Update From THIS I.F.
You make a Difference!
Reflection
Here are a few:
- Teachers who never give up on students and keep pushing!
- Students who try ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we ask!
- Teachers who are life long learners and apply learning to lessons.
- Staff who reach out and give to one another through acts of kindness.
- Staff and students who believe there are NO LIMITS AND prove it through actions!
- Staff that gives to our student with strong emotions even when they are weary!
- The "I will do it" attitude that I see.
- Behavior contracts and consistency with these students.
- The constant assessing of how students are doing and how we can continue to move them towards the next level.
- PLC discussions with a great attitude and with the purpose to improve student learning!
I love all of you and hope you know that I am always here for you! Enjoy the weekend and I will see you Monday! Rest and rejuvenate your spirit. You are each a gift and I am thankful!
Dates to Know
2:00-3:00 3rd Grade PLC to finish discussion of Benchmarks and look at question types
Tuesday-Nov 7th
7:10 Meet with Lauren
Wednesday-Nov 8th (Dr. Curry will do walkthroughs on this day)
9:00 PLC Heather W.
2:00 SST PLEASE SIGN STUDENTS UP ASAP
Thursday
1:00-2:00 5th Grade PLC will discuss question types (IF YOU HAVE TIME)
I have only 3rd and 5th as PLC times this week--if you cannot meet--I understand but have not quite had as much time with you all. Everyone else you will have this week off due to parent conferences. We will have PLC the week of 13th so please put this in your schedules. We will not the week of Thanksgiving but will go back to a regular routine of weekly PLCs after our break.
**IF YOU OR YOUR GRADE LEVEL WOULD LIKE TO MEET--PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS UNFINISHED BUT DID NOT WANT TO OVERLOAD YOU!
Conferences the week of November 6th
Ideas for Thanksgiving---with Primary Sources
Thanksgiving in 1901
This is a newspaper that shows the price of foods for Thanksgiving in 1901--you could bring an ad and do some math!
It has a list of foods eaten in the mid 1800's and 1901! Do a comparison between what we eat now and then!
Take one or two paragraphs to read or look at the illustration--some great discussion about how things are different now!
Mayflower Compact
Analyze actual text
Graphics
Then read the caption or title.
Does this change your thinking? How or why?
Try it! Primary Source
2. List people, objects and activities you see.
3. Write a sentence or title of what you think is happening.
4. Try to make sense of the document. Where did it come from? What was the purpose?
Questions? What do you want to know?
This is how you can use a document or photograph to build background (instead of a KWL--it helps student inference, find evidence and draw conclusions
For older students you can use a graphic organizer
Conferences
1. You have the third page of Tier II paperwork signed. You will put the date. Where it says results--put the reason for being Tiered. Where it says Next Step: put that interventions are being put in place.
2. Parent needs to sign
3. Give a parent letter. Document that this letter was sent on the Tier 2 paperwork.
4. No need to copy all info because you will meet with them again at MOY.
5. If a parent does not come--document it on the paperwork. Make a phone call or send a note (document). Let me or Janel know if they do not make a commitment to come in so one of us can contact them and try to get this scheduled.
*If you can offer something for the parent to do--add it to the plan. This gives the parent some accountability and when progress is not being made--it is NOT all on you. You do not have to do that but even a sight word list and a calendar that they have to sign each night or something is a way to involve the parent and SHARE some accountability.
Thanks for all you do! ASK if you are unsure!
Curriculum WOWs in the Building...
- Kindergarten data discussions and reflections. Love that you meet students where they are and try to push them to the next level.
- Center tasks with meaning. I like that many of you are starting to look at what students are doing on their own during reading and making sure students are doing tasks that are meaningful and not just practice. 1st and 3rd Thanks!
- Benchmark discussions that were meaningful and reflective. Thanks for thinking about what students are doing and how we can move to the next level. Please remember this information is to be used to drive future instruction. Thanks everyone!
- REPETITION: It is NOT boring to our students--THEY NEED IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Brain research says it is a win!
- Graphics! Saw some cool photographs, videos and images being used to help build vocabulary. Try having students label pictures with vocabulary--use it as a way to add information throughout a unit.
I was not in classes like I wanted to be this week but next week--I will be back! Thank you so much!
Resources
Resources to Follow Up MTSS Training
TES Goals--Plan with these in mind!
- Increase student to student interaction in conversation, summarizing, and discussion of content
- Vocabulary through student talk and rigor of text
- Complexity of Text
- Increase questioning of deep comprehension with all reading groups at each level. Do not wait for a student to be reading on a level for them to answer questions on that level orally.
- Application of phonics to multi-syllabic words in 2-5 and strong emphasis and mastery in K-1
- Growth Mindset and STAMINA
Growth Mindset Resources
Think on this information:
- Family income is a strong predictor of achievement.
- Growth Mindset exhibits a strong relationship with achievement across all socioeconomic levels.
- Lower socioeconomic students are less likely to hold growth mindset than wealthier peers.
Growth Mindset CAN buffer negative effects of poverty on achievement.
Google Drive to Materials (Add to this if you have any good resources)
Kelly This
Email: kthis@alexander.k12.nc.us
Location: Taylorsville, NC, United States
Phone: 8282922293
Twitter: @This1This