Perkins Beat
February 4-8
Thinking about Student Leadership
We are looking to expand out opportunities for student Leadership. George Couros said, “The best way to ensure that our students are the leaders of tomorrow is to give them the opportunity to lead today”.
Our Works in the Leader in Me shows this trend for Meaningful Student Leadership.
The idea is to expand classroom jobs into leading and learning opportunities.::
More from George on student leadership ::
https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/tag/student-leadership
Here is an article from Education World on student leadership ::
https://www.educationworld.com/tips-teaching-students-become-tomorrow%E2%80%99s-leaders
Things to Note this Week
- Cycle 2 MTG 12:00
- Tenet All Day
- 2nd gr PLC 2:40
- BLT MTG 8:10
- Merry Go Round Theater 1st Grade
- Principal/Coaches 11:30
- Day of Play 1:00-3:00
- Kindergarten PLC 2:30
- PTA MTG 6:00
- Reading Week Meeting 8 10 in Library
- 1st grade PLC 2:30
- Coll. Class 8:10
- CORE 10:30
Thank you Bryan and Jillian, for supporting students, families and teachers in promoting learning, social and emotional development and positive behavior at Perkins School.
DUTIES...
AM
Walker Entrance
Stopfel
Back Bus Loop
Jandreau
Foyer
Precourt
PM
Walker Dismissal
Ashburn, Puckett, DeWaters
Bus Duty
Barragato, James
CLassroom Connection
What might you say differently about IDR conferences now?
This blog was shared with me and is from the Collaborative Classroom Facebook Community site. (Below is the link to their Facebook group.) There are some very helpful tips on how to make the best use of your IDR conferences.
Some staff members from Lincoln and Perkins are participating in an online book club as they read, No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss. This has prompted many discussions about IDR and the importance of it in our classrooms. Thank you to the participants! There has been discussion about offering it again and including Kelley School, so if you didn't have a chance to join this time, there will be a chance in the future.
What might you say differently about IDR conferences now?
Here are my current IDR Conference Tips:
- A conference with a reader doesn’t have to take 10 minutes. Powerful and productive conferences do not need to be a certain length of time. Maybe 5 minutes is all it takes to support the reader.
- The reader should be the one to lead the conference. I can provide a predictable structure for the conference experience-a structure where students are clear in their role and come prepared with talking points. The student talking points help make conversation more meaningful and relevant for the reader. The talking points also allow me to quickly meet the reader where they are within the given book and scope of instruction.
- My role in the conference is first to listen carefully to what the reader is saying and then decide how I might use that information to extend or strengthen what is important to the reader.
- I also have to consider HOW I will embrace this teaching moment. What might be the coaching point for this student based on what I heard and observed? How might I illuminate that coaching point to further support this reader’s use of strategies or skills not only in the particular book they brought to the table, but also as an independent reader?
- I have learned the importance of having a reader try out the goal or action before we end our time together. Applying the action in the given text allows the reader to extend that learning to other texts.
- For readers who seem a bit uncertain or might need more support, I strive to engage in a short “check-in” or a series of “check-ins” to support the application of learning from the conference experience to independent reading.
- I’ve learned that having readers share their goals with other readers as IDR comes to an end is a powerful practice!
- I always strive keep in mind Debbie Miller’s advice: when I’m not sure what direction to go, relax! Though I might struggle with the coaching support for this conference, I want to keep in mind that this moment with a reader is precious and is about building and strengthening our relationship.
- It is important to collect data when conferring with students. The conference data can be used to support an individual reader, and data trends can be helpful in making decisions about small-group and whole-class instruction.
Knowing Your Learning Target
A piece from "Knowing Your Learning Target" by Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart and Beverly A. Long
The Power of Meaningful Sharing
Learning targets have no inherent power. They enhance student learning and achievement only when educators commit to consistently and intentionally sharing them with students. Meaningful sharing requires that teachers use the learning targets with their students and students use them with one another. This level of sharing starts when teachers use student-friendly language—and sometimes model or demonstrate what they expect—to explain the learning target from the beginning of the lesson, and when they continue to share it throughout the lesson. Here are two powerful ways to do that.
Designing a Strong Performance of Understanding
The single best way to share a learning target is to create a strong performance of understanding—a learning experience that embodies the learning target. When students complete the actions that are part of a strong performance of understanding, they and their teachers will know that they have reached the target.
When introducing the lesson, the teacher should explicitly share the learning target for the day and explain how each of the tasks that are part of the lesson will lead students toward that target
Perkins School
Email: susan.achille@newarkcsd.org
Website: newarkcsd.org
Location: 439 West Maple Avenue, Newark, NY, United States
Phone: 315-332-3315
Twitter: @Newark_PS