October 24,2019
Jami was having Ben do the 'integer' dance. It was great! I know it helped me :)
These two were my partners in crime in Jose's math class. Ummm...we needed Mr. Beleche's notes in order to complete the task since I wasn't a lot of help.😜
Two 6th grade dual students reflecting on their assessment and making a plan to get better! Go Amy!
NUTS-n-BOLTS
1. Met with ASB students today and came to the conclusion that students want to wear costumes. Agnes and Stacey worked with students and they will announce on GNN the rules for wear. I think it will be fine. It's not a mountain I want to die on. :D
2. The end of the quarter is next week. Students have been use to a celebration with an 'activity day.' Through informal conversations with different staff members it was concluded that activity days were more of a hassle then a true 'reward.' Carina and I are open to suggestions. We want to honor and acknowledge students for hard work. What is the criteria for students to attend activity day? Could we look at iReady growth on the December diagnostic as one criteria? Also, what ideas do we have for the different activities students could participate in? Feedback, ideas and suggestions are needed. We are currently looking at a semester activity day and would love your ideas.
3. THANK YOU for making the calls and reaching out to parents BOTH for failing grades and classroom exclusions. When you reach out to families, it goes a long way! Truly does! Terri begins before school and after school work with students beginning on Monday. If you need help getting students to attend, reach out to Alex.
4. Tomorrow at the home WA HI football game our 7th & 8th grade bands students will be playing alongside Pioneer and the high school! Good luck, Roger!
5. 7th,8th Band, Choir and Orchestra have their first concert of the year on Tuesday, October 29th. Roger sent this out in an email for practice prior to their performance:
Tuesday October 22 - period 1
Tuesday October 29 - period 4
Performance - Tuesday October 29, 7:00 PM - Garrison Large Gym!
6. Please take the EEC survey if you have not already. Your feedback is important!!
7. As we approach the beginning of November, your 'tired factor' is up maybe with students and maybe with admin :D. Carina and I appreciate the conversations we are having with you. The feedback we have received has told us there are expectations and systems that may not have been in place and we are putting into place which can cause nervousness/anxiety and change. This also tells us both what we need to be clear on. Know that we will keep talking with you, asking questions and revamping systems for the better. This means that there will be bumps in the road and mess ups along the way.
6. Please take the EEC survey if you have not already. Your feedback is important!!
7. As we approach the beginning of November, your 'tired factor' is up maybe with students and maybe with admin :D. Carina and I appreciate the conversations we are having with you. The feedback we have received has told us there are expectations and systems that may not have been in place and we are putting into place which can cause nervousness/anxiety and change. This also tells us both what we need to be clear on. Know that we will keep talking with you, asking questions and revamping systems for the better. This means that there will be bumps in the road and mess ups along the way.
Something to Ponder
Pacing in a lesson or class period is critical for many reasons. Making sure you get through your lesson, giving enough time for an assessment, small group rotations, introducing a new concept. Whatever the instructional medium, the pace at which the lesson is taught can either make or break it.Pacing falls under 3c in Danielson. Pacing is not about speed. Proper pacing makes students feel the progress and never know what's next. This is a quick 3:17 video on Proper Pacing. I bring up pacing as something to ponder because this topic affords us to reflect on our practice. Are we doing all the talking, cognitive lifting and using the same activities?
Some may be thinking, "Kids these days need us to entertain them. I'm not going to entertain them. It's their job to listen and engage." Maybe. However, it's OUR job to deliver engaging lessons. Not dog and pony shows. Engaging lessons that bring students into the lesson and make them a part of it. What you have planned could be super engaging yet the pacing of the lesson derails all that you have worked hard on preparing.
The next few weeks the focus of this section will be on pacing. Offering suggestions, videos, etc. If you want to watch a colleague teach because you have heard they are knocking it out of the park, let us know. We can cover your class while you go watch. We have some AMAZING teachers at Garrison -you all have talent! Let's open our doors and share with each other.
Teach Like a Champion Change the Pace
This technique offers a way to manage the illusion of speed in your classroom. One way to create the illusion of speed is by using a variety of activities to accomplish your objectives and moving from one to the other throughout the course of a lesson.
Kicks and Giggles
Even if you aren't a first year teacher, this might make you laugh. We all have those days.
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