Gator Gazette
Expect Success for All
Collaboration
I was reading a great article this weekend in regards to collaboration between special education teachers and general education teachers. I want you to read this excerpt, pause for a moment and reflect about your own educational philosophy.
When educators proclaim that “all kids can learn” one of
the first questions Mike Mattos asks is, “Does all mean all?
To Mattos, ensuring all students learn is not “regular ed, nor
special ed...it’s just ed. Instead of grouping kids by labels, the
proper question is ‘What does the child need, and who on our
staff is best trained and able to meet this need?"
When I was just starting out my educational career, I was guilty of saying all of my students with any label were somebody else's students. I did not isolate them by no means or treated them any different then the remainder of my students. I just figured their test scores and their grades were not my issue. Boy, was I ever wrong! They were not just my students. They were our students. For all of our students to be successful, let's start looking past their labels to try to find a way to best meet our students' needs. If you take off the label of GT, LD, ABLE, ED, 504, dyslexic, etc., you know what you have? A beautiful child. That child deserves the best from all of us. They need us to be professionals. We need to collaborate and serve our students. Think of the PLC model. The idea is to increase student learning by producing better teaching. Our specialized staff have been trained with a skill set to help our students across all educational settings. Our general education teachers should truly be masters of their grade level curriculum. Let's share and reprivatize our practices to do what is right for all of our students in all settings. By working together we can improve student results for all of our students on campus.
Bobby Shaw Middle School
My boss sends out newsletters to his area administrators. In his most recent newsletter, he shared a video produced by Bobby Shaw Middle School. It is a video that celebrates diversity and teaches their students tolerance through the"R Word" campaign. Let's work on teaching our students to celebrate diversity and to be tolerant to all of their peers. If we model it, they will follow. Get your Kleenexes. The video touches your heart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AKyaIwYG7M&feature=player_embedded
Gator Greats
He did it! Joseph Garza worked with Tara Shetler and shared his TELPAS writing topics with her. That is helpful and supportive!
She did it! Debbie Armstrong works hard to appropriately and legally collect funds for autism awareness, passionately pink, jump rope for heart, etc. That is helpful and supportive!
We did it! Gardens Gators are true philanthropists who participate in many fund raising campaigns on campus to help the common good. That is helpful and supportive!
She did it! Mary Black is working hard to ensure our second graders put on an outstanding performance for their parents. That is outstanding and musical!
Where are we???
Lindsey - Here all week!
Cindy - Here all week!
This and That
**Please check your calendar as well. I left my copy on my desk and I know I am missing an event or two.**
Monday - Book Fair Begins - Science Lab
Tuesday - Mock STAAR Math, PTA Night Program (2nd Grade Performance)
Wednesday - Mock STAAR Reading
Thursday - Picnic potluck in the kinder MPR, Rebecca Terry on Campus, Faculty Meeting - TELPAS Online Reading (Grades 2-4), Olympiad for 4th grade, 2nd Grade Music Performance in Cafeteria around 2:00
Friday -Books for Breakfast grades 1 and 2, 2nd grade field trip, Book fair ends
Saturday - Hello Spring Break!