Weekly Coaching Communication
Make it a great day -- every day!
11 - 15 February 2019
Hats off to you!
Here's the past week's amazement* (and highlights from Wednesday's morning meeting):
- A huge thank you to Mr. Arends, Ms. Recker, Ms. Talbott and Mr. Libolt for their deep thinking and open conversations during the SAMI process (needs assessment inventory for MTSS) -- these two days were long and offered some arduous thinking, but your participation and help is greatly appreciated
- Shout out to Mr. Burke and Mr. Spicher for joining me in the Habits of Mind Challenge (see the specifics in the article)
- Congratulations to Mr. Coach Halac on his nomination as an Ed Thomas Coach of the Week -- #familyfirst #allin (link to story and video)
- Thank you, Mrs. Dierks, for your insight and participation in the Blended Learning District Council meeting this week
- Congratualtions to Coach Klett and the girls' basketball team on your first step towards state with a giant victory over Solon
#nobetterplacetowork
*As always . . . my intent here is not to leave out anyone, so if you know of some great things happening in this building, please send me a text or email so I can include them -- share the greatness that people are choosing to do for our learners and for each other.
Discussion Strategies
Discussions are a mainstay for classroom strategies, but when "discussion" shows on your lesson plan -- what kind of discussion are you going to have?
Jennifer Gonzalez, a former middle-school language arts teacher who is National Board Certified and now a college-level teacher of teachers and devoted full-time to helping teachers do their work better, shares 15 different formats for discussion. Each has its own merits and carries a different effect, depening on the purpose of your discussion.
Gonzalez separates the formats into three different groups based on the time and effort it takes for teachers to prepare for and facilitate the discussion:
Higher-prep strategies -- formats that require teachers to do some planning or gathering of materials ahead of time:
- Gallery Walk
- Philosophical Chairs
- Pinwheel Discussions
- Socratic Seminar
Low-prep strategies -- which can be used on the fly when you have a few extra minutes or just want your students to get more active:
- Affinity Mapping
- Concentric Circles
- Conver-Stations
- Fishbowl
- Hot Seat
- Snowball Discussion
Ongoing strategies -- smaller techniques that can be integrated with other instructional strategies and don’t really stand alone:
- Asynchronous Voice
- Backchannel Discussions
- Talk Moves
- Teach-OK
- Think-Pair-Share
Click on the link of her blog post ("The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies") to read about each of the 15 different formats and use the links within the post to see a model (video) of each.
HABITS of MIND CHALLENGE . . .
I'm so excited to share that two people have joined the Habits of Mind Challenge!!!!
With permission, Mr. Burke and Mr. Spicher have allowed me to share their chosen areas for bettering their habits of mind:
- Mr. Burke: 1) Continuous Learning & 2) Taking Responsible Risks
- Mr. Spicher: 1) Persisting: sticking to holding each of my students to the expectations that I express for each class activity; and 2) Listening with Understanding and Empathy: to pay attention to my students' thoughts, feelings, and ideas
Congratulations to these two on accepting the challenge and working to better their habits of mind!
Here is my progress on my two goals:
MY GOAL: To share wonderment and awe with at least one teacher for each day that I am able to be in the building. The observable data will be consistently based on teacher practice and highly effective strategies.
Measurement: Tally record by date for teachers with whom I have noted the observable data. Carbon copy or photocopy notes for record.
For the MONTH of . . .
January Goal NOT Met 0/3 weeks
February Goal Met . . .
2/4 GOAL MET (2 notes written/ 1.5 days)
MY GOAL: To better prepare questions and think of potential roadblocks ahead of conversations and to actually ask the questions that generate from the discussion.
Measurement: Prepare (in writing) questions and potential roadblocks ahead of conversations. When a question arises in conversation, write the stem and ASK IT. Reflect on the usefulness of preparation questions and problems after each conversation with a + or - for usefulness. During conversation questions will be recorded and tallied.
For the MONTH of . . .
January Goal NOT Met 0/3 weeks
February Goal Met . . .
2/4 GOAL MET ( 3 conversations)
Coaching Schedule -- see Google Calendar for specific "Busy" times **schedule subject to change**
Monday, 11 February -- out of district
- Serve Teachers & Students
- Research & Resources
Tuesday, 12 February
- 10:00 - 11:30 AM Technology/Surpass meeting w/ Sunseri, Grant and GWAEA @ MS
- 12:45 - 1:15 PM Blended Check-in
- Serve Teachers & Students
- Research & Resources
Wednesday, 13 February -- 7:30 AM Morning MTG -- Learning Teams @ MS (same rooms as January)
- Mr. Libolt out of district
- 10:30 - 11:00 AM Blended Check-in
- 11:00 - 11:30 AM Blended Check-in
- Serve Teachers & Students
- Research & Resources
Thursday, 14 February -- Valentine's Day!
- 8:30 - 9:00 AM Blended Check-in
- 9:00 - 9:30 AM Blended Check-in
- 2:30 - 3:00 PM Blended Check-in
- Serve Teachers & Students
- Research & Resources
Friday, 15 February
- 8:30 - 9:00 AM Blended Check-in
- 10:00 - 11:30 Technology Meeting w/ ICs and Program Leads & Grant @ MS
- 12:00 - 1:00 PM IC Mtg
- 1:00 - 3:30 PM TASK Mtg (ICs & Program Leads) @ Primary
- Serve Teachers & Students
- Research & Resources
ARCHIVE LINKS
Click on the link to access 2015-16 prior weekly communications.
Pope's IC Weekly Communication Archive & Index 2016-17
Click on the link to access 2016-17 prior weekly communications.
Pope's IC Weekly Communication Archive & Index 2017-18
Click on the link to access 2016-17 prior weekly communications.
Contact Information
Center Point - Urbana CSD
Email: epopenhagen@cpuschools.org
Phone: 319-849-1102+91015
Twitter: @Epopenhagen