"If the challenge exists, so must the solution." - Rona Mlnarik

This past Friday, Mr. Thomas, Ms. Covington, and I (via Google Hangout) participated in the first session of the CLC for Charter Schools. CLC stands for Curriculum Leaders' Collaborative.  There will be three sessions and each of these sessions will not just focus on curriculum, as you would expect them to, but they will also focus on the other skills needed to ensure that students are accessing standard based instruction on a regularly basis.

Friday, the NCDPI group focused on the following topics:

• Solution Oriented Thinking
• Communication Continuum
• Implementation Science
• Varied Experiences of Standards Implementation

Each of these sessions were well thought out and our team has a plan on how to communicate the change in ELA and Math standards for the 2018-2019 with all our different stakeholders.

Today, I want to focus on the article entitled 4 Steps to Developing a Solution Orientation.  For those that want to read it, it is linked in the title.  I am going to share the 4 steps and how they relate to problems and challenges here at TCEA.  The author, Daniel Horgan, notes that there are no shortage of problems.  There are problems at home, work, on the way to work, on the way home etc.  Most of the times when we're faced with a problem, we immediately get frustrated and "we can

feel the negativity fast tracking its way through our bodies, affecting our thoughts,

what we hear, what we say and how we interact with those around us" states Horgan.  But he believes, as well as I, that when we allow negativity to affect us this way, we stand down to the problem and problems breed more problems.  Our human reactions to problems need a make over.  We need to gain control over the problems we face.  But how?

Horgan believes there are 4 steps in creating an solution orientation in your life.

1. It starts with attitude: When a problems hits you, we must let it trigger a "spirit of optimism".  Take the time to decide that there is a solution and you will find it.
   
2. Adopting a solution-orientation requires focus and analysis: You have to use critical thinking skills to break apart the big problems and look for the smaller elements and roots to the issue.  This goes completely against the "whack a mole" concept most of employee without thinking. But by using these procedure, you're most likely to solve the problem and find a solution.
   
3. We must employ creativity to surface solutions that break the 
4. boundaries of traditional thinking and surface differentiating solutions: "
When we commit to a solution orientation, we are demonstrating the value we bring to a relationship, a team or an organization. Leveraging our creativity requires us to effectively brainstorm solutions that exceed a short list of average ideas and instead push our thinking beyond our self-imposed limits to get to the ideas that are innovative in their design and approach" write Horgan.  We have to work together to find solutions and I believe truly believe that the strategies to improve schools will not most likely come from big education consultants.  Other companies and industries might have the answers we need...we just have to look outside of what's convenient. 
  
5. After we discipline ourselves to adopt the attitude of a champion, commit to focus and analysis and leverage our creativity, we must take action: This is where the rubber meets the road.  Time to look at all the solutions, decide on next step (individual or collective decision) and MOVE! 

So, what's an issue in your class or grade level you want to tackle or need to?  Take the problems on using this model.  So many times, we get caught up in the emotions surrounded in the issues that we talk about doing something but never do.  The problem dies down but they always return.  I am guilty of this and I am sure many of you are as well.

I am going to post these steps in our PLC Room and I am looking forward to watching us work this plan as we continue to improve and press towards our mark of becoming a C School by September 2018.

I hope you've had a great weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!  -Angela

Monday, February 26- Friday, March 2

Monday, February 26

• 5th Grade Planning at 12:50
• SIT Meeting at 3:30 PM in Theater
• TCEA Board Mtg at 5:15 in Studio 213 (Samuelson's Room)

Tuesday, February 27

• Mid Years Admin Mtg Continue
• Arts Integration Meetings: 8-9
• Middle Grardes
• ELA- Strimel
• Sciemce- Falls
• SS- Pond
• Math- Lanham
• Hill out of office 8:30-10:00
• Village Dental Presentations
• Kindergarten: 8:15-8:45
• 1st Grade: 9:15-9:45
• 1st Grade to Library 9:45-11:00
• 3rd Grade Planning 10:10-11:10
• Admin Mtg 12:45-1:45
• Black History Program 
• K-3 please view in your rooms via Facebook Live on The Capitol Encore Page
• 4th-8th, please be seated in the theater by 1:45 PM

Wednesday, February 28

• PLCs (The Talent Code and Retention Conversation; please make sure you have read Part III: Master Coaching and we will meet at the Coffee Cup again; you will need to record you drink order here by 8 AM Wednesday to speed things up)
• 8-9: Kindergarten (please meet near Hay Street at 8:05)
• 9:05-10:05: 1st Grade (please meet near Hay Street at 9:10)
• 10:10-11:10: 2nd Grade (please meet near Hay Street at 10:15)
• 12:50-1:50: 5th Grade (please meet near Hay Street at 12:55)
• 1:55-2:55: Middle Grades (please meet near Hay Street at 2)
• 4th Grade Planning 12:50-1:50

Thursday, March 1

• Mid Year Admin Mtg Continue
• Kindergarten Planning 8-9
• 2nd Grade Planning 10:10-11:10
• PLCs (The Talent Code and Retention Conversation; please make sure you have read Part III: Master Coaching and we will meet at the Coffee Cup again; you will need to record you drink order here by 8 AM Wednesday to speed things up)
• 10:10-11:10: 3rd Grade (please meet near Hay Street at 10:15)
• 12:50-1:50: 4th Grade (please meet near Hay Street at 12:55)
• Arts PLC 11:30-12:30

Friday, March 2

• Kindergarten Planning 8-9
• Mr. Thomas covers Samuelson's Room
• 1st Grade Planning 9-10
• Hill Out

Saturday, March 3rd

• Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Cane are leading this up and will send out more information and opportunities to volunteer, if needed, this week

🦎👏 Chameleon Clap🦎👏

From Mr. Kline:

Mr. Falls for making my paper curtains for my door windows to make our kids safer in Theatre and Film.

Mrs. Trojan for an amazing Hay Street window display.

Superintendent Kneer for fighting for our Old Street crosswalk, keeping students safe while making arrival and dismissal more efficient.

From Mrs. Hill:
Thank you to the entire staff for making our first Chameleon Crawl a success!!!

Thank you to Mr. Salisbury for getting all supplies needed for Friday night.

Thank you to Mrs. Trojan for putting the special touches on Friday night and for getting all of our parent volunteers.

Thank you to Mr. Thomas for the signage and helping get my stuff done in my absence...each and every time!

Congratulations and Good Luck to Mrs. Samuelson on tomorrow! Tomorrow is her state interview for NC Teacher of the Year! You've got this and we're all behind you!

Every Kid Needs a Champion

I am typing this in the backseat on the way back from our training so this week enjoy this encouraging TED Talk from Rita Pierson (this is who spoke the quote I used in my PD on Friday).

Enjoy and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!- Angela

Week of Monday, February 19- Friday, February 23, 2018

Monday, February 19

• No School: President's Day Holiday

Tuesday, February 20

• Student Surveys Begin
• Mid Year Meetings Continue
• Arts Integration Team Meetings
• 8-9: 2nd Grade
• Magan/Poche= Falls
• Cane= Lanham
• Marshall= Strimel
• 9:05-10:05: 5th Grade
• Samuelson= Carr
• Ezell= Akers
• Fleming= Falls
• 1st Grade to Library: 9:45-11:00
• 3rd Grade Planning at 10:10-11:10

Wednesday, February 21

• Hill Out Morning
• PLCs (SST/ MTSS Facilitated by Mrs. Lanham (don't forget to bring progress monitoring data to meeting for students in SST)
• 8-9: Kindergarten
• 9:05-10:05: 1st Grade
• 10:10-11:10: 2nd Grade
• 12:50-1:50: 4th and 5th Grades
• 1:55-2:55: Middle School
• 4th Grade to library 10-11
• Beginning Teacher Mtg 3:30-4:30

Thursday, February 22

• Hill @ NCDPI
• Kindergarten PLC at 8-9
• PLCs (SST/ MTSS Facilitated by Mrs. Lanham (don't forget to bring progress monitoring data to meeting for students in SST)
• 3rd Grade: 10:10-11:10
• 2nd Grade Planning at 10:10-11:10
• Arts PLC 11:30-12:30
• 4th Grade Planning at 12:50-1:50

Friday, February 23

• Hill, Covington and Thomas at Curriculum Leaders' Collaborative Mtg at NCDPI
• Kindergarten Planning 8-9
• 1st Grade Planning 9:05-10:05
• Samuelson at Library 9-10
• Ezell at Library 9:45-10:45
• Fleming at Library 11:00-11:45
• Middle School ELA to Library 9:45-11:00
• 2nd Grade to Library 1-2
• Chameleon Crawl 5:30-7:30 PM; please have your game ready to roll by 5:15 PM; we would also like everyone to wear a TCEA shirt

🦎👏Chameleon Claps🦎👏

From Mrs. Hill

• Thanks to Mr. Thomas and Ms. Covington for helping to create a great morning of PD for the staff!
• Thank you to Mr. Kline and Mrs. Samuelson for giving up your homes for training.
• Thanks to Mrs. Majka and Mr. Thomas for attending the EVAAS and Testing PD with me in Beaufort today!! It was well worth the 3 hour drive.
• Thank you to Mrs. Trojan for the beautiful Dr. Seuss Theme Display Window! Some people's perception of our school starts with that window so thank you for making us look so good.

The Ripple Effects of Small Things

" Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon."
Booker T. Washington

Have you ever had an inner debate on whether you should take on a battle?  Especially when it's a battle where the pay off might be small and not have a large impact on current practices or number of people?  This is what I debated, in my head and with the unfortunate staff members stuck in a room with me, when I thought about the Bathroom Battle of 2018.  To say and do too much about the bathroom cleanliness or lack there of could go two ways: (1) the attention gets the bathroom to a clean state or (2) the attention challenges the students to make it worse.

As you know, I decided to close the bathrooms on the middle grades hallway and challenged staff to ensure that the rest of the bathroom are keep clean.  This is one of those things that I am unsure how it will ultimately play out but I do know that it truly is one of those small things that if left unattended could largely impact out school in a negative way.  If you do not attend to the small things, they can sometimes multiple and become worse.  Trashing the bathrooms extends to our halls, classrooms and then possibly damage to other students' belongings.

Will this plan work? I am unsure.  Will I give up if this plan doesn't work? Nope, because I have always believed that the BIG things can't be tackled until the small things are.

What in your classroom or life are the small things that need more attention?  Why wait until the next week of trimester?  Start making the small things important because they usually make a big difference.

Want to hear more? Check out the video below.  Hope you have had a great weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.        - Angela

Week of Monday, February 12- Friday, February 16

Monday, February 12

• Mid Year One on One Staff Reviews Begin
• 5th grade planning at 12:50
• Small Group SIT Mtg at 3:30-4:00 PM in Hill's Office
• Candygrams on Sale
• Each grade level team (K-5) will come up with a game (carnival style) to play and get a list of materials to Joe by 2.12.17

Tuesday, February 13

• Hill and Thomas at Testing Meeting
• Arts Integration Team Planning- Mr. Kline is the facilitator (1st and 4th grades)
• 8-9: 1st Grade
• Johnson- Lanham
• Person- Strimel
• Brown- Pond
• 9:05-10:05: 4th Grade
• Majka-Carr
• McLaughlin-Bullington
• 1st Grade to Library 9:45-11:00
• 3rd Grade Planning 10:10-11:10

Wednesday, February 14

• Mid Year One on One Staff Reviews Continue
• PLCs (Data/ Intervention with Ms. Covington)
• 8-9: Kindergarten
• 9:05-10:05: 1st Grade
• 10:10-11:10: 2nd Grade
• 12:50-1:50: 5th Grade
• 1:55-2:55: Middle Grades
• 4th Grade Planning at 12:50-1:50

Thursday, February 15

• Mid Year One on One Staff Review Continue
• Kindergarten Planning at 8:00-9:00
• PLCs (Data/ Intervention with Ms. Covington)
• 10:10-11:10: 3rd Grade
• 12:50-1:50: 4th Grade
• 2nd Grade Planning at 10:10-11:10
• Arts PLC at 11:30-12:30
• MTSS Team Mtg. at 12:30-2:30

Friday, February 16

• Math Foundations Training 8 AM- 3PM
• Unit 5 Learning Task
  ● Select a student who is struggling in mathematics as compared to
  his/her peers.
  ● Administer the Number Knowledge Test, annotating the recording
  sheet diligently.
  
  
  ● Make certain to read and refer to the “Directions for
  Administration” for help in administering and interpreting the
  assessment.
  ● In a one to two page report provide the background of the
  student and analyze the results of the assessment to determine
  the student’s strengths and needs.
  
  
  ● Using data from the assessment, determine where you need more
  information about the student.
  ● Use any further assessment tool such as the Math Instruction
  Checklist, probes from Intervention Central, teacher made
  assessments or diagnostic interviews to gain more insight into the
  student’s area of need.
  ● Determine where instruction should begin for this student.
• Admin Meeting during lunch break (Noon-1 PM)

🦎👏 Chameleon Clap 🦎👏

Mrs. Majka:

Ms. Covington. Thank you for guiding me and helping me grow so that in turn, my students can grow. I truly appreciate everything you do to help me ensure I'm the best I can be for my students!

Ms. Mac. Thank you for not only being you but for also being the kind of teammate and friend who helps me grow professionally, makes me laugh, and also encourages me to keep moving forward! xoxo

Mrs. Fleming-Scriven. Thank you for encouraging me to have a growth mindset when it comes to stepping out of my comfort zone (literally).

Dates to keep in mind...

• President's Day (No School) on February 19th
• Chameleon Crawl on Friday, February 23 5:30-7:30
• TCEA SIT Mtg on 2.26.18 at 3:30
• TCEA Board Mtg on 2.26.18 at 5:15
• Black History Program at 2 PM on 2.27.18
• Battle of Books Eastern Region will be held at TCEA on Monday, March 12th 

That Time I Ate An Elephant...

 Have you ever had this task that loomed ahead of you and because of the enormity of the task you struggled to get started on it?  I know I have and many times once I laid out all the tasks that made up the bigger task, I was able to do what I needed to do to reach that goal.

This week's blog is focused on a huge task that all instructional staff members have ahead of them on a daily basis...meeting the needs of all of their students.  Most teachers, I believe, want the best for all of their students and strives each day to reach their students and teach them their assigned curriculum.  If students were blank slates and each slate was the same size and ready to written on, than teaching would be easy.  You could just open up your plans and start sharing knowledge with the students.  But as you know, all students are not the same.  Some of these "slates" are damaged, big, small, messy, need special chalk, etc.  The diversity we find in our students makes the job hard and a lot more interesting.

Although the job is hard and the task is HUGE, we can't use the excuse of a diverse student body to keep us reaching all of our kids.  We need to start somewhere and try different things to reach the students in our class.  Break down the large task of meeting the needs of all of your students by starting with smaller tasks.

Edutopia shared an article a few weeks back about differentiation.  Here are two important concepts when it come to differentiation:

• Differentiation is a method of instruction designed to meet the needs of all students by changing what students learn (content), how they accumulate information (process), how they demonstrate knowledge or skills (product), and with whom and where learning happens (learning environment).
• Differentiation is not an assortment of instructional recipes. Rather, it is “a way of thinking about teaching and learning” to ensure that children receive appropriate classroom experiences, writes differentiation expert Carol Tomlinson.

It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning.  When you begin to think this way, your actions become part of your nature.  You'll think...what is one thing I could do to better reach my kids today?  This is a start to the humongous task we have of preparing our students for the 21st century.

Here is the link to entire article and suggestions of where to start.  It is truly worth the read!

Hope you have had a great weekend and I'll see of you tomorrow, if you decide to work on the optional workday, or Tuesday!                                                             - Angela

Week of Monday, February 5-Friday, February 9

Monday, February 5

• Optional Teacher Workday; please complete the form here if not coming in tomorrow

Tuesday, February 6

• Mid Year Conferences Begin
• Arts Integration Planning (please be reminded that we might have volunteers to cover our staff in subbing in the rooms on AI Days)
• 8-9: Kindgarten
• Caudle- Falls
• Johnson- Strimel
• Williams- Pond
• 9:05-10:05: Third Grade
• Hill- Akers
• Weir- Carr
• 1st Grade to Library 9:45-11:00
• Hill at Appt from 1:50-3:10
• 8th Grade "Lincoln" film presentation in theater 3:30-5:30PM (with permission slips only)
• FEO Mtg. 6-7 PM in Cafe

Wednesday, February 7

• Mr. Thomas is Mr. Kline
• 4th Grade to Library 10-11
• 4th Grade Planning at 12:50
• Model Lesson and Interview from noon- 3PM for MS ELA Position
• Hill leaves at 4:30

Thursday, February 8

• Mid Year Conferences Continue
• Kindergarten Planning at 8 AM
• 2nd Grade Planning at 10:10
• Arts PLC 11:30-12:30
• Model Lesson and Interview from noon- 3PM for MS ELA Position

Friday, February 9

• Mid Year Conferences Continue
• Group Pictures (please look out for email with your picture times)
• Kindergarten Planning at 8 AM
• 1st Grade Planning at 9 AM
• Samuelson to Library 9-10
• Admin Mtg 9-10
• Russ to library 9:15- Noon
• Ezell to library 9:45-10:45
• Fleming to library 11:00-11:45
• 2nd Grade Library 1-2
• Make up pictures with Trish and photo class for yearbook 2-2:45 pm (please look for communication from Ms. Brownlee or office regarding this if it applies to you or students of yours)

🦎👏Chameleon Claps🦎👏

From Mrs. Weir:
Mrs. Covington went above and beyond to show me where to find specific resources to help a student. She did this in a way that I could organize the information in my head to make sense for future use. THANK YOU!

Mrs. Hill: Thank you for treating us to the Coffee Cup during PLC's!! It was fun to be outside of the building for a little bit!


ALL HOMEROOM TEACHERS -  Your lunch counts have been great this week! We appreciate your efforts in making sure this is as accurate as possible. Keep up the good work!  ~~~ Dena & Jennifer

From Mrs. Hill:
Thank you to the entire TCEA staff for an amazing renewal visit!