Burks Bulletin
Everyone Has the Power to Be a Leader Including You!
October is....
October can also be the L o n g e s t month of the school year. The honeymoon is over, kids are starting to show their 'true' colors, parents are wanting/needing/demanding things from us, testing is in high gear, demands on our time are never ending and we feel like someone has come through and knocked the air out of our lungs.
This is true and knowing this, let's not let us be part of those statistics. What can we do to make October the fun, comforting, happy time of year again? What can I do for you? What can we do for each other? What can we do without in order to do what we need to do? How can we add some fun into our day?
I really do mean this - I want to know what can be done to make October fabulous. Please respond to this S'more and let us all know the great ideas you have. I think I just might start the "I've been Boo'd" game that we've done before - nothing big, maybe a little snack or a fun note - nothing to add stress, but to relieve some, not to spend money, but to do something thoughtful for someone else.... What do you think? Wanna play? Be on the lookout to be boo'd and think about how you can Boo someone else.
Fun Facts About October:
National Cookie Month
National Chili Month
National Pizza Month
National Dessert Month
On October 1, 1896, free rural delivery of mail started in the United States.
Who will be Booed?
Volunteer Sign-Up
Trunk-Or-Treat & Carnival
High Yield Strategies
The 9 strategies:
1. Identifying similarities and differences (compare and contrast)
2. Summarizing and note taking
3. Reinforcing effort and recognition
4. Homework and practice
5. Nonlinguistic representations
6. Cooperative learning
7. Setting objectives and providing feedback
8. Generating and identifying hypothesis
9. Cues, questions and advance organizers
Below you will find links to the first strategy of Identifying similarities and differences (aka compare and contrast) This is the #1 way to improve student learning and understanding. One must truly understand what's going on in order to identify how two or more things are similar and different. Research proves it - we must use it! I will be looking for evidence of this strategy from now on.
Robert Marzano's 9 High Yield Instructional Strategies
You Tube video - Compare and Contrast
Marzano's 9 High Yield Instrctional Strategies
Reminder - PLC's at Burks
So, starting Monday, we will now call M/W design time PLC time. Additionally, the 1st and 3rd Wednesday staff meetings are now PLC time for design according to the template shared last week. The purpose of these two after school PLC times is to gain time to have deep meaningful conversations about the learning our students are expected to do. Wednesdays will follow the template based on the 4 questions: What are the students to know and be able to do? How will we know they have learned it? What will we do if they do not learn it? What will we do if they already know it? Weekly PLC time on M/W will focus on the what of the learning - what will students be doing to learn the material, creating/discussing formative assessments that will show what they know/don't know. My goal for this new schedule of PLC times is to focus our time together and give us more time to do so.
This Wednesday is the 3rd one of the month. Team swill meet in Team Leader classes and use the 4 question template as you look at upcoming TEKS, especially those that are hard to teach/learn.