Update From THIS I.F.
THERE ARE NO LIMITS
Thought to Ponder
--Ronald Reagan
Love those lines---"NO GREAT LIMITS TO GROWTH..." WOW!
When all else fails--remember that YOU have the knowledge and wonder--most of all--our building is full of people who encourage and inspire! Seek those who inspire you--ask questions and try new things! DO NOT SETTLE with being frustrated, lack of success or struggle. By ourselves we are good but TOGETHER we are GREAT! Congratulations on your test scores from last year! My challenge for this year-make them even better!
Dates to Know
9-1020 1st Grade PLC (Tier 1 paperwork)
2:00-3:00 3rd Grade PLC (Give out Purple folders/Discuss Interventions)
Tuesday the 12th
I will be giving the BOG.
Kindergarten you will need to use this time to log into KEA. Make sure you know how and have access. Discuss the constructs and what you will use to assess. Set a plan for your first construct uploads. Remember beginning of Nov is the deadline. LeAnne will you lead this discussion for me?
Wednesday the 13th
9:40-10:30 EC PLC (We will discuss BOY assessments given so far)
1:00-2:00 4th Grade (Give out Purple folders/Discuss Interventions)
*Third Grade will be giving Math BOG.
SST Meeting 2:00
Thursday the 14th
9:40-10:30 2nd Grade PLC
1:00-2:00 5th Grade PLC (This is optional since it is an early release)
(Early Dismissal)
Grade Level Testing Requirements
k-1
- Reading 3D Dibels
- Reading 3D TRC
- Oral is optional but good for Red and Yellow
Be sure to begin KEA uploads--this must be complete within the first 60 days. If you do not have a log in--contact me please by Tuesday the 5th.
*After BOY we will determine which students will take the SRI Test
2-3
- Reading 3D Dibels
- Reading 3D TRC
- SRI
4-5
- CCSS Math on Easy CBM
- Fluency CBM
- Vocabulary CBM
- CCSS Reading CBM
- MCRC CBM
- SRI
Growth Mindset
Think on this information:
- Family income is a strong predictor of achievement.
- Growth Mindset exhibits a strong relationship with achievement across all socioeconomic levels.
- Lower socioeconomic students are less likely to hold growth mindset than wealthier peers.
Growth Mindset CAN buffer negative effects of poverty on achievement.
Google Drive to Materials (Add to this if you have any good resources)
Curriculum WoWs in the Building!
- Continued Rigor in math--as students move up a grade level in math--they start to feel a "stretch"--don't lower expectations because it is hard for them. Find ways to scaffold them--let them partner teach concepts, use turn and talk to reinforce and model problem solving, or even give the class an application problem to work with a partner while you work with a small group. You can use this time to reinforce AND give other students a push.
- Relationships: Finding what works for each student and adjusting to their needs! You all are so good at this! It is not easy but definitely worth the effort! When you reach a student and help scaffold them academically, socially, emotionally or behaviorally--you are helping them meet a goal that had once seemed out of reach. Thanks TES teachers for being the kind of teacher that goes beyond ordinary and "expected" to extraordinary and unexpected! Love you guys!
- Shout out from second grade to first--students are restating prompts when writing responses and speaking in complete sentences!! Your hard work is paying off!! Thank you for helping students. Second grade is excited to build on this foundation! Remember that is what it is about-- each of us taking a step towards proficiency in our 1080 days!!
- Explicit phonics instruction in all grades. I love that I am seeing syllable types and multi syllabic instruction in 3rd and 4th! 5th grade students encounter 10,000 new words which are 2 or more syllables. See the graphic below to show what a student who does not decode multi syllabic words understands.
- A good start on Reading 3D testing and Easy CBM. I know it is hard to fit all of this in but appreciate everyone's efforts. Having this baseline will help us make the best decisions for our students.
- Questions about students! I love that each of you are stopping by to inquire about students new and old--have they been referred? Have they been Tiered? Tell me more about...love all these inquiries because it shows you are working to meet each child's needs. Please continue to ask questions!
- Asking NOT telling: Have students tell you how to solve problems or what needs to happen next. Modeling is important but I watched a powerful lesson where a teacher had students lead the teacher. They continuously asked--what do I do next? Why? What is next? Why? Powerful!
- Engagement: turn and talk, movement, hand movements and signals, choral responses, stop and summarize or write/draw. All of these are ways to engage students in hard tasks. When you are doing a whole group or small group lessons--you can break up monotony and ensure understanding with any of the techniques above. Every 5-10 minutes encourage responses in different ways to ensure all students are engaged.
Example: Give a math problem as a challenge for high students, while some work with partners and you work with small group. This allows you to discuss and debrief the problem together.
Student Not Decoding Multi-Syllabic Words
Meaning Loss??
Weekly Blog
This is an old blog post. It is focused on "Language" and what that term means.
Remember to begin adding to our K-5 list of vocabulary focus. This needs to start so that specials can reinforce your ideas.
Power of Why
If you have seen me teach reading--you have seen me do it. It is not hard but requires you to stick with a topic--infuse turn and talk to keep all students engaged but continue to follow up with the student you first started with for 3 Whys.
Pretty Powerful! TRY IT! I promised you--it works! Let me know a success story. If you want a bit of background or an example--here is an article.
Resources to Follow Up MTSS Training
TES Goals--Plan with these in mind!
- Increase student to student interaction in conversation, summarizing, and discussion of content
- Vocabulary through student talk and rigor of text
- Complexity of Text
- Increase questioning of deep comprehension with all reading groups at each level. Do not wait for a student to be reading on a level for them to answer questions on that level orally.
- Application of phonics to multi-syllabic words in 2-5 and strong emphasis and mastery in K-1
- Growth Mindset and STAMINA
Kelly This
Email: kthis@alexander.k12.nc.us
Location: Taylorsville, NC, United States
Phone: 8282922293
Twitter: @This1This