This Week at AES
12/7 - 12/11
This Week at a Glance
Monday 12/7
- $2 Jean Day
- Choir to 3:30
Tuesday 12/8
- Amber, Linda, and Caleb out AM
- Christ Club
- Staff Meeting: Think Through Math and Dreambox
- Hour of Code Family Night
Wednesday 12/9
- Student Technology Leadership Club
Thursday 12/10
- Caleb out AM
- Intermediate Learning Check
Friday 12/11
- No Special Events Planned
STLP are Kings
Wow
What Happens at the Christmas Party stays at the Christmas Party!
Notes for the Week
This Week is a Primary Guidance Week
- It is that time of year where it is getting cold outside. Just a reminder that anytime the “Feel’s Like” temperature is 34 degrees or lower, students should not be going outside for recess or walking track time. If you have a morning where your team is on the walking track, you will need to closely monitor the temperature prior to going outside.
- Tis the Season: Please plan your Christmas Celebrations for Thursday, December 17th. Audubon PTO will provide cookies for students to decorate and eat on Friday, December 18th. The Choir Holiday Performance will be on Tuesday December 15th at 1:00. CVMS Band will be here to play some great Holiday Music on Thursday December 17th at 9:00.
- During your PLC times, please be working on the pacing of Engage New York for the 2nd Semester. Your team’s pacing guide is due to me before you leave on December 18th.
Hot Links
- Information on the Sessions with Sarah and Barbara can be found here.
- Please be mindful of your printing. When possible, always print to the copy machine and not actual printers. Printer printing costs 5 times the amount of printing to the copier. Reports of our largest printers can be found here.
GROWTH MINDSET
Everyone of you have a heart for our kids. I see it each and every day by your thoughts, actions, and efforts. As an educator and parent, I have always wanted my students to feel positive about themselves and have confidence in their work. I often worked hard to praise my students. “Wow, you are supersmart” and “Way to go Smartie,” were 2 of my favorite “go-to” lines.
Recently I began researching Carol Dweck’s work on Growth Mindset. Dweck says that praising the student and not the process actually can hurt the growth of a student. Dweck says that students who are praised for being “Smart” often feel insecure about showing they are not smart. This means they have a likelihood to choose activities and processes that are not challenging just so they can retain their “smart” status.
I’ll be honest, when I first read this; I wasn’t drinking the kool-aid. When I began thinking about myself, I found that many things that I claim “I can’t….” are actually things where I have a fixed mindset. In other words, I am convinced that no matter how hard I work, try, or learn I will never be able to do. Several weeks ago I shared the example of dancing. I have always truly believed that I possess 2 left feet, but the reality is that I don’t dance because I am afraid of looking like a fool (insert joke “what else is new here”).
Having a growth mindset means that I believe that with effort and sound instruction I can learn to do almost anything. When we take time to praise the process (“Wow, you are a hard worker” “That was Superhero effort”) we actually encourage our students to take risks and face challenges.
So what does this mean for you? We need to stop using the S word (smart) when praising students. Take some time to reflect on your thinking. Do you think you have a Fixed Mindset or a Growth Mindset?
If you would like to read more information on Dweck’s work, check out this link: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct07/vol65/num02/The-Perils-and-Promises-of-Praise.aspx