CJH Weekly Update
Staff - Week of Jan. 28th
We have hit the Half Way Point!!
It's Half Time!
We are half way through the school year! We are in the process of making building wide half time adjustments by reorganizing RTI time, scheduling conferences with targeted students and reviewing perception data. What adjustments are you making in your classrooms for the 2nd half?
Make-up Exams
I understand that we had several students that were absent during exams. I am willing to open a classroom during 2nd and 3rd hour on Monday to administer as many exams as I can. Please send a copy of the exam down with the student's name and we will do our best to help them complete it on Monday. If the exam is online we will require the code as well as the student's name. Student's that are not able to complete during that time will have to schedule a way to make up their exam with you.
PLC Meeting
We will be meeting again in Room 26 on Wednesday morning and we will begin promptly at 7:45am. We will be completing our first RTI assignments that will occur on Feb. 12th and 14th. Please come prepared with the skill that you plan on using for intervention and an idea of the list of students that you will need to see for that particular skill. We will work together to make sure all students are claimed and that areas are not overloaded.
Just a few reminders on entering final grades
- Please make sure that students have final grades for MP1, MP2, and Exam so that S1 calculates correctly
- If a student had a schedule change or transferred in you will need to make sure the grades are input for for each Marking Period
- If a student passes 2 out of 3 of MP1, MP2 and the Exam, they should have a passing grade the the Semester
- Grades will be due the morning of Monday the 28th.
Potential Snow/Ice/Cold Weather Days
As we look at the weather forecast for the next week, there is the potential for inclement weather to close school. I want to remind everyone that while social media is often an outlet for sharing celebrations and displeasure, as staff members we need to be careful about what we are posting on social media. Posts that celebrate school closure can be seen as unprofessional. In the same vein posts that complain that we have not closed are a negative reflection on the district. We are all in this together and we must continue to portray a positive and professional image in all areas. I have attached an article that was recently released from MASSP that discusses the pitfalls of posting such information if you care to read more.
Updated RTI Schedule
Week at a Glance
Monday
Regular Schedule
1st day of 2nd Semester
Final Grades due 9am
JH Girls Basketball Home vs. Lawton 5pm
Tuesday
Regular Schedule
Wednesday
Delayed Start Schedule
Thursday
Regular Schedule
Friday
Regular Schedule
Accommodation Tracking Documents due End of Day
20 Observable Characteristics Of Effective Teaching
by TeachThought Staff
What makes an effective teacher? Or more specifically, what observable characteristics might you see and hear?
The University of Minnesota offered some observable characteristics of effective teaching which, while focused on teacher actions rather than student learning, had some useful tips–not so much how to teach generally, but specific actions that you can use tomorrow.
In “How A Good Teacher Becomes Great,” we theorized that good teachers “know which assessments are for “show,” and which are for “go”—that is, which look good from 10 feet, and which provide visibility for both the student and teacher where the learning needs to go next,” and that they model curiosity, collaborate with other great teachers, and “measure understanding in diverse ways.”
Below are 20 observable characteristics of effective teaching. Pair this with our characteristics of a highly-effective learning environment, and you’ll have a nice one-two punch to reflect on your craft. We’ve highlighted a few of our favorites to get you started.
See Also: Reading Logs With Reading Strategy Reminder Bookmarks
20 Observable Characteristics Of Effective Teaching
Begins class promptly and in a well-organized way.
Treats students with respect and caring.
Provides the significance/importance of information to be learned.
Provides clear explanations. Holds attention and respect of students….practices effective classroom management.
Uses active, hands-on student learning.
Varies his/her instructional techniques.
Provides clear, specific expectations for assignments.
Provides frequent and immediate feedback to students on their performance.
Praises student answers and uses probing questions to clarify/elaborate answers.
Provides many concrete, real-life, practical examples.
Draws inferences from examples/models….and uses analogies.
Creates a class environment which is comfortable for students….allows students to speak freely.
Teaches at an appropriately fast pace, stopping to check student understanding and engagement.
Communicates at the level of all students in class.
Has a sense of humor!
Uses nonverbal behavior, such as gestures, walking around, and eye contact to reinforce his/her comments.
Presents him/herself in class as “real people.”
Focuses on the class objective and does not let class get sidetracked.
Uses feedback from students (and others) to assess and improve teaching.
Reflects on own teaching to improve it.
Reminder - Benchmark Testing
PLC Training with Solution Tree
Upcoming Dates
2/4 - PBIS (THINK) Meeting
2/7 - Craig Douglas Visit
2/11 - Staff Meeting
2/13 - PLC Meeting
2/15 - Mid Winter Break
2/18 - Mid Winter Break
2/25 - Staff Meeting
2/27 - PLC Meeting
3/6 - Spring Pictures
3/7 - Assembly (Spread the Love)
6/3 - 6/5 - 8th Grade Mackinac Trip
Inspire to Achieve - Empower for Success
Wendy Tremblay, Principal
Email: wtremblay@ccs.coloma.org
Website: https://cjh.coloma.org/
Location: 302 West St. Joseph Street, Coloma, MI, USA
Phone: 269-468-2405
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colomajh
Twitter: @colomajhs