TEI Newsletter
April 01, 2016
TEI UPDATES FOR THE WEEK
Operations
- Successful completion of 6 Level III Grievances
- Development of sense-making pieces for September 2016 Scorecard
- Development of 2016-17 TEI Campus Expert selection process
- TEI Presentation to ATPE, Association of Texas Professional Educators
Training & Calibration
- Setting up and convening interviews to revise the 2016-17 SPOT form
- Working with principals to prep teachers to film instruction for the video resource library
- Incorporating feedback from stakeholders to revise the 2016-17 Teacher Performance Rubric
Distinguished Teacher Review
- QAR on track to wrap up the week of 4/15
- Convened as a team to discuss and reflect the article “What Google Learned From Its Quest To Build The Perfect Team”
- Met with Brian Reed to put the finishing touches on the Snapshot portal
CORE VALUES LOCKER ROOM
Click here to share resources or feedback on the Core Values
Each week, we will highlight a new core value and list resources in hopes of fostering reflection and discussion. Below are some links to articles or videos suggested by team members that support our team values and norms.
Norm #1.2:
We embody a growth midset.
What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means
LOOKING AHEAD
April 11th: Student Experience Survey Administered
May 2nd: Birthday Snaps for Kadeishia Green
May 10th - 25th: TEI Roster Verification window for teachers. Click here for more information.
Teacher Roster Verification Process
May 19th: Last day to conduct extended and summative observations
Last day to enter extended, summative and SLO scores into Schoolnet
May 23rd - June 6th: Teacher rebuttal window in Oracle for summative performance evaluations
TEI SHOUT OUTS
- Leila - For leading such a thoughtful and very creative All Call.
- Leila - Great TEI All Call meeting, wonderful team building exercise.
- Leila - Planning an awesome all-call! It was fantastic!
- Leila - The All Call was awesome sauce just like you!
- Annie - For leaning in to provide ideas, thoughts on summer training.
- Dawn - For your work to ensure the 2016-17 SPOT form is the best one yet!
- Rhonda - For leading the charge to develop the 2016-17 summer certification and recertification training.
- Milana & Ashleigh - Thank you for sharing your expertise and providing feedback on the CtoP rubric revisions!
- Annie - For your work to develop great relationships with principals as you are working to develop the video resource library.
- Leila - Thank you for all your support and encouragement!
- Ashley - Co-presenter extraordinaire
- Leila - You are a wonderful manager!
- Milana - for great graphics/comm pieces for student survey!
- TEI Team - For being so open and making our all call this week great!
- CtoP Team - Shout out for putting so much thought and TLC into the revision proposal!
- Ashleigh - For so effectively managing up to drive our work forward :-)
- Betsy - Way to represent TEI this week in the hearings!
- Ashley & Susan - Congrats on reaching the homestretch on the TPR revisions!
- Dominique - Shout out for taking time out of your day to share your wisdom with us!
- Milana - Shout out for putting so much care and creativity into our DTR logo! It's going to be great!
- ENFPs - Shout out for being awesome :-p
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The Health Beat
Do you ever feel too tired to exercise after a long day at work? Do you end up craving sweets and junk food after a stressful day? Are you frustrated by feeling as though you simply can't stay healthy and fit because you sit at a desk too much? You're not alone.
Just because you're at work all day doesn’t mean you can’t stay healthy and fit. You just need to implement some simple lifestyle and work habit changes. So here's a personal recipe for staying in shape while working in an office setting:
1. Eat breakfast. This is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. A wholesome breakfast can provide you with the energy you need to get through the first half of the day, and it will help prevent you from consuming junk food.
2. Cut out sugary snacks and candies. They're everywhere in offices! Real villains. Yes, they can be tasty, but they don't satisfy your true hunger and are digested quickly, leading to a roller coaster of sugar highs and lows. Instead of visiting the vending machine, bring snacks from home, such as baby carrots, cheese sticks, nuts, hummus, cucumber slices, whole or sliced fresh fruit, small amounts of dried fruit, or savory crackers. If you really can't survive a sleepy afternoon in the office, a piece of dark chocolate is fine.
3. Bring your own lunch. Restaurant meals often include large portions and high-calorie choices. You can eat healthier and spend much less money if you prepare your own lunch.
4. Stay away from sodas and sugary drinks. They can help you stay awake while working and you may like their taste. But they really don't do anything for you and are full of empty calories in the form of sugar. If you need the caffeine, consider coffee (but don't go crazy) or green tea.
5. Drink lots of water.
It's good for you, and it will keep your mind off soda or coffee. It may help you fight off other cravings, too. Sleepiness is often caused by dehydration, so keep yourself well hydrated. If you want some flavor, put lime, lemon or cucumber slices into your water bottle.
6. Move as much as you can! Walk around the office and stretch every now and then. Take breaks every hour or so and move your body. Use every possible opportunity to burn calories. Move while waiting for programs on the computer to load. If you need to discuss something with your colleague, go to his or her desk instead of making a phone call or sending an email. If you need to go to another floor in the building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Consider teaming up with a friend at work to take regular breaks for exercise and to motivate each other.
7. Stand as much as you can. This is healthier than sitting. It's better for your back, and burns more calories. Or switch your chair for an exercise ball. This will work your abs and balance.
8. Try to be as active as possible outside of work. Join the gym, go for a walk. Try to spend some time in nature if possible to unload the stress of the workday and give your eyes and lungs a break. If you're stressed, try breathing exercises or meditation. Do something nice for yourself: spend some time with your family, read a book, call or visit your friend, listen to some music, cook something nice. Skip watching TV to give your eyes a break and limit exposure to unnecessary radiation. Besides, TV is another reason to sit instead of being active.
9. Get enough sleep. Waking up refreshed and strong in the morning will help prevent binging and caffeine cravings later in the day.
10. Put some inspirational quotes or photos in your workspace. Make your own bulletin board to remind yourself to concentrate on your health and wellness goals.
Music is the window to the soul...
Teacher Excellence Initiative
- Defining Excellence: The vision for effective teaching and how it is evaluated
- Supporting Excellence: Differentiate professional learning for teachers
- Rewarding Excellence: Teachers are compensated based on their professional growth and impact on student learning
Email: tei@dallasisd.org
Website: http://tei.dallasisd.org/
Location: 9400 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: (972) 749-5712