Lovett Notes
A Newsletter for Lovett Staff
Calendar Updates
Monday October 9
8:30-12:30 pm Sped Meeting with Dr. Whittenberg; Science Lab
3:30 pm Grade Chair Meeting; Data Room
3:30 pm McBroom’s Wedding Shower; Lounge
Tuesday October 10
11:00 am Flu Shot; Clinic
3:40 pm ELL Training; Lounge
Thursday October 12
9:00 am Magnet Tour
3:40 pm ELL Training; Lounge
Teaching with Intention: Going Beyond What Works: Knowing How, When and Why it Works
One of my favorite reads from this summer titled Simply Better(remember my Tina Turner song), took me back to the my first years of teaching. My mentor teacher was a 75 year old veteran teacher who was full of spunk. She would question me over and over about the curriculum and then question me over and over about the activities that I selected to effectively relay the curriculum to my students. At times she would watch me teach and she would say, "great lesson, but that's not what kids need to know or how they need to know it." She was tough!! I hated it and loved it at the same time!
Teaching with intention starts first and foremost with knowing your curriculum. You must know exactly what the standards(TEKS) are asking kids to do and at what level. If you neglect this, no amount of activities or experiences will get kids to where they need to be at the level they need to be. My push to you all this year is to teach with intention:
1. Know your curriculum! Know all the in's and outs, the what's important and what's not. Know the level at which your students need to learn and be able to apply the skill
2. Step outside your comfort zone. If you've always taught something a certain way, evaluate if its the most effective way to teach it or to teach it to your current group of students. If it is not, don't hang on to that strategy or method just because you are comfortable with it.
3. Move beyond the worksheet! Worksheets have a place in learning, but they can become a crutch both for teachers and for learners. The preparers of the worksheet have no knowledge of your students, their interest and what excites them about learning. Make your learning activities authentic.
4. If you don't know...ask somebody! You have amazing colleagues all around you, ask them, use their resources, ask them for advice and for feedback. However, the trick is..do something with what they offer. If you don't like the feedback, is it your ego or maybe fear of trying something new?
Teaching with intention or in my case leading with intention takes a great deal of reflection on where you currently are. I dare you to reflect, to learn, to be better! I know you can, I believe in you and the superpower that comes with being a teacher! You've got this!