Monday Memo
Week of March 11
What's going on this week?
Monday
8:10 Morning Meeting
Tuesday
8:15 CARES
12:00 PTO meeting in Jill's office
Wednesday
7:15 PLCs - Large group meet in Spanish Room
8:15 CARES
Thursday
8:15 CARES
Friday
7:20 I Love to Read Committee - Wrap up meeting
8:15 CARES
2:00 I Love to Read Finale
2:15 Funfest
March Character Word of the Month - Kindness
Kindness definition = tendency to be kind and forgiving. the quality of being warm-hearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
Recess Duty
This week
Chris - Jennifer (3-6)
Denise - Kelvin (K-2)
Next week
Toni - Nadine/Gretchen (3-6)
Ashlee - Karen (K-2)
Let's Read TEAM Academy!
Let's read a book as a school. Feel free to join us! If you have suggestions for other books to read next month let me know!
March book = Rules by Cynthia Lord
March Reminders
Calendar changes - There will now be school on the remaining teacher in-service days - March 29 and May 10. We will also have full days of school on the remaining early out days.
PTO - We will meet for PTO on Tuesday at noon in my office. Come if you would like to! We will be talking about the carnival and any end of the year events.
Carnival - The carnival will now be on Friday, March 29 from 6-8 PM
New Student Open House - Our new student open house will be on Tuesday, March 19 from 5-6 PM. Teachers - please plan on being here during that time. Parents usually tour/walk around the school to learn more about TEAM.
I Love to Read - Please update minutes in the Google Doc by Monday at 1:00 PM. I will check the Google Doc on Monday at 1:00 and get prizes out to students that afternoon.
Paras Snowday Makeup Hours - Hours will be added back to your leave balance on early out days and the two full days. If you are here on those days, the hours will be added back to your balance! Yah! :)
Next School Year - Our school board will vote on employee agreements at the May 1 meeting. If you know you will not be returning, please let Missy or myself know. Otherwise we will see everyone back in the fall :)
Talent Show!
Good Reads
Five Alternatives to Extrinsic Rewards - Daily 5
Rewards are commonly used in schools as incentives for students to meet a desired expectation. Some of the most common examples are reading for a certain number of minutes, reading a certain number of books, demonstrating desirable classroom behavior, returning homework, and even meeting hallway and lunchroom expectations. Rewards for these behaviors often come in the form of food, extended recess or free time, little trinkets or gifts, certificates, and even parties.
Teachers don’t use rewards because they love to attach incentives to desired outcomes, but as a way to get children to do what they need to do. Sometimes it can feel like giving rewards is the only way to motivate students and reach a desired result. This is a type of operant conditioning: behavior that is rewarded has a greater chance of being repeated, so we use extrinsic rewards to motivate people. Unfortunately, using rewards to motivate students only exacerbates the problem because it reduces intrinsic motivation. When we provide a reward for a specific behavior, we unintentionally communicate to students that what we expect them to do is undesirable. We’re also conditioning them in the absence of such a reward, we expect undesirable behavior from them. We’re also conditioning them to ask, “What’s in it for me?” We want the focus to be on growth and learning, not the reward.
How can you move away from offering the extrinsic motivation of rewards and toward helping children develop the intrinsic motivation to complete a task? We have a few tried-and-true suggestions.
- Reinforcing words—Let students know you see them and support them. Instead of praising, highlight their character with statements like, “You should be proud of yourself for persevering and not giving up.” Or “Your respectful behavior made it so both you and your classmates could focus on your work today. Doesn’t that feel good?” or “What is your responsibility in this?” Highlighting respect, perseverance, attitude, responsibility, determination, and hard work puts character at the center and provides confirmation and the encouragement to continue.
- Give them attention—Often students want to know we see them and will give them a few minutes of our time. When conferring with students, focus on their specific goals and performance. Ask questions and use their answers to inform your instruction and deepen your relationship. We want students to experience the joy of attention for positive behavior.
- Set goals—It is motivating to visualize and feel progress. Have students graph their progress where applicable and describe in words or writing the feeling they get from growth and personal achievement. This provides motivation to learn for the sake of learning and reaching a goal, and what is better than that?!
- Provide feedback—When conferring with students about learning or behavior goals, provide feedback that is specific, timely, actionable, and clear. Feedback has a powerful influence on achievement: it lets a person know where they are in relation to a goal and how to take steps toward reaching it.
- Change the purpose—If your school or classroom holds reward parties for various reasons, have the party without making the focus rewards based. Instead of having a party for everyone who reaches a specific goal, or for the class that achieves the most, have a party to celebrate the hard work of a job well done by all. You may still post individual class results to make them visible, but do so without a reward attached to the top earners. There is a time and place for extrinsic rewards. Taking time to focus on the purpose of the goal will help you determine if you want to increase intrinsic or extrinsic motivation, and you can plan accordingly.
Helping students develop intrinsic satisfaction for a job well done, a goal hard won, and an expectation met will not only benefit them today, but set them up for success in life after they leave us.
Resources
Responsive Classroom Tip
Children need to know where to find things and have uncluttered spaces to do their work, as well as clear, safe pathways for moving around. So it’s essential that classrooms be well organized, predictable, and orderly, with a place for everything and everything in its place. This month, take some time to clear away any clutter that may have accumulated in your classroom, so your students have the space to learn and grow. And download our free printable to keep as a friendly reminder of all the great reasons why an organized, clutter-free classroom is so important. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4088879/Benefits%20of%20an%20Orderly%20Classroom.pdf?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--16jHtxJQP4LgV1M5mDv6K_aZYnDE5GhBY93NAoZzMHAPIfRXxPBi8S5AFUFfegV2BbcNtqgBzvH2PTcupO0OyYJjmrA&_hsmi=70578918&utm_content=70578918&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=40018678-6b9b-4ca3-8a87-a9b8c203e7ca%7C4304b182-019c-407d-a2b8-5d8e8a2e3f75