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 

September 27, 2019

**First 5 people to tell me what Mustard, Mayo and Ketchup stand for within this blog win a PRIZE*

                                   

I recently went to a training about small group instruction and the benefits of doing so in your classroom for a portion of the period/day.  We have been in several classrooms in all grade levels and in all subject areas that are utilizing small groups to reach ALL of our students.... SUPER effective and reaches SO many of our students!  How, you ask?  It builds student confidence, increases academic success and achievement, and helps to bring students up to grade level much faster than whole group instruction.  Click HERE for an easy read!

So I "stole" the visuals and the ideas that can be used, WITH PLANNING ahead of time, with ALL of our classes and students!  Check some of these out and yes, we WILL be reviewing this at an upcoming faculty meeting!  Until then, feel free to click on any of the links for some examples....

1. Middle Grades Math 6-8 example
2. Generic SGI Weekly Planner example
3. Students grouped by RIT score (MAP data report)
4. OpenUp Math Data Template
5. Middle School Math Standards Mastery by Unit (helpful to know what to focus on in small groups)
6. Sites for formative assessments: NoRedInk (ELA/ELD), Quizizz (any subject), goFormative (Math)

Obviously, we have mentioned over and over again, how IMPORTANT student engagement is in our classrooms and EASY ways to make it happen without stressing you out!  Check out THIS ARTICLE with simple ways to evaluate what's going in your classroom, including the academic and behavior impact along with 8 tips.  We know it can be hard AND we know the pay off is TREMENDOUS!!

How do you feel when you aren't engaged in a PD or meeting?  Checked out and bored? Imagine how our students feel when THEY aren't engaged?

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• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL STAFF who helped with the traffic mess this week!  You all ROCK and we REALLY appreciate everyone stepping up to cover and care for each other! ~Carol, KC, 
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL for the birthday wishes, love and gifts!  I am WAY spoiled! ~Kristen
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVE F for telling the 6th grade kids I was a movie star- half of them believed it!! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA and HEATHER for checking on me to prevent me from crumbling! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to HEATHER and her TA for surprising me with a colorful anchor chart made just for my math class!  I didn't even ask for it and love it! ~Ryan
• SUPER awesome shout out to GWYNN, ROSIE and SANDI for being everyday warriors and helping to hold down the fort! Couldn't do it without you~ Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN and KC for helping me when I was down!  It takes a village! ~Lorraine
• SUPER awesome shout out to CHRISTINA, KEVIN, and JASON for making English Collab day full of ideas and communication! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to RIC for providing humor! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to CHRISTINA for trying to tackle the difficult question of what's really on the SBAC! ~Mike Hynes =)
• SUPER awesome shout out to JAMES for giving up his prep to help a TAP student! ~TAP Team
• SUPER awesome shout out to JAMES for helping with Aeries grade book! ~Uma
• SUPER awesome shout out to CARLA and KARYN for always helping with TAP students! ~TAP Team
• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN for doing the difficult job of Department Chair and wearing the hats well! ~ The Quixotic Haberdasher =) 
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN for organizing ALL of the field trips and schedules for 6th grade!
• SUPER awesome shout out CRISTINA for spending time giving me some feedback on my kids! ~Dustin
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSA and AIDA for the break when we got back from Rush Ranch! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to JULIE for attending the 6th grade field trip for Cristina! 

September 20, 2019

MORE TALKING PLEASE!!  YES!  We LOVE to hear the learning, the conversations, the sharing and the growing when we come into classrooms!  WE LOVE IT!  Need the conversation cards?  We will be HAPPY to make them!  Remember what is on the students desks in Heather Phillips' classroom?  They WORK!  

Take a look a THIS ARTICLE  with some more points, ideas, and effectiveness!!

We have said, since day 1, we are NOT looking for quiet classrooms when we come and visit!  Why, you ask?  Well, here it goes:

*Students learn more from each other on a daily basis.  Think about it.  Don't you learn more from discussing something versus being "talked at"?

*It improves classroom climate

*Students feel ownership to their classrooms

*Off task behavior declines

Take a look at THIS easy article on some recommendations for discussions in your classroom.  As always, PLEASE let us know if you need discussion cards handy to have on your desks to give students ideas on continuing academic conversations!  We are happy to print, laminate and cut!!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH for making Challenge Day happen for our kids and our staff!
• SUPER awesome shout out to PETER S., PETER P., KAREN, JAMES, DAN, ALEX, KARRON, ALLISON, RYAN, SANDY, CAROL, KEVIN, DUSTIN, STEPHEN, LARISSA, CHRISTINA, MEGAN for participating in Challenge Day and opening yourself up to the experience and supporting our students!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISA, PETER, LIZ, and SARJ for accommodating our Challenge Days in the gym!  Much appreciated!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALISA, PETER P., JAMES, PETER S., KIMBERLY, BRENDA, LIZ, KEN, ALEX, and KEVIN for help with the Thursday yard duty when we were ALL out!!  MUCH APPRECIATED!
• SUPER awesome shout out to LORRAINE for being there when I needed extra help! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSIE for helping with cross walk with me daily!! 
• SUPER awesome shout out for my birthday treats!  ~Anonymous 
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALEX for helping me with all of my computer questions! ~Kimberly
• SUPER awesome shout out to MIMI for trying to fix my shirt!
• SUPER awesome shout out to RIC for helping us set up for all of the Challenge Days!

September 13, 2019

Super shout out to Megan for the engaging strategies that we can all use!  I can't wait to see them in action in your classrooms!  She has more to share, so I plan to "bribe" her to do it again!

Speaking of that, I found this great article and site with some awesome ideas as well and pictures to go along with it!  Even with SO little time to spare to make your lessons and delivery creative, does it really matter anyway?  YES!  ABSOLUTELY!!  Take a look HERE about 19 more ideas to help make it happen!

ENGAGEMENT is a topic that we will ALWAYS be addressing.  We CANNOT stress this enough:  Higher engagement = Higher academic achievement and lower behavior concerns.  That's really so simple and all there is to it.  Students who have to "sit and get" are bored and have completely tuned you out.  Completely.  

Calling on one student when you ask a question means that YOU have given the others the permission to be turned out.  Is that seriously what you want?  Stop reverting back to this and just calling on one student at a time.  It just tells the other students that they don't have to learn, listen or pay attention.

HERE is a easy read article to help generate effective questions and help you GET AWAY from calling on one student at a time!

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• SUPER awesome shout out to MEGAN for the faculty meeting strategies!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSIE for continuing to help me with after school yard duty!
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVE O. for the CK-12 info!  You Rock! ~Tara
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for the doorbell!  You are amazing! ~Tara
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSA for the Leadership shirts!  You are awesome!
• SUPER awesome shout out to LIZ for covering my yard duty! ~Heather
• SUPER awesome shout out to BRENDA for putting me back on the bike rack duty! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVID!  We are so happy to have you on the 6th grade team! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to CARLA for her calmness!
• SUPER awesome shout out to WHOLE STAFF!  It was amazing to witness all the comradery between staff!  Teacher helping teachers.  A high level of positive energy in the school and less negativity is definitely what we need!  GO VIKINGS! ~Alex