Couch Comet Dust
March 3, 2019
1 week!
Below is the energy conservation checklist (we usually do a paper copy) for when we go on extended breaks. ALL teachers are expected to complete this checklist before leaving on Friday. Thanks!
~Lauren
TELPAS writing is UNDERWAY!
- authentic work (nothing photocopied or transferred from a book)
- name, date and title
- minimum of 5 samples
- 1 past tense, minimum of 2 from Math, Science, Social studies
Here is the TELPAS computer lab schedule. Please remember that these tutorials will be happening in the lab- so it will be closed during these times. If you have questions, please see Martha.
Wellness Path! Check it Out!
Want one of these paths closer to your classroom? Or how about all 3? Send Jaime Way an email and she will set it up!
Move: The Purple Path
The purple path includes questions like What do you like about yourself? and What makes you feel strong? and challenges such as Smile your biggest smile, Change your mood, and Pat yourself on the back. The blue path is perfect for when you have a student who might need some encouragement or a boost in energy. (Teachers can use it when they need a boost too!)
Recharge: The Orange Path
Mood: The Blue Path
The blue path includes mountain pose, tree pose, warrior pose, chair pose, airplane pose, frog pose, and child’s pose. The orange path is especially good when students need to breathe, take a break, or calm down. Try a couple of tasks after recess or lunch.
Fire Drill
Hooray for our UIL participants!
3rd grade Spelling: Caelynn Shields 4th place, Milan Manoj 5th place
4th grade Writing: Connor Shields 2nd place
4th grade Number Sense: Kevin Yang 1st place
Make sure you let them know that we are super proud of them!
Talking Less, So That Students Think More
Have you ever observed a teacher teaching a group of students and and noticed how much the teacher talked vs the students. As a teacher, I have often had to stop myself from talking too much and instead work in deliberate ways to get students to talk more in my classroom.
Empowering students to become independent thinkers by using less teacher talk.
As teachers, we do a lot of talking. We have to, right? It’s how we get our point across, share the information that we have, and express our expectations.
While there certainly is a place for teacher talk, especially in the beginning of a school year, unit or subject, I also believe that there times when we may be talking too much. There are times when we may be giving students too much information and making too many decisions for them. If we can find and use opportunities to give students a little less verbal instruction, we can get them thinking more independently and making more of their own (well thought out) decisions.
But practice they must. Just remember that practice, means that the skill is not yet mastered and students WILL struggle. Prepare for the struggle, allow for the struggle, and embrace the struggle! The struggle is the learning process. If we, as teachers, get comfortable with the struggle, our students will feel they have permission to struggle and will get more comfortable with it too.
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS VS. ACCEPTABLE STRUGGLES
We all know that clear expectations are extremely important in any classroom environment. Clear expectations are comforting to students, help teachers stay organized and keep everyone moving forward. What makes something a clear expectation vs. an acceptable struggle?
- A clear expectation should…. let students know what the boundaries are//should not…. make every decision for the student
- A clear expectation should…. give students the necessary information needed to engage in a task// should not…. answer every question or solve every problem that may come up
- A clear expectation should…. provide for student safety and a respectful learning environment//should not…. avoid developmentally and academically appropriate risks
WHEN AND HOW TO INTERVENE IN “THE STRUGGLE”
So now that we are talking less, making fewer decisions for our students, and allowing them to have acceptable struggles, we need to think about those times when we really do need to intervene. Sometimes, the struggle goes on too long for a student’s wellbeing or to be realistic in your schedule. Sometimes, the struggle needs to be reigned in and guided a bit. And sometimes, the struggle starts out to be a healthy one, but takes an unproductive turn.
WHEN SHOULD YOU INTERVENE IN THE STRUGGLE?
- When the student has been struggling for a very long period of time given the situation.
This is something that will depend on the student, the situation at hand, and your schedule. For example, if the struggle is a student trying to get a dollar bill in the vending machine and after 5 minutes of trying and a line of kids behind him, he still can’t get it to go in, it is time to intervene. - When the student has been struggling for a very long time and it is clear he is not able to do the skill.
Knowing your students well will help you to know when to intervene in a given situation. You will want to wait long enough for the student to feel he tried hard, but not so long as to have the student feel defeated. If the student at the vending machine is not helped, eventually the kids behind him will start to get annoyed or angry and may be unkind. The student may end up feeling embarrassed and defeated. - When the student can no longer handle the struggle and starts to demonstrate emotional or physical distress.
Keeping a close eye, on students who you know may have a difficult time with the struggle, will help you to intervene at the right time. The student at the vending machine, who is struggling to get the dollar bill in the slot, is likely fine if he has a frustrated look on his face, but if he begins to cry or rip the dollar bill, it is time to intervene!
HOW TO INTERVENE IS VERY MUCH DEPENDENT ON THE SITUATION AND THE STUDENT.
Some things to consider:
- Use the least to most approach: Use as little words as possible to help the student. You may even be able to use non-verbal prompts such as pointing. Add more as necessary. Do not jump in and completely solve the problem right away.
- Stay positive and understand that the student is likely feeling a bit upset about having difficulty. Use kind words such as; “maybe if you try it this way” or “you’ve almost got it, now try this.”
- Compliment the efforts that the student made and point out the things that they did that were successful, i.e. if a student at a vending machine puts the money in the money slot, even if it is upside down, you can say something like, “great job finding the money slot.”
- Ask questions instead of giving directives. Asking questions allows the student to think about solving the problem and gives them more ownership over the success. To the student at the vending machine, you could say, “nice job finding the money slot, do you need to turn the bill a certain way?”
PRACTICAL TIPS TO HELP YOU TALK LESS AND ALLOW THE ACCEPTABLE STRUGGLE:
- Count to 20 (in your head) before giving a verbal instruction to a struggling student.
- Ask a short question instead of giving multiple and detailed directives
- Use body language, facial expressions and physical prompts (point, move something closer, move something farther away, cover up a portion of something)
- Walk away and come back around in a couple of minutes
Talking less so that our students think more, can be tricky for us teachers and can take practice. But in the end, it is well worth it. Enjoy the silence, embrace the struggle, empower your students!
SEL Reflection documents
Grade Level Action Steps......Are you tracking your progress on these steps?
Kindergarten
Action Step-1: Kinder will include this information in their parent conferences this month and all will adopt a model to share goals with their students monthly.
Action Steps-2: Continue to serve struggling students in small group, Jaime pulling students, and include information to parents for them to support student’s academic needs at home Action Steps-3: Kinder teachers will develop lesson plans and customize pace and activities. Include Readers Response as part of writing folders
First Grade:
Action Step-1. Improve Guided Reading – running records-Refine practice of running record
documentation by in house training on running record documentation during guided reading groups Activities-a. classroom coaching - Amy Clark and b. classroom visits to observe other teachers –debrief during PLC
Action Step-2. Implementation of Lucy Calkins writing curriculum-Customize the Lucy Calkins lesson by adjusting pacing and components-Amy Clark and Michelle Warren will help with this planning during IPC planning
Action Step-3. Building student understanding of what is being asked of them-academically as well as social emotional independence - Continuing One-Five Content check daily -Did we do what we say we would do? Students provide evidence of “I will” and “we will” daily and connecting this to the classroom social contract and debrief with grade level week
Second Grade:
Action Step 1: Literacy Stations-improve quality and structure: Set up management plan and structure for literacy stations-Amy Clark will provide coaching and teachers will visit other classrooms to see practices in place
Action Step 2: Lucy Calkins writing curriculum Customize pacing and components in lesson plans. Develop pacing during IPC planning with Amy next week
Action Step 3: Model teamwork as you continue to collaborate and support substitutes with lessons and materials. Identified and placed certified teacher in the classroom for one teacher; another substitute teacher added additional substitute-teacher helper for classroom management in the 2nd classroom
Third Grade:
Action Step 1: Third Grade- increase level of rigor in Guided Reading and use RAZ to support the students with reading levels. Shields needs access to Gogel and Carney's Class if possible so she can assign books on the student levels.
Action Step 2-continue implementation of Lucy Calkins. We need to continue to ensure proper planning and preparation. Gogel and Carney are sharing in the responsibility. Maybe Amy can help review with them in IPC as well.
Action Step 3-concerns with working on some test taking strategies to prepare for STAAR. Working on a plan for how to start working on these skills.
Fourth Grade:
Action Step 1. Reinforce and reconnect every student to the classroom Social Contract and have students write out goals to earn privileges for those that are acting out during instructional time
Action Step 2. Continue to implement balanced literacy and Lucy Calkins writing (refine 4th grade literacy stations); added Thrilling Thursday to Writing block to work on Revising and Editing
Action 3.ELAR teachers schedule Library instructional time with Ms. Marston to reinforce
independent reading for 4th grade
Fifth Grade:
Action Step 1. - Continue to follow Balanced Literacy Framework and enhance Literacy Station work also include one day of STAAR Prep Day-Thrilling Tuesday
Step 2. Customize Lucy Calkins writing to break into 15 minute blocks – pace it and describe components and realign to reading
Step 3. Reschedule I-time utilizing Ms. Hudson as the primary computer teacher so that Ms. Mance and Ms. Poor can provide small group intervention to struggling student
Read Across America Week
Next UP......
MARCH
Texas History Month March
Milestone Pictures for K and 5th March 1
Read Across America Day March 1
Texas Independence Day March 2
Birthday: Nikki McGill March 3
National School Breakfast Week March 4-8
Texas Public Schools Week March 4-8
Field Trip - 4th to Austin TX 6:00am - 8:00pm March 5
- PLC RTI 2nd March 5
- GISD Transfer Fair 3-6 March 5
- Faculty Meeting at 4 pm March 5
GISD Council of PTAs General Meeting March 6
Harris Hill - Garland Room at 9:00
- Fire Drill March 6
Lisa Hall baby shower 4:00 March 7
T-TESS No Formal Observations March 8
Spring Break March 11-15
Choir Practice at Intrinsic BBQ & Brewery 4:00 March 8
Daylight Savings Time Begins March 11
Spring Break March 11 - 15
Birthday: Lilian Vaquerano March 14
Pi Day March 14
Birthday: Chastidie Cantrell March 15
- St. Patrick’s Day March 17