In The Middle 2.3
MESSAGE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES
If you are going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG!
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Division I coaches discuss with their partners about what are components of effective lesson plans
Coach Stewart (Medrano MS) & CIC Johnson (Cary MS) team up while CIC Bell (Holmes) studies on her own
Session participants, Fifield and CIC Tarango (Greiner) as well as CIC Jackson (Atwell) study lesson plans
Click on the title above to access this powerful article.
Click here for an accompanying supplement that may be helpful in your coaching.
What's your campus definition of rigor?
Recognizing Rigor In The Classroom
Few people question the need for America’s schools and classrooms to be more rigorous. But there is little agreement about what rigor is and what it looks like.
In Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word, Barbara Blackburn defined rigor as creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so that he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels (Blackburn, 2008). This three-part approach assures that rigor doesn’t consist of just adding curriculum requirements or raising grading standards. Integral to the model is providing every student with high levels of support so that they can thrive and be successful in their classrooms.
Rigor is more than a specific lesson or instructional strategy. It is deeper than what a student says or does in response to a lesson. Real rigor is the result of weaving together all elements of schooling to improve the achievement and learning of every student.
Click here for the full article
To read more about Dr. Barbara Blackburn and her work with rigor, click here where you will find lots of free resources.
What will be your campus definition of rigor?
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
T3 Fall Workshops (Texas Instruments)
Educators in math and science can select T³™ fall workshops for hands-on, quality professional development. During these one-day workshops, participants will learn how to implement appropriate change in the classroom, employ new strategies for teaching using TI technology and improve content knowledge of rich tasks and activities.
A variety of topics to choose from include implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills or STEM topics to getting started with TI technology in the classroom.
Registration is only $125 and includes a full-version of either the TI-Nspire™ Teacher Software or TI-SmartView™ for the TI-84 Plus family software (up to a $155 value)*Click here to register or read more about T3.
Click here to view available courses! This can be a great supplemental option for teachers!
TEACHING & LEARNING OFFERINGS
JUST IN TIME TRAINING TOMORROW
Who: Teachers
What Just-in-Time training unpacking TEKS from the 2nd six-weeks
When: Sat, September 20th; 6-8 grades ALL (a.m.session); Alg. 1 (p.m.session)
Where: Lang Middle School
Why: Plan ways to differentiate or scaffold those (bundles of) TEKS.
Registration required. Session provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Participants should please laptops or tablets to the training.
TESTING INFORMATION
Assessment of Course Performance (ACP) Information
- Test sessions will now be 90 minutes. Tests have been built with the timeline in mind, capping items at 60 total. Also for courses with published readiness SEs, a minimum of 50% of the items will focus on readiness standards.
- Reporting categories have been added to the blueprints.
- Again, there will be no Spring ACP for Algebra I Pre-AP students due to EOC testing.
- MARK YOUR CALENDARS! ACP Viewing will be from October 20th - November 6th. Registration will begin on Monday, September 22nd. Look for more info this Friday via DISDnews blasts and this Friday's WAIP.
COACHING CORNER
OJC (On The Job Coaching)
OJC is a total interactive experience for educators grounded in partnership and guided by professional peer development. As an aspect of the coaching relationship, educators can expect to be informed during OJC by receiving real time feedback during the observation.
Here are some OJC considerations:
- Ground your feedback in evidence and refrain from subjective statements
- Use (pre-established) hand signals with the teacher
- Find the window of opportunity (passing period, during Do Now, etc.)
- Follow-up (right then and there and again later in the day)
- Elicit teacher feedback on your OJC
- Praise in Public, Correct in Private
- Don't derail the conversation: Choose your words carefully
- Focus on the student outcomes and not the teacher actions
- Establish a dialogue: Listen actively, ask open-ended questions and paraphrase
Are you struggling to coach a resistant teacher?
The article, What Can We Do About Teacher Resistance? by Jim Knight starts by posing this simple yet common question. One answer is that those of us who are change leaders should be careful about how we share practices with teachers. This read takes you through six questions to ponder and concludes with suggestions for leading change.
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Reprinted and distributed with permission of Phi Delta Kappa International, www.pdkintl.org. All rights reserved.
SPOTLIGHT ON COACHING
E H Cary Middle School
DOL TRACKER
Contact me directly if you would like to try using this platform for your campus.
IMPORTANT DATES
Thursday, September 25th
COMMON ASSESSMENTS COLLABORATIVE
2617 N. Henderson Avenue Room 217
Instructional Coaching
- What Is Instructional Coaching
- What Is The Partnership Philosophy
- The 7 Partnership Principles
- The Big Four
- Five Tactics for Translating Research Into Practice
- Modeling Lessons
- Data & Feedback
About the creator
Email: sblackmon@dallasisd.org
Location: 2617 N Henderson Ave, Suite 212, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: (469) 408 - 9744