many problems students are missing, but which problems they are missing and why they are missing them. So 7/10 does not always mean they are proficient because they earned the 70%, but that they master the 7 and now it is the 3 we need to look at to help in that area. Observations are also a little hard to input into Powerschool. Numbers do not always tell the full story. But the concern is a good one. How do we let parents know between SEP conferences how students are doing? If there is a concern with a specific concept that parents could help with at home, do they know what it is and how they can address it at home? There are some great things happening in our school in this area. What can you do as a teacher that does not take a lot of extra time, but will give the parents some information about how their student is doing, especially if they were told their student is struggling during an SEP? Communication is important. How do we keep the parents in the loop throughout the year? It does not have to be daily, or even weekly.  Talk about this in your teams and discuss some ideas.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” — George M. Adams

What I’m Watching —

YouTube Channels for Elementary Students

These are some good resources for math videos. I am not saying hand them over to your students and let them go, but there are some great videos here to show or to embed in Powerschool Learning. Make sure you watch them first if you use them with students.

Favorite Article This Week —

The Secret of Effective Feedback

This has an interesting thought about what we are expecting when we assign work. What we do with that work can turn it from an assessment of what the child can do to how we can help the student be a better learner. Interesting article. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Fourth grade teachers. for all you do. I appreciate the work you do in your PLC as you work through what is best for students. I appreciate the work Diana does with engagement, getting the students up and moving, discussion with each other, and being excited when you do it. I appreciate the hard work Kristen puts in as she works with her team to form a plan that will carry through the year. Changing what is needed as she learns what needs to be changed. And I appreciate the ideas and tenacity Derrell has to be a teacher everyday after deciding one day to see what this teaching thing is all about. Thank you for being a strong team. Thank you for being willing learners and amazing teachers. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Building Student Understanding (Again)

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Building Student Understanding (Again) —

We have done great work working on our GVC and Learning Targets. Bob mentioned that he loved working with all the grade levels as you worked on your GVC last year. I don't think we can ever be reminded of the PLC questions enough. 

• What do we expect our students to learn?

• How will we know they are learning?

• How will we respond when they don't learn it?

• How will we respond if they already know it?

Using these questions, we set our GVC and Learning Targets. Once we have the what we want them to learn we set up our program and find our tools that help us teach so we can move to the next question. GVC is the one thing they need to learn on that subject, Learning Targets are the Steps that lead to the GVC, and daily lessons are scaffolded to reach the Learning Target. Teachers throughout the district met this summer and found the “Nonnegotiable” GVC fro each grade and subject. From those we need will look at what we have done as a school and see where we need to adjust what we have. Remember that our GVC will change a little as we find a more clear picture of what is important in our teaching. Scott had a great question a couple weeks ago. He asked, “Do we go deeper in our subject or do we teach everything”. Deeper is better. We have taken the most important curriculum and that is what we are teaching. To find out if they learned what we wanted them to learn and to see if we taught it well we assess the students. From that data we look at who did not get it, who did get it, and what we going to do next. The hardest part of the assessment is looking at our teaching practices as a team and finding out if there is something else we can change or tweak to improve our lessons. When we answer these questions we find our next steps and get to work. The work Bob did with us was the first step in this process. This is the first step in knowing what we want our students to understand. And that is our calling as teachers. To help every student, no matter their circumstance, no matter their behavior, no matter their attitude, is to give them the opportunity to learn and understand.

Quote I’m pondering —

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.

–Haim Ginott

What I’m Reading —

How To Win An Argument According To Science

This infographic has great information about the steps to arguing. Might be some good steps to teach students as they discuss concepts in class.

Favorite Article This Week —

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

I love language and where we get words in English. We have collected many words over the years from many different languages, which makes it hard to speak for some of us.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Cami, Jaime, Shelly, and Lisa for taking the time to help with the afternoon snacks. After working on your club we appreciate taking little time to help pass out the snacks to all the students. for all you do. Sometimes you are there for a while as you wait for safety patrol and other stragglers. We also want to thank you for helping with Tan’s Treats every week as we go from class to class handing out weekend lunches and dinners. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

The River’s Song Is Sweet

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

The River’s Song Is Sweet  —

Sometimes life can be tough. There is so much that happens around us and too us that it makes it hard to focus on the thing in front of us. Something happens at home with s child or a member of the family. Sometimes it happens to us when we have a set back or something presents itself that is hard to get around or get away from. It happens. We are all human and life happens. It happens to all of us. So how to we handle situations that happen and take our focus away from our daily schedule? I heard a saying once, “The river’s song would not be so sweet without the rocks.” What are our expectations of others when problems happen. How do we help them? How do we help our littles ones in our class each day that have life happen to them on a daily basis? Sometime life can be tough. I think the answer to this is to know that we are loved by those around us. To know that someone or many someones are around us and make the difference in our lives so we know that we have somewhere to feel safe and know that there are people that will keep us going with the things that should and do matter in our lives. Our students have these things happen and we need to know that they need a soft place to land at our school. It’s funny, but sometimes, as a teacher, I did not think about students when they left the classroom. It was just like the student that sees us in the grocery store and does not realize we do not live in the school or that we could show up somewhere else besides school. Our student’s songs are sweet and we need to keep them sweet, with or without the rocks. And just know that you are all an important part of our school. You are important to everyone at our school. Everyone needs a soft place to land, and I hope you feel that our school is one of those places also. You make everything happen at our school.  You help create and maintain the culture we have here. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Life is not designed to make things easy for us, but present challenges that help us grow.”
– Terry Laughlin

What I’m Watching —

A Study on Praise and Mindsets

Just a reminder about how we praise and what our personal mindset is can determine what and how we learn.  

Favorite Article This Week —

How to Take Risks In A System Not Built For It (What Teachers Can Learn From Elon Musk)

Interesting idea from an amazing thinker. How do we teach our students to take risks  hat will further their opportunities in life? How does this relate to education?

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Preschool. Thank you for starting our little ones off on the right foot and having them know which foot it is and what letters spell the word foot. I was able to sit in on a parent meeting tonight and be able to watch to amazing interaction and love you have for the students and parents. Thank you for taking the time to teach the parents and students. Thank you Preschool for preparing students for success. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

You Can Do Magic

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

You Can Do Magic  —

I have been thinking about some of my favorite places I have been. Walking through the woods with my family in New York State. Attending a concert with my friends in high school. Watching a play with my wife at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. Playing Uno with my music teacher and friends in high school. Singing in a cathedral in London with my college choir. These are amazing memories. They were magical times for me. But when I think about what it is that I loved about each memory it was the people I shared it with. Being able to talk to them, learn together, and enjoy the time together. I feel the same way about how our students learn and grow in our classrooms. Are they comfortable in our classrooms. Are we creating an environment and situation that students will remember fondly while they learn? Do they feel the magic in the room and the learning that is going on. Do they know that what is happening is all about them and that their teacher is designing lessons about them? This is the magic that you bring to your class. Students knowing that when they walk in the room, something magical will happen that day for them. Sometimes we think students are looking for entertainment, but in reality they are looking for comfort and love. They want to know that someone believes in them. No matter what they do. If they know someone believes in them, their attitude will change. It might take years, but it will is the magic they will feel. So, teach the students explicitly with the best strategies, teach them in a systematic way, and in the best sequence and they will learn. Make your students feel loved, respected, and comfortable and they will remember you and what you taught forever. You can do magic. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished,  the people will say 'We have done this ourselves.”

― Lao Tzu

What I’m Watching —

Believe in You Maths Potential — Set Yourself Free

I really like Jo Boaler. She sheds a little more light on how believing in your possibilities will set you free. It is a month Video, but it has to do with anything we do in education. Adults have a big influence on how children feel about everything in their lives.

Favorite Article This Week —

If Schools Don't Allow Mistakes, Where Are They Supposed To Happen?

We have talked a lot about Mindset and mistakes over the last year. This is an interesting questions that goes along with this idea. George is an amazing education blogger.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you third grade. It is wonderful how we can always find you as a team working together before school, after school, and at other times planning and going over what needs to happen in your classes that will help students. We appreciate your work and all that you do for students. Thank you for taking your time to get the most out of the time you have. And thank you for taking your schedule and making it fit to your students and to what is best for them and for you. It is a hard schedule, as 4th and 5th know. We also want to Thank Scott for all his work he has done with 5th grades schedule. Thank you Scott. Thank you Third Grade. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Good Intentions

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Good Intentions —

As I sat in the Principal’s Literacy class today, the presenter said something that really struck a chord with me. She said that everything we do in our schools needs to be intentional. We are given children for 6.5 hours and we need to use every moment to help them succeed. If we are not intentional with our instruction, our lessons, and our attitude, it is not helping students. Every lesson should be planned out ahead of time with objectives, structure, and sequence to maximize the learning with each student. Students deserve to more than best intentions from teachers, the deserve to have teachers that are intentional in their teaching. I found that interesting and true. We have very little time in our day. Everything we do with students should be intentional to help them succeed in learning.

Quote I’m pondering —

"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.” 

–Ender Wiggin in Enders Game

What I’m Watching —

Kindergarten Assessments at the Beginning of the Year- thank you Politicians....

The fun we have with computers and kindergarten students. I understand that some of the older grades have issues like this also. Enjoy.

Favorite Article This Week —

 Stop telling kids you’re bad at math. You are spreading math anxiety ‘like a virus.’

One of the things adults need to understand is that sometimes we help children with their anxiety and fears. This also goes for more than math.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Heather for all you do. You have come to our wonderful school with high expectations and an amazing attitude and have picked up the job and ran with it. Everything we have asked of you, you have done. You have cared for the students. You have taken it upon yourself to be out at lunch recess with stickers so you can learn student names. You have done amazing and we just want to thank you for all you do for our school and for the students. Thank you for being with us. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Checking In, Checking Out

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Checking In, Checking Out  —

One of the ideas Kim and I wanted to work on this year were student discipline issues we have seen at our school. We don’t have serious issue, but we have some that get under teachers skin and sometimes ends up that the teacher needs a time out, or that the student needs someone to talk with.One of the new ideas we have heard about and are putting into effect this year is the Check-in, Check-out program. We have started small and are adding a few more students here and there. Some of the students really have made serious improvements, and some we are still working with. Let me explain what it is and how it works.

A student comes to my office in the morning before school, or right after school starts. Kim or I sit with them and see how they are doing, getting a feeling of how their day might be, and give them a minute to tell me something they want to get out. It is a time for us to build a relationship with them and they have a chance to be listened to, one on one. Then we talk about the “Check In” sheet. There are four things we talk about, “Listening to the teacher”, “Being on task”, “Appropriate talk with others”, and “Completing their work”. They have a chance to get a 2 (amazing, but not perfect), a 1 (part to most of the time), or a 0 (less than part of the time or nothing) during the morning, afternoon, specials, and during clubs. They set a goal of how many 2’s they will get that day. It might be 1, it might be 10. Theory set the goal. They take the Check In Sheet to their first teacher and they go on with their day. At the end of the class the teacher circles the numbers, gives a short explanation why they got the numbers they did, signs the paper, and they take it to the next class. At the end of the day, they “Check Out” with Kim or I by coming to the office before school is over and sharing with us how their day went. We discuss the 0’sand 1’s and celebrate the 2’s. We make a plan about what they will do to get 2’s in class and we send them home. After we have talked with their parents about the Check In sheet, the note goes home for the parents to sign and the student brings it back the next day when they get in their new Check In sheet. This paper is not a punishment. Even when they get 0’s it is not a punishment, it is a way to find out why they are getting 0’s and 1’s in class. It also helps us with patterns in their behaviors. 

If they are sent to the office because of a serious behavior problem, there will be a punishment of some kind. I personally like picking up trash and cleaning up our school during lunch. Then I can talk with them while we are cleaning the school up.

What we need from teachers is consistency in asking for the papers, taking a minute to talk with the students and don’t just circle numbers and push them out the door. We also need you to make sure they get to the office either before school or right after the bell. Some students in the upper grades can be sent after iReady time also. And the hard part is making sure you get the papers each day in the afternoon and send them to the office before school ends. It gets crazy with snack and other distractions as school ends, so if they are sent before the bell rings we can get them all and send them home. You can even send them before Clubs if you like. Please help us with this. Right now we have about 7 students, but we are hoping to have a few more and give Check in sheets to other people in our school. This gives students someone to talk with for a minutes twice a day along with the attention you give them as a teacher.  Thank you for all you do. We hope this program will help change a few of the behaviors that can distract a class and make your classroom a wonderful learning environment with few intentional distractions. From students.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Stick your neck out…it’s a lot more fun than sitting at home and watching other people do it.” 

– Sir Richard Branson

Favorite Video This Week —

Step your Steps

The Fitbit challenge has come to this! Red Mountain sent this out to all the principals. Enjoy the humor about our Fitbit Challenge.

Favorite Article This Week —

Training teachers in phonics should be prioritised, says thinktank

Ya. We know. We see the gaps and are starting to fill them with PD and a great Phonics program. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you First Grade. Thank you for taking the learning you have gotten and putting it into your classrooms the next day. Thank you fro working with your groups of students and never giving up on any of them. Working with the students that need a little extra and building them up and giving them a reason to learn. No stone unturned, no student left behind. Thank you for your passion. Thank you for your ideas. Thank you for telling us what you need to get to the next step. Thank you for all you do. You are appreciated. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Time to Recharge

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Time to Recharge  —

We do have many breaks as we go through the school year, but as a teacher it was always great to use it as a time to recharge. I hope that you are doing something fun and taking time to be with your loved ones, or at least talk with them. Get your mind off school for a little bit so when you come back you are fully charged and ready to go. Balance is always a difficult thing to maintain and manage as a teacher. There is so much to do and yet we need time to get our balance of home and school into focus. Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you Monday morning!

Quote I’m pondering —

“The only true voyage would be not to travel through a hundred different lands with the same pair of eyes, but to see the same land through a hundred different pairs of eyes.” 

–Marcel Proust

What I’m Reading —

Stop Stealing Dreams

This is a book in PDF form. It is a manifesto from Seth Godin about school. If you are looking to be a pirate and want a different look at different thoughts about teaching. This is a good start. Pick a few headings and read a little. Maybe you agree, maybe you don't. It has some interesting thoughts here. Seth wrote the book “Purple Cow” which is an interesting book about how to stand out from everyone and be remarkable.

Favorite Article This Week —

The Power of the Positive Office Referral

As we start using our new Check-In-Check-Out System in the office, I thought this might be a great article to keep in mind when and why you send students to the office.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all you do. There is so much going on in our school and I see everyone working hard to help their students improve and be successful. I talk with students as they walk around the track and I always ask how school is going for them and what they are learning. I don’t any students tell me they hate school and are not learning anything. They love school and they love their teachers. They love you. Thank you for making them feel loved. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful 4 day weekend.

Find the Purpose

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Find the Purpose —

When we are planning for our lessons each day, how purposeful are we in the outcome we want from that lesson? There is a lot to get through in one year so we need to make sure everything we teach has a purpose and an outcome. This is why we have GVCs and Learning Targets. If the outcome is not ending in a GVC’s then why are we teaching it? And if we need to teach it, why is it not a GVC? Every school needs to purposeful in their lessons, but in the drive-by teaching we do in our school, we need to be more focused on the outcomes and purposeful in our delivery. More is not better, more is more. Less and deeper is more of what we need. How will this apply to our students’ lives? How will it create opportunities for them and a drive for them to want to keep learning. We will never be able to teach them everything, but if we engage them in learning and create a love of learning, they will keep learning themselves and they will learn everything they need to know. And if they need to know something we did not teach them, they will know how to find it and be able to learn it for themselves. Be purposeful in every lesson. Know your outcome and scaffold the learning so it builds to the next learning opportunity. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work. And the belief that things will grow out of the activity itself and that you will, through work, bump into other possibilities and kick open other doors that you would never have dreamt of if you were just sitting around looking for a great ‘art idea’.”

-Chuck Close, American artist who achieved fame as a photorealist through massive-scale portraits

What I’m watching —

How our friendship survives our opposing politics

We live in a world with differing opinions. How do we teach our students to listen and learn from different opinions. This TED talk is a good example with good stories about how we can respect other ideas without ruining relationships. Not to show to students, but something to think about. 

Favorite Article This Week —

The 1 Word to Delete from Your Vocabulary if You Want to Succeed

I need to work on deleting this word from my vocabulary. It really does hold me back from what I could really do.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Jana, Cindy, Kathy, Cristin, and Lisa. You have taken and tested students on a variety of different tests that give us the data that we need to help our students. Now after you have started your LLI groups we mention how we might change things up a little and what we got from you was, “whatever you need.” We sure appreciate you great attitudes about doing what is needed to help each of the students at Dixie Sun grow. We sure appreciate all you do behind the scenes and all the little things you do that make such a big difference. Clubs, library, GT, lunch duty, kindergarten lunch duty, and everything else you do at the drop of a hat. Thank you. We appreciate all of you. Thank you for all you do. Thank you. 

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

The Improvement Plan

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

The Improvement Plan  —

Our grade has dropped from a C to a D as a school. What does that mean? It means we need to help our students go deeper and build their successes. As Kim and I reflected on last year we found a few  hints we needed to adjust to make students more successful. The first hung we needed to do was find time for interventions. With our schedule it is not easy to find that time in our limited day, so the thought came to build in a club time for all students to participate in. This gives students intervention time as well as an extension for every student sometime throughout the year. The next thought we had was we needed to change up our English strand classes. This would take extra help moving students into a couple different classes as well as changing schedules around. This is still a work in progress, but the idea is that it will give everyone an opportunity to learn and it would mix the classes up in a way that every student succeeds. Scheduling has been an interesting challenge, but in he end it should provide great results. The third idea that came up was that Shelly needed help with the science. 30 minutes a week with every student does not build science mastery, or even come close. So we thought that science needed to be more prevalent in the classroom in the form of informational ready, which everyone is doing anyway. Adding more science practice, background knowledge, and science vocabulary in the classroom will help students be more successful in understanding the world around them. And the last idea was one that came as we read through what you wanted as teachers in the survey last year. More PD for Phonics, Language, reading comprehension, and writing. So we called in the big guns, Jennifer and Sara. Actually everything we reflected on came from thoughts teachers had as we talked about how to make our school a better, more successful learning environment. One last piece that we think will help us providing snacks and Tan’s Treats for our students. These programs will give food where it is needed for our students. I don’t like to say that we are teaching to any teat. What we are trying to do is make our school a more successful place for students to be successful in, especially as they leave us. We want them to be ready for everything life will throw at them. Education is a game changer for many students. Anything we can do to up their game is a bonus. If you have any ideas or thoughts about this plan, please let us know. We are always up for ways to make our school better.  

Quote I’m pondering —

“Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, ‘What else could this mean?’”

― Shannon L. Alder

What I’m watching —

Imogen Heap's Mi.Mu gloves will "change the way we make music"

I love Imogene Heap’s music. When I saw a video about Imogene using gloves to make music I had to learn more. This, to me, is what our students are going to be doing in the future. Creating something to make life better, or more fun. I also wonder how this might change how we teacher or how students might learn…with a pair of gloves.

Favorite Article This Week —

Why Multilingual People Have Healthier, More Engaged Brains

This is our students. They have strong brains. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you. It has been a busy year so far and as we get deeper into the year I see how amazing the teachers and staff are at Dixie Sun. Working with many different staffs over the years it has been hard to get some engaged in trainings. There has been many times when the teachers would not get up and engage in the activity we were involved in. Not so here. We realize that if we expect our students to be engaged, we should also. When we are learning, we need to be learning. I appreciate the support you give whomever is teaching the PD. We get comments from everyone that comes to teach us that our teachers are engaged and wanting to learn. I just want you to know that you are amazing teachers. Thank you for all you do. Thank you. 

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Addendum: I was reminded that another part of the plan was to add Mindset to our learning in the classroom. Teaching students and teachers about a growth mindset helps each understand more about how the brain works. It also builds persistence and that it is ok to make mistakes. Growth Mindset can increase learning in everyone because of their outlook on learning.

It’s Time to Address Your Behavior

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

It’s Time to Address Your Behavior  —

The district has been talking a lot about behavior the last month. Each of the trainings I have gone to have a piece about what they are doing to help support us int he schools when we have a behavior issue. So the questions that were asked of us today I will ask you. 

• Is there a foundational understanding across the building of what behaviors should look like? We did a PBIS training at the beginning of the year. How is that training being supported in the classroom? Are the lessons being taught in the PBIS videos being modeled and reviewed in the classroom? What can we do better?
• What are the gaps in the behavior system in our school? If you see gaps, please let us know. We want to improve anything that will help our students learn.
• What are the rules in our school and what are we doing to support those rules? Do you know the 5 PBIS rules? Do you know the cheer?
• Do kids know how to restore the relationship they have broken? The most important question I heard was this one. We tell them to say I’m Sorry, but does that repair the relationship? Will that make it better? Do they understand what they have done and how to repair the relationship?

So what we would like to do is know what we can do to support you? When are the bad behaviors happening? Is it during tradition time? During rotation time? When students line up? What is the catalyst? What procedure can be addressed to help students? One main idea Annette Brinkman taught me was that engagement helps curb bad behaviors and improves learning. Let us know your thoughts about managing problem behaviors in our school and your ideas to help improve them. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he's one who asks the right questions.”

― Claude Lévi-Strauss

What I’m reading —

When Reading is Trash or Magic

How do our students feel about reading? Do we listen to why they do or do not like reading? How do we change or encourage those truths?  

Favorite Article This Week —

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem & Self-Image...The Postage Stamp Method

There are some great ideas to use with kids in this article. Also to use with yourself. You are one of a kind and no one else is like you. You are extraordinary and engineered for success. Yes, YOU are. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Shelly. Thank you for taking on the Cultural Night and organizing the food and information to parents. Thank you for taking on these projects that always end up being amazing. Thank you for taking charge of the Safety Patrol and getting them organized. I haver had parents comment about how smooth it is when dropping their students off in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon. The students are also more confident as they do their jobs. Thank you for your hard work. We also appreciate all the work you have put into the science lab. Adjusting to the new rotations and managing the science skills needed as we improve our science information. As you work with teams and build our science learning, just know that we appreciate your help. Thank you for always wanting to do more to help our school. We appreciate all you do. Thank you for being here. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Ignorance Project

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Ignorance Project —

I watched a video this week from TED Talks. It talked about data and how we look at it. There was some great information that I think needs to be shared and discussed. Hans Rosling is a Data guy from Sweden and he talks about misconceptions we have as a society. Hans talks about how we as a population look at data and think things are getting worse. The kids are getting worse, or are they? He shares a couple graphs that show that the world is not getting worse, but it is getting better. It is all about how we look and think about our situations and the situations in our world. He discusses misconceptions society has and how we need to change how we look at things. In a nutshell the video taught me that I need to look at things more positively. The data does not show that things are getting worse. I constantly look at my situation I was in when I was younger and I have to remember that life is different now. There is so much more happening and we are so much further than I thought we would ever be. Life is better. We have so much more at our fingertips. Attitudes are better around the world. We are closer to every part of the world. We know so much more. Life is good. The bonus is that we are in the trenches making it better. You are a huge part of the progress happening in our world. Check out the video here TED: The Ignorance Project.

Quote I’m pondering —

"Never risk what you have and need for what you don't have and don't need."

— Warren Buffett

What Posters I'm Looking at—

You Cubed Math Posters

These are math posters from one of the greatest teaching minds in math, Jo Boaler. I wish they were in Spanish. If someone wants to translate for me, I will print them out. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Why is my kid allowed to make spelling mistakes?

Spelling has always had a special place in my heart… well not really. This article explains why it is important, but why we should not concentrate on it as hard as we have in the past. Something about the flow of ideas. Enjoy. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you third grade. Thank you for taking time everyday to talk about your student needs. I walk by your rooms at different times and you are discussing ways to help your students and what you can do to help them succeed. This has become the norm at our school for everyone and I just happen to see you doing it often. Thank you for taking the time and working for your students. Thank you for the little things to make the big things work better. Thank you third grade for your work as a team. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

To Learn, or Not to Learn

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

To Learn, or Not to Learn? —

What does it mean to learn? Is that what we do in school? Do we teach learning or do we expect knowing? As I ponder this thought I think back to all the students that knew the answers right away in a lesson. Were they learning? I am not sure they were or did. If they knew it I went on to the next thing. So my next question is, how do we teach students to learn? Is this what we are supposed to be doing with our students, teaching them how to learn and helping them be life long learners? Ask yourself these questions(write them down) and then ask your students the same questions on a google form, or some other way. See if they are the same or if they are different. And then decide what do I do from there. Here is a short tutorial about how to create a google form and share it with your students. Google Form Tutorial

• What makes a good learner?
• What do good learners do when they get stuck?
• What do good learners do when they don't know what to do?
• What is learning? 

Quote I’m pondering —

“"The goal isn't to be fearless, the goal is to fear less." — Tim Ferriss

What I’m watching —

Green and Clean 

Stephen Covey tells a story of how he worked with his son to take care of the yard. Lesson in teaching from the author of “Seven Habits…”

Favorite Article This Week —

Why the 21st Century Classroom may remind you of Starbucks

The flexible seating idea has caught on in many classrooms this year. One thing that this article brings to mind is how engagement and procedures are more important in this type of classroom. Where there is more freedom there is more responsibility. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you teachers and aides. The Dixie Sun Shiners Club time(trying out names to see how they roll off the fingers) has been an idea in the works and it can to be on Tuesday. As I walked around there was a little confusion with the switching (to be expected on the first day), but it was minimal. It was so smooth. The halls were quiet as students moved between classes. Thank you for taking on this next piece of learning that students want and need. Interventions looked good. The extension classes looked fun. I am excited to see how well it goes over the next few weeks as they settle in. I just want to say thank you fro all your work, for your helps nd for your ideas. You are so willing to do what you can to help your students. Thank you aides for taking a class and teaching something you are interested in. Thank you teachers for intervening with our students. I hope this time will be intentional and successful. Thank you for making the Dixie Club Time (here’s another name idea) work. Thank you for all you do for our students. Thank you. 

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Finding the Why

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Finding the Why —

During the tech class we watched a Ted Talk by Simon Sinek about starting with Why to inspire others. So why do you teach? I know that you love teaching, I know that you love students and want to make their lives better. I know that you would do almost anything to help our students. So the question is how are we marketing our information to students so they are sold on our product. Our product is knowledge and problem-solving. Do we start with the why with students so they know why it is important for them to know the information we are giving to them? If you were the student, would you be sold on the information you are teaching? How do we get them hooked so they run into and not out of class each day? What is it that will make them want the information? It was a great thought provoking video for me.

Quote I’m pondering —

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." —Thomas S. Monson

What I’m watching —

The Power of Yet

Thinking about what Alma is teaching us this year with the Growth Mindset, I thought of this fun little video.

Favorite Article This Week —

Differentiation Is Just Too Difficult: Myth-Busting

I read through this and thought about how hard I thought differentiation would be when I started looking at implementing it. This article has some great ideas to think about. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you second grade. Thank you for your work with Mindset implementation. Hearing some of the stories you tell about how it is being used in your classes is great for the students. I also want to thank you for handing out the first few Principal 200 club. It is also great that you have started looking at how you can start CSIP. Thank you second grade for all your hard work. We appreciate what you do. Thank you.

PS —

The thank you point is getting harder to show just one team because all the amazing work that is going on in our school. Just know that we see what is happening at school. Thank you

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.  Have a wonderful three day weekend.

Your Passion is Showing Through

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Your Passion is Showing Through—

I am tired. If I am tired, I am sure you are also. All the work you put into your classrooms. All the work you put into your lessons. All your preparation. All you do for the students each day is amazing. Thank you for all your hard work. The scheduling this year has been a little different and I hope it is working well. As we go through the year, please let me know your thoughts on scheduling and how it is working. We want to make everything as smooth as possible for you and the students. It has been wonderful going to your PLC’s and hearing how everything is going. Kim mentioned that it has been a smooth first couple weeks. Your Passion is showing through. 

Monday is our first teacher training. We will be looking at information from last year and see where we need to concentrate this year. Jennifer Throndson will be coming to see what we find and how she can set up the Professional Development her and Sara Weibke will be providing this year. We will be talking a little Sage, Dibels and DRA. We will be starting at 12:30. We will be in the science lab.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Wild animals run from the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come. A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present.” – Seneca

What I’m watching —

Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories

I watched this video years ago and used it in my classroom as I read stories to my students. I found that it was a great way to show the rise and fall of a characters attitude, happiness, cause and effect of the story, and what leads up to and after a problem. 4 and half minutes of story graphing.  

Favorite Article This Week —

Why It’s Imperative Educators Resist The Lure Of The Single Story

This was a good article reminding me that we need to fight against assumptions about our students. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers. This new schedule is a new way of thinking. A new way of managing your schedule. You have each taken the schedule and idea and made it your own. Thank you for working with this idea. Thank you for working with it so it benefits the students. Thank you for making a change that is not comfortable. Thank you for your willingness to take a risk. Thank you for being a pirate. Thank you for all you do.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

And We Are Off

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

And We Are Off —

Our first week is almost over and we made it through. I have watched everyone as you power through our first 5 day week in years. It is so easy to start off with a 3 day week, but I have seen you push through this week and the students love being at our school. I have heard so many great things. So many students love the rotations in the upper grades. All I can say is that the students are relating to me the Passion you have in your classrooms. You are truly Pirates showing you are willing to take risks and travel to the ends of the earth for that which you value… Students. 

We will be starting Specials next week. You will need to be with your students to make sure they know how to get from one class to the next. I will open the training room for you to use if you want to meet there between your students rotating specials. Kim and I will come in and talk to your team about how you are doing and discuss interventions and extensions. I also wanted to remind you that we are starting Tech class next Tuesday. We can do hard things because we are Pirates! Arrrr.

We are off and running.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Being a reflective teacher could be your own best personal professional development." —Robert John Meehan

What I’m watching —

First Week of School Stress

Starting off with a short Gerry Brooks video. Enjoy.

Favorite Article This Week —

5 Questions to Ask Your Students To Start the School Year

A good article to start the year. Get students involved in their own learning. Get them thinking about their education. They might not have the answers right away, but it might get the seed planted.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all your preparations and work you put into your classrooms and curriculum. Thank you for building relationships with your students. Thank you for being the best teachers for the students at Dixie Sun. You deserve a huge thank you for all you do. Every one of you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

PBIS Review 2017

Welcome to a new year at Dixie Sun Elementary. This video is a review of the Five pats that help guide our behavior at Dixie Sun.

At Dixie Sun we are... Responsible and Respectful.
We will be... Resourceful and Safe.
Dixie Sun is... United.

Live by these principles and we will live a great life.

What’cha Doing This Summer?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

What’cha Doing This Summer? —

When Kim pitched to me the idea of starting a book study of Harry Wong and Annette Brinkman this summer, I thought it was a great idea. Having a group of educators get together and discuss, model, and learn together about how we can help students better is always a great plan. If you have a chance, come and enjoy the great discussions we will have. We will post the days on the DSES Staff Information Calendar on your Google Calendar.

I also want to mention Twitter again. After you sign up for Twitter take a minute and search for some hashtags. Read or participate in a couple chats during the summer. They are about an hour long, but you don’t have to participate or even be there when it happens. You can read any chat that happened by searching the hashtag and reading through the tweets. The #tlap and read some of the tweets that are there. If you search for the #tlap hashtag on Monday nights at 7pm. you can read or participate as creative teachers from around the country discuss topics about improving professional practice. Another chat is #edchat that you can search or read and participate on Tuesdays at 5:00pm. If you are also interested in learning more about using tech in the classroom and how other educators use tech in their classes, Mondays at 6pm is #edtechchat. My favorite chat is one that I just found called #EduGladiators on Saturday mornings at 9:30am. Spend the hour or a few minutes reading some of the tweets and learn see what is happening around the country in education. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Don’t buy complexity; the simpler you make your training, the better the results become.”

– Ryan Flaherty

What I’m watching —

Year End Gifts

I have to get in at least one more Gerry Brooks video before the end of the year.

Favorite Article This Week —

Talking to Yourself (Out Loud) Can Help You Learn

Just in case you hear me talking to myself you will know why.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Teachers. We have finished up SAGE and the scores look good. The scores are better than last year and the students are improving. This is all in part of every grade in the school. The 3rd grade scores reflect everything that has been done with the students from Preschool to 3rd grade. The scores in 4th and 5th grade show the work done with each student from time they started at our school until they test. Overall the scores have made good improvement. I can’t wait to see  the final scores after all is said and done. Thank you teachers for all you do with the students. Thank you specialists, paras, and aides. You are also a huge part in each student making improvements each and every year. Thank you everyone for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.