Launch
News & Notes for East Middle Faculty and Staff
Mindful Minutes this week Monday and Friday
Read This Brief Article, Please...
So, I did a lot of Spring Break Thinkin'...
Technology- arguably the biggest blessing and curse combo ever to hit our profession. Are we teaching through technology the best ways for students to use tech as a tool? Are we exposing them to the myriad of ways technology opens up the world of work, socializing, communicating, and publishing?
Poverty, Race, Prejudice, Politics, Injustice, War... - no, I am not suggesting it is our responsibility to fix these problems for our students. It IS our responsibility to create safe spaces for students to research, problem solve, voice concern, and know how to be discerning readers,writers, speakers, listeners around these issues. Our kids WILL be called to solve these problems. How are we preparing them to do so?
Burnout & Disengagement- I don't pretend to know the research well around it, but studies show we (not just students) are the most easily burned out and disengaged human population ever. My guess? The almost constant flow of information into our daily lives has trained our brains not to go very deep into anything. We must keep Thinking Strategies and Deeper Learning at the forefront of our pedagogy. Society is training our kids how NOT to concentrate on anything for very long and I cannot help but wonder what that means to the way education has to rewire experiences to combat this.
Innovation is Everyone's Work
Personalized Learning models are just ONE way of innovating. I want to be able to tell parents, students, and our community what unique innovation EACH team will provide the students in their charge. Yes, we will have one team of 6/7 mixed students who will be using a personalized model to deepen learning. But we have other teams of students who need the kind of learning that combats the issues named above.
Leadership Challenge:
As you dream about your classroom and your team next year, what will you claim as the experiential difference your instruction will provide to students? My dream is to be able to stand up in front of our community and name, specifically, how each team of students will experience learning differently and more deeply than ever before. Personalized Learning will be but one of those ways- certainly NOT THE ONLY way.
Educational Innovations You Could Concentrate On Perfecting
STEM
Global Thinkers (partnerships with schools across the country and world)
Environmental Education
Community Partnerships
Service Learning
Thematic Teaching
Phenomenalogical Units
Online Writing, Publishing, Journalism
Genius Hour (done the right way- I have resources)
Field Experience Learning (every learning unit ties to a field trip)
Teaching Through Current Events
Teaching Through the Whole Class Novel
What else can you think of? The sky's the limit. I want the staff, students, and community of East Middle School to feel the rush of anticipation, wonder, awe, pride, and joy when they see what we can do! How can we DO DIFFERENTLY with hours we have in a school day?
DREAM BIG
Be aware of any student who does NOT have photo release on file and please ask student permission to post. Let's model that part of digital citizenship for them. Name it!
Dates to Remember
April 10th-14th- MAP Reading Assessments
April 17th-21st-MAP Math Assessments
April 24th-28th-MAP Language Usage Assessments
April 20th- Next Steps Night 5:30-7:30 (EMS Personalized Learning 6-7th grades and 8th grade info for next year)
April 25th- Education Pathway students (5) to visit EMS for observations
April 26th-PBIS Baseball Field Trip
April 27th-7th Grade Transition Day to the H.S.
May 2nd- Mandatory KPREP Faculty Meeting
May 8th-12th-KPREP Testing
May 15th-19th- KPREP Testing Make-Up
May 18th-Field Day
May 19th-Field Day Make-up
May 22nd- Last Day of School for Students- 9-10:30-7th Grade Awards 1:00-2:30-6th Grade Awards
May 16th-Staff Celebration at Faculty Meeting
May 23rd-Last Day for Staff; Ms. Lohr to host Retirement BASH for herself, Ms. Price, and Ms. Walther; Ms. Lohr will provide the space, we will provide the rest- details to follow
Summative Evaluation News
On Domains 1 and 4...
Ms. Cox's Schedule this Week
Tues - East; Data Teams; Faculty in library after school
Wed - Team Leader 7:30 am; East
Thurs - HiQ Math Training at OVEC
Fri - East; Dr. Neihof and Ms. Dugle visit East for Principal eval