Coaching Connection
February 2020
Professional Readings
Simple Ways to Encourage Kindness
Spread joy with random acts of kindness.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/simple-ways-encourage-kindness-students-all-ages
The Teacher Transparency Challenge
As we think about what student feedback would make us more effective educators, this blog gives suggestions for what questions to ask.
https://www.i-heart-edu.com/the-teacher-transparency-challenge/
Borrowing a Literacy Strategy from Band Class
A band teacher explains how a process he uses to train budding musicians' inner voice can be used to help struggling readers improve.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/borrowing-literacy-strategy-band-class
Engagement and Instructional Strategies
Two Roses & a Thorn- Exit Ticket
At the end of the lesson, each student writes two concepts that are understood and one concept that is still challenging. The teacher collects the Exit Tickets to then organize them into stacks of common misunderstandings. Lastly, the teacher can use this information to address challenges or design new learning experiences for students.
What Would They Say?
This is a discussion strategy that asks students to infer how a particular author or character from a text would respond to questions and scenarios. Students must defend their conclusions using evidence from the text.
Lockbox Challenges w/ Google Docs
This activity encourages conversation and collaboration offline before student answer questions online.
Professional Development Opportunities
Student Mental Health - March 2 (5:00 - 6:30 pm) Mental Health
Key Warning Signs for Early Onset Mental Illness & Suicide Prevention Best Practices - March 2 (9am -12pm) Suicide
Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies - March 3 (5:00 - 6:30 pm) Behavior
Moving Beyond Cultural Competence to Cultural Intelligence- March 17 (9am - 12pm) Cultural
Suicide Prevention - April 9 (5:00 - 6:30 pm) Suicide
From the Media Center
Library of Congress
Primary Sources can add a historical perspective to current issues or curriculum units. Students can analyze photos, audio files (old recordings) and government documents to understand and empathize with people and events from the past. There are many resources for finding primary sources, but it’s the story behind the source and how students use them that can add meaning to the lesson. Understanding primary sources is a standard for many content areas and it doesn’t have to be boring.
Here are some links and lessons for popular primary sources from the Library of Congress. If you’d like assistance with teaching or locating primary sources, please ask your Media Specialist.
Teacher’s Guides and Analysis Tools
Primary Source Sets for the Classroom
The Library of Congress has a teaching blog that links a large number of sources with instruction and other interesting historical information. For example, The Titanic: In the News and in Memory is an interesting way to understand how newspaper headlines change over time to become accurate. The blog currently features Celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen.
Analyzing Photographs - this slide show is ready to use with secondary students.
Analyzing Multiple Perspectives - this slide show provides activities for students to understand that there are many viewpoints.
Thinking Like a Historian - The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865. Volume 3, January 1, 1864-May 30, 1865
Library of Congress Teacher Summer Workshops deadline March 23rd.
Organized sets of Primary Sources to reprint:
https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/
by Rocky Boelter, LNHS
TDE / Q-Comp / PLC Tidbits
*Complete your second observation with your IDSS or Admin
*Work on completing the reflection sections for Peer/Admin Feedback, Professional Development Activity, and Student Engagement
*Design and implement PLC interventions and adjustments to lessons, and then record results and reflections