Thursday Thriller
January 18, 2024
Hopefully, you are reading this at home, snuggled in with whatever choice of evening 'snacks' you may have.
Mike Bertram invited Total Comfort Solutions in as a guest speaker. Employees shared how they got into HVAC, what they liked about it and their career path. THEN students got to dig in and tear apart a real HVAC system! Pretty cool!!!
I'd like to point out the power of teamwork. When we can accept feedback and learn from our peers, it's powerful! The laser like focus on the same goal is a win-win for PLC work! See example below.
What do we want students to learn? To identify the boss' car in the parking lot and make sure it's cleared of all snow for visibility to drive.
How will we know when students' learned it? The boss does not wreck pulling out of the parking lot due to poor visibility.
How do we respond if they don't get it? Clean off every damn car in the parking lot! Repetition, 'at bats' practice CORRECTLY.
How will we extend the learning for students who have mastered it? Simple-we get more students out in the parking lot and do peer coaching on all the cars!
In all honesty, I don't know what the hell Ferraro is doing because Carrara looks to be doing the work. :D
A HUGE SHOUT OUT to STEVE, NATE and NATE you guys brushed off several cars and it was greatly appreciated!!!
Nuts-n-Bolts
1. If we have a two hour delay tomorrow, we will run the same schedule. Remember-2nd period is extended 9 mins so students do not leave until 11:30.
2. We will be extending our iReady testing timeline. Currently, all our math teachers have emphasized the need for Monday to complete the Diagnostic. Consequently, ELA testing will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 24th. On Tuesday, Jan. 23rd, our ELA and Math co-teaching teams have training, making Wednesday a better start for ELA. Recognizing the potential time crunch for completing the Diagnostic and conducting make-ups, administration will collaborate with Counselors Nancy, Jami, and Kara to develop a make-up plan.
While observing students in various math classes, it's evident that they are fully engaged! I propose that each department, ELA and Math, collaborate on a plan where one teacher handles those needing to finish, while the other teacher(s) takes the remaining students for extensions, reviews, etc. This approach will significantly reduce the number of students the team needs to pull for make-ups.
3.
2013 was when I started sending a weekly communication to staff. THE main reason I started this was so that we didn't have to have staff meetings.
If it's important enough, ink it! With that being said, when everyone reads the TT, emails about schedules, and listens to GNN etc. it sure helps our Garrison Community. When students receive mixed messages, it cracks our community foundation. PLEASE take time to read and listen to the communication that is sent out. If you have ever written an email in which you write, rewrite, ask for feedback, by the time you hit send you want people to read it. AND if it is something to respond to RESPOND!
4. Thank you for attending grade level SST meetings. If you are not able to make a meeting, please reach out to Steve.
5. In order for students to participate in either the activity day and/or bowling they must have their 16 iReady lessons completed. Bowling is a big deal so Stretch goal AND 16 lessons. If students made growth but did not reach their Typical or Stretch goal, they will get to pick a couple incentives from the menu. There is a balance of rewarding, recognizing and accountability. Will there be upset kids and angry parents-for sure! However, we are a united front that communicated this message, gave students opportunities to complete iReady lessons, met 1:1 with them to not only encourage but to show them where they were at and where they needed to grow. Now, students must live with the choices they made (if they didn't complete the lessons or didn't take the test seriously).
Something to Ponder
Structure and time were at the forefront of my thoughts as I was thinking about a two-hour delay or even a cancellation. A two hour delay shortens class periods that, at times, can be super frustrating! Then a cancellation throws off your calendar of pacing! One thing that doesn't change in both scenarios -we don't get the time back. This means every minute of every lesson counts.
On a normal day you get 48 mins. Many of you have expressed that there is not enough time. Some have expressed that it's the right amount. So what is the 'silver bullet' amount of time for a class? Is it the time or the structure of time?
Dave Stuart is a go to favorite because he is practical AND a practicing high school English teacher. I click on all of his links and usually end up down many different rabbit holes!
His visual flow chart for how he structures his class made good sense especially the last few minutes of class. Bringing closure and connecting the dots. One strategy to try is using a timer. A timer can help you stay on track so you get through your lesson and hit all those important points you planned. Many of you have nifty time keepers you use. Conor has those fun races and other types of timers I have observed him using. Conor, can we put a link on the HUB that staff could access different timers?
Keeping yourself on track is key.
Whether it's fifteen, thirty or forty-eight minutes, how can you/do you maximize this time? Hope you find a gold nugget in this article.
The Simple Slides I Use to Structure My Lessons
