THE SKY NEEDS STARS
NUDGE: ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLUME 23
Dear Roberts,
It is interesting to find and learn about the side effects to any medications we take. It is our responsibility to seek out the side effects of anything we put in our body. By law, drug companies must reveal all the side effects of what is in their drug pipeline. Let's be real, we have all been victims of the gravitating pull of a drug commercial’s soothing message to only find at the end that the side effects out way the benefits. There are side effects to anything that we do in our life. Here is where I want to lead you, I want to flip your lens of side effects from being negative to positive. One of my keystone habits is working out, but there are side effects of pushing myself to the edges of high intensity exercise. I can sleep better at night because I am tired from my workout. I wake up in the morning refreshed and with more energy. When I exercise, my body releases chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins triggers a positive feeling in the body that gives me a natural mood booster.
Now let us take this same concept to our world of education. There are side effects to PLC, team collaboration, and planning. The ripple effects of team planning is manifested in the culture of the team, student centered lesson, and the ability to pull small group instruction through real-time data. The side effects of our collective voices and how we plan, help teachers teach with more confidence and energy. It helps teachers take advantage of their greatest resource of time to make meaningful student lessons. Teachers who plan and collaborate are able to use the gradual release model and pull small groups to push students toward mastery.
As a matter of fact, there are side effects to good teaching practices that ripple into other areas of education. There is a compound effect that is organically created by our repeated habits. At Roberts, we don’t teach perfection, but we practice showing up every single day. We want our teachers to continue to implement sentence stems, checking for understanding, and pulling small group instruction despite the mechanical flaws, accidental mistakes, and occasional mishaps. I believe through our repeated habits we will forge a system that will help students close gaps.
F.M Alexander said, “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.” Our school focuses on what we can become and where we are headed in our journey. We are forging our purpose everyday by our own professional development as a teacher, but also creating an alternate path for our students. Because of our system of intervention and our personalized instruction model, we will soon see the side effects that will ripple and transform many generations.
Thank you for doing work that matters,
Jorly
Bounds building relationships with students!
Varghese modeling with students!
Johnson front loading Band students by clapping note rhythms!
Donias using small group to close gaps!
Fernandez using RTD to group and intervene with students!
Willis modeling in Technology!
Lidrbauch checking for understanding at small group!
Thibodeaux pulling small group to deepen understanding!
AR students enjoying Cinderella at PMHS!
Olivia Ontiveros making her SMORE debut! Congratulations Emily!
T-TESS 2.4 Differentiation
AS WE WALK THROUGH YOUR CLASSROOMS WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON T-TESS DIMENSION 2.4: DIFFERENTIATION (THE TEACHER DIFFERENTIATES INSTRUCTION, ALIGNING METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO DIVERSE STUDENT NEEDS), ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN PERSONALIZING SMALL GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION.
“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” As we walked through classrooms focusing on Achieving Expectations, it is evident that you believe our students can succeed; however, these expectations are not a self-fulfilling prophecy. High expectations is something you do, not just believe. Every instructional decision must be consistent with high expectations.
Beginning Monday, as we walk through your classrooms we will be focused on T-TESS Dimension 2.4: Differentiation (The teacher differentiates instruction, aligning methods and techniques to diverse student needs), arguably the most important step in personalizing small group and individual instruction. Differentiation is tailoring instruction, from planning to implementation, to meet individual student needs and maximize the acceleration of each individual student’s mastery. As you work towards our instructional focus, consider using real-time data to differentiate the content, process, product and learning environment in the classroom and Destination Time to meet the diverse needs of every learner, from SPED to GT.
Listed below are examples of evidence of Differentiation.
Adjusts Instruction for Student Needs
- Uses time flexibly so all students can demonstrate mastery of the objective
- Uses formative assessment to check for understanding (i.e. observation, exit ticket, checkpoint, etc.)
- Provides instruction at students’ individual instructional levels
- Varies the learning process based on student need (i.e. technology, teacher-led small group and independent instruction, etc.)
Monitors Quality of Student Participation and Performance
- Asks open-ended questions and encourages discussion
- Randomizes questions to hold all students accountable
- Asks questions before selecting students to respond
- Surveys student interests and learning preferences to motivate students
- Monitors on-task and off-task behavior of all students
Recognizes/Responds to Student Confusion or Disengagement
- Provides wait time to allow student processing time
- Intervenes at the moment of misunderstanding
- Reteaches or clarifies in response to individual student learning needs
Provides Differentiated Instructional Strategies
- Varies student grouping (i.e. homogenous, heterogeneous, partner, cooperative, independent, etc.)
- Provides choice in student tasks
- Allows student voice in product selection
- Challenges students demonstrating mastery of the objective to learn with deeper understanding
The 2 BEST Counselors around!
Monday
- 6th Math PLC - Connect and Traditional
Tuesday
PLC's
- 1st Period 5th Connect PLC
- 2nd Period 5th Traditional PLC - Reading, Sci, Math
- 3rd Period - Intervention PLC
- 4th Period - 6th Connect PLC
- 5th Period - 6th Traditional PLC - Reading, Sci/SS
- STAAR Bingo Night 5:30 - 7:00 ****WEAR RED FLY BASEBALL SHIRT****
STAAR Bingo Night
Tuesday, Feb 5, 2019, 05:30 PM
Fred Roberts Middle School, Conklin Lane, Houston, TX, USA
Wednesday
- Teacher Made Wednesday ***moved due to STAAR Night***
- Bondy Boys Athletic Meeting in MPR 8:00 - 8:30
- Clubs
Thursday
- RMS Science Fair
Friday
- 6th Grade Field Day