Brooklyn Park Post
Week of October 14th
Week-at-a-Glance
Rigorous Instruction, Enriching Experiences, Positive Relationship, No Exceptions..
Walk Through Focus this Week: Writing
Monday 10/14: Sportswear
- Team Rally @ 8:10 am
Tuesday 10/15: No School
Conference Day
Karyn will be late
Wednesday 10/16: No School
Conference Day
Thursday 10/17:
- Committee Meetings
Friday 10/18: Sports Day
- Leadership Meeting @ 7:30 am
How to Have a Successful Parent Teacher Conferences- Professional Article
Remember all parents send us the best they have. Our parents want the best for their kids. Sometimes they can't communicate or find the resources to get there. WE must bridge the gap.
https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/parent-teacher-conferences/
Math Updates:
This week we walked through classrooms during math instruction and saw students engaged and focused on what they were learning! 19/19 classrooms that we visited had differentiated small group instruction based on student needs. 15/19 classrooms had standard based outcomes posted near their small group tables. 3/19 classrooms had differentiated outcomes based on what each group was focusing on. Below is an example how you can get specific on exactly what you are teaching and which tools you are using with each group! Reach out if you need ideas on this!!
Reading Updates:
If you would like F&P parent brochures for your conferences, please email Laurie the levels and quantities you need.
Progress monitoring your students’ reading levels should be ongoing, not just during the F&P window. Using the new Diagnostic Checklist is an effective tool to help determine whether a student is ready to move to the next level.
The Social Emotional IRA books are now located in the Literacy Corner. Most of them include IRA lesson plans, and are waiting to be used!
Please let the Literacy team know how we can support you.
Social & Emotional Updates:
From the Principal's Desk
Each of us has encountered as student who has experienced Trauma. As you prepare for a short week and with meeting parents, I have provided suggestions:
Supporting Students and Yourself
For a child in a classroom, something as simple as the teacher raising his or her voice to get everyone’s attention or accidentally getting bumped by another classmate can steer that child into this groove. When triggered, the child’s out-of-proportion emotional and sometimes physical reaction often makes no sense whatsoever to the teacher, making it difficult for the teacher to respond appropriately.
1) Recognize that a child is going into survival mode and respond in a kind, compassionate way. When you notice that a child might be having a difficult time, start by asking yourself, “What’s happening here?” rather than “What’s wrong with this child?” This simple mental switch can help you realize that the student has been triggered into a fear response, which can take many forms. For example, the student might:
Get a “deer-in-the-headlights” look
Turn red and clench his or her fists
Breathe more rapidly
Begin moving because his or her body is getting ready to run or react
Burst into tears or look as if he or she is about to cry
It’s worth noting that not all kids will act out. However, for those who do, once you recognize the trigger, kindly and compassionately reflect back to the child: “I see that you’re having trouble with this problem,” or “You seem like you’re getting kind of irritated,” and then offer a couple choices of things the child can do, at least one of which should be appealing to him or her. This will help the child gain a sense of control and agency and help him or her to feel safe once more. Over time, if a student who is experiencing something that is frightening or harmful sees that you really care and understand, then he or she will be more likely to say, “I need help.”
2) Create calm, predictable transitions. Transitions between activities can easily trigger a student into survival mode. That feeling of “uh oh, what’s going to happen next” can be highly associated with a situation at home where a child’s happy, loving daddy can, without warning, turn into a monster after he’s had too much to drink.
Some teachers will play music or ring a meditation bell or blow a harmonica to signal it’s time to transition. The important thing is to build a routine around transitions so that children know: a) what the transition is going to look like, b) what they’re supposed to be doing, and c) what’s next.
3) Praise publicly and criticize privately. For children who have experienced complex trauma, getting in trouble can sometimes mean either they or a parent will get hit. And for others, “I made a mistake” can mean “I’m entirely unlovable.” Hence, teachers need to be particularly sensitive when reprimanding these students.
“Nurture the hell out of these children.” Capture those moments when the student is doing really well and point it out to build his or her self-worth: “Wow, I love how you sat at your desk for a whole five minutes” or, “Thank you for helping your classmate.” When you need to re-direct the behavior, do so privately and in as calm a voice as possible.
4) Adapt your classroom’s mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is a fabulous tool for counteracting the impact of trauma. However, it can also be threatening for children who have experienced trauma, as the practice may bring up scary and painful emotions and body sensations.
If you use mindfulness in your classroom, you might consider using the following adaptations that the UCSF HEARTS program and Mindful Schools created:
Tell students that, if they wish, they can close their eyes at the beginning of the practice. Otherwise, they should look at a spot in front of them so that no one feels stared at.
Instead of focusing on how the body feels, have students focus on a ball or other object they’re holding in their hands—what it feels like and looks like in their palm.
Focus on the sounds in the room or of cars passing outside the classroom—something external to the body.
By breaking mindfulness practice down into these elemental components, the child is more likely to have a successful experience—and thus be more willing to practice in the future.
5) Take care of yourself. This actually should be number one! The metaphor of putting on your own oxygen mask first before putting it on the child is very true in this situation.
Reflective Questions:
1. Are you nurturing "the hell out of your kids"? They need it, sometimes we need it.
2. What are your mindfulness strategies? How are often are you using your calm down space?
3. Students who have experienced trauma need a safe space? have you created a safe space for your students?
4. How are you "supporting yourself"? I need you.. take care of yourself.
Staff Shout Outs
- Ilyssa and Victoria for paying their Ravens vs. Pittsburgh bet. Hey, purple looked good on you.
- Gabby, Megan, Danielle, Kim, Laurie and Karyn for our Intervention Meeting. I know that Kim, Laurie and Danielle reviewed and analyzed data. Thank you Megan and Gabby for attending. Hold tight on changing schedules.