Birdneck Briefing
Week of March 5th
Upcoming Dates and Events Week of March 5th
March 5-10
School Social Worker Week/Natl.School Breakfast Week
March 6 - Kindergarten Vision/Hearing ScreeningMarch 6 - Tech Tuesday
March 7 - SCA meeting 3:00-4:15
March 8 - Innovation Night/Ice Cream Social 6:00-7:30 pm and Book Fair Preview
March 11-16
National Girl Scout Week
March 12-16 - Book Fair open
March 13 - March Madness: Donuts with Dad's 7:45 am in our cafeteria
March 15 - Book Fair Family Night 4:00-6:00
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
My challenge for you this week is to focus on maximizing instructional time. Below I've shared an article with strageies to do so. In analyzing quarterly data I was reminded of the importance of using every possible minute for instruction to ensure our students are immersed in the curriculum. Integrating content into language arts and math is not included in the article below, but is another powerful way to create the best opportunities for our students to learn all necessary information and master the standards.
Please join us for the Innovation Night and Ice Cream Social on Thursday night. You will have an opportunity to build our Birdneck Community and strengthen relationships with your students and families and will also get to see how Nick and Gail have been guiding your students' creativity and critical thinking skills in the Innovation Lab.
Captain Out,
RV Yoshida
Strategies for Teachers to Maximize Student Learning Time
Updated March 06, 2017
Time is a precious commodity for teachers. Most teachers would argue that they never have enough time to reach every student, particularly the ones that are below grade level. Therefore, every second a teacher has with their students should be a meaningful and productive second.
Successful teachers establish procedures and expectations that minimize wasteful downtime and maximize engaging learning opportunities.
Wasted time does add up. A teacher who loses as little as five minutes of instructional minutes per day due to inefficiencies wastes fifteen hours of opportunity over the course of an 180-day school year. That extra time would likely make a significant difference for every student, but particularly those who are struggling learners. Teachers can utilize the following strategies to maximize student learning time and minimize downtime.
Better Planning and Preparation
Effective planning and preparation are essential in maximizing student learning time. Too many teachers under-plan and find themselves with nothing to do for the last few minutes of class. Teachers should get in the habit of over-planning— too much is always better than not enough. In addition, teachers should always have their materials laid out and ready to go before students arrive.
Another important—and often overlooked—component of planning and preparation is practice.
Many teachers skip this essential element, but they shouldn't. Independent practice of lessons and activities allows teachers to work out the kinks beforehand, ensuring that minimum instructional time will be lost.
Buffer the Distractions
Distractions run rampant during school hours. An announcement comes over the loudspeaker, an unexpected guest knocks on the classroom door, an argument breaks out between students during class time.
There is no way to eliminate every single distraction, but some are more easily controlled than others. Teachers can evaluate distractions by keeping a journal over the course of a two-week period. At the end of this period, teachers can better determine which distractions can be limited and formulate a plan to minimize them.
Create Efficient Procedures
Classroom procedures are an essential part of the learning environment. Those teachers who operate their classroom like a well-oiled machine maximize student learning time. Teachers should develop efficient procedures for every aspect of the classroom. This includes routine activities such as sharpening pencils, turning in assignments, or getting into groups.
Eliminate “Free Time”
Most teachers give “free time” at some point during the school day. It is easy to do when we may not be feeling the best or we under-plan. But we know when we give it, we are not taking advantage of the precious time that we have with our students. Our students love “free time”, but it is not what is best for them. As teachers, our mission is to educate. “Free time” runs directly counter to that mission.
Ensure Quick Transitions
Transitions occur every time you switch from one component of a lesson or activity into another.
Transitions when poorly executed can slow a lesson down tremendously. When done right, they are practiced procedures that are quick and seamless. Transitions are a major opportunity for teachers to gain back some of that valuable time. Transitions may also include changing from one class to another. In this case, students must be taught to bring the correct materials to class, use the bathroom or get a drink, and be in their seats ready to learn when the next class period starts.
Give Clear and Concise Directions
A major component in teaching is providing your students with clear and concise directions. In other words, directions should be easy to understand and as simple and straightforward as possible. Poor or confusing directions can stymie a lesson and quickly turn the learning environment into total chaos.
This takes away valuable instruction time and disrupts the learning process. Good directions are given in multiple formats (i.e. verbal and written). Many teachers select a handful of students to summarize the directions before turning them lose to get started on the activity.
Have a Backup Plan
No amount of planning can account for everything that could go wrong in a lesson. This makes having a backup plan critical. As a teacher, you make adjustments to lessons on the fly all the time. Occasionally, there will be situations where more than a simple adjustment is needed. Having a backup plan ready can ensure that learning time for that class period will not be lost. In an ideal world, everything will always go according to plan, but the classroom environment is often far from ideal. Teachers should develop a set of backup plans to fall back on should things fall apart at any point.
Maintain Control of the Classroom Environment
Many teachers lose valuable instructional time because they have poor classroom management skills. The teacher has failed to gain control of the classroom environment and establish a relationship of mutual trust and respect with their students. These teachers are continuously having to redirect students and often spend more time correcting students than teaching them. This is perhaps the most limiting factor in maximizing learning time. Teachers must develop and maintain effective classroom management skills where learning is valued, the teacher is respected, and expectations and procedures are set and met beginning on day one.
Practice Procedural Steps with Students
Even the best intentions fall by the wayside if students do not truly understand what is being asked of them. This problem can be easily taken care of with a little practice and repetition. Veteran teachers will tell you that the tone for the year is often set within the first few days. This is the time to practice your expected procedures and expectations over and over. Teachers who take the time within the first few days to drill these procedures will save valuable instructional time as they move throughout the year.
Stay On Task
It is easy for teachers to get distracted and veer off topic from time to time. There are some students who, frankly, are masters at making this happen. They are able to engage a teacher in a conversation about a personal interest or tell a funny story that captivates the classes attention but keeps them from completing the lessons and activities scheduled for the day. To maximize student learning time, teachers must maintain control of the pace and flow of the environment. While no teacher wants to miss out on a teachable moment, you don't want to chase rabbits either.
Shout Outs!
If you would like to give a SHOUT OUT to a colleague, it is as simple as sending an email to RV to be added to our Shout Outs each week!
I'd like to give a shout out to all of those who have shared "shout outs" with me to post in the Birdneck Briefing.
Kuddos to our PBIS team for all of their hard work and dedication to our school and the success of our students.
Shout out to Mr. Fox who is ALWAYS willing to support our military kids. He makes a huge difference here at our school.
Shout out to Master Lee for teaching our students discipline and respect for self and others.
A letter from a fellow educator
A letter to every educator
Dear Colleagues:
I am still struggling to comprehend how and why 17 students and teachers died while doing what each one of us does everyday. There are no answers, even though we are all grappling with the questions.
I have thought about the safety of my own children, and those who I take care of every day. Blame has been pointed in many directions: Failures of systems, individuals, politicians, groups of people, and educators themselves in not protecting students from each other.
We have called for stricter gun control, increased security procedures, improved mental health care, and any number of other measures in order to end this violence in our schools.
In placing blame, searching for a reason why, and proposing solutions, we are failing the group that we are most responsible for. Students themselves have stood tall in the face of this and showed us the way forward. They have stood up to ask important questions, and to ask when we as adults will change what is happening.
As educators, we are responsible for them. If we fail one of them, we have failed them all. I believe that the only way to combat this type of violence in our schools is to begin by letting every child know that there is someone who cares about them. We need to teach our students what it is to love, to care, to understand what others are going through.
We need to show them that while we are all different, there is no difference large enough that separates us as human beings. We need to take that which makes us human-compassion, empathy, kindness, and connection- and teach to every child starting at a young age. We must not forget to continue to teach these things even after we think students have long stopped listening.
I don’t want to lose any more children. I want each child to feel like he or she is connected and cared for. I want every child to feel loved when they enter their school each day. The only way this will happen is if each one of us commits to making it happen. We can’t make excuses any longer. We can’t place any more blame. We can’t talk about the reasons why it can’t happen. There are enough of us.
Let’s find out who feels isolated. Let’s invite them in to talk. Let’s connect them with others. Let’s SHOW compassion and empathy and kindness. Let’s also MODEL the same compassion and empathy and kindness.
Do this for every child that you work with. Do it for the one child who you recognize needs our help. Do it for the kindergarten student who has trouble interacting with peers, and the graduating senior who still has time to connect. Let’s not miss any more kids. Let’s not lose any more kids.
It’s time. Time to move forward. Time to make changes. Time to care enough that we help our kids.
Sincerely,
An Educator Who Cares
https://fouroclockfaculty.com/2018/02/a-letter-to-every-educator/
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers
PBIS updates
Hello Birdneck Eagles!
Click here for the link to the EGG Template https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-HAi6F9x36jbVLu0gIgjOpH-DDmP61qIigr4-4pxK0c/edit?usp=sharing
Bathroom Video https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8m_SofIxhPXMlNxUGMwTkR6SU0
Feb 5-9 Hallway
· Introduction Video https://drive.google.com/open?id=17tIVoZ7qwu6W49wNz4L1NH02bHfaKffx
· Lesson Plan https://drive.google.com/open?id=1z1V8CrLZCqAJLpHzsWJ_PjhpRBOKvyPVfqNekpBPS7o
Feb 12-16 Bathroom
· Introduction Video https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/bm3ZyJ31OD0/bathroom-expectations/?mode=movie#/
· Lesson Plan https://drive.google.com/open?id=11D4eDyh-S3lK-3_-N1QcKqjyllF8aSmi
Bus- Video and Lesson Plan will be sent out in the next couple of weeks
Additional Activities- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hamYtrIFHup7SgYIkzDxB3qWIYoSb8PqzIEzss3mh-o/edit?usp=sharing
Remember, we use the same teaching process for behaviors as we do for academics. Teach, Model, Practice, Reinforce(Eggs!), and Reteach. We look forward to seeing you and your students come up with some creative ways to teach, learn, and practice our school wide expectations! Thank you for all that you continue to do to support our students.
Go Eagles!
-Your PBIS Team
Thank you for all that you continue to do to support our students.
Dyslexia Training
As a result of the new VDOE license renewal requirement for all teaching staff to complete the Dyslexia Awareness Training Module (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/dyslexia-module/story.html) housed on the Virginia Department of Education website, VBCPS is requesting that all PreK-12 teachers who teach language arts must complete the forty-minute module during this school year, whether they are up for license renewal or not. Teachers who teach language arts are being asked to complete this to module by the end of the first semester, to ensure that they are knowledgeable when attending meetings in which dyslexia is discussed. As this is a new license renewal requirement for all staff, the completion of this task is being monitored by the Department of Human Resources, Office of Licensure.
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120