Paxton Faculty Newsletter
Week of October 1, 2018
At Paxton, we do everything with PRIDE, PASSION & PURPOSE in EPIC proportions!
Mission:
It’s H.A.M.R. Time!
High Expectations + Accountability + Motivation = Results
EPIC Shout Out!
Professionalism:
Thank you Kelli Adams for volunteering to organize the WaterVentures visit for 3rd-5th Grade on October 9th.
In the Spotlight
Mrs. Adam's 12th Grade American Government Classes
Because Teaching is NOT just a Profession
Differentiated Accountability: We are proudly educating 802 future leaders.
Instructional Focus
Learning Targets & Intentional Questioning
- Administrative walk-throughs are focusing on Daily Learning Targets, Student Engagement, & Intentional Questioning.
Five Strategies for Questioning with Intention
Masterful teachers don't just ask a lot of questions; they ask questions in a purposeful way. In this article, Costa and Kallick describe five strategies that can help teachers become more purposeful in designing and posing questions. One strategy is to plan questions that elicit student thinking at various cognitive levels, from simple recall of facts to more abstract thinking involving prediction, application, creativity, and evaluation. Another strategy is to build questions around positive assumptions; for example, the question "What goals do you have in mind for this project?" presupposes that the student has multiple goals, a plan of action, and a capable mind. Third, good questions should help students cultivate the dispositions known as Habits of Mind; for example, the teacher could ask "What might be some alternatives?" to encourage students to think flexibly. Questions are especially important in helping students become skilled in one of these Habits of Mind– metacognition, or thinking about thinking. Questions like "While you were reading, what was going on inside your head that enabled you to monitor your understanding of the story?" help students examine and take charge of their own thinking processes
- Plan questions that elicit student thinking at various cognitive levels, from simple recall of facts to more abstract thinking involving prediction, application, creativity, and evaluation.
- Build questions around positive assumptions.
- Help students cultivate the dispositions known as Habits of Mind.
- Questions that help students become skilled in metacognition, or thinking about thinking.
- Questions that help students examine and take charge of their own thinking processes.
Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick
Professional Development Updates
Important Information
- Communication: Email is our main form of communication and assists in the operational efficiency of our school functions. It is important to read and respond to emails in a timely manner. Please schedule a time to check and respond to emails each day.
- Parent Portal: The parent portal in FOCUS is designed to keep parents informed of current student performance. Student grades should be entered as they become available to assist in keeping our parents up-to-date on their student's performance.
- Baseline Edge: We do not have access to Baseline Edge at this time. I will let you know as soon as it is available to access.
- Deliberate Practice: Goal #1 - As a result of incorporating daily learning targets in my classroom, students will increase their ______ performance from ____ to ____.
- Cell Phone Usage in the Classroom: It is imperative ALL teachers adhere to the following classroom procedures regarding cell phone usage in the classroom. All cell phones are to be off and out of sight in the classroom. This includes listening to music with earphones. Classroom Disciplinary Procedures regarding cell phones: Record the infraction on the Behavior Tracking Form in the Student Planner and take the phone up. The phone should be sent to the office and parents will be contacted. It is imperative we all have the same expectations regarding cell phone usage in the classroom.
- Attendance: Attendance should be taken each day. Secondary teachers need to take attendance each period in an effort to monitor students throughout the day.
- Passes: If you give verbal permission for students to go to the bathroom before the tardy bell, please ask them to take a pass.
- Substitutes: Please use only the CURRENT and APPROVED Substitute List if you choose to obtain your own substitutes. Also, when making substitute notes, please include that students are not allowed to use cell phones. All cell phones should be OFF and Out of Sight.
- Passwords: Please do NOT give out your passwords to anyone.
- Absences: Any time you are going to be out, please contact Ms. Cain, Ms. Neale, or Mr. Jackson.
- I am attending an ELA Florida Standards Institute in Orlando this week (Oct. 1-3). If you need to contact me, please email me or text me.
Happenings:
October is Bully Prevention Month. Stay tuned for Red Ribbon Week activities and effective strategies to prevent and interrupt bullying.
September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year, Governor Rick Scott and the First Lady invite students in grades K-12 to participate in an art and essay contest in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month. For more information on rules and guidelines for this year’s contest, visit Florida Hispanic Heritage Month. For fun facts, classroom lessons, activities, events and other resources, click here.
Calendar Additions:
NOTE: If there are any changes or additions, please contact the front office.