Update From THIS I.F.
Be Amazing!
Thought to Ponder...
Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.
James Cash Penney
I know that together we are strong--continue to lift each other up. Our jobs are stressful and leaning on one another is so important. Continue to be the LIGHT for the children of TES! Love you all and appreciate the time, effort and love you give every single day!
This Week...
February County PD Day
This will be available soon! PLEASE consider sharing at the PD Day! You can sign up for that!
A few things you may want to know will be available---
- Progress Monitoring in the CORE Session (DPI Rep Mia)
- Art Collaboration by ASU (4th grade this is connected to the group you saw earlier this year)
- Language Amplification (student interaction ideas)
Professional Development at TES
Look at the schedule and sign up!
I can't wait to learn from each of you!
February Benchmarks K-5
K-2 Benchmark Summary Sheets will be due to me on Monday the 13th by noon so I can compile the data. 3-5 we will do any make up testing the week of the 13th.
Curriculum "WOWs" in the Building
- Debbie Harrington holding 1st graders accountable for complete sentences! This is so important to help students develop the ability to organize their thoughts. You did a great job taking time to ensure students understood vocabulary and make connections between words such as stone and rock! Thanks for all you do!
- 1st grade--your emphasis on meeting students where they are and pushing them is so evident in the classrooms and your plans. Thanks for all you do!
- Choral reading in several classes to engage learners during whole group instruction! LOVE it! I saw it in multiple rooms and across grade levels (Houston, Moore, ) This is a great strategy to engage all learners AND increase the amount of reading students are doing. It also helps to build fluency! YEA!! If you have not tried this strategy--it is an easy one to include to increase engagement.
- Modeling and problem solving in math! Use of white boards and journals to draw out and think through problems. I saw it this week in 1st grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 2nd grade and 5th grade. Having students think through problems together as a group or with a partner helps students apply their learning. It is ok for them to make a mistake--that is why you are there! You can help them make sense of it--that is true learning! LOVE the Math Journals I have seen this week!
- Mrs. Cooper increasing the rigor with an excerpt from "Around the World in 80 Days." Excerpts are a great way to use rigor without stressing students out with large amounts of text! Awesome instruction with context clues!
- Great discussions with Mrs. Lingle regarding our at-risk students. I love how well you know the students you teach and their families. Strong relationships with students and their families is a huge predictor of student success! Thanks for the time you invest in your students!
- 2nd grade love the extension group using rigorous text and connecting in resources--AWESOME to move your high flyers. Lisa I enjoyed hearing your context clue discussion this week with words that stretched your students.
- Kindergarten loved the book basket reading in Nance's room! Great way to increase exposure to text and words! The adding with manipulatives in Mrs. Stocks room--great activity!
Rigorous Text
Exemplars (Common Core Appendix B)
Free online Fiction and Non-Fiction Resources aligned to Common Core
Resources from Earlier Updates
January 23rd-27th
January 16-20th
https://www.smore.com/vxvb9-update-from-this-i-f
Update for January 9-13
Article from Emily Durmire
article on how poverty affects our students in the classroom!
Weekly Blog
Kelly This
Email: kthis@alexander.k12.nc.us
Website: http://www.alexander.k12.nc.us/domain/1123
Location: Taylorsville, NC, United States
Phone: 8282922293
Twitter: @This1This