March 1, 2019

In recent surveys that we sent out regarding tutorial (as well as the students at the Student Advisory Committee), we have students bringing up the fact that they are bored and feeling unsupported sometimes during the school day.  I know that we have talked and talked and talked and talked about student engagement and the NEED for it.  It's not a "hey maybe" or "kinda needs to happen"....It's a MUST.  SERIOUSLY.

There should be SO much less teacher talk.  If I can go into a classroom and not be engaged or a teacher talks the ENTIRE time, how do you think our students (who have even less of an attention span sometimes than I do!) are even getting the information??

PLEASE take a moment to read THIS ARTICLE about keeping students.  PLEASE:

E-N-G-R-O-S-S-E-D

We are BLESSED to have some of the best in the business at GVMS!  We have stressed this over and over again:  GO VISIT YOUR COLLEAGUES ON OUR CAMPUS!  Struggling with classroom management?  Want some out of the box ideas on student engagement?  Not sure what great academic conversations look and sound like?  Want ideas on quick and easy formative assessments to gauge what student "got" during your lesson?  JUST GO VISIT.  One period is ALL it would take and WE definitely have names to give you of people to visit.  Why is this important?  Take a look at THIS EASY ARTICLE about Open Classrooms and just how awesome they are!!

YEP!  We are gearing up for CAASPP!!!  This is coming in just over SEVEN WEEKS (YIKES!!!!) and there are practice tests for ELA/MATH/SCIENCE (CAST).  Please visit www.fsusd.org/assessment or CLICK HERE and click on the green button "SBAC Practice and Training Tests" to access the site!  

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to Dustin for the CHALLENGE!  PLEASE accept it!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for making the MAP display BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  THANK YOU!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carla for working thoughtfully and creatively to figure out ways to support students in the classroom.  She is consistently hopeful! ~Ryan
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for getting plans and work for not one, but TWO classes!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia and Carol for the tutorial meeting and all your hard work! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to All of the Fabulous teachers that attended the Tutorial Meeting! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to Pozzesi for entertaining the TAP students! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather P.  for helping me with the challenging kids!~ Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Marlys for helping with IEPs!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Elizabeth for helping my students with their troubles! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tara for always letting us know what's going on in G107! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Doris for donating materials to our TAP class! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out Alex for helping me with my tech needs! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to my lunch buddies!  It is so necessary to have a few minutes to vent and share our lives.  Love you Katherine, Heather, Cristina, Karron, Julie, and Ryan.  Thank you for listening and supporting me always! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Dustin and Tom for getting my forms back to me the day I gave them to you!  Thanks for the input and for making my job easier!! ~Karyn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Jason for ALL of the help on Thursday with the Science Field Trip!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carol for all she has done with ELPAC testing!!!

February 22, 2019

There are SO MANY options out there for ways we can have our students show us that they have mastered a skill or standard versus a worksheet or packet.  As the pic above shows, there are lot of ways to support learning.  I saw this video awhile ago and again recently and, while the students behavior was totally disrespectful, you can see where he is coming from.  While not all "worksheets" are created equal, sometimes all that is given can be called a "busysheet" with zero purpose or meaning.  Other times, worksheets can be used as note taking sheets or data collection tools.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE about the video, the Worksheet Continuum, and what to do instead! 

YEP!  We are gearing up for CAASPP!!!  This is coming in just over 8 weeks and there are practice tests for ELA/MATH/SCIENCE (CAST).  Please visit www.fsusd.org/assessment and click on the green button "SBAC Practice and Training Tests" to access the site!  

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to Julie for always having my back.  Any time I need to speak with a student or parent, she is always there! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Katherine for the way that she has trained her class.  Even when she was stuck in traffic, they got out their work and got busy! Way to go McKenna and class~ The Teacher Guy From The Wall (Jason =)
• SUPER awesome shout out to My Secret Pal!  You always make me feel special and my day! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to Angelina for helping with one of my students.  Thank you for giving him a quiet place to work and keeping him on track!~ Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to KC for the Valentines on the mailboxes and the treats all the time! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sue, the kindest person, who would literally give a person the shirt (or scarf) off of her back! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to the English Department for a collaborative, productive, and fabulous ELA day!  You all are absolutely amazing and a true pleasure to work with! ~Heather
• SUPER awesome shout out to Dustin for being the best hugger on campus! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carla for her rescuing skills! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for the MAP help!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia and Marlys for covering and making things happen! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Kimberly and Michele R for sharing their lunches and stories with me! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Alex C. for working on my TV even though the vendor it taking forever and letting me know what was happening every step of the way!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Elizabeth for always helping and cheering on my students! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to Katherine for being willing to do intervention with struggling 6th graders in Math! ~ Sue and KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for continuing to help while Heather gets back in the game!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn for helping the subs in science and helping me while I was out! ~Heather P
• SUPER awesome shout out to Ryan for collaborating and talking through some units and lessons! Heather P
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for holding down the fort while I was out; it was a tough job.  She did the work of two and kept things flowing.  I could concentrate on healing and not worry about the classroom and kids.  Words are not enough to show my gratitude, but I can't afford a lifetime of Starbucks =)! ~Heather P
• SUPER awesome shout out to GVMS for the support while I was out.  To those checking on me, covering classes, providing help to the subs, giving support to the kids, and countless other "things" teachers do when there is a need! ~Heather P.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Brenda for the subs, making sure I had the right paperwork and SAVING MY BACON on my return date =) ~Heather P.

February 15, 2019

Taking a look again at "Principles of Instruction, Researched-Based Strategies Every Teacher Should Know" By Barak Rosenshine , I mentioned checking for student understanding, much like having high levels of engagement. Let's focus on requiring and monitoring independent practice. The phrase practice makes perfect (or at least, a whole lot better) comes to mind here. Research shows that students need a great deal of practice in order for a new skill to become automatic. Keep in mind that independent practice should be guided, not just handed off with students left to their own devices. Our very own students even said that when work is just handed off for them to do independently (rather than being guided and/or scaffolded) it gives them reason to act out because they aren't sure what they are supposed to be doing. This independent practice should be the same material that the class worked on in guided practice (this is not the time to try and see if students can master a new skill). Here are a few ways that you can support independent practice

• Walk around the classroom and monitor student work. Research has shown if you are spending more than 30 seconds at a students desk that student (or the whole class) should most likely have some reteaching of the concept or additional explanation of what is expected. Makes sense.
• Try out cooperative learning (students helping each other) by using a procedure such as "ask three before me". Research has shown that there is some advantage to students explaining to each other in addition to increased engagement.
• Complete independent practice problems with class before they go off on their own. Makes sense.

There are some really great resources for teaching and sharing information for Black History Month and a lot of info is being shared from our BSU!  Thank you!  Check out THESE 6 Tools that can help.  Also, take a look at THESE lesson plans that many have already utilized!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to Susan and Brenda for helping me on my delay last week!  Thank you for securing Amy during tutorial! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for handling the issue and concern after school last week! ~Karen
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for ALL that you are doing in 1st and 2nd period and SPED!  You ROCK! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for ALL of your HARD WORK with ALL of our kids, especially the challenging ones! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sandy and Leadership for all of the positive notes and hearts around campus!

February 8, 2019

As we are now into February, I have to remind myself that I determine how I walk onto our campus each day.  I am the one who can "get out of my own head".  Want some help in joining in this mantra in my head each morning? =)  Check out THIS ARTICLE for some additional ideas =)

Academic conversations are such a SIMPLE way to get students engaged and get the learning to "stick" and mean even more!  How do you structure those?  We have passed out so many different resources and tips and really want to see our levels of academic conversations increase 100%!  Think about it:  Do you learn more at a P.D. when they talk "AT" you or when you get to share with your peers or friends?  Seems like a no brainer!  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE for some background and ideas to help facilitate academic conversations with our students!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn for letting/asking me to model questioning!  I love love loved it!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Jason for helping me corral the kiddos for MAP make up testing! ~Heather T.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T and Sue for helping me grow in my knowledge of MAP!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Peter for helping to organize a fabulous trip to Stanford and the chaperones- Anita, Megan, and Karen (and Jason for offering to attend! ~Heather T.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Alex for coming down to my room on a moment's notice to help with a technical issue! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for helping me with the Tutorial Schedule!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Anita, Heather, Megan and Karen for an awesome trip to Stanford! ~Peter (and Megan!)
• SUPER awesome shout out to Angie for the help she is giving with some of our students!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn, Katherine, Paula, and Tamia for coming to and participating in the PD at the DO! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Rosa and Julie for decorating my room for my birthday! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sandy for taking on the Washington DC/NYC trip again this year!
• SUPER awesome shout out to KC for coming to my 6th to help register and explaining the Leadership application! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sandy for sharing some wonderful items from China! ~Carol