Teachers,

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

How Long Until I Am Finished Teaching?  —

This is a hard time of year. We are starting into testing for the older grades and the students are getting antsy because of the warm weather. Do not give up on the students. Do not let them get to you. They need everything we can give them. In my first year of teaching I learned that we stop teaching students once the end of year test is given and start doing activities to make it until the end of the year. They did not tell me this specifically, but through conversations, I learned this. So my first year went in that way. End of year testing, then activities. It was when I sat down with my principal a couple years later that we started to discuss the end of the year. So when is the last day we stop teaching students? Are there days we should not teach students and just put on a movie or take up a day by just having an activity or game day? We should be teaching every day when the students. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, there should be learning going on. We can’t give up the precious time we have with our students. We give tests all year long. We have the expectation that they will take the tests and that they will see the results so we all know what we need to work on next. The end of the year should be the same. Give the data to the students when we have it and show them what they need to work on. We have so much to get through. Use the time we have throughout the year until the last day we can teach and provide learning activities for students. I understand the last week of school is tough. Provide learning activities that students can learn from. Putting them on a computer at letting them go is not learning. Accountability should be held for each activity.

Quote I’m pondering —

When You allow the environment to control your psychology, you are not going to win.” – Tony Robbins

What I am ReWatching —

Simon Sinek - Start With Why

I taught a little this week in one of the classrooms and the one thing I could have done a lot better was to start with the why. Why do students need this? And it needs to be a great answer, not something they do not really believe they need.

Favorite Article This Week —

Research shows detrimental effects of laptop use in classrooms

How do we use our laptops in the classroom? This is an interesting article about things we need to be careful of. Tech is great, but not the end-all-be-all.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you, Jana, for all you do. Every Club day, Jana waits at the end of the hall to make sure her students are with her and ready to go before she takes them out to the Library. Every club day she stands at the corner and reminds students to walk and helps them if they need help. Every day Jana walks around the Big Toy on the playground during lunch to make sure all students are safe. Everyday Jana takes care of the library and makes sure everything is running as smoothly as it can. Thank you, Jana, for all you do for our students. Thank you, Jana, for all you do for the school. Thank you for all you do Thank you.

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