Student Education Planning

Teachers,

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

Student Education Planning  —

Meeting with parents to discuss how students are doing should be an amazing time for everyone. Providing parents with great things that their students are doing and showing their progress helps students and parents see what is happening at school and with their education. There has  to be good in every parent meeting. That being said, parents also want to know if there are issues they need to address to help their child be the best they can be. Showing parents data will help them understand what their student is working on and where they should end up. They also need to know what we are doing to help their student improve with their academics and behaviors. One thing we need to be careful about is holding back with parents. If there is something the student needs or needs to change, parents want to know. We do not need to be mean, but parents do not like to be surprised when they are told great things about their student and soon after the meeting the student is not doing so well. Show them the data, tell them what we are doing to help their student, and let them know what they can do. Be specific with what parents need to do. Some parents don’t know how to help their child run at home and might need to be shown. Make these meetings as positive as possible. And always end on a good note. This is one of 3-4 times some parents are in our school and we want them to know their student matters to us. They also need to know we are doing everything possible to make their student the best learner and the best person ever. That is all we parents want. To know that our children are progressing and will make it in the world.

Quote I’m pondering —

'As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.'" — Marianne Williamson

What I am Watching —

Easy DIY projects for kid engineers

These are some pretty amazing projects and ideas for extensions or even problem solving.

Another Favorite Article This Week —

Always Err on the Side of Positive

The power of being positive is always in our best interest.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Heather for all you do. Tis the season for IEP’s and it is hard for you to get them all scheduled when there are so many that need to be scheduled. For being a first year resource teacher, you are doing an amazing job. There is so much that needs to be done in your job and you have shown that you will do most anything to help students and be flexible for teachers. We appreciate your hard work. Thank you for all you do for the students. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

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

Safety Checkup

Teachers,

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

Safety Checkup —

Another school tragedy happened this week and our hearts go out to the families, students, and school staff of the high school in Florida. Every time I hear of something terrible happens to a student or teacher, I feel for those that are involved. They are a part of us. They are a part of what we do every day even though they are not a part of our school. Whenever something happens at a school I always thing about how we can make our school a little safer. I think about how important the little things we do that keep our students safe. Monitoring students before school as we are on duty. I wonder if we need to do the same thing after school as students head home. Keeping our outside doors locked and making sure our inside doors can be locked quickly in an emergency. Keeping track of students so we know where they are at all times. Having a teacher in each area of the playground during recess duty. It is a great time to talk, but keeping track of students helps keep them safe. Lunch duty teachers and aides keep track of students in many different areas, especially at the playground area. That is an area that we wish we had a gate to minimize people coming through or playing during lunch and recess, but being a city park also has made it hard to get something to close off that side of the grounds. So we have someone there to monitor students and others that might show up. Fire drills are important to get students an d teachers ready if there is an emergency. Even though it is a drill, students need to understand that in an emergency they need to be able to hear the teacher so they can hear instructions. Moving students in an organized manner helps keep track of who is there and who is not. Safety is so important. A student on the news made the comment that it should not have ever happened in their school, but it did. The little things we practice and keep up on are the little things that will keep us safe. Even though they seem to be an annoyance, they keep us safe. This is why we practice a reunification drill each year. We still have things we need to work on. Students are worth our time and efforts to keep them safe. They need to know they are safe. Thank you for all you do to help them feel loved and safe.

Quote I’m pondering —

Want to be great? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation. Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. 

—Augustine

What I am Watching —

10 ways to have a better conversation

I love TED talk. Conversation skills are important for students to learn. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Tom Brady Summed Up His Super Bowl Loss With One Word. You Should Steal It

This is a word we should teach more to our students. I should also live it more in my own life.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Julie and Sandy for all you do. I know you two are taking a class and Julie comes in to teach Kim and I about the new things she is learning. She has also taught us a few things about letter sounds and a better way of teaching spelling. We will have Julie talk about it in a rotation during our PLC Monday training. I know there are many of you taking classes and learning new things you are implementing in your classroom. We love when you are learning new things. Julie we appreciate your excitement in telling us what you are learning. Thank you for sharing. Thank you.

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

Build Your Structure

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

Build Your Structure  —

I learned a lot about what Classroom Management was at the training a couple weeks ago. The trainer Trish let us know that we need to start with the teaching. I talked about teaching a few weeks ago. Teaching students how to behave in the classroom. Procedures and expectations in the classroom. The next piece was structure. Trish described structure as the way we arrange our classroom and activities to help students with behavior. There are a few points that she made about structure I wan to share.

• Why ever irritates you, make a change.  It will not get better unless you change it.
• More teacher involvement to be successful. Keep practicing and training.
• Physical, Procedural, scheduling. How can these things have a positive effect on student behavior. 
• Don’t give students down time.

As we set up the rooms we need to keep a eye on where are the places that students have the most behavior problems. Are there specific times they act out? What change can be made to help students. How can we arrange the room to make sure students are successful?

One of the things she really hit us with that was the myths we believe about students that we need to stop believing.

• Myth: Students are old enough to behave.
• Myth: Kids are fine if they know the expectations.
• Myth: Students should be able to figure it.
• Myth: If they haven’t gotten it by now…
• Myth: I shouldn’t have to repeat myself.

Remember the lesson about how long it takes for the brain to fully form. If the brain is not fully formed, can we expect a child(or 24 year old) to "get it" the first time? We are helping students form and grow. Within the teaching and structure it is important to remember everything should have important interactions with students. Positive interactions. Positive interactions are reinforcing the actions we want. Review the structure of the classroom and see how it works with the students. Sit in their chairs. Move where they move. See if any changes need to be made to accommodate their needs. Structure the room for the students to learn in. It was a great learning experience for me. Next on the list will be Observing student behavior in the classroom. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“The problem is not to find the answer, it's to face the answer.”

- Terence McKenna

What I am Watching —

60 second strategy: TUMS at the Door

A follow up on meeting students at the door. This can be a little much, but it is effective. Fist bumps and high 5’s.

Another Favorite Article This Week —

Teen’s surprising ‘worst day ever’ poem goes viral

How we look at things can decide how we act on things. I love this poem. One day top to bottom. Most days, bottom to top.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you teachers for taking a student (or more) under your wing to get to know a student that can be a challenge for you. This is not an easy task, especially in the beginning. It has been a wonderful experience for Kim to come into your PLC’s and hear how you will take these students and build a relationship of caring and learning for everyone. Thank you for stepping out and taking the challenge. The students you have picked will be better for it and you will see the change they will make over the next month. It just takes a little love and caring. Kim and I talk about the changes we have seen in the few students we see each morning before school. The relationships we have built and the sides of them we never saw before. Thank you for all you do for students. Thank you.

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

Scheduling

Teachers,

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

Scheduling  —

The one thing I have learned over the many years I have taught and mores since I took the job as a Teacher on Special Assignment, is scheduling. It is a nightmare. Trying to get everything in and not having someone get left out or have more than another is impossible. I am getting ready to start looking at how we will schedule or week next year with PLC’s, PE, and anything else we need to add in as we go through the year. WIDA is always crazy because of the amount of students we have that need to take this test. Scheduling DIBELS in two languages and then the Core Phonics in each language can also take up some time. We will also head into the SAGE testing in two months that will take a little time, but fortunately we have enough technology in our school that will keep our computer lab free. I tell you this because of the reactions with the scheduling. It has been generally positive and I understand when it is not. I have been there when my students had the worst times to do things and it always seemed that there was never a perfect time for anything. I have appreciated the input I have gotten with the schedules we have put together. We are trying to make them so that you have the most time possible to do what you need to do, teach. IF you have suggestions, please let me know. As we start the scheduling for next year, please let me know if you have suggestions. I do appreciate your flexibility and your understanding when it comes to the scheduling. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

 —Margaret Mead

Favorite Article This Week —

Want to help your kid ace the big tests? Make them laugh, not study

I am not saying students should not study. I am saying kids also need to laugh/. Interesting article.

Another Favorite Article This Week —

The New Reading Program Implementation Blues

We will be getting a new reading program next year. This is an interesting article from Timothy Shanahan about implementing a new program.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all you do. We have really done a lot of testing over the last couple weeks and everyone needs a big thank you for giving the tests, working with the schedules while we give the tests, and just being understanding. This is a big thank you for everyone in our school. Thank you.

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