Hawk Herald
News and Notes for Teachers- April 16
Dear Staff
I'm away on my Spanish Ministry of Education funded trip to Spain. My Newsletter will be abrieviated for the next two times. Krista and Vicky will be subbing for me so you are in good hands. Jose will be sending out the links to advisory lessons separately. Tardies are becoming an issue so we will be doing sweeps this week. Please make sure any students that you give permission to leave your class have a pass.
Have a great week.
Mary
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." -Frederick Douglass
Spring Pictures
7th grade is optional
Secondary Math Teachers meeting
AC 100
Meetings and Events
Monday-16 Krista for Mary- Tardy Sweeps this week.
- Spring Pictures
- ELL meeting 10:10
- Secondary Math Teachers meeting 4-5:30 AC100
Tuesday-17 Vicky for Mary
- TRIO workshop 8:45
- Team Meetings-Cooper hawks and Red-tails Pod 4(counselors)
Wednesday-18 Vicky for Mary
- PLCs
- Attendance Meeting 10:10
- Team Meetings-Sparrow hawks and Royal hawks pod 1(admin)
Friday-20 Krista for Mary
- SST
Self-Assessment Survey
Below you will find the link to the your school’s Self-Assessment Survey (SAS). It is an anonymous survey. It should take you about 10 minutes to complete. The results of this survey will give us an idea of what supports you feel are in place and which supports should be a priority for our school.
The survey will be open until May 4th. They will give our PBIS Leader the results of this survey during the May Leadership meeting. We can use the results to plan for next year.
Young Adolescents 101
In this Cult of Pedagogy article, Jennifer Gonzalez says she never planned to teach middle school, but that was the level with job openings as she finished her training, so she dove in – and ended up falling in love with the kids’ quirky characteristics. Here’s her analysis of what’s going on with 11-14-year-olds, along with advice for educators working at that level:
• Kids care more about what their peers think than pretty much anything else. For example, a boy who loves chocolate milk refuses to have some in the cafeteria because someone said chocolate milk is babyish. Gonzalez suggests using this characteristic to our advantage: get the coolest girl in the class who likes Shakespeare to lead the lesson, or promise five minutes of time to chat with each other at the end of class in exchange for focused work.
• They are horrified by what their bodies are doing. Pimples, body odor, oversize feet, developing too slowly, and all the rest. The best advice for teachers: don’t draw attention to what’s happening with individual students, and understand if a student doesn’t want to be called up to the front of the class.
• They tend toward hyperbole. There’s a spider in the corner? “Get ready for a wall-climbing, horror-movie-screaming, Armageddon-style wig-out,” says Gonzalez. “Whether it’s due to limited life experience, hormones wreaking havoc on emotions, or the trying on of identities, young adolescents tend to exaggerate just a bit.” Her advice: don’t overreact, describe problems in a calm, rational way, maintain a sense of humor, and model the way a healthy person navigates life’s little surprises: “Yes, spiders can be scary. Let’s take care of this little guy so we can get back to work.”
• They are mortified by public praise. Elementary students may beam at being recognized for having written a good essay, but that changes in middle school. A word to the wise: praise, but keep it private.
• They can’t be trusted with confidences. “Throwing a surprise party for another teacher and want to let your kids in on the secret?” says Gonzalez. “Consider the surprise ruined.” At this age, kids can’t resist the temptation to share this kind of information. Her advice: “Treat your middle-school kids the same way you should treat the Internet: Don’t share anything you aren’t willing to see broadcast in public.”
• They’re fascinated with you as a human being, but then they’re not. Young adolescents are emerging from being the center of their own childish universe to becoming aware that other people see the world differently. “They may be intensely interested in you, sometimes,” says Gonzalez. “They’ll ask all kinds of questions about your personal life, your family, the kind of food and music you like, and whether or not you cuss and drink outside of school hours.” But then they’ll revert to acting as though you don’t exist. Her advice: Be restrained when answering personal questions (present a G-rated version of your life) and understand the transition they’re going through.
• They are pulling away from their parents. This is a normal part of adolescence, but middle-school kids need adult guidance more than ever. Gonzalez’s take: “As a trusted adult in their lives, you’re in a unique position to influence these kids and fill in the gaps that have been left by their self-imposed isolation from their own families, so remember to be the adult: Advise responsibly, model smart decision-making, and unless you suspect genuine abuse, avoid taking the child’s side over their parents’. You are in partnership with the student and their primary caregivers; be sure your students are always clear about that.”
• They are still kids. One minute they’re having a serious discussion about the symbolism of a Robert Frost poem, the next they’re making rude noises with their armpits and asking if they can drink the water from the fish tank. And they’re wiggling all the time, especially the boys. Gonzalez’s advice: build movement into your lessons, take advantage of kids’ childish enthusiasm and willingness to help out, and don’t expect mature behavior to last very long. They’re actually acting their age.
South Meadows Middle School
Email: mendezm@hsd.k12.or.us
Website: http://schools.hsd.k12.or.us/southmeadows
Location: 4690 Southeast Davis Road, Hillsboro, OR, United States
Phone: 503-844-1220
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthMeadowsMiddleSchool