Instructional Coach Weekly Update
Week of March 27-31
Strategy Spotlight
Blended follow up...
If you are interested in trying ANYTHING you learned from the PD today on Blended - no matter how big or small please let me know! I would love to co-plan, co-teach, be an extra set of hands, act as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of, or even just sit down and have a conversation about how some of these components could work in your room!
Also, feel free to shoot me (or any of the other blended team members) any questions that come up that you didn't get to ask on Monday!
The blended team would love to support the rest of the staff in anyway we can to slowly get blended started in some other classrooms (including SPECIALS!) - even if that just means taking some baby steps between now and the end of the year! You don't have to jump straight into starting the 4 rotations!
Attached is the google doc link to all the notes from the reflection posters from today. Please add to this google doc if you would like. We will be following up with blended at a future staff meeting or Friday Learning meeting.
Young Adult Novels that Teach Growth Mindset
Heroes in books and movies captivate kids, many of whom could teach a master class on these characters. The fresh perspective teachers can offer is how students themselves can and should be heroes.
As advocates of growth mindset, we can teach children that heroism does not require obsession with perfection or product. We should show students that we also value process and progress. Heroic stories can help: They teach students about mitigating mistakes, learning from loss, and overcoming adversity, all of which are key elements of growth mindset.
The following books feature protagonists of diverse backgrounds and races, many of whom reappear in compelling sequels that reinforce the initial lessons and keep students hungry for more. While these young adult books are typically middle school level, their resonant subject matter, complex characters, profound themes, vivid vocabulary, and historical contexts make them suitable as enriched reading for elementary students and as a bridge for high school freshmen. Don’t let the youth of the protagonists fool you: All of these books are worthy of serious study—and they invite multiple readings.
- Kenny from The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
- Brian from the Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen
- Katie from Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
- Matteo from The House of the Scorpion novels by Nancy Farmer
- Cassie from the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry saga by Mildred D. Taylor
- Stanley from Holes and Armpit from Small Steps by Louis Sachar
- Meg from the A Wrinkle in Time books by Madeleine L’Engle
The Heroic Challenge
Being heroic can mean simply showing ourselves and others the best of what humans have to offer. We should cultivate and celebrate the hero living in each of us. Teachers can assist in this noble quest by supporting students in finding what is special about them (and each other!) and in nurturing the singular gift that only they can heroically share with the world.
Once students can identify positive, productive qualities in others—first in books and media, then in friends and family—they soon recognize and develop those same positive attributes in themselves. Teachers who attend to the whole child understand how social-emotional-soulful learning directly impacts student success and satisfaction and actively encourage their students to become role models in their own right.
This Week
Monday:
- No School - Staff PD
- Blended (AM)
- Work with teachers over lunch break
- Everyday Math consultant/training (PM)
- 7:45 - 4th Grade team planning
- 8:30 - meet with a 3rd grade teacher to plan a writing unit
- 10:15 - meet with Jennifer to do report card work for the Intermediate
- Work with teachers
- 3:20 - 3rd Grade team planning
Wednesday:
- 7:45 - Data team meetings
- Work with teachers
- Work on report card document
Thursday:
- 7:45 - Staff meeting
- Work with teachers
- Work on report card document
- 3:30 - Superflex meeting
Friday:
- 7:30 - Special education meeting
- 8:20 - Cover a 3rd grade classroom
- All morning - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Learning meetings
- 11:00 - IC's meet
- 12:00 - IC and leads meeting