The Yuletide Villager
Winter Edition
Jan 7, 2019
The vision of GCS is to inspire success and a lifetime of learning.
McAdenville Elementary
H.O.P.E.
Have Only Positive Expectations
Great Teachers Don't Teach
I had an amazing psychology professor in college. He was on fire every class period and his enthusiasm was contagious. But the things I remember most are the psychological experiments in which we participated. I remember every detail and the supporting theories because I experienced it.
My psychology professor was an effective teacher because he provided experiences that created long-term memories. In response to the LinkedIn comments, I penned the following: "I appreciate all of the comments that have been made so far. Yet I feel there is one thing still missing. One characteristic of an effective teacher is that they don't teach. You say that is outrageous. How can an effective teacher teach without teaching?
My experience is that good teachers care about students. Good teachers know the content and know how to explain it. Good teachers expect and demand high levels of performance of students. Good teachers are great performers and storytellers that rivet their students' attention.
All of this is good but great teachers engineer learning experiences that maneuver the students into the driver's seat and then the teachers get out of the way. Students learn best by personally experiencing learning that is physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. John Dewey had it right in 1935 when he espoused his theories on experiential learning. Today we call this constructivism.
In The Classroom
Long past are the times when we teach content just in case a student might need it. A great teacher will devise a way to give the students an urgent reason to learn skills or knowledge and then let them show they have learned it by what they can do. This is called project-based learning.
A great teacher will keep the students wanting to come to school just to see what interesting things they will explore and discover each day. We call this inquiry.
The philosophy that supports such a great teacher is simple. Students learn best when they are in control of their learning. Students must do the heavy lifting of learning and nothing the teacher can say or do will change that. Real learning requires doing, not listening, or observing only. Yet what do we find in every public school and university? Teachers talking, talking and talking while students listen, daydream and doze. We call this lecture.
The word "teacher" implies the flow of knowledge and skills from one person to another. Whether it be a lecture or a power point, it involves talking at the students. While that is commonly viewed as the quickest and easiest way to impart knowledge and skills, we all realize that it is not the most effective. Socrates had it right when he only answered a question with more questions and look what he produced -- some of the greatest minds that ever lived. We call this the Socratic method.
Yes, there are times when direct instruction is necessary, but only to be able to do something with that knowledge or skill, but a great teacher devises learning experiences that force all the students to be engaged much like being in the deep end of the swimming pool. Then the lesson on arm and leg strokes become relevant. To learn, the students must do something. We call this performance-based learning.
Taking Action
Returning to my original premise: great teachers do not teach. They stack the deck so that students have a reason to learn and in the process can't help but learn mainly by teaching themselves. This knowledge then becomes permanent and cherished rather than illusory and irrelevant. In my book, Teaching Students To Dig Deeper: The Common Core in Action, I provide detailed ways to get students into the driver's seat and to get the teacher out of it.
I also provide the teacher a reason to change the way they teach so they can, in essence, become let's say, "learning engineers" instead of "teachers." How can you keep from teaching and promote true learning?
MCLASS & Benchmark TESTING Starts Now...
Schedules should be complete with days each student is being tested. Please let Mrs. Anderson or myself know if you need assistance completing the schedule by tomorrow.
The MCLASS Window is between 8:30 and 10:30 each morning until complete
Welcome Back to MOY Assessments next week!
Wednesday 1/16/19 - Math @ 8:40 AM
Thursday 1/17/18 - Reading @ 8:40 AM
No movement in our building until testing is complete
Exception - Teachers in lower grades may continue MCLASS Testing during these hours
"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."
-Napoleon Hill
i-Ready
I'll send you January Challenge out in a separate email.
Until then 30 minutes of Reading and 45 minutes of Math per week will put you back on the road to success and proficiency.
Let's win some more GCS challenges.
Tutoring Is In Progress
Tutoring
VROOM - Free Moble Store
2018-19 SCHEDULE (subject to change based on weather, special events, etc.)
GASTON COUNTY: January 9 (Woodhill Elementary)
Sign up today...THERE ARE S STILL SLOT OPEN FOR YOU
Time for Wildcat of the Month
Wildcat of the Month
Just click on the link above.
Wildcat HERO of the Month
Have a teacher or staff person in mind. Please nominate someone for wildcat of the month. The link for that is coming soon. Check back next week or Facebook for the actual form.
STUDENT TRANSFERS
Gaston County Schools Spelling Bee
The Gaston County Schools Spelling Bee is Wednesday, January 9 at 9:00 a.m. at Stuart W. Cramer High School. Elementary and middle school students from Gaston County Schools will compete for the county championship.
We Took The Challenge
Please Congratulate Holiday Challenge takers:
Kindergarten
Ja’Mya Thomason
Connor Griffey
Kipton Beck
Aiden Hicks
Ava Grace Denton
Harper Ashley
Evan Griffey
August Varner
Elizabeth Mobley
Zackery Pine
Bennett Rink
Lucas Singleton
Cullen Poovey
Sawyer Kay
First Grade
Eli Sherman
Rhylie Callahan
Brantley Lawson
Lana Healy
Caitlyn Lindsay
Ian Jardon
Second Grade
Lilly Arrowood
Nathan Hernandez
Royce Gonzales
Ava Rushing
Joshua Spottswood
Layton Brackett
Lilly Clark
Bentley Mitchem
Gabbi Cobb
Third Grade
Aaliyah Sherman
Kynzleigh Erickson
Sabrina Polk
Bella Baruk
Toni Booker
Lily Wilkinson
Nova Jorgensen
Miles Wallborn
Emily Cruz
YOU ARE A WINNER
January Lottery Winners....
Building the List of Winners
Prillaman
Burell
Hickman
Shore
Coffey
Payseur
Truesdale
Neely
Crosby
Scratch and win instantly!
MTSS
Plans --- Plans --- Plans ---
Duty Team A
School Events Agenda
Monday
- Please take care of the building today - Mr. Poole is absent
Tuesday
- SIT Meeting
Wednesday
- Group pictures
- Gaston County Spelling Bee @ 9 AM
Thursday
- PLC back on schedule
Friday
- PLC Back on Schedule
Saturday
1/12/19 - Robotics Competition
Events and Dates To Come
1/14/19 - 6 PM Gaston Early College - Superintendent's Community Talk
1/16/19 - 3rd Lunch and Learn & 4th/5th Science Exhibit (Parents in classrooms)
1/17 and 1/18 - School in session for snow make-up dates. NO SPECIALS ON THESE DAYS
GASTON COUNTY SCHOOLS INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS
ELA
MATH
Instructional Focus
Instructional Focus/Concentration:
Elementary Report Card K-2 Standards Sheet (Tabbed Grade Levels at Bottom)
October Focus
Math and ELA Instructional Practices
ELA Instructional Practices 1-3 & Interactive Read Aloud
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them - Math Instructional Practice # 1
Reason abstractly and quantitatively - Math Instructional Practice # 2
Building The Foundation Professional Development. The sessions will be offered throughout the school year.
Instructional Focus/Concentration:
Engagement and Worksheets
How often are you using worksheets for instruction and homework each day? How can we reduce the number of worksheets used during the school day?
Teacher - Student relationships
How can we change the tone of how we address students? It’s not what you say sometimes it’s how you say it. Model what they expect. The modeling sessions may have to be repeated a number of times, but model the expectations (Behavior and Instruction) with grace and respect for the student.
Agenda and I Can Statements - Daily Expectations
Each classroom should have an agenda listing what will be taught each day.
Each classroom should have I Can statements posted each day and tied to a standard.
- Standards Mastery
- Conferring
- Building Assessments from Standards-Based Instruction
- Small Group Instruction
- Student Proficiency
Elite Education Society of Wildcats
MES Social Worker - Whitney Hill
Please use this referral form for student Social Work Request.
MES School Counselor - Eric Otis
Please use this referral form for student School Counselor Request
2018-2019 School Improvement Team Members
Congratulations to our newest team members and thank you to all others for continuing to serve as members of this great group.
Committee Positions ` Name ` Email Address ` Date Elected
Principal Lucretia Rice lrrice@gaston.k12.nc.us 7/1/2017
School Improvement Team Chairperson Bobbi Neely blneely@gaston.k12.nc.us 9/12/2018
Teacher Representative (Process Manager)Beth Crosby edcrosby@gaston.k12.nc.us 6/1/2014
Teacher Representative Kelly Shore kdshore@gaston.k12.nc.us 8/1/2017
Teacher Representative Kirsten Marett kcmarett@gaston.k12.nc.us 8/1/2017
Teacher Representative Bonita Truesdale bgtruesdale@gaston.k12.nc.us9/12/2018
Instructional Support Representative Charlotte Griffth chgriffith@gaston.k12.nc.us 9/12/2018
District Representative TBD TBD@gaston.k12.nc.us --/--/--
Parent Representative Erika Sutphin mollysmama2008@gmail.com 6/1/2014
School Improvement Team Chairperson
Bobbi Neely