Thursday Thriller
October 26, 2023
Photos from the Field
Healthy Living Week activities during lunch were a HIT! Thank you, Steve and Nicole M for planning the week and organizing volunteers to attend!
NUTS-n-BOLTS
1. An idea I was thinking about in regards to students who are failing. What if they had to bring around a good ole 'paper pencil' grade check sheet? Students get the sheet from the office, take it around to their teachers write the grade, brief note if needed and at the end of the day the student brings it back to the office. We can look at this from an SST point of view; who needs support. I know we have Skyward and students can check their grades. The student could even fill out the grade, write the missing assignments and the teacher initials it. This would also be good for all of our athletes. It's nothing classroom teachers have to manage. This will be on the students to complete but managed from counselors, admin, Yaneth and Grace. Recommendations, ideas?
2. Music concert tonight at 7:00 -band, choir and orchestra. Best of luck, Roger and Caleb
3. You have heard students whistling in the hallways or outside. The whistling is gang code. I have spoken to the whistlers and said no more. Just something to be aware of.
4. SST meetings for grade levels will begin next week. Nicole M sent out calendar reminders.
5. IEP meetings-we had 3 teachers come to a student's IEP meeting yesterday!! WHOOP!! WHOOP!! Nicole and I worked with Union reps on a spreadsheet that could be sent out to all staff for upcoming IEPS (we are finalizing it). By doing so, this would allow teachers to sign up for at least 3 IEPS to attend for the year. Of course, you can attend anyone of your student's IEPS. This was an idea to plan ahead so Tobi isn't scrambling the day before or day of to find a gen ed teacher which is legally required. Stay tuned...
6. Thank you for uploading your eval goals. Some of you have shared them and will receive feedback today to upload them. Tuesday, Oct. 31st is the day they must be uploaded. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
7. Nicole D is working next Friday's preliminary schedule for the half day for 6th-7th grade students. I will make a recording for just 8th grade students in regards to the mock interviews. Robin had some ideas of how she was going to work in the short videos Mike shared last Friday.
8. We will plan on NOVEMBER 22nd -half day before Thanksgiving break for our activity day. Please let me know if there is something missing. We cannot have activity day the Friday before on the 17th because our 7th grade students will be going to the Whitman Mission on a field trip.
9. Nicole has sent out an email to the staff she supervises to set up observations. Those of you who I supervise...I'm a little slow on the draw😬. I will send out communication tomorrow so that you can begin setting up your observations. Most of you are FOCUSED so we have just one formal observation with a pre observation and a post.
10. *****If you and colleagues need time to plan, create, look over data, visit other classrooms, other programs, other buildings etc. tell me what you need. Green sheet time-you got it? Release days-you got it. Nicole and I are here to help and support. If time is what you need, please talk to us.
11. Thank you again for those of you that volunteered to participate in the Learning Walks AND for opening up your classrooms to observe. Nicole and I heard some great feedback.
Something to Ponder
Voice and choice, whether you're an adult or a child/teen, it's a rare thing to find someone who enjoys being told what to do. It's just in our nature. "Psychological reactance" - the more someone insists you do something, the less inclined you are to actually do it. I wanted to bring this up for all of us, especially us adults, to mull over.
Let's reflect on those days back in August. If Nicole and I had structured those days where we did all the talking, spoon-feeding you information for a full seven hours, I bet you would've been pretty ticked off. Probably sneaking off to the bathroom for extended breaks, feeling frustrated, and maybe even shutting down a bit. And honestly, who could blame you? In that scenario, we were the gatekeepers of all the knowledge.
Instead, we tried to set things up differently. We delivered the info, assigned tasks, and let teams work at their own speed. Which approach do you think triggered that psychological reactance less, and placed the cognitive load where it belongs, on the teachers?
Disclaimer alert: There are times when it's necessary for teachers to be the knowledge gatekeepers and deliver things systematically. But when I've walked through classrooms over the years, I've noticed a common theme in the ones where students are really taking the wheel and investing in their learning. Those classrooms are the ones where students have a say, where they have a voice and a choice.
So, when you ponder your own classes, take a minute to think about the opportunities you provide for students to have some agency, a bit of that voice and choice. Some of you have explored the idea of Choice Boards. Here is an article on what those are and how they can be put to good use.
I know some of you are experimenting with various projects, giving students the chance to move at their own pace. These opportunities for voice and choice, they really go a long way, for both the young ones and us grown-ups. I'm learning and practicing, with mistakes. Hope you find a gold nugget in all this!
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