How do we Motivate Students!?
Weekly Message for September 28th - October 2nd
Self-motivation | Ownership | Engagement
A recent article in the Edutopia highlights the power of choices for engaging students. While we have thought about student engagement for decades in the classroom, across the country educators shared the new challenges of creating virtual environments that facilitated student engagement.
With all of the new experiences and new ways of instructing students, it seems timely to continue thinking about connecting and engaging students online. This article highlights the power of semantics in facilitating this motivation. "[W]hen we talk about learning as though it is the reward, and provide students with the scaffolds and support to pave their journey, we will be closer to our intent: students finding the resources they need and using their voices to share what they know in ways that are relevant, authentic, and meaningful to them." Yes!
Check out this short article and the practical examples for framing our language through student ownership and engagement. Consider . . .
“Which phrases do you use that emphasize student ownership, engagement, and intrinsic motivation, and which ones may unintentionally indicate the reverse?”
This communication will be going out to parents via our Student Services listserv shortly. It includes parent resources, information about Limited In-Person instruction, CDL, & the parent collaboration group.
Check out this awesome introduction of the SUPS Student Services team to their community (by clicking on the button! Beautiful work Sunset Team! Let us know how your team is building connection and community with families during this time!

So much innovation and connection! Our BCPS team introduced their team and connected with families while sharing our mission and vision. Click on the blue "button" to see the Flyer. Share with us how your team is living into this complex work!

Let's keep up the beautiful work of connecting with families, sharing our procedural safeguards and setting up our meetings for success! Check out this email template. It is located in the Student Services Shared Materials Drive.
What does co-planning look like in Comprehensive Distance Learning!? Let's talk about it at the Workshop Wednesday. Please be thinking if there is a general education partner or grade level team that you would like to invite to join you in this learning opportunity.
October 7 | Leaning Into Limited In-Person Instruction
Our first step into Limited In-Person Instruction is starting with supporting evaluations and internet connectivity. In Step 2, we will lean into support students whose communication styles are not allowing access to the computer or video conferencing or other CDL tools. We will revisit the ACIE Problem-Solving framework and discuss next steps for supporting a student in Step 2 of our LII plan.
October 14 | Virtual Staff Room
Come connect with your colleagues, share successes and discuss problems of practice.
*Please remember to sign up on the Student Services Professional Development Calendar!
October 9th | Aimsweb
On October 9th two our of our Instructional Coordinators, Jennifer Ziolko and Marian Wattman Oshima, will be facilitating a session at 1:00 for Aimsweb, a tool for progress monitoring and assessment.
* Please note that this is a change in date. We had initially shared this opportunity for October 2nd. There is a date change for October 9th. Thank you for your continued flexibility!
**Please remember to sign up on the Student Services Professional Development Calendar!
Click on this "button" if you are a new user to Adobe eSign. This will provide a visual walkthrough of logging in! if you are an existing user, this link will share the link to bookmark.
Let us know how your teams have been facilitating student engagement!
Lauren Brigsby | Director of Special Education
Stephanie Clawson | Assistant Director of Special Education
Jennifer Spencer-Iiams | Assistant Superintendent of Student Services