Mindset

Teachers,

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

Mindset —

A couple years ago I took an online class from Jo Boaler, an incredible Stanford Math professor, about how students learn math. One of the things I learned from her was that I needed to change my mindset on how students learn. Mindsets frame what is going on in our minds. There are two mindsets. A fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The research Carol Dweck has done teaches us that a fixed mindset is an internal monologue focused on judging. A growth mindset has an internal monologue, but it is focused on implications for learning and constructive actions. The trick is to find what situations we use which mindset with and change the internal monologue from a judging one to a growth-oriented one. How does this apply to what we do here at school? How can a growth mindset change the way we teach, learn, and work with students? Curriculum? Student Engagement? Homework? Planning? Working within teams? Coke vs. Water (this ones for me). How does this apply to us? A growth mindset helps us to become a learner rather than a non-learner. Our school is full of growth mindset teachers. Full of learners.

Quote I’m pondering —

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.-- Dalai Lama

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. Nov. 4 - Pie with the Principal 2:30 pm Tue. Nov. 5 - Reflection projects are Due Wed. Nov. 5 - TAT 3rd grade Thu. Nov. 7 - 4th PD Day Thu. Nov. 7 - Reflections Night 6 pm	Nov. 11-5 - SEP Week out at 1:15 pm Nov. 11 - Veterans Day Nov. 11 - PTA Meeting 12 pm
	Nov. 26 - Reunification Drill Nov. 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break

Favorite Article This Week —

When should reading instruction begin?

I never thought about this. One thing I thought was interesting was when Shanahan writes, “Often kids enter kindergarten or first-grade with the expectation that they are to learn to read that year. Spreading this expectation across 3-4 years can reduce pressure and anxiety.” Interesting thought.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Brenda for your constant help when I am unsure what the procedures are that have been set up over the years. The basic things, like where do we line up? How do certain things work? It is the little things that make such a big difference. I appreciate your help. I appreciate all you have done at  Arrowhead and during your career. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Be Very Careful On The Line?

Teachers,

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

Be Very Careful On The Line? —

I was watching a video a couple nights ago of a police officer getting a call from a scammer that told her she needed to give him her social security number, name and address or the police would be at her house in 45 minutes. These scams are very common now. Please be careful and check out everything before replying to any text, email, or phone call that asked for any information about you. They are very slick about getting information in a couple different calls that they need to steal identity, find out credit card information, and other personal information from you. This is called social engineering. They plan how to get the information they need in different forms and at different times. Please teach your children, students, and your family about not giving any personal information to people they do not know. Here is a link to the video for your entertainment. Police officer Llink.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Education is a life long marathon of learning not a yearly race that starts again each year.” Unsure of author

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. Sep 2 - Labor Day (No School) Tue. Sep. 3 - Afternoon Specials Start T-4th, W-2nd, Th-5th Sep.3—Sep.6 - Evaluation Pre-conferences	Mon. Sep 9 - Pie with Principal 9:30am (parent meeting) Mon. Sep 9 - Teacher Training (out at 1:15) Fri. Sep 13 - Tuacahn Assembly 10:30am Fri. Sep 13 - Staff Luncheon
Sep. 17 - Picture Day

Favorite Article This Week —

Teaching Students How to Ask for Help

This is one of the strategies we all want for our students. How to know when and how to ask for help. It is not something students come to us knowing how to ask for help. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Fifth grade. I really appreciate how you problem-solve before you come to the meetings we have had. Thank you for meeting and getting some ideas together. I appreciate your desire to help your students. I also appreciate when there is a need you are willing to move schedules and just do what needs to be done. I appreciate your help. Thank you for the extra things you do with “The Point”, and students council, and all the other opportunities you give your students as they get ready for the next level in education. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

The Magic Formula

Teachers,

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

The Magic Formula—

A couple weeks ago I was talking with Bob Sonju and I notices a huge math formula on Poster paper in his office. I asked him about it and he told me there is a formula for knowing if a student will be successful in school and get a bachelors degree in college. There were many things on it about what courses they are taking and the overall achievement of the student’s cohort and other factors like that. But the biggest factor was the quality of the teachers a student has each year. It also depended on the cumulative effectiveness of teachers in the student's life. High-quality teachers, year after year, is strongly related to student achievement and increase the probability that a student will go on and obtain a Bachelor Degree. Teachers are the number 1 determination that students will be successful. You are the difference in each students life. Teachers put in so much work and worry over students and in the end, it does pay off. We might not see it in the numbers, but we can see it in the attitude and how comfortable they are with being in school. It is amazing how a student relies on the safety and security of a school. It is not the building, it is the teachers. Teachers are the magic formula in education. The math formula proves it. But we already know you are the magic formula. Thank you for all you do.

Quote I’m pondering —

Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace. -- Anonymous

What’s Happening This Week —

Monday, Dec. 3 - First Grade Activity

Monday, Dec. 3 - Jennifer Observation Day

Tuesday, Dec. 4 - Jennifer Training Day

Wednesday, Dec. 5 - Dental Presentations 3rd, 4th, 5th grades

Friday, Dec. 7 - Utah Food Bank at 2:15

Friday, Dec. 7 - Staff Christmas Party

Favorite Article This Week —

You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take

There is a sentence in the end that says “Fear leaves us trapped, but it oddly squashes future fear about giving things a shot.” Don’t let fear prevent ourselves from doing things in that might make us better. Mistakes are ok. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you fifth grade for all you have done this year. Power 50 in the upper grades can be frustrating because of the learning spectrum from Pre-K to above 5th grade. Thank you for taking the time and working through the best way to differentiate and work with your students. I also want to thank you for letting Oyunn work with you as groups are identified and lessons are planned. Thank you for all your hard work out in for the students. Thank you for all you do for your students. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

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.

Building Student Understanding

Teachers,

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

Building Student Understanding —

I have learned so much from Bob Sonju in the last couple weeks. Bob mentioned that bas loved working with all the grade levels as you worked on your GVC's. 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. 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 is the first step in this process. This is the first step in know 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 —

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt

What I’m watching —

Critique and Feedback - The Story of Austin's Butterfly

Irene Sent this to me and I loved the way Ron Berger helps students understand how to give critique a paper and how Austin used the feedback to improve the butterfly picture. Great lesson. Thanks Irene.

Favorite Article This Week —

State Assessment Time...

Another Lex Prin video. Need I say more? Thank you Jennifer for reminding me to look at this. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you fifth grade, Diana, Kristen, Cynthia, and Jennifer for all your hard work Thursday. You really took what Bob was teaching and dug in deep within the standards and came up with some great questions and discussions to help push yourselves. Thank you for working hard. Thank you for working together. Thank you for all you do for the students. Thank you. 

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

Building Suns

Teachers,

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

Building Suns —

I was at Death Valley NP during Spring Break and it was hot! 101˚ to be exact. On weekend nights the rangers do talks about the park and on Friday they did a Star Walk. It was amazing. I saw amazing constellations and bright stars. One of the rangers started talking about the Orion Nebula. To find the Orion Nebula you find Orion’s belt, three starts in a row in the Western Sky, and right below the belt is a haze and that is the Orion Nebula. He told us that a nebula is where stars are made. Nebulae are made out of interstellar gas and dust and as it comes together it compacts and bang, a star is made. So when I heard this I started thinking about what teachers do. You take all this knowledge, information, behavior modification, life skills, and fun and  start to build people our of our little ones. As they gather all this learning for you, Bang, they turn into little stars. And since our sun is a star, you are creating Dixie Suns. We are the Dixie Sun Nebula taking knowledge and creating little stars. As we get close to SAGE testing, we will see how well our stars are doing. How much knowledge they are retaining. We do need to remember that tests do not make stars, the learning does. Keep providing strong Tier 1 teaching and they will become the suns we know they can become. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“It always seems impossible until it's done." — Nelson Madella

What I’m watching —

My Journey to yo-yo Mastery

This yo-yo champion talks about finding his life’s passion. His story in the beginning is worth listening to, but the yo-yo work he does is pretty amazing also. one to show your class about how to take your passion and make it a job.

Favorite Article This Week —

When Mindfulness Feels Like a Necessity

Starting out each day with a little mindfulness activity could make a difference in the school day. This article is written by a secondary school teacher, but is there a way to make it happen in an elementary school class? 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Karla. You have really stepped up into the leadership position in Fifth Grade. You really make sure things get done. An the coaching you are doing for Derrell has been very helpful to him. He mentions it all the time. He also mentions how much Teryn has helped him get right into the lessons and make his class work. Thank you Karla. Thank you for all you do.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Enjoy another wonderful weekend.

What are Your Intentions

Teachers,

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

What are Your Intentions —

I have been talking to my son about dating these last few weeks and we talked about his intentions for dating. Is he looking for a girlfriend or is it to get out and have some fun with friends, or to find what he is looking for when the thought of marriage comes up in 10 years... It was a great discussion we had. Then I thought about teaching. An intentional teacher makes  every moment count in the classroom. Creating lessons that use learning targets from end to beginning. Creating common formative assessments and working backwards. Teaching beyond the subject. use the opportunity to integrate something extra into every lesson that adds to the learning. A life lesson. Science or social studies into a language or math lesson. Building and using learning targets and GVC's to guide what our lessons are going to look like so we know what the learning will look like. That is what makes our teaching intentional. When there is intention, there will be lessons learned and successes to be celebrated. I know that you put a lot of thought into your lessons and teaching. There are amazing lessons going on all day long. Making each lesson a piece of the puzzle that will end up in a masterpiece of learning in the end helps every student maximize their potential. Being intentional in our teaching helps each student maximize their potential. Students deserve every lesson to be intentional. Every lesson should fit into the puzzle. As I watch our fifth graders get ready to show-what-they-know I know they will show how they have progressed through their years at Dixie Sun. They are the masterpieces we have helped build. They show our intentions. Celebrations are coming, I can feel it.

Quote I’m pondering —

“What is learned out of necessity is inevitably more powerful than the learning that comes easily.” -Malcolm Gladwell

What I’m watching —

Text Talk Time

I was at a training this year and as I was looking through the videos I have kept to watch again, I found this one and watched it again. Great lessons and amazing questions to get students thinking and talking. It is a fifth grade class, but great questions work for most grade levels. 

Favorite WebsiteThis Week —

Google Forms Basics in 7 Steps

This is an easy way to make a quick test, survey, ask opinions, or give students a chance to be a part of decision making. This is a quick tech training. East to do, easy to use, and it gets information put together quickly in beautiful graphs. Enjoy.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Amanda. Thank you for working with our students that need a little guidance and help in social areas. Thank you for all you do with Safety Patrol. Thank you for being here at our school to help with issues we are not always prepared to work with. Thank you for being our counselor. Thank you. 

Thank you Fifth Grade. Interviewing for a position is not an easy thing to do, especially when there are great candidates. Not as great as #freakingpaul, but Daryl  is a great fit and will do well in Fifth Grade. Paul will be taking his amazing teaching to another school where he will shine. Thank you Fifth grade for all you have done with your students. Thank you for all you do. Thank you Paul. Take luck and care for it.

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

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

Teachers,

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

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 —

Assessments have been a thorn in the side of teachers. The reason and way we test has been changing and we are giving tests for different reasons that we used to. Instead of using them for grades, tests are used to help guide our teaching after finding out what students need. Assessments we give in the classroom should mirror what we will see on the end of year tests. There should be no surprises as our students take the SAGE, DIBELS, DRA, or WIDA assessments. As we give summative tests to show where students are on the GVC/Learning targets, it should give you an idea how well they will do on each those assessments. Being able to forecast how students will do on tests means high expectations for students, more rigor in our teaching so students are challenged, and students being held accountable for what they are doing in class. Putting the accountability back on students can happen by showing test data, having them tracking their own progress, and having them set academic goals. We have made amazing growth as a school in teaching and curriculum development. Our next step is to improve our assessments so they match the rigor of the core. This is a process that takes time. Many grade levels have been working on building assessments. Keep looking at your assessments and increasing the rigor in them. 

Quote I’m pondering —

A culture of accountability makes a good organization great and a great organization unstoppable.- Henry Evans 

What I’m watching —

The Mystery Box

J.J. Abrams is a pretty incredible writer, director, and producer of movies. In this TED talk he talks about the mystery box and how it helps move his stories along. How can we use the Mystery box in our teaching? Hmmm. 

Favorite Article This Week —

3 Science-Backed Lessons From Albert Einstein on How to Become a Better Student of the World

A long title, but great lessons from one of the greatest thinkers of our time. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Fourth and Fifth Grade for helping to provide chrome books for WIDA testing. We have quite a few students to test and just having you be so willing to give up a few chrome books to make it easier for Lisa to test is very helpful. Thank you for being flexible. Thank you for your help. Just Thank you.

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

My Teacher Forever

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

My Teacher Forever —
I was participating in a #youmatter chat on twitter and a comment came up that interested me. It was from Justine Tarte from St. Louis Missouri. He said "Highly effective teachers don't just have students for one year; they have students who view them as 'their' teacher for life...". I thought about this for a moment and it is true. The teachers I remember that I consider "my" teachers are the ones that really had an impact on me. Mrs. Durbin my kindergarten teacher took time with me and helped be start out to be a pretty good reader. My third grade teacher Mrs. Fanning really helped me understand math and we had some great waffle parties. Sixth grade was Mr. Neighbor and he pushed me to do better. I wasn't fond of him because he was mean, but he was "my" teacher because he pushed and I grew. I had others but the one teacher I call mine was Mr. Frieberg. High school music teacher. I had him for 3 years and my friends and I got to know him pretty well. He took time to explain life to us. He scolded us when we were making bad choices. He praised us when we were doing well. He took time to find out who we were and we found out who he was. He took time. I don't remember most of my teachers. I would have to look back to see what they even looked like. So who are "your" teachers? Who made an impact on you? And what are you doing to make an impact on your students so they will consider you "their" teacher after they leave? What a badge of love to get from a student. My teacher forever.

Quote I’m pondering —
“Don't look—you might see. Don't listen—you might hear. Don't think—you might learn. Don't make a decision—you might be wrong. Don't walk—you might stumble. Don't run—you might fall. Don't live—you might die.”
― Anti-Risk Campaign Poster

What I’m watching —
Through the Eyes of a Teacher before Christmas
Kim showed me this and I thought everyone can relate to this in fact this is usually what happens during a full moon. Enjoy and laugh.

Favorite Article This Week —
6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education
I read this and found that our kids resemble these benefits. One other thing have read is that the benefits of dual immersion show up more as the students grow older. We are doing an amazing job teaching dual languages to amazing students. They will benefit. We are hearing about the benefits from former students. It will be more evident in the years to come. Keep up the great work.

A Big Thank You —
Thank you Cynthia and Teryn. Having the whole day classes, you are doing an amazing job. Seeing the successes you are having and the growth with your classes is exciting to watch. Being in a full day class with one group of kids after being in half day classes with two groups is a daunting task. It is a huge schedule and curriculum reset. But you have taken the task and have done some pretty fun things that most classes are unable to do with half day classes. Thank you for doing such an amazing job. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

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

In the Beginning

Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday, even though it is a long weekend

In the Beginning —
I remember my first year as a teacher and it was crazy. I was finishing my student teaching at Woodward 6th Grade center and I got a call from Mr. Fawson, the principal at Santa Clara Elementary. He wanted me to take a position in Fourth Grade at his school because a teacher quit the day before. It was Friday. School started on Monday (we were on year-round tracks). He worked it out with HR and SUU to finish my student teaching with him for a week.

So I went to Santa Clara to start putting together my class and a plan for the next week. I spent Friday night, All Saturday, and part of Sunday night decorating and planning out my first week. I went to a couple of teachers to ask for help and they kinda brushed me off. One handed my some spelling words and told me where I could find the math books. Other than that, I had what I had put together in my student teaching in sixth grade and fifth grade. I read through the core I had from one of the classes I took and put together some get-to-know-you activities, some fun activities with social studies, I found a book I loved reading so I could read to the students, put together a few days worth of math lessons from the books I had, and planned a couple writing activities to start a little journaling. That would get me to Wednesday. 

The first day went well after Mr. Fawson explained what was happening with the retiring teacher and I taking his place. The week went well… until a teacher needed to take my spot because a school in town did not have the numbers and needed to go to another school. So by Friday I was finished with my student teaching, but I was out. That was tough on me and my students. I still see some of them and they remember our one week together. So I went home and on Monday started applying in other parts of the state.

On the Friday of the second week I got a call from Mr. Wilkey, principal at Dixie Downs. A fourth grade teacher decided after three weeks of teaching and three weeks off, that she did not want to come back and had found another job up north. So I met with Mr. Wilkey on Friday afternoon and school started on Monday (year-round tracks). So I started putting together my class and a plan for the next week. I spent Friday night, All Saturday, and part of Sunday night decorating and planning out my first week. I went to a couple of teachers to ask for help and they told me not to mess with the things in their room and showed me the cabinet I had to store everything I owned in. I was the roving teacher. So I read through the core again and put together some get-to-know-you activities, more fun activities with social studies, I found that book I loved reading so I could read to the students, put together a few days worth of math lessons, and planned a couple writing activities to start a little journaling. That would get me to Wednesday. Needless to say it went well. I must have broke the mold or was so terrible that Mr. Wilkey left to become the elementary superintendent before the year was over. I had the class that was a councilors bread and butter. 

It seemed every week Mr. Wilkey or Mr. Carr would come see me about someone else in my class that needed a little extra or had a special situation I needed to be aware of. This happened the whole year, or at least until Mr. Wilkey left. I have to say that I see some of those students now and I love talking with them. They remember me and we talk about some of the things we did. I felt I was making everything up on the fly. I had little help from my team, but I loved spending time with my class. We put together centers so I could meet with a small groups of students because their needs were so great. I found my calling. Teaching. It is the greatest feeling gin the world to know that we are helping and guiding amazing minds through this life. As I ponder my first year, I remember how hard it was for me and yet how wonder it was. What was your first year like? Some of you are in the middle of your first year, this too shall pass and I hope you love every moment of it. Cherish the times with your students. You are the one that they will be talking about for years.

Quote I’m pondering —
Another Calvin and Hobbes cartoon because it is Calvin and Hobbes. Do you need another reason?
http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/06/10

What I’m watching —
Midieval Help Desk
This one show that we have always needed help with something. Enjoy.

Favorite Website This Week —
I have a couple fun science learning sites this week. I understand there is not a lot of time, and that Shelly does a great job, but some of these are interesting when you are discussing topics you are reading about in your informational text. hint.fm/wind Wind map is fun to see wind direction, speed, and where the storms might be. earthquake.usgs.gov USGS is always a fun one for earthquakes. It shows where, depth, and how big. Learning about sharks? ocearch.com This site tracks sharks and their swimming areas. I am a sucker for science websites. So interesting for any age.

A Big Thank You —
Thank you for all you do. I appreciate Elizabeth and Paul for sending classroom responsibility information from the video. I will be using it in our next video installment. I truly love working with all of you. I love coming to work everyday to see what is next and to see our wonderful students. I appreciate all of you. You make me want to come to work. Yes, I might come around and make a video about this. Have you done your video yet from last weeks 5-points?

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

Mindset

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

Mindset —
A couple years ago I took an online class from Jo Boaler, an incredible Stanford Math professor, about how students learn math. One of the things I learned from her was that I needed to change my mindset on how students learn. Mindsets frame what is going on in our minds. There are two mindsets. A fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The research Carol Dweck has done teaches us that a fixed mindset is an internal monologue focused on judging. A growth mindset has an internal monologue, but it is focused on implications for learning and constructive actions. The trick is to find what situations we use which mindset with and change the internal monologue from a judging one to a growth-oriented one. How does this apply to what we do here at school? How can a growth mindset change the way we teach, learn, and work with students? Curriculum? Student Engagement? Homework? Planning? Working within teams? Coke vs. Water (Anita, this ones for me). How does this apply to us? If you were able to go to the Insurance Presentation a few weeks ago, our presenter also talked about the Power of Mindset and how it applies to our daily lives. Tammara posted the presentation if you want to watch it. A growth mindset helps us to become a learner rather than a non-learner. Our school is full of growth mindset teachers. Full of learners.

Quote I’m pondering —
"Astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center. Therefore you cannot be it.” - David McCullough, Jr.
This one usually keeps me grounded. Usually.

What I’m watching —
Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration
One of my favorite Music Videos… about the American Revolution. I taught 5th grade for 10 years and it was fun to play this for the students after learning about the American Revolution and have them understand what they are talking about. And it’s just fun to watch Ben Franklin shredding on the guitar.

Favorite Website This Week —
schoology.washk12.org
This is the Learning Management System the district has bought into… and it is amazing. I just learned (thank you Kristen) that each student at Dixie Sun has an account, and we can use it to our hearts content. So I will be using it with teachers here and there for discussions we will have as a faculty. If you are unsure what a LMS is, many of you used Canvas it in college. Canvas is a LMS and is similar to Schoology, but not a good. Some schools use it in grades 3-5, but there are schools that use it K-5. It can be powerful. To sign in (all teachers have an account) sign into your school email account. Open a new tab and go to the link above. It should sign you in automatically. If it doesn’t, use your email and password. Look around. If you are interested, we will play and learn about it. Enjoy.

A Big Thank You —
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade you deserve a big thank you for your hard work on the GVC’s/Learning Targets. Fourth and Fifth really made some big breakthroughs that will help when planning curriculum. Third narrowed down their focus with their GVC’s/Learning Targets. What we are doing with curriculum is not easy work. It can be downright painful at times. I really appreciate the hard work and willingness to dig deep and work through what is really needed in our curriculum. Instead of going an inch deep and a mile wide, you are digging deep with each concept and building a great foundation of learning. I know it has seemed like a long process to get where you are. I hope you will be able to see that is will make your schedule a little easier to manage. Thank you for your hard work and willingness to do great things. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your willingness to work with Annette this week. She has amazing things to share. Have a wonderful weekend.

Bells and Schedules

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

Bells and Schedules —
I just got trained on the bells and I feel so much better about life. Please make sure you are heading to pick up your class right before or as the bell rings. We know it might take a minute to get out to pick up your class, but please plan accordingly. Please don’t make your students wait very long outside. Thank you for helping us get our schedules set and going. Thank you for being flexible. It has been fun planning around all the things we do in school. As a teacher I always wished I could just take a day and teach my students without any interruptions… but then I think about all the services we give our students and how they need the little things to help them be successful. So, we will have the LLI Schedule ready to move after Labor Day, Library Schedule will be ready next week, unless I haven't gotten times for your grade level. iReady will hopefully be ready soon, Specialists are going strong in their classes, Resource will be out and about helping our students, Speech is moving and grooving, Language Acquisition groups will be starting after Labor Day, Gifted and Talented will be starting in a week or two, Amanda is taking referrals for students in need, Alma is coaching her heart out, Kirby is keeping our school beautiful and running smooth, and Kim and I are visiting classes to see great learning happening with students. So many services, so many opportunities, so much love for our students.

Quote I’m pondering —
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” – Steve Jobs

What I’m watching —
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
This is another Ted Talk. It is longer than the last one (20 minutes), but it is great information. take the time to help you feel better and even use it with your students. It can change their attitudes about work, activities, and dealing with situations. it can also help when dealing with parents and administrators. Key phrase with this one, “Power pose”.

Favorite Website This Week —
Kahoot!
I have mentioned this website in passing, but I want you to gather the full glory that is Kahoot! This website is a assessment site that gathers information but turns it into a game. Players get points for getting the answer correct, but also how fast they answer. Players put in a username and play on any device. An easy one to do with students is one called “Classroom Stuff” by davidll. All it is is pictures of classroom stuff and four answer students can choose from. It is a great place to start for any grade. My fifth graders loved to play it. Your class can play as individuals or as teams. Sign up. Try it out. Your kids with thank you for it.

A Big Thank You —
We sure appreciate the Fifth Grade for helping keep our school safe. Safety Patrol is going great. They are learning the ropes and helping to keep us safe. Please take a minute in all the classes to mention that they are there to help us and to mind them if the Safety Patrol asked them to walk or be safe. It is important to have good examples in the top grades. Fifth Grade Team, keep up the great work! Thank you.

Bonus Point — Sign up for PTA. $6 for a shirt and membership. Our goal is 100%. Support the Parents that provide more opportunities for our students. Thank you

I appreciate all of you and all you do meeting with students and parents. Have a wonderful weekend.