November 15, 2019

Everyone loves to get positive feedback (even adults!!), even if they don't admit it out loud... =)

Sometimes, when giving it to our students, it can be easier said than done.  Studies have shown that giving negative feedback without anything positive can discourage student effort and achievement (duh)

Take a look at THIS ARTICLE to start using some of these ideas to provide EFFECTIVE (did you catch that key word there??!!?) feedback for students from different ways it can be given to the focus that it has.  Our students THRIVE off of positive feedback and encouragement.  Don't you? =)

Ahhh the holidays....A time for family; a time for loved ones; a time for ADDED STRESS on everyone, including the parents of our students.  How can we remind calm when responding to emails, text, and phone messages to parents?  Trust me: It's something I STILL continue to work on, I promise.

While these moments always seem to come at the wrong time, there are ways to help.  Take a look at THIS quick read on simple ways (that I need to remind myself of!) to calm down and not matters worse =)

POSTING ONE MORE TIME, just in case.....You all know I LOVE Kid President and he is all grown up (well, sort of) and he is STILL spreading love and kindness and pep talks.  Take a few short minutes to put a smile on your face and watch him!  It's worth it =)

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• SUPER awesome shout out to KARYN for being the golden standard of IEP best practices! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to the LEADERSHIP TEAM for their thoughtful work with the "fishbone"!
• SUPER awesome shout out to THERESE for helping TAP class with behaviors when we are short staffed! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to BRENDA for always being amazing and super helpful! ~Megan and KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH for all of the pick me up treats and a wonderful smile! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to JASON for covering my yard duty! ~David N.
• SUPER awesome shout out to ANITA and CHRISTINA for helping me! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to SIXTH GRADE for doing a park day!
• SUPER awesome shout out to JULIE for dropping work off to me at home and holding down the fort while I am out! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSA and RIC for their helping nature! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALEX, JAMES M., LIZ, and SARJ who all came to support our Cross Country and Volleyball teams!!!  THANK YOU!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to SANDY for tacking Movie Night with Leadership!
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVE F. for getting soooooo many cans donated!!

November 8, 2019

We talk A BUNCH about student engagement, academic discussion, and facilitating better/more effective discussions with our students.  In fact, our "Ideal Classroom" activity at our faculty meeting on Tuesday had the common theme: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT....

How do we get away from the BLANK STARE when you ask a question to  the class or to your small group?  How can you train yourself to get our students more engaged with your questions?  How can you increase participation and avoid awkward silence?

Take a look at THIS ARTICLE which gives you some quick and easy fixes to avoid those awkward moments and get a MUCH higher participation rate!!

You all know I LOVE Kid President and he is all grown up (well, sort of) and he is STILL spreading love and kindness and pep talks.  Take a few short minutes to put a smile on your face and watch him!  It's worth it =)

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• SUPER awesome shout out to CHRISTINA for leading our quick PD during our faculty meeting!
• SUPER awesome shout out to CHRISTINA, KARRON and ALEX for helping with volleyball and supervising!!  THANK YOU! ~Sarj
• SUPER awesome shout out to JULIE, AMY, RYAN, KARRON, ANITA, DAVID, UMA, GWYNN, ROSIE, HEATHER, TAMIA, ELIZABETH, KAREN, SANDY, and LEADERSHIP for making the 6th grade Scavenger Hunt a success! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for supporting TAP! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to MATH Department for remaining calm with all of the visitors in your class on Wednesday!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSIE for always helping me at the cross walk!
• SUPER awesome shout out to CLOUD for kicking butt with the GNRs!  Let's keep them coming people!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA for helping me with Newsela! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to GWYNN and ROSIE for short staffed days! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to BRENDA for always being helpful and amazing! ~Megan and KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISON and GWYNN for supporting TAP and TAP students! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to PETER for taking the kids to Sac State and to KAREN for going with!

November 1, 2019

Focus on Good First Instruction

Seriously think about that title.  If the FIRST instruction were AMAZING Presenting new material in small steps with student practice after each step is a researched based learning strategy that we should be incorporating into instruction daily.  

No one, including our students, likes to sit through a meeting or a training being "TALKED AT" the entire time.  As we think about engaging our students, we want to present new material in chunks and give students practice (HANDS ON, something to DO!!) after each chunk or standard.  Using a timer and the 10:2 (10 minutes OR LESS of instruction: 2 minutes of processing) method you can make sure that you are chunking the instruction.  This is just one simple idea and there are TONS more!

Ahhh Middle School. Every student is in a different learning place.  Some faster, some slower.  How can we, as instructional leaders, differentiate for the wide range of learners in the classroom?  How do we monitor other students and what they are doing, while we pull small group to differentiate?  How do we grade the different ideas or projects?

Take a look at this article for some basic and easy ways to help our students get the info that they need without discouraging them from learning!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to CAROL for the help with the Bilateral Training on Tuesday! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to KC for hair dryer juice so I don't come to school looking like a hot mess! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH, BRENDA, CARLA, and ROSA for holding down the fort on Monday while we were not on campus! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to SIXTH GRADE for an awesome scavenger hunt and team building experience for our kids!!! LOVE!
• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA for organizing the 6th grade scavenger hunt! ~Karron and Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to STAFF for making Soctober a huge success! ~Peter P.
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISON for the Halloween Music on Thursday!  Awesome way to start out day!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL TEACHERS for actively and patiently participating in the recent spate of IEPs!  THANK YOU!  Your knowledge of the students and input is invaluable! ~Karyn
• SUPER awesome shout out to TRACY for opening a second line for breakfast in the morning! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to CARLA for always being willing to drop everything and help others!  You are truly appreciated!  Thank you for all you do! ~Rosie
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for asking the IS crew to be a part of our food bank crew!  You are a rock star! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSA, BRENITA, and AIDA for truly running this school =)!
• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN and LORRAINE for always being helpful, making the day better, and endless patience! ~Lynn S
• SUPER awesome shout out to ENGLISH DEPT for another great collab day!  LOVE THE TEAM WORK!!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ANITA, JULIE, MARLYS, LYNN S., JASON, LORRAINE, and KARRON for an awesome collab day! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN L for sharing all of her lesson plans (for HAVING lesson plans!!!) and FFPD schedule before she went on leave! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to SPED SQUAD for working diligently to schedule IEPs, work with families, and get our kids the services they need!
• SUPER awesome shout out CAROL for helping me with the new curriculum and piloting the new textbooks! ~Sandy
• SUPER awesome shout out to KAREN for providing me and my kids a warm meal and entertainment while we were without power for 9 long days! ~Lorraine
• SUPER awesome shout out to 

October 25, 2019

I know that phone calls can home be a LONG process AND think about an email....or a post card....or a note to send regarding something GOOD one of the students in your care has done.  Can you remember getting one of these when you were a student?  

This could be the one thing that makes a difference in one of 6th-7th-8th grade students' lives.  It could be one of the ONLY nice things that they hear all day.  It could be the one thing that gets a student to produce work for you.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE and read all about the benefits of showcasing the GOOD in our students in a few simple minutes....

MORE ON ENGAGEMENT!  Until we are at 100%, we will CONTINUE this conversation as high levels of engagement directly link to higher achievement, lower off task behavior, and all around happier students!  How do we get students to make class discussions more engaging so that they are focused on the learning AND master content?  Check out THIS LINK to try 5 easy ways to make your class discussions more engaging!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to CAROL for covering my yard duty, even with the last minute change! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN and KARRON for being SO patient with the dang headphones AND being willing to pilot Go Guardian!
• SUPER awesome shout out to 6TH GRADE TEAM for signing up for the Multicultural Fair! You guys ROCK! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for covering Heather's class on Monday!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISA and KC for helping at the Volleyball game! Peter S.
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN for helping with the Donor's Choose project! ~Karen
• SUPER awesome shout out to MATH DEPT and 6th grade MATH TEAM for Math Night discussions and Math facts discussion!

October 18, 2019

How do we keep them engaged, even with the craziness of all of the holidays coming up??? We know it can be a crazy time of year, so just HOW do we keep our Vikings engaged?  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE on some easy ideas to keep em' engaged even with the October stretch!  

Stressed and burnout seem to be a common word we hear, especially in October!    Are you feeling irritable?  Not wanting to attend social gatherings, even the easy ones that involve food?  Increase in complaints? Fatigue or insomnia?  You aren't alone.  I think we are all feeling these warning signs in one way or another.

So, how do we reverse this and charge ahead, focusing on the positive/great/wonderful things that are happening in our lives- both at home and at GVMS?  It's time to TAKE ACTION!!  Take these easy ideas, (even something as easy as loading the "momentum" app to your computer like I demonstrated at our faculty meeting last month) including remembering to smile, shift your focus to your home, laugh uncontrollably, try teaching something new, take up yoga, go for a walk during your prep, and share with your colleagues.  I know, I know, easier said than done sometimes.  And, if you have ideas, PLEASE share them with me too =)

*Take a moment to read THIS ARTICLE about additional Super Heroes that we (all schools) have at GVMS.  I think each one of us would COMPLETELY agree!!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA for helping me with Padlet! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSIE for always covering the crosswalk with me! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN for making me some awesome GVMS spirit shirts!  I really love my sparkly one! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to RIC and BRENDA for propping the door for me in the morning! My hands are ALWAYS full! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to our SPED SQUAD for attending the PD at the DO on Tuesday and being on top of all IEPs! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN and CRISTINA for sharing lesson plan ideas and formats! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to LEADERSHIP for their work with MTSS, FIT, Intervention and more!
• SUPER awesome shout out to the MTSS TEAM for getting moving on the Check and Connect for struggling students!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for rockin' the student led IEPs!  LOVE these! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to HISTORY DEPT for their work on Collab day!

October 11, 2019

I just read this SHORT and EASY article (favorite words when it comes to articles, right!?!) about 3 new ways to ask questions to engage the whole class that I hadn't heard of!  I LOVE new ideas!  Take a look and click on the link for the appointment agenda reminder that you could tailor to a period each day to meet with students!  I really loved the "pause, star, rank" activity too!  Let me know if you utilize these in class as I'd LOVE to see them or use them in action!!!

Easier said than done, right?  I struggle with it so much that I had to download that Momentum app on both computers just to remind myself to BREATHE.  Why is it important to remember to take a deep breath?  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE as, though it seems like a no brainer, it reminds us that taking a moment can help us remain calm, de-escalating a stressful situation, and focusing on what's important.

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• SUPER awesome shout out to PETER for his hard work on the Inspire: Dreams Start Now 8th grade trip on Tuesday!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISA and PETER for the awesome instructions and guidance on their whiteboards in PE each day!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for picking up the food on Wednesday!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH for letting my students come down to work in her office!  You are always willing to offer great ideas and solutions! ~Sandy
• SUPER awesome shout out to DUSTIN, my bff, for the apple! ~Dave
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL STAFF who helped make the Inspire Career Fair happen!  Thank you! ~Peter P
• SUPER awesome shout out to LORRAINE for help when I was out sick! ~Christina G.
• SUPER awesome shout out to my fabulous co-teachers, HEATHER and CRISTINA!  Love you girls so much and so happy we get to teach together! You ROCK! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH and MARLYS for taking James' class during 6th!
• SUPER awesome shout MARLYS for always being positive and being willing to help with anything and everything!   You are amazing! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to JAMES for all you do for our students!  You have made a great addition to our SPED Squad! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN for making the Be The Change Club a reality and polling students at both lunches!!!  AWESOME!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to KARYN and CARLA!  You all keep me sane and I don't know what I would do without you! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to UMA for all you do and working so hard for our TAP students! You make a difference!  ~Tamia

October 4, 2019

SQUIRREL!  Anyone who has spent ANY time with me knows that I sometimes (so sorry!) have the attention span of a squirrel.  Well- news flash!  So do our students!!  Shocking, I know =)

How do you, as a middle school teacher, COPE?  Distraction and relationships.  True story.  Of course, there is more to it than that, but take a look at THIS great and easy to read article.  Seriously.  It has some easy tricks to try!

ENGAGEMENT is a topic that we will ALWAYS be addressing.  

Do you ever sit in a meeting and check Facebook, Twitter, email, etc?  NO JUDGEMENT!! =)  

Have you noticed that our KIDS do the SAME THING when in class sometimes?  It's true and I KNOW many of you have seen it!

Over the week, I found THIS ARTICLE on more EASY PEASY ideas to engage our middle school students.  From encouraging talking (they learn more from their peers than they do from us anyway!), to creativity there are TONS of ideas to help you make sure that they are engaged.  Remember, more engagement= less behavior issues and higher academic achievement.  I mean, isn't that why we are all here anyway?

How do you feel when you aren't engaged in a PD or meeting (not a faculty meeting of course since they are ALWAYS FUN!!!)?  Checked out and bored? Imagine how our students feel when THEY aren't engaged?

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• SUPER awesome shout out to the STAFF for letting students stay in classrooms during lunch to finish homework or didn't bring a lunch on money to buy lunch and sharing half of theirs =)!
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for making tough phone calls! ~Heather
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN and HEATHER for modeling!
• SUPER awesome shout out to MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS for working together when problems arise! ~Alanna
• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN, again, for leading the engaging strategies in our faculty meeting!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to MARLYS for holding down the fort when Lynn S. was out all week!
• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN for covering my guitar class while I took an instrument to Sacramento on a Friday afternoon to be repaired! ~Alison
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH for making a kid smile from here to Guatemala and back again! ~Tara
• SUPER awesome shout out to BRENDA for always covering stuff for us in the front office and via radio =)!
• SUPER awesome shout out to MARLYS and TAMIA for letting me use your room for ASL club on Wednesdays at lunch!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALANNA, PETER P., STEPHEN S., RYAN, ELIZABETH, STEVEN T., TARA, LYNN, and CHRISTINA G. for running clubs during lunch or after school!
• SUPER awesome shout out to BRENDA, KC, and DUSTIN for helping me out this week!  This is SO amazing to work with! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to KARRON for trading yard duty with me and taking the time to check in with me with my daughter at college! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to JAMES for ALL of the positive emails he is sending home followed up with Good News Referral!  WOW!
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVID