Update From THIS I.F.
Goodbye April??
WOW
“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due. I’m a believer that harnessing fear by developing a strong backbone–not wishbone–is a key to success every day. Successful people don’t wish for success, they work at success in spite of their fears. Stay mentally and spiritually strong in the face of adversity in difficult and painful circumstances by replacing worry and fear with determination.”
–Miron Lulic
Thought to Ponder
In my opinion there are three main reasons that our standardized testing require stamina training.
- The length of text students are required to read.
- To create synapse a person must engage in a task and create connections with other material.
- Self-monitoring while reading and application of skills while reading requires active engagement.
Thinking about how these elements work together, what are we doing to help our students to build stamina? Brain Breaks help stress but do not help build stamina. How do we manage both?
EOG Review Ideas from Michelle
Dates to Know
EOY Reading 3D/CBM Opens
Reading Mock EOG Test
May 8th
Mathematics Mock EOG Test
May 9th
3rd Grade TRC Testing Day
SST Meeting
May 10th
2nd Grade TRC Testing Day
May 11th
Coach out of the Building
Sam Assessment 3:30 for SST Team on May 14TH
Tis' Testing Season
Reading 3D EOY
2. You should determine where students start testing based on MOY, PM and Dibels data. You should NOT go to the proficient level and test backwards but test from where the data shows the student is and move forward. Do not start testing more than 1 or 2 levels about PM because remember written comprehension was not used to determine that particular score. Please provide this level to the teacher testing your students.
3. If you have a student who is testing TRC ABOVE grade level. He or she will complete the TRC questions as usual. You will need to have the next grade level to score this response since they know these standards and expectations best.
For example, when second grade is testing--please remind the next grade level that you will be testing on that day. Third grade will check their boxes at break, lunch and specials to get these responses and score them. Please be patient because they will not be able to stop immediately for you but on the other hand if you know the grade level is waiting--please try to do this as soon as you can.
4. When you are finished testing, begin closing out purple folders.
5. Keep all EOY TRC responses,. Turn these in to Ms. This in a manila folder marked with your grade level to keep on file.
I know this will take some give and take on everyone's part but I believe it is what is best for our students. So, please be patient. This was discussed at Leadership so Lisa and Hannah please check in with K-3 just to make sure they understand and clarify any questions. If you need me--just let me know.
Stamina
Praise students for EFFORT and for the things they are doing to "dig." Do not simply say, "Great job." Take time to praise the behaviors we want to see.
Ex. I like how you proved your answers.
You really took great notes that seemed to help your comprehension.
You followed all the directions.
You remembered to...
Rosters
CHECK ROSTERS.
Brain Breaks
Curriculum WOWs in the Building
- Love the Gallery Walks I am seeing to build background and vocabulary--Great Third Grade.
- Use of strategies across all grade levels. Amazing to see RAP used in 1st and then walk into 2nd and see it there--I can't wait to see the results of your collaboration and vertical alignments.
- Thank you to Kindergarten for the new reading groups and all those involved in trying to meet student needs. AWESOME collaboration.
- Thank you to K-3 teachers who are working together to make testing happen with minimal teacher assistant coverage. Thank you for your sacrifice with this.
- Strategy accountability--Thank you 4-5 for expecting high expectations and then following up to make it happen.
- Explicit teaching of how to break down questions to help students understand. First grade using boxes around punctuation to ensure students see the question parts. Love that idea! Anna, your students could tell me a brain question from a brain + text. This show you are breaking down question words and helping them understand how to prove and find answers. Heather W. you continue to push through with teaching question words and holding standards high.
Thank you to all grades who are pushing students and doing amazing things. Thanks K-2 for coming together in the last weeks to share students, buy materials, cover classes, etc. What an amazing example of collaboration and those of you leading this--Thank you!
Resources
Resources to Follow Up MTSS Training
STAMINA AFFECTS ALL LEARNING---THINK ABOUT HOW IT FITS!
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
Kelly This
Email: kthis@alexander.k12.nc.us
Location: Taylorsville, NC, United States
Phone: 8282922293
Twitter: @This1This