Coaching Tidbits & News
March 2017
What's Happening
~Last round of grade level meetings are May 2nd, 3rd, & 4th
~Be on the look-out for the grade level Google folders for sharing ideas and future discussion points
~Young Author visits will be May 9th & 10th for primary grades K-2
Responsive Teaching
http://blog.fountasandpinnell.com/post/teach-the-child-not-the-program-with-responsive-teaching
I would suggest checking out Fountas & Pinnell's blog and Daily Lit Bits. Their website also has a lot of great webinars and resources. The link below is one of the daily Lit Bit's from this week on "The Struggle for Extending the Meaning of Texts"
Go Math
Below is a good resource for the Ins and Outs of Go Math. There also have some extra resources in the TPT store found linked in their blog.
http://appleoftheireye.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-ins-and-outs-of-go-math-post-1-of-4.html
Also don't forget about the packets on PMT and games Kassindra shared with everyone at our last grade level meeting.
Setting Goals with Students
One skill I believe has helped me grow as an educator is to be self- reflective and set goals for myself. Although I may not always meet a goal when or how I think, just the process alone helps me grow and gives me a specific purpose to work toward. I feel like this is a valuable skill we should be teaching our students; to reflect, then set a goal and create a plan to help accomplish the goal. What a great way to empower students for their learning. I recently read an article about motivating students and one thing that was emphasized repeatedly was to set goals and find ways to actively engage students in working toward their goals. This is a great lifelong skill. Research shows that students who set goals..."learn more, have increased motivation, and have improved ability to self-evaluate and self-regulate their participation and performance in the classroom."
Below I linked a few sites that shares ideas and articles about setting SMART goals with students.
https://www.whatihavelearnedteaching.com/student-goal-setting-in-elementary/
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/smart-goal-setting-with-students-maurice-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQAsUKBBnSM
//www.greatexpectations.org/lessons-and-strategies-for-goal-setting-elementary
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/genia-connell/setting-almost-smart-goals-my-students/
Engagement Is Everything!
We all know the more engaged students are the more they learn and the less behavior problems occur. This sounds simple right? Well, we also know that the reality is not always that easy. The article below gives some simple reminders for inspiring student engagement.
"The mindset that educators hold about the factors that contribute to student engagement, motivation, and resilience determines their expectations, teaching practices, and relationships with students." When I think about trying to up the ante for student engagement I think of how important it is to have an open mind about each student, get to know your students as individuals, and find ways to connect with them so you can then find ways to connect them to learning that inspires them.
Thoughts
I feel privileged to work with so many amazing teachers that truly care about their students and the impact they have on them. Keep on doing what you know is best for students. You all ROCK!!
CONTACT INFOMATION
Melissa Crowe
Primary Instructional Coach
Eastview, Grandview, and Maplewood Elementary Schools
Fayette County School Corporation