THE SKY NEEDS STARS
NUDGE: ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLUME 32
Dear Roberts,
There are many reasons why we are seeing the exponential growth and progress in our students. There's no doubt in my mind that a teacher's ability determines a student’s level of growth. This is why you are so important in the advancement of our students. You hold the key for so many of our students to finally have access to what they never had before. This is why my number one job is to create an optimal work environment, culture and family.
We teach students to focus primarily on growth and progress. This is why we created a system that helps our students not fall through the cracks. Every student that walks into Roberts will be supported based on their personal educational needs. Yes, the expectations and standards for our Roberts' Staff is demanding because there is so much at stake. Even though the price to get our students to the next level is so high, we are more than capable and competent to accomplish our mission.
How do we continue being effective as teachers to meet the demand of helping our students? We must continue creating a checklist and following the blueprint of our system. Think about this, a pilot doesn’t walk through the jetway hyperventilating and praying out loud by anticipating the worst. The pilot is greeting and smiling as passengers are walking by. We have to make sure we note the fact that airline pilots have the clearest and easiest systems to follow. In fact, their approach is the basis of the wisdom in Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto. Atul tells us: “Checklists, he found, established a higher baseline of performance.” This is why we are so crazy about RUBIES at Roberts, because it's a checklist that can increase student performance and it is very simple.
Our mission is educating our students to believe in themselves and to capitalize on their skills. Every day is an opportunity for us to push our students forward into growth. This is why we must communicate our expectations for students every single day. To do this, we must continue to hon in on our system and checklist. In your checklist, small group instruction must be applied systematically to intervene when students struggle. Again, when pilots encounter any alerts, they fall back to their systems and carefully go through their checklist. As teachers, we must trust what brought us this far.
- Gradual Release
- Sentence Stems
- Student Conversations
- Checking for Understanding
- Real-Time Data
- Small Group Instruction
Now that the 5th grade test is behind us, we have to make sure our 6th graders are ready to go. We must help them learn independently and collaboratively. We must allow our students to learn from their mistakes and persist through challenges.
Thank you for radiating optimism in everything you do. When in doubt, trust the system. Make sure that you have a checklist to ensure effectiveness. You are doing work that matters!
Thanks,
Jorly
Willis incorporating literacy in Technology class!
Fernandez deepening understanding 1:1!
Klein pulling small group to ensure mastery!
Palma breaking math down to close gaps!
Frank differentiating instruction with 1:1 check ins!
Emy using data to intervene at small group!
Floyd helping students reach goals!
Gourley building skills and modeling the way!
5th Grade Mock Progress Incentive at the skating rink!
6th Grade Mock Progress Incentive at the skating rink!
Monday
- 6th Grade Physicals- PE
- PLC's- 6th Grade Math, 6th Grade Connect Math
Tuesday
- STAAR Tuesday
- Team Planning for all 5th Grade Teams (Due to PFs in Classes)
PLC's
- 3rd Period - Intervention PLC
- 4th Period - 6th Connect PLC
- 5th Period - 6th Traditional PLC - Reading, Sci/SS
Wednesday: Wear Houston Rockets Shirts with Jeans
- Houston Symphony Field Trip
- Morris vs RMS Soccer Game
- Teachers who are off 5th period will assist with the Soccer Game
Students who have had ZERO discipline infractions will be attending the RMS vs MMS Soccer Game! We are so excited to be able to reward these students for their AMAZING behavior!
Thursday
- Behavior Incentive
Friday
- Good Friday- No School