This is the time of year that simple things captivate...

This week we move on to our next C...Captivating.  I amazed that even at my old age of 36, I am still captivated by the same Christmas specials that I grew up watching so many years ago.  And I still get sentimental when I hear certain songs on the radio and when I hang our ornaments on the tree.  These simple items captivate me because they are of interest to me because it is relevant to my life.  Each year I purchase a new ornament for the girls and our family as a keepsake of a memory or special place we visited that year.  I still have an ornament my mother got me for my first Christmas in 1978 and even though I knew nothing about Christmas at that time, hanging it up on my tree reminds me of the love my mom had for me even when I was at my worst (ask her how bad I was as an infant...I see where Charlotte got it from).

Why can't we make our lessons more captivating to our students?  I always hear "We ain't got time for that!" but I totally disagree.  If we don't captivate them we end up taking time to manage behavior.  Which would you rather take the time to do?  I went to a workshop years and years ago for kindergarten teachers and the presenter suggested having a souvenir for each concept students learn throughout the year...kinda like when you go on vacation you bring something back.  I implemented this my last year teaching kindergarten and it was a success.  This culminating activity helped captivate the students and even helped them recall earlier learning experiences when they couldn't quickly pull it out to implement later.

What will you do this week to captivate our young learners?

I hope you have an amazing week and make sure you wear your stretchy pants 'cause it looks like we're eating all week.

Angela

PS: Merry Christmas from me...may you all wear jeans each day this week as long as you look neat!

Week of December 15-19, 2014

Monday, December 15

• Monday Morning Meeting
• Must sign up to attend Christmas Party by this date

Tuesday, December 16

• Hill at Chamber Mtg 12-1:15
• 3rd Grade and 4th Grade PLC
• 3rd Grade RtA Scoring during last enhancement
• All permission slips for THS field trip must be in by today
• Survey regarding technology lab due today (homeroom teachers)
• Christmas Program at 6:30; all certified staff are required to attend and help out.
• Goody Day: 4th grade, cafeteria, Blue, Gay

Wednesday, December 17

• THS Field Trip 8:15-11:00
• 5th Grade PLC
• Coaching Collaborative Mtg (Lemon, Baker, Hill, and Backus) at 12:30
• Goody Day: 3rd grade, Greider, Felice, Smith, LeQuire

Thursday, December 18

• Holiday Dance 3:30-5:00
• Goody Day: 5th grade, Baker-Speaks, Hunt, Beasley

Friday, December 19

• Gingerbread Open House/ lunch in classrooms (will send revised lunch times later this week)
• Goody Day: Tutor, T. Lee, Hill, Backus, C. Hayden, Carolyn Parker, Riley
• Deadline to submit any PD paperwork

New Learning Needs A Foundation

This week, I am focusing on Consolidating which means connecting and integrating ideas to support learning.  I have no doubt that I have wonderful teachers that teach lessons that focus on standards from the NCSCOS.  What I believe we struggle with is the connection part of instruction.  Students have to be able to integrate new learning into the their "storehouse" and it needs to be stored in a way that they can retrieve it when it's needed.  If they're unable to integrate and connect ideas then all of that teaching just equates to a TIRED and FRUSTRATED teacher.

In Ronald Ferguson's Tripod Study, researchers asked students this following question to determine if teachers focused on consolidating during lessons.  Researchers used this exact question, “My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day" to assess this area.  I know, based on data from our LF walk throughs, that this is something not happening in our school at a high level.  Writing must used in conjunction with summarizing to ensure that consolidation of learning is taking place...daily!

So to that end...
Beginning Tuesday, December 9, 2014 STUDENTS WILL SUMMARIZING LEARNING AT THE END OF EACH MATH AND ELA LESSON BY ANSWERING THE DAILY EQ THROUGH WRITING.  

Administration will be doing spot checks each day to read through a few student responses.

When meeting on Friday (12/5) with Mrs. Gay, we came up with the idea of encouraging students to answer to the best of their abilities by having you pick the best response and posting it with the student's name by the EQ.  To help pare down the amount of work you'd have to do, have them work in pairs/small group and let them pick the best from those small groupings and then you narrow down to the class winner.

We need immediate change to ensure we leave 48.1% far behind in the rear view mirror.

If you have any questions, please see me!

Thanks for all you and remember...WE ARE ERWIN and...

only 10 school days until Christmas Break!!

Week of December 8-12, 2014
Monday, December 8

• Instructional Rounds w/ Callanan & Licary @ 1:40
• Santa Pictures in conference room from 9:00-10:30
• Reading Intervention regular schedule
• Backus Out at Testing Mtg
• Announcement Regarding Christmas Party Will Be Made

Tuesday, December 9

• Instructional Rounds w/ Skulsky, Hayes, and Parker @ 2:25
• 3rd and 4th grade PLCs- LF Day #3
• Mrs. Gay Baby Shower at 3:30 PM

Wednesday, December 10

• Instructional Rounds w/ Cowan and Alford @ 11:20
• LF Lesson Plans Due to Your Assigned Administrator or Instructional Coach
• THS Area Principal Mtg at CES at 1PM
• 5th Grade PLC- LF Day #3

Thursday, December 11

• Hill at Chamber Mtg at 12 PM

Friday, December 12

• Nothing on my calendar...kinda of scary :(

REMINDERS:

•  Intervention time is INTERVENTION TIME!  This time is important and a big piece of our SIP.  Please make sure you have your students in place on time.  If intervention time is not working you will need to see me immediately with a solution to the problem.
• Please make sure that no time is wasted...time is so precious and sitting at 48.1% proficiency should be push enough for us to not waste time. Everything we do should be aligned to the curriculum.  

MOY Benchmarks: Before or After Christmas...that is the question?!? Need some input before I make a decision.  If you care either way, email me by Wednesday, December 10th.